Originally Posted by genejockey

One thing I'm finding really handy is Google Streetview. A couple times I've looked at listings that look really good, then I check out the neighborhood on Google Streetview, and it's not someplace to move to. The other things is that maps might show you how close a house is to various things like grocery stores or a such, but not what it would be like to walk there. This morning I was looking at a listing that seemed to be really close to shopping, but when I looked at Streetview, the two roads you'd have to walk along have NO sidewalks and NO provision for pedestrians. Basically 40-50 mph roads, not even at all useful for cycling.

EDIT: I should point out that we're not looking for a house to buy at the moment. We're really shopping cities and neighborhoods, to get a feel for the areas, etc. And as somebody pointed out to me this weekend, you should probably rent for some number of months in any place you haven't lived before you decide to move there. Good advice!