How to Shop for a House Online
If you want to save some time and money, or you'd rather not look for homes under the watchful eyes of a real estate agent, then the Internet is your answer to house hunting.
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Instructions
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1
Determine your price range (see 'eHow to Determine How Big a Mortgage You Can Afford').
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2
Decide on a location, which can be as specific as an address or as broad as your state of choice. A Web site may also ask you to search by ZIP code, region, city or neighborhood.
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3
Decide on the property type and age of the home. For instance, do you want to live in a condominium, a co-op, or a single-family or multifamily home? Would you like to live in a home of a certain vintage, such as one built less than 5 years ago or more than 10 years ago?
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Decide on a property size by number of rooms and bathrooms, as well as area in square feet.
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5
Determine other features you want in your dream home, such as a swimming pool, fireplaces, a second story or a waterfront view.
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Surf the Internet for sites that offer listings, such as Realtor.com - the site of the National Association of Realtors - and specific brokerages and agents in the area where you are hunting.
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Enter the information from steps 1 through 5 as requested by the site.
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Look at the expanded information and photographs for the properties that come up in your search results.
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Contact the agent listed if you see a home that fits your criteria. Ask for further information, such as more photographs and the home's history.
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Set up an appointment to meet with the agent if you are still interested.
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Tips & Warnings
Request e-mail updates on available homes and additional information about the community you're considering.
You can also find property listings at 'For Sale By Owner' sites, such as the International Real Estate Digest (IRED), and local newspaper electronic classifieds.
Comments
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ynohtna
Jul 20, 2009
Thanx for the tips! 5* -
Leslie White- Miraculous Coaching
Jun 18, 2009
This article points out some good ways to get started on a house search and can be helpful to all parties, including a Realtor if one is chosen. Regarding the remark above concerning the listing agent being contractually bound to the seller, while that is true, we Realtors have a fiduciary responsibility to all parties to deliver ethical, fair service. And, of course, who doesn't want the buyer to someday become one of our "seller" clients. I have been a Realtor for over 25 years and sell 50% or more of my own listings and have made many a re-sale from the "first" buyer! Blessings, Les
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Elvis De Leon
Jun 04, 2009
Very interesting read! 5 stars ;)
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Aug 08, 2006
Use an online service to walk through homes in the area you are looking. It's a relatively new service, but in the San Francisco Bay Area it's great! If you want to add your house to a listing, it's usually only $75 or so for 6 months.
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Nov 22, 2005
If you decide to use a real estate agent, search out and choose a buyer's agent. The listing agent cannot, by law, be loyal to a buyer because he is contractually bound to the seller.
