Monday, November 28, 2011

Cyber Monday - Finding Florida Real Estate Online!

With so many websites offering real estate searches such as Realtor.com, Trulia & Zillow, it is most common for potential buyers to explore the market themselves to see what is available. As the online experience continues to grow in every conceivable area, there is no reason logically that real estate shopping would be any different!

To a certain extent that is true. There is an abundance of information available through public records and a little research can uncover a great deal of information from property taxes to recent sale activity to status of liens against a property.

In order to improve the process, here are a few pitfalls to avoid:

1.
All of the real estate websites pull their information directly from local Multiple Listing Services (MLS). There are some status categories that these websites do not have which can easily cause confusion. For example, when a listed property goes under contract and there are contingencies to work through - such as short sale lender approval, financing or inspections, the status goes to a category called "Active with Contract". The real estate websites pull these listings as "Active". For that reason, a buyer searching can easily waste a great deal of time researching a property that is actually already under contract.

2.
It is very easy to listen to national media and think you understand what the trends are in the market. BUT, word to the wise... every market has its own quirks and trends. Many times it is hard online to determine the pulse of a specific local market.

3.
There is no question every buyer wants to feel he or she made a good purchase at a great price. As real estate starts its comeback, there have been many buyers waiting on the sideline trying to decide if now is the time to buy. This pent up demand results in a lot of buyers looking for the same type of property... particularly in a market specific such as the beach area of Tampa Bay. The really good properties go extremely fast and many times are under contract before they can feed through to the other websites.

If you are a serious buyer contemplating a purchase here in the Tampa Bay beach area,
The PURTEE Team can offer you a way to blend the ease of online shopping with the expertise of a local realtor. Through our website: www.floridagulfproperty.com , we offer a variety of searches that are available in 'real time'. You can choose to Search All MLS ; Search Distressed Properties ; or select HOT DEALS for our current picks of excellent value properties.


Let us show you how you can become knowledgeable about the specific market you are considering, and help direct you to properties that fit your criteria before others even know about it! Email us to learn more: info@floridagulfproperty.com and you will be on your way to Living the Florida Lifestyle...

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