I used to be a lot easier to spot vacant houses. If the grass was dead it was a good indication the house was empty. But now, with this drought here in So Cal many people choose to not water their lawns.
Of course the water bills are outrageous here also, I average $300 a month and my yard is on the verge of death.
Now when I see a dead yard I will look for some signs of life, like parked cars, but even then cars can be abandoned also, I look for spider webs around the tires. I check to see if there are newspapers on the porch and the mailbox is over stuffed. If there are signs posted to the windows from the bank thats a good indication its vacant.
But it’s strange to see a beautiful home with a dead yard and nice cars parked in the driveway.
It just takes a bit more investigative research.