Nearly nine out of 10 home buyers can't be wrong -- browsing for housing online puts listings at their fingertips, speeds the home-buying process, and comes with an educational bonus.
"More informed buyers, improve the transaction process," says Douglas de Jager, co-founder of DotHomes.com one of the newer online listing services on the block.
The California Association of Realtors (CAR) reports that 84 percent of home buyers use the internet as a significant part of the home buying process, according to its 2009 Survey of California Homebuyers.
"There is so much more information made available to us online, when you go to the actual home, it's just a validation process for what you've seen online," de Jager adds.
But transforming digital digs into a real home of your dreams isn't just about bandwidth and educational content.
Using the Internet to buy a home comes with the same prerequisite necessary for any buyer -- get financing locked down first.
Certainly, the Internet can help with financing too. There are numerous mortgage comparison sites, virtually every lender is online and finance and credit information portals abound.
A home buyer with an approved mortgage -- obtained online or off -- has a negotiating edge and the financial boundaries necessary to help keep focused on a home that's truly affordable.
Only then is it time to surf for shelter.
DotHomes.com, a listing site with Google-like search features, offers these tips to help you get the most out of your online home shopping experience.
• Leverage the broker. Brokers and real estate agents are the housing market's matchmakers. They use local expertise to connect buyers and sellers. They've honed online tools to help you research, browse and focus your online search. The tools put you in touch with all the information and resources the listing agent or broker has to offer -- broker blogs, emailed updates tailored to your search, market reports tailored to your market, how-tos and other information.
• Search in real-time. Get property listings and other information electronically "fed" to you via RSS (really simple syndication) feeds, email alerts and Web updates. Electronic updates are an adjunct to your own time spent online. Alerts keep you abreast of the newest listings and reduce your need to manually check the Web again and again for updates. That's especially true when you are on the go, say driving from open house to open house. Blackberries, iPhones and other smart phones keep you connected to your search.
• Search "fresh." Avoid fringe listing sites that don't update frequently and are far removed from the original online broker's listing. If you don't, you'll miss out on listing changes and updates like new pricing information, new photos, open house dates and the like. Web sites that don't link to the original listing, lock you away from updates. Nothing is more frustrating than to find online what you consider your dream home only to soon discover that the listing was sold, removed from the market or otherwise changed beyond your requirements -- but not removed from an Internet server.
• Refine your search. Don't get overwhelmed. With so many listings on the market, both traditional listings and distressed properties, quickly navigating them all is a chore. Use online tools and Web sites that allow you to refine your property search. If you are looking for a house on a particular street, search the street. If you need a pet friendly condo, ask. Whether you know exactly what you want or are just starting to figure it out, be specific with search terms like "new roof," "three-car garage," "established landscaping," "new kitchen appliances," etc. to find the property with the features you need.
Along with the well known national listing Web sites from trade groups, large private listing portals and real estate companies, the local multiple listing service's (MLS) public access portal are among the best places to search on line because they use standard formatting and strict guidelines about adding and removing listings in a timely manner.
• Screen home movies. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video, a virtual open house, looks like a million bucks. Kodak moments can help you get a two-dimensional feel for a property, but virtual tours add a third dimension. Videos offer a much better sense of the proportions and the feel of a property. They can also play the starring role -- as a sort of 24-hour open house -- on a Web site or blog dedicated to the listing.
Here's another browsing for housing bonus: If you buy a home with its own Web site and virtual tour, you can ask the seller to gift the Web site or blog to you!
Published: March 18, 2010