Easily Explore Property In 3D!
Aerial Shots: Drone and Google Earth Imagine yourself settling down into the hot tub on your deck with a cold one in your hand, ready to enjoy the long-range mountain sunset views! That is, unless the property you chose faces north. Or those views are blocked by the ridgeline on the other side of the valley. Orientation and topography are important for every mountain property, whether it is a house in trendy West Asheville or 100+ acres in the countryside. South-facing orientation is preferred for increased sun exposure, especially in the winter when north-facing slopes can stay iced for months. Topography (‘Topo’) determines the best build sites, and whether the view from those sites would be blocked by neighboring properties. The best tool I have found to look at topo is Google Earth; which can be installed here . After installing, select ‘Tools’ in the toolbar, click on ‘Options’, and find the Elevation Exaggeration feature. I typically set this on ‘2’; and then click OK. Voila, t