Avoid The Problems Of On-Line Real Estate Shopping
According to the 2008 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers And Sellers, some 87 percent of home buyers made use of various internet sites to search for a home in the past year. That's fine, as long as you recognize that the internet presents numerous problems and pitfalls for buyers. Matthew Bandyk of U.S. News has written an article outlining many of those on-line challenges and I'm summarizing a lot of what he says in this little blog story -- I urge you to read his entire article from January 7, 2009.
Here are some of the most common mistakes internet shoppers make when searching for their new home ...
1. Assuming The Internet Has All The Answers. While it is true that the internet allows skilled users to handle many of the tasks normally accomplished by a professional real estate agent, don't make the assumption that you can do it all on-line. The process of purchasing real estate is extremely complicated from a legal viewpoint, and if you make a mistake it could cost you thousands of dollars. Your best bet remains a real estate agent or an attorney to help you navigate through these turbulent legal seas.
2. Taking Too Narrow A View. There is a load of real estate information on the internet. As a consequence, many home shoppers stick to just one or two trusted sites for their home search. The problem with doing that is that the shoppers may be missing out on the full range of available properties. Just because a house is posted on one site does not mean it is on all of them. Use several websites to get a wider perspective on what's really in the marketplace.
3. Don't Ignore The FSBO's. The big search engines often do not include homes that are being sold as For Sale By Owner (FSBO). The house you really want might be one that is being sold without the aid of a real estate agent and is not included in any sites. Craigslist, by the way, is a great source for such homes.
4. Avoid Fake Listings. The internet is full of scam artists and outright crooks. They are active in the area of on-line home buying. One of the things these con-artists do is put up fake home listings in order to collect more page views. Here's a way to make sure what you are looking as it legit. Websites will put watermarks on their photos. If you don't see any watermarks or you see multiple watermarks on the same photo, beware!
5. Don't Put Too Much Trust In On-Line Valuation Services. There are valuation decisions that sites like Zillow and Cyberhomes can't take into consideration when putting a value number on a home. Use their figures as a range and do other research or talk to a real estate agent or appraiser to narrow that range and determine a more accurate home price.
Well, there you have it. I think all of you who are doing on-line searches can use these tips from Mr. Bandyk to make your on-line experience in real estate a bit more fruitful and safe.
For more information on real estate in the Tampa Bay area, please visit my website at www.TheStPeteRealEstateSite.com.
Here are some of the most common mistakes internet shoppers make when searching for their new home ...
1. Assuming The Internet Has All The Answers. While it is true that the internet allows skilled users to handle many of the tasks normally accomplished by a professional real estate agent, don't make the assumption that you can do it all on-line. The process of purchasing real estate is extremely complicated from a legal viewpoint, and if you make a mistake it could cost you thousands of dollars. Your best bet remains a real estate agent or an attorney to help you navigate through these turbulent legal seas.
2. Taking Too Narrow A View. There is a load of real estate information on the internet. As a consequence, many home shoppers stick to just one or two trusted sites for their home search. The problem with doing that is that the shoppers may be missing out on the full range of available properties. Just because a house is posted on one site does not mean it is on all of them. Use several websites to get a wider perspective on what's really in the marketplace.
3. Don't Ignore The FSBO's. The big search engines often do not include homes that are being sold as For Sale By Owner (FSBO). The house you really want might be one that is being sold without the aid of a real estate agent and is not included in any sites. Craigslist, by the way, is a great source for such homes.
4. Avoid Fake Listings. The internet is full of scam artists and outright crooks. They are active in the area of on-line home buying. One of the things these con-artists do is put up fake home listings in order to collect more page views. Here's a way to make sure what you are looking as it legit. Websites will put watermarks on their photos. If you don't see any watermarks or you see multiple watermarks on the same photo, beware!
5. Don't Put Too Much Trust In On-Line Valuation Services. There are valuation decisions that sites like Zillow and Cyberhomes can't take into consideration when putting a value number on a home. Use their figures as a range and do other research or talk to a real estate agent or appraiser to narrow that range and determine a more accurate home price.
Well, there you have it. I think all of you who are doing on-line searches can use these tips from Mr. Bandyk to make your on-line experience in real estate a bit more fruitful and safe.
For more information on real estate in the Tampa Bay area, please visit my website at www.TheStPeteRealEstateSite.com.
-30-
posted by Terry Ward at 4:22 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home