Even in the good ole' days before there even were free internet sites with Assessment Data on them (have I been around that long????), a quick phone call to the Assessor's office was my first line of defense against wasted trips. And while it can be frustrating to learn that a client has given you incorrect information, I agree with whomever said that YOU are the abstractor who knows about your area, and If the VMs were all that smart, they just might not need you, now would they?