Awhile back we looked at using the Internet as a way of girding ourselves
with information prior to dealing with our friendly real estate professional
counselors. Caution was advised because the information highway can be more
like a vast incomplete. Even sites created by people in the know or that
seem totally reliable should be used with care.
Why?
Because a little knowledge used incorrectly can be detrimental.
So, when you look for information on the web, do it as a way to
brainstorm before going to the people who do know. Think of it as grunt work
you do or don't have to do, and then take it to the folks who will be happy
to work through it with you.
Let's face it; searching on the Web can sometimes be daunting and
difficult. But there are "search engines" that can assist you in your hunt.
Some of them, like Yahoo (www.yahoo.com)
simplify things by organizing topics into categories like business and
economy, with a real estate subcategory). Other search engines like Dogpile
(www.dogpile.com) and Ask.com (www.ask.com)
offer up the ability to submit a single request and get multiple search
results - but the organization is often nonexistent and you have to weed
through the results. To make the requesting part of the equation even
easier, some of the tools, like Ask.com's will let your write your question
in plain, everyday language.
One way to avoid having to figure how which search engine is best or what
all the "hits" (answers to your quest) mean, is to locate sites that have
done the work for you.
For instance, the American Homeowners Association (www.ahahome.com)
has compiled a lot of information that is broken into sections that refer
you to virtually anything you could ever want to know about home
improvement, interiors, and offices; tips for the smart homeowner; and yards
and gardens. And if it's not actually there, they tell you how to find it.
Another site, Homeowners.com (http://homeowners.com)
contains a lot of information to help you make informed decisions as a
homebuyer or a homeowner. It includes a wonderful "home price check" (http://homeowners.homepricecheck.com)
that lets you fill in your address and see what other homes in your
neighborhood sold for. [Warning: my own home did not come up and I suspect
it's because I live in a cooperative].
Another site, RealtyGuide's Finance and Business page (located at
www.xmission.com/realtor1/finance.htm#FINA) offers up links to banking
and consumer information; financial tools and resources; glossaries;
government links; government, investment bankers and lenders; mortgage and
loan calculators, etc.
If you're looking for insurance information (homeowners or otherwise),
check out The Insurance Guide at
www.insure.com. Here you find information and insurance resources broken
down by state.
For the politically correct gay who doesn't feet comfortable dealing with
heterosexuals or homo-unfriendly types, there are a plethora of sites to
help out. They can help you find a gay or lesbian realtor nationwide by
clicking on the ruby slippers at the Crossroads Real Estate Referral Network
(www.crossroadsrelocation.org).
Or you can try Gay-Homes.com (www.gay-homes.com)
or the Home Lounge (http://www.homelounge.com.
These sites help you search for your dream home online, request free
analysis of your current home's value, and offer juicy tidbits like free
relocation kits.
If living in the shadow of George W. Bush has you feeling all sorts of
closet-prone or smarmy, surf your gay butt over to Rainbow Referrals at
www.rainbowreferrals.com or
the GayRelo Service at
www.gayreloservice.com. Here you will find gay friendly help in paving
your way to lands uncertain.
Folks looking for financing and mortgage information should check out
Fannie Mae (www.fanniemae.com) or
Freddie Mac (www.freddiemac.com).
These congressionally chartered companies work with lending companies to
help provide affordable mortgage financing. You can find gay financial
information at the Gay Financial Network (www.gfn.com).
Additionally, information for consumers in the market of buying or
selling homes can find valuable information at the Department of Housing and
Urban Development's website (www.hud.gov)
and the site of the Federal Consumer Information Center (www.hydra.gsa.gov/staff/pa/cic/housing.htm).
These sites contain a wealth of free on-line pamphlets on housing, financing
and sales, and home maintenance.
If you're already homebound, whether you own your own place or are
happily ensconced in an apartment, there are a zillion sites that offer help
on many of the humdrum things you encounter each and every day. These sites
range all the way from
www.plant-care.com where you can review articles, photos, and other
interesting information about caring for your plants; to places where you
can find tips and hints on remodeling your house and making home
improvements (www.remodelingcomer.org,
www.housenet.com
, and
www.bhg.com/homeimp/index.html). Some sites will even tell you where you
can buy just about any type of plumbing item you might need (Online Plumbing
Supplies at www.plumbingsupply.com)
or find explanations to all your Number One and Two porcelain problems at
Toiletology 10 1
www.toiletology.com/index.shtml.
And if all these sites aren't enough to satiate your quest for knowledge,
you can always resort back to one of the search mentions listed above and
look for help.
Finally, and I promise not to repeat it in this weeks column again, use
the information you garner from the Internet with care. Check it with the
professionals before you go screaming with it down the street.
