Austin Real Estate Scene

Studies indicate that over 80% of today’s home buyers visit the Internet long before seeking the professional assistance of a REALTOR®. This means that, thanks to popular realty-themed websites that compete for your business, you the client are already armed with more information than ever before. Often consumers are more educated about the market or area then the REALTOR®. That’s not a good thing for a Realtor.Realtors need become familiar with these kinds of sites and the features they offer. This data will not only prepare a Realtor to answer any questions a clients might have about homes, the market, schools, taxes, etc…

I like it when a buyer or seller is knowledgeable about the market and how a real estate transaction works. They are much easier to work with and are better prepared to deal with it. I’ll give them all the information they need to know.  Some buyers can’t get enough and others just want an overview. Some want none but I give it to them anyways.

Below are some websites that consumers can use to help them in their search and education on learning more about…

Property Listings & More

1) Redfin.com: In addition to listings, this site offers information such as how long a home has been for sale, its last sales price, and its current value. It also provides virtual tours to listed homes.
2) Trulia.com: Like Zillow.com, Yahoo Real Estate which offers satellite views and the estimated values of each home, Trulia’s “heat maps” show how hot or cold an area is based on prices, sales, and popularity among its users. Trulia.com also has free tools real estate agents can easily add to their own websites to increase functionality and traffic.
3) Maps.Google.com and Maps.Live.com: For bird’s-eye view, even 360 degrees in some cases, these amazing map sites offer a virtual perspective of available homes that’s truly hard to beat.
4) Walkscore.com: interesting site that rates any address based on the walking distance of its nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, coffee shops etc.
5) SchoolMatters.com: A Standard & Poor’s company, this site offers parents (and potential homebuyers) an objective rating of public schools and public school districts by region, including test scores and demographics. GreatSchools.net offers similar info and ratings on private schools based on region.

Government Websites Government loan programs offer great opportunities for many consumers in many regions across the country, especially first-time buyers and veterans. The following websites are likely one of the first of many sites potential homebuyers visit during this process:

1) HUD.Gov is the official website for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) This site lists HUD homes and provides information for home buyers, including financing options and home buying programs available through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
2) Homeloans.va.gov: This site houses information about government home loan programs specifically for veterans.

Post if you think of any more sites I should add to my list. I look forward to Giving you any good information you need to make an educated decision on buying or selling a home.