House hunting has changed quite a bit over the past couple of decades. Now, more than ever, buyers begin their house search online before even contacting a real estate agent. It’s important to find a site or app that feels comfortable to you, but also gives you accurate timely data that pulls directly from MLS.

The best place to window shop for homes online is not always the one that pops up on your Google search first. Most of these websites boast that they can help you find your dream home (as well as a lender and real estate agent) from the comfort of your couch.  Keep in mind, these sites encourage lenders and agents to have purchase advertisements and be promoted as area specialists on their site.

National websites pull information from multiple sources.  At times they can let old data linger too long, or don’t have the most reliable info and it can mislead. For example, when a homeowner falls behind on their mortgage payment, a website can pick up that delinquency and report it as a pre-foreclosure. This does not mean that the home is for sale, and odds are that it may never be. Also know that several websites don’t report pending sales or don’t report it in a timely manner. A buyer may think they have found the perfect home only to discover that it is already under contract or sold. It typically takes a few hours to a few days for larger websites to update. In this market that can be enough to miss out on your dream home.

Now you’re thinking “Well she just dogged the sites that I like, so now what?” If you really prefer viewing houses on those sites go right ahead! Just know that there are other options as far as up to the minute local housing information. So, when you find something you love, have a backup plan to look at a reliable source and see its real status on the market.

Here are my favorite ways for my clients to search and be successful.

1. Allow me (or your favorite Realtor) to set up an automatic search of your home criteria. This is set up in our San Angelo MLS system and will alert you when a home hits the market that meets your criteria. If you like it, let’s go look! If you don’t, delete the email and wait for the next one.
2. This site is also a great option! It typically updates within an hour of homes going on the market. http://robintidwell.eranewlin.com 
3. There is a client-side to our San Angelo MLS system that gives you up to the minute real-time accurate housing information. You can access this by downloading the app http://navicaclient.com/8C4C1D85 or if you prefer to search on a computer, contact me and I can get you a website login. You’ll be able to see everything happening within the San Angelo housing market at the same time Realtors do.

Here’s a couple of other things to keep in mind while searching for a home online:

Pictures can be deceiving! Pictures taken by experts are meant to show the house in its best possible light. Some even have a wide-angle view of rooms, not to intentionally be misleading on room size, but to show the most possible area in a picture so you have a better feel of the space.   On the contrary, some agents take pictures with their cell phones and the angles and lighting just don’t do the home justice. Be sure and notice in either situation what is not pictured. At times, that can be intentional.

Online sales price evaluations of a home are usually more wrong than right! They use an unknown algorithm not based on sales data (because the San Angelo Association of Realtors does not share or sell their sales data) to formulate estimates of what a house should sell for. These websites also don’t necessarily take into consideration the overall condition of the home, amenities, HVAC unit, and roof. All of those can cause price breaks or price improvements from one neighbor to the next.

Home buying is an exciting, and sometimes intimidating process. Stay informed, ask questions, and remember it’s supposed to be fun!