There is no question that the Internet is a wonderful place to begin your home search in Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, and beyond. In fact, the National Association of Realtors® calculates that 90% of home buyers begin their home search on the Internet.
There are so many wonderful websites to help home buyers in their search for homes. Most of these sites allow home buyers can search all of the homes on the MLS without using the services of a Realtor®.
Sadly however, the Internet frequently gives a false impression of what is really available for purchase. Sometimes agents put their properties on the MLS and list them as Active (available for sale) and then forget to change the status when they have an accepted offer. Other times there are properties on the MLS that are impossible to view. Perhaps the seller is not permitting property showings or the agent has not installed a lockbox or does not return phone calls. Unfortunately, there are even properties listed on the MLS that are truly not available for sale.
Right now my office is working with some very savvy home buyers (they have done lots of Internet research) who are interested in purchasing a condo in a specific complex. When using the Internet, it appears to the buyer that there are five condos available for sale in that complex. After contacting (and/or attempting to contact) the listing agents, it appears that only one of the five is actually a viable opportunity. Three of the five should have been moved to “pending” status months ago, and one has a listing agent who is missing in action and has not returned any phone calls or emails.
It is important for home buyers in Escondido, San Marcos and beyond to understand that what they see on the Internet may not be what they can get. It is always a shame when buyers get excited about properties that cannot be purchased. That being said, the Internet is a wonderful way to become familiar with the local real estate market.
However, if you are a home buyer who has begun to search for homes on the Internet, it is now time to hire a qualified Realtor®. Once you have determined your property needs, your Realtor® can set you up with an automated home search and “qualify” properties in order to determine which ones are truly available for sale. Your Realtor® has a fiduciary obligation to represent you and your best interests. He (or she) does not want to see buyers throw down countless offers on properties which will not end with a positive result (a closed transaction) the buyer. So, the next time you see a property on the Internet that you like, don’t forget to contact a qualified Realtor®.
