how do they take pics of homes and businesses on google maps?

They use satellites... there are always several satellites at every point on the surface if Earth (a satellites range is very far), and people use programs to to put multiple photos into one.

That depends. Are you talking about their aerial maps or the street view? The aerial maps are done by plane or satellite, but form a very high altitude. You would never see them taking those pics.

The street view is shot by a car. It has 2 wide angle cameras, one pointing forward and another pointing backwards. The two pics are sewn together to make those 360 degree picture balls. The car takes pictures all the time without stopping. Its a little car and it could pass by without you noticing. If you were standing there, you would notice it because of the unusual paint job and the cameras on the roof. But it might have passed by months before the images were updated.

I saw it and drove behind it for a few hundred yards but the photos I should be in haven't appeared yet and that was over a month ago.

They have vehicles -- usually vans -- that drive through on the street. They have a 360 degree camera on top, and I'd expect GPS to track where they are on the map so the images automatically correspond.

They don't have people wander the neighborhood taking photos with cameras. The van just needs to drive through the street, taking but a few seconds. You can readily miss it if you're not there when it drives through like any other car.

They have google cars with panoramic cameras stationed on top.

The car (usually vans) simply drive past your house and have collected hundreds of images to create a 3D Google maps world.

There is a google van with a 360 camera on top

By a car. Look for a car that has 360 degree camera

They used cars with cameras on the roof and drove up and down every street. Some of them are a little out of date now.

Google has satellites from space. They also drive around vans and cars with rotating cameras on them.

from cars I think not 100% sure