We've been looking at moving FAR away and the sorts of things I want to know is information about the part of town the property is in... crime rates, demographics, etc.
http://www.city-data.com/ is pretty good for this sort of information. The forums are very active so feel free to ask subjective questions that are particular for your situation.
For example, http://www.city-data.com/city/West-Linn-Oregon.html http://www.city-data.com/forum/portland/37192-lake-oswego-vs...