New PC mapping system gets an A+.

The ever-important component of a piece of real estate--its location quality--is now instantly visible from any internet-connected computer, giving property buyers the ability to effectively seize upon real estate opportunities in someone else's backyard.

Have you read articles about "The Next Hot Cities for Real Estate Investment" or "Best Places to Retire", went online and looked at real estate in some of those cities (whose neighborhoods you weren't familiar with) and wished you knew more about the location quality at and around those properties?

Map Advantage, an Oregon corporation, provides online graphic color scale maps that instantly and clearly tell you if a property is located in or near an exclusive enclave of a city, in or near felony flats--or somewhere in-between. Important FEMA flood risk information is also provided with each address input.

"This was an invention that resulted from sheer necessity," says product inventor and Map Advantage President Paul McMahon. "As a Realtor dealing with constant out-of-area inquiries regarding the caliber and risk of a property's location--I grew weary describing the attributes of various locations while knowing there were technologies out there that could quickly answer those questions."

With a background in real estate and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) he then set about creating a solution. Available in the marketplace in December, it covers all U.S. cities with a population of 10,000 or higher.

This new product, "SubMarket Analyst", features thematic maps based on U.S. Census per capita income values classified into nine distinct categories/color shades that represent the upper, middle and lower class--and each of their subsets. The nine categories (actually census block group classes labeled A+ to C-) correspond amazingly with the neighborhood-to-neighborhood changes in any metropolitan area. They also (finally) allow graphic visualization of commercial real estate's informal A+ to C- area-ranking.