# Property Research Tools | ABODE International Realty Canonical page: https://abodeintlrealty.com/property-research/ Last updated: 2026-10-18 Publisher: ABODE International Realty LLC (Real Estate Firm TN 263936; FL Corporation CQ1070640) Property research # Property research tools Free public sources, read for one address ABODE’s property research tools read free public sources for one address at a time: the FEMA flood map, the wetlands inventory, the soil survey, USGS elevation, a rough slope estimate, the drainage catchment and land cover. Each result shows its source, date and limits. It is background context, not an inspection, survey or flood determination. In short: ABODE’s property research tools read free public sources for one address, showing flood zone, wetlands, soil, elevation, slope and land cover with each source, date and limit. ## What do ABODE’s property research tools show? When you weigh a property, a few questions come up before any inspection: which flood zone does the federal map show, is a wetland mapped nearby, what kind of soil does the survey describe, how high is the ground and how steep is it. The answers sit in free government datasets that are hard to find and hard to read. ABODE reads seven of those sources for one address, shows each result in plain words, and prints the source, the date and what the result does not tell you beside it. ## Which property research tool should you open? ### [Report: 285 Bill Moser Rd, Vonore](https://abodeintlrealty.com/property-research/285-bill-moser-rd-vonore-tn-37885/) ABODE’s reading of Skyway Reserve, read October 18, 2026, with every source and limit shown. ### [Builders and developers](https://abodeintlrealty.com/builders-developers/) Site screening, local-rule guides, budget, schedule and title worksheets in project order. ### [Planning checklists](https://abodeintlrealty.com/tools/) Free checklists for buyers, sellers, builders and developers: what to verify, whom to ask and what to request. ### [Look up a United States address](https://abodeintlrealty.com/property-research/lookup/) Type an address and your browser reads the same seven sources. ABODE does not receive the address. ### [Compare two to ten addresses](https://abodeintlrealty.com/property-research/compare/) See the same seven readings side by side, then print them or save a CSV file. The comparison does not rank or score. ### [Seller property readings sheet](https://abodeintlrealty.com/property-research/seller-sheet/) A printable sheet of what the public sources show at your own address, to bring to a listing conversation. ## Which public sources do the tools read? | Reading | Source | What it can tell you | |-----------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Flood zone | FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer | The flood zone the federal map shows at a point. Not an official determination. | | Wetlands | USFWS National Wetlands Inventory | Whether a wetland is mapped at or within 100 meters of the point. Not a delineation. | | Soil map unit | USDA soil survey (SSURGO) | The broad soil description for the area. Not a site test. | | Elevation | USGS 3D Elevation Program | Ground height above sea level at one point. | | Ground slope estimate | USGS elevation, computed by ABODE | A rough slope from five readings near the point. Not a survey. | | Drainage catchment | USGS Network-Linked Data Index | The reference number of the drainage area the point falls in. | | Land cover | USGS annual National Land Cover Database | The satellite-mapped cover class (forest, open space, pasture and so on) at the point and at eight points around it. Not a zoning or land-use finding. | The seven readings, the source behind each, and what each can and cannot tell you. ## How should you read a result? - **It is one point.** Each reading is taken at the coordinates the Census Bureau locator returns for the address. A rural address can land off the parcel, and a parcel can differ across its width. - **“Nothing mapped” is not “none”.** A flood map, wetland map or soil survey can miss things or be out of date. We never describe a property as safe, clear or unaffected. - **Dates matter.** Every result shows the day it was read. Flood maps and surveys change. - **Official sources win.** If a reading and an official record disagree, the official record controls. For decisions about a purchase, a build, septic, flood insurance or wetlands, ask the people who can look at the ground and the records: a licensed surveyor, a civil engineer or soil scientist, your insurance agent, the county planning and health offices, and your attorney. ## What do the tools leave out, and why? Parcel boundary and assessment, zoning, ownership, taxes, utilities, easements, permits and listing data are not part of these readings. They come from county and municipal offices and need their own checks. The tools use no data about schools, crime, who lives in an area or neighborhood scores. Those topics can work as proxies for protected characteristics. Read our [fair housing commitment](https://abodeintlrealty.com/fair-housing/) and [editorial standards](https://abodeintlrealty.com/editorial-standards/). ## Property research: frequently asked questions Is a property research reading a flood determination or an inspection? No. Each reading is background context from a public source at one point. It is not a flood determination, wetland delineation, soil or septic test, survey, inspection, appraisal or zoning opinion. Why do the tools leave out schools, crime and neighborhood ratings? Those topics can work as proxies for protected characteristics and can steer buyers. ABODE points to official public sources instead and leaves each buyer to decide. See our fair housing commitment. What happens to an address I type into the lookup? Your browser sends it directly to the U.S. Census Bureau and then sends the resulting coordinates to FEMA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA and USGS. ABODE does not receive, store or log the address. ## Sources and notes 1. [FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer](https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/wps/portal/NFHLWMS). Source for the flood zone reading. 2. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wetlands Inventory](https://www.fws.gov/node/265706). Source for the wetlands reading. 3. [USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO)](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/ssurgo-portal). Source for the soil map unit reading. 4. [USGS 3D Elevation Program](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/are-there-any-costs-or-restrictions-usage-data-downloaded-national-map). Source for the elevation reading. 5. [USGS Network-Linked Data Index](https://api.water.usgs.gov/docs/nldi). Source for the drainage catchment reading. 6. [USGS Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2025)](https://www.mrlc.gov/data). Source for the land cover reading.