I wasn't even refering to a "bad neighborhood." Funny how you automaticaly assumed that. I've been chased in the 'burbs, rural areas, as well as in the urban areas I work in. I see no valid reason on a drive-by BPO, to put the car park, and step out in the middle of the street to get photos of a house. Not after multiple encounters w/owners carrying guns, knives, or ball bats in the counties I work.

I don't know if I'm more surprised that people are actually getting out of their cars to take the photos, or more surprised that they're surprised that it's causing issues!

I have taken 100% of my exterior photos not only while sitting in my car, but through my heavily-tinted (as dark as Texas allows) windows. It in no way detracts from the photos and keeps me safe and the people in the houses clueless - which is the way I like it.

I had to take exterior photos today of a manufactured house that faced the side of the yard, making the only visible portion, the actual side - and that was heavily covered by brush. There was no way I could get a full shot of the front, unless I got out of my car and walked into their front yard.

Guess what the company is getting? The best I could take from my car, which is a semi-portion shot of the front, and a long-distance shot of the back, which was visible from a street over. There is no way on God's green Earth that I'm going to endanger my life by walking into someone's yard to get photos for a BPO - I don't care how nice the area may be.

I've had to do this before (heck, I had to submit a photo of a gate before, because that was all that was visible - and this is what I was told to do when I called in) and with the proper statements as to why you turned it in with the photos used, has always been sufficient. I usually state that the dwelling was not fully visible from the street and that my values are based off of the dwelling being in average (or whatever) condition, blah, blah, blah.

There are a few suburbs of Houston that are notorious for having wooded front yards, to the point that the house is barely visible. What am I supposed to do? Climb a tree to get a clear shot??

As far as people being in the shot, if they can see me, I drive around and keep going back until I can get the shots needed. I'll usually snap the one I can get, and go back and get the next, until I can get them all.

Hear hear! I am with you all the way on this. This is exactly what I do. Plus in Texas it is usually so hot outside that to roll down your window would let all the cold air out of your car. Not the best thing for your fuel economy to be making that air conditioner work any harder than it needs to.

Since my windows are tinted too I usually lighten my photos with a photo-editing program. It takes two seconds and makes 'em look great.

Every once in awhile I'll have to lighten them up, but barely. I've found that if I press my lens up to the window, they turn out better than if I sit back and take them.

I'm looking for a new car right now, and I also insist on getting black leather again. Between that, tinted windows, and a dark shirt, I'm not that visible behind the glass.

One other thing - I always take my address verification first, because that is the one that takes the longest, due to have to zoom in. Once that's out of the way, the others are cake, and if they're not, then I don't have to come to a full stop to get the others, since I don't have to sit still to zoom.

I don't take my street shots from the car, but I take all of my other shots from inside my car. I can get both sides, the front an address shot and any damage photos without ever leaving my car. I'm in nice areas and not so nice areas and it doesn't matter to me. Sometimes I get a mirror in the side shots, but I just crop it out before I submit it.

I take the street shots through my windshield. It makes me more diligent about keeping bird crap off of it.

I totally do this too! My street shots through the windshield look fine. If you hold the camera up high enough you won't get any of your hood in the photo. Or if you do, just crop it out. Occasionally I will go to a street that is perpendicular to the subject street and just snap the picture through my driver's side window.

I do that sometimes. I have never taken them through my windshield though.

I do it all the time. I usually don't even stop. I turn down the street, make sure I'm not going to mow anyone, or anything down, slow down, and click! Oh, and I make sure my windshield is clean.

Seriously, aim it high enough and it takes a clear shot. If you get the car in it, crop it out.

Just a thought here:
These are ordered as "drive-by". They're not ordered as "drive there, get out of the car, walk around the house, take a lot of pix, talk to the occupants" BPO's.
Tinted windows, 10X zoom lenses or camera phones will get the job done.
The only other option is to complete these orders early in the morning when the occupants and neighbors are still sleeping it off.

If I am ever approached by people, for the purposes of keeping it simple and easy to understand, I just say that work for an appraiser and I am taking comparable photos. Even though I am taking pictures of the subject, they don't know and they don't care. They just want to know that you are legitimate. This applied to a gentleman that nocied me circling the neighborhood. They were expecting someone and thought I was their visitor. I always stay in my car unless I jump out to get a street scene. I've only had one occupant of a subject property notice me and they were inside the home looking out the window. I think the neighbor called them. The occupants ran out to talk to the neighbors when I was driving away. By then, I was finished and I didn't care

Its funny how you say if you are too afraid, then let someone who is more experienced handle the orders. Im afraid of a certain neighborhood in Detroit, but I know it very well. My property preservation guy is a Detroit cop and he is afraid of that neighborhood. He said that section is the most dangerous in the entire United states. While he was bidding the trashout, there were people stripping the house across the street. Im not kidding when i say almost 50% of the homes in this neighborhood are fire damaged, boarded, vacant, or stripped.

That zip code covers alot more than that neighborhood. Actually that zip code has some of the nicest neighborhoods in Detroit. If I removed that zip, then im removing alot of great neighborhoods. Next time you should think before making such a stupid statement.

48223?

I did an interior not too long ago with an appointment. I show up, owner's not home but the teenage kids are. They let me in, I shoot a bunch of pictures with them in it. One guy asked if I wanted him to move off a bed he was laying on... "Nope, stay there". Click click and down the road I go. The bank got the "Real Deal" on that BPO. It was a short sale that I took pictures of the house on a Saturday. The home was a complete mess. I guess it doesn't pay to clean up the farm when you're selling short.

My areas must be nothing like others. I don't get out of the car ever. I take the street through the windshield right when I get on the street. I take the front and address at the same time. If I'm required to get sides I just take them from an angle from inside my car. Most of the time have to stick my hand out the window to do this. In my area I'm not afraid of any neighborhood, especially in the day. But like others have posted you never know even in the nicest neighborhoods. Most of the time I can get all but the address while the car is rolling. Also some houses have the address so nice and big you don't need another picture of it. If there are trees and you can't see the house that's what photo description comments are for. I suppose I should have more of an unassuming car. I drive a newer Audi, but it's what I got. Or I could drive my Chevy 2500HD truck, but that might get more noticed, plus lousy gas mileage. What do others drive for the bpos? Or recommend. I'm sure a beat up honda civic would be best.