B Best Search Site For Finding Your New Home in the Portland Metro Area ….andB the OnesB to Avoid!
Frustrated with searching online for your new home?
Not sure which sites really have the best information? Read on…..
B The process of finding a home has changed drastically in 20 years. From a ‘list book’ updated once a month that only Realtors had access to, to our current 24/7 world wide web–BuyersB nowB have all kinds of great options to help them narrow down their search.B B Here are just a few tips on how to make your online search work for you–and which sites to avoid.
ACCURATE & CURRENT…The first rule of thumb is to make sure that whatever search tool you use– is directly connected to that city’s Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS or RMLS). If not, you’ll be looking at homes that appear to be active and available, but actually closed sale or were pulled off the market months ago.B Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com are allB ‘popular’ sites for buyers and home owners to frequent, however, none of them are tied to the MLS…thus the listings are not current and accurate.B B Resulting in frustrated buyers and sellers–the info just isn’t correct.
So where do you go? Congrats! You’re here!
I’m super picky about what I put in front of my clients–it had better be the best thing out there for it to be on my website.B The only search tool that I make available is one developed by my company.B HomeQuest is based right here in Portland and developed the technology for visual map searching by specific neighborhood which gets you right where you want to be. Created by the awesome software development team at my brokerage, M-Realty, this tool is directly tied into the RMLS and thus everything you see on it is tied to it’s status there.B It’s right here on my website www.athomeinpdx.com when you click along the top tabs ‘search listings’. It’s that easy, accurate, current and of course, free! Read on for more info!
My Home Sellers use it:
- To keep track of every new listing that pops up in their neighborhood while their home is on the market. Smart sellers know their competition and know when listings vying for the same buyer are new on the market or change their price.
- Keep tabs on their favorite neighborhoods as they search for their next step!
- HomeQuest also compiles all of the sales, pending and pricing data from the MLS so I can pull up Market Analyzers specific to a neighborhood, a price range and a date range and voila–my sellers can clearly see the activity up to 5 years in their area. Fantastic!
My Home Buyers use it:
- And love it because it’s visual and they always know exactly where they are in relationship to different parts of town, the free-ways etc. They are never wondering ‘where that address’ really is. They can see it’s exact location.
- HomeQuest searches by neighborhood so you aren’t trying to figure out which zipcode has which home.B
- Clients can ‘favorite’ the homes they want to keep close tabs on and even make notes on line after they’ve seen it!
- They can zoom in right to a block and even use satellite view!
- When I’m out previewing homes for my buyers I’m able to put together and email, a full scrapbook of each of the homes, my notes and include the listing all in one email.
- Buyers can even check the walkscore of close-in Portland neighborhoods on my website simply by clicking theB drop down box and checking ‘walk score’. For more info goB here.B Then check the heatmap definitions so you can understand what the colors mean.
Ready to search? Click here.
- Sign up when it prompts you and I’ll connect with you via email…and seriously–I do not bug those who sign up…it’s not my style. I give you the tools andB send you off to use ’em. B Some home searchers look for 1-2 years before being ready to take their next steps.
- Want to browse through specific neighborhood profiles as I build them out? Go toB www.athomeinpdx.com and click Portland Real Estate along the top–and all the Portland Metro & SW Washington area neighborhoods with current homes for sale pop up for you. Accurate and current!
