Are You Using the Internet to Buy a Home?
November 20th, 2008 categories: Buyers
House hunters can scour through neighborhoods, inspect front porches, and even peek inside bedrooms from the comfort of their desktops. But while this surge of new information can help you find that perfect home, it may also make the whole process overwhelming. As reported by U.S. News & World Report, here are six ways to ensure that your online real estate search is as efficient as possible.
Know when to say when. There are plenty of ways to waste time on the Internet. When it comes to home buying, searching through properties you can’t afford tops the list. So before you grab for that mouse, contact a lender and get preapproved for a mortgage.
Find the right tools… Real estate search engines are getting better and better, like Trulia.com, DotHomes, Zillow.com and Realtor.com. But don’t limit your search to national search engines. It’s a good idea to visit the Web sites of real estate agents in the market that you are considering as well.
…and put them in a belt. Instead of trying to pinpoint the ”best” search engine, home buyers should put together a list of resources and use them in tandem. No single search engine can provide a complete picture so, by using several as a group, prospective home buyers can get a much better look at the inventory.
Don’t forget the indies. The majority of Internet search tools show homes that are being sold through agents. But if you use those exclusively, you’ll miss a chunk of homes being sold independently. Craigslist is a great way to find other listings that might not show up on mainstream real estate search engines.
Be alert. Some online real estate resources offer e-mail alerts or RSS feeds that provide instant notification of information for prospective home buyers. This is a great way to stay on top of the changing real estate market as your home search progresses.
Find a good blog. Find a couple of blogs that cover real estate in the markets you are interested in, bookmark them and visit them every day. The real estate blogging community understands the dynamics of today’s housing market and have emerged as a wonderful resource for prospective home buyers.
Read the entire U.S. News & World Report article.
