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Jackie Colson-Miller

Jackie Colson-Miller
Direct - (813)629-5757
Homeward Real Estate
3401 Henderson Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609
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Why Online Home Searches Cost Homebuyers Time and Money! Tampa Real Estate News and More!

If you are moving to Tampa, or anywhere in the world, you are likely among the large number of homebuyers who begin with an “online” search for homes.  Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia and many of the other home search sites are often the “first stop” for homebuyers who are new to an area. They are a good “starting point”, simply to gauge the prices in a particular neighborhood, but they are NO substitute for the knowledge obtained from a local real estate agent. This article was prompted by an email this morning, from a client in New Tampa who has a friend moving to Seattle.  The friend has been shopping online for Seattle Real Estate.  She is confused about neighborhoods and pricing! Of course she is!  She needs a local real estate agent…not Realtor.com!

Here is are some interesting statistics:

87% of all Homebuyers begin their home search on the internet

In the past 15 years, NONE of my clients have bought a home they found on the internet.

Why? Because every online listing is presented to look “attractive”, but what you see is rarely what you get.  Listing agents use photos and descriptions to “entice” a buyer. They don’t show the neighboring homes in disrepair, the proximity to commercial properties, the old roof, or any other “undesirable” aspects of the home. Sites like Zillow, which estimate the market value of a home, don’t use accurate information for square footage, or recent sales.

Unlike buying a “Sony camera”, or a specific book or, perhaps a Nintendo Wii on the internet, no two homes are exactly alike, so you can’t “comparison shop” for homes, the way you would for any other product.

Buyer’s agents listen to what a homebuyer is looking for in terms of price, neighborhood, commute, schools and other amenities. There is NO substitute for the knowledge of a local real estate agent who knows “street by street” the different neighborhoods in Tampa.

When you are moving to Tampa, or anywhere in the world, contact me, to find the right home for your family’s needs!

For more information about the Tampa Real Estate market, Tampa Neighborhoods, including Culbreath Isles, MacDill AFB,  South Tampa, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Channelside, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunters Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Houses in the Plant High School District, Tampa Schools, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa, the Best Tampa Neighborhoods, or International Real Estate contact me

 

 

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 11:01 am and is filed under Buyers, Buying a House in Tampa, Clearwater Beach Real Estate, Davis Islands Real Estate, First-Time Homebuyers, Hunter's Green Homes, Hyde Park Real Estate, Luxury Homes in Tampa, MacDill AFB, Tampa Home Search, Tampa MLS Listings, Tampa Neighborhoods, Tampa Real Estate, Tampa Real Estate Agent, Tampa Real Estate Market. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Why Online Home Searches Cost Homebuyers Time and Money! Tampa Real Estate News and More!”

  1. Dan Simon - Charleston SC Real Estate Says:
    January 23rd, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    Jackie,
    Very good post, thanks for sharing. Local knowledge is the key! I work will people everyday wanting to relocate to Charleston. Some of the info and data that clients tell me that they found of Zillow and other sites just makes me scratch my head.

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