Online real estate shopping

Posted by: Dignan

Online real estate shopping - 27/04/2006 00:07

I'm looking for online sites to shop around for homes or land. Any suggestions? I've looked at realtor.com, but that seems to have limited listings. I've also looked at Craigslist, but that was tough to browse and cast too wide a net (location and price-wise). It would be nice to find a site that listed land for sale too.

I guess I'm limited to sites that sellers list online instead of just through a realtor or the paper or something. But I thought the folks here might have some good suggestions.
Posted by: robricc

Re: Online real estate shopping - 27/04/2006 00:22

Real Estate Advisor has a nice layout (Google Maps), but its info always seems a bit more limited than realtor.com. They often have a few different listings though.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Online real estate shopping - 27/04/2006 18:22

Quote:
but its info always seems a bit more limited than realtor.com.

Given this message:

"We currently do not have any listings in virginia"

I'm inclined to agree I guess realtor.com is the only game in town...
Posted by: matthew_k

Re: Online real estate shopping - 27/04/2006 20:28

What you want to find is a way to search the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Usually various realators in your area will have web pages that let you search it, and the interface is poor but you can usualy find one that gets the job done. Spend some time going to open houses and see how the market functions in your area. In Berkeley, they list properties for well below what they'd like to get, set a date for offers and expect the offers to be well above the asking price. In Monterey 200 miles away, they set an asking price five to ten percent above what they'd like to get, and wait and wait until someone bites and then negotiate downward. If you don't know how your market functions, you won't know what the actual prices are for places you're looking at.

If you're really looking to buy, find a good real estate agent. One that you like and that you can spend multiple afternoons driving around in their car with. If you don't like them or don't trust them, find another one.

Matthew
Posted by: petteri

Re: Online real estate shopping - 27/04/2006 20:42

Quote:
If you're really looking to buy, find a good real estate agent. One that you like and that you can spend multiple afternoons driving around in their car with. If you don't like them or don't trust them, find another one.

Matthew


I'm studying for my Florida Real Estate License now and vouch for the above statement. Sure there are plenty of crappy agents out there but if you find one you trust your set. The MLS is a very powerful search tool and your agent can use it to really hone in on what your looking for. The REALTOR site is something I'm not 100% familiar with, but that is only a subset of the data on the full MLS, the agent has to speciffically set up a page on that site listing the properties they have.
Posted by: msaeger

Re: Online real estate shopping - 27/04/2006 21:39

Quote:
Usually various realators in your area will have web pages that let you search it


I found that to be the case when I was looking in Minnesota.

As far as using a realtor I tried sevaral and I always knew about more listings than they did.