Wake Forest Homes & Real Estate

RE/MAX Hometown new address in Wake Forest,N.C. - Alice Ray Team

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:14:02 GMT

RE/MAX Hometown in Wake Forest, N.C. and The Alice Ray Team has a new address

12316 - Suite 104 Hampton Way Drive, Wake Forest, N. C. 27587 - We moved in the new

building behind the old building in the same parking lot. If you go upstairs in our old building

and find a empty office do not get worried, we are still there in our new building in the same

parking lot on the first floor.

Come Visit the Alice Ray Team and ask for Jimmy & Alice Ray to assist you! Call us at 919-

556-6459 or Alice cell 919-906-5794.

Foreclosures! Complete MLS Sheets on all the Raleigh Area Foreclosures & Information on Buying Them!

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:13:51 GMT

Are you looking for or thinking about purchasing Foreclosures?

Here is the information you need to know as well as access to all of the areas foreclosures!

To start with here are the links that will show you the full MLS sheet on every property in Foreclosure in the following counties that is actively listed in the MLS system:

Links Updated 8/18/2009

Click here to view foreclosures in Wake County - 132 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Franklin County - 26 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Granville County - 9 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Johnston County - 69 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Durham County - 77 Available!

On each of the above links it will take you to a page that looks like the screen shot below. You will be able to move through each of the listings by clicking on the right arrow as indicated in the screen shot below. The screen shot below also tells you how to look at the pictures and a virtual tour if available.

You can also request any of these searches be set up for you and have them automatically email you new listings everyday by sending us an email at alice@aliceray.com and letting us know what type of search you would like.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the homes please let us know and we would be glad to assist you as your buyer's agent. You can call us at 919-556-6459 or email us at alice@aliceray.com.

*These listings are in the Triangle MLS System and are not listed directly by our team. As Realtors we are able to show you any home on the market and provide information to you. We will be able to assist you as your buyer's agent in the purchase of any of the homes.

Wake Forest, NC Fourth of July Fireworks Show! Friday, July 3rd , 2009

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:51:23 GMT

Fourth of July Fireworks Show

Trentini Staidum - Wake Forest High School

Friday, July 3, 2009 - Wake Forest, NC

It’s that time of the year again! Time for the annual Wake Forest , NC Fireworks Show! This is consistently one of the best fireworks displays in all of North Carolina . I’m sure this year will be no different as the town is celebrating its centennial. This years show will once again include the Band of Oz performing a fun mix of beach music that is always a hit. You will also see Don Carrington's Parchute Team float down into the stadium from the sky which always a big hit with the kids. The night will be capped off with a 20 minute fireworks show that is always very impressive.

The Fourth of July weekend celebration continues on Saturday as kids line up for the annual Kid’s Parade on North Main Street in Wake Forest . Kids can dress up and ride their decorated bike or ride in their wagon and be in their very own parade that will continue around to Holding Park . Once at Holding Park their will be games and other activities.

The annual Fourth of July activities is just another reason why the town of Wake Forest is a great place to live.

Here is a link to the town's website page that gives directions, parking map, parade map, and a more detailed description of the events! Click here to visit the Town of Wake Forest's Fourth of July Page.

First Time Homebuyer Update! Use the $8,000 Tax Credit as a Downpayment/Closing Costs Now!

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:39:05 GMT

HUD: Tax Credit Can Be Used on Closing Costs

FHA-approved lenders received the go-ahead to develop bridge-loan products that enable first-time buyers to use the benefits of the federal tax credit upfront, according to eagerly awaited guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on so-called home buyer tax credit loans that was released today.

Under the guidance, FHA-approved lenders can develop bridge loans that home buyers can use to help cover their closing costs, buy down their interest rate, or put down more than the minimum 3.5 percent.

The loans can't be used to cover the minimum 3.5 percent, senior HUD officials told reporters on a conference call Friday morning.

Thus, buyers applying for FHA-backed financing with an FHA-approved lender that offers a bridge-loan program can get a bridge loan to bring down the upfront costs of buying a home significantly but would still have to come up with the minimum 3.5 percent downpayment.

There remain many sources of assistance for buyers needing help with the 3.5 percent downpayment, including many state and local government instrumentalities and nonprofit lenders.

The first-time homebuyer tax credit was enacted last year--and improved upon earlier this year--to help encourage households to enter the housing market while interest rates are low and affordability is high. The credit is worth up to $8,000 and is available to households that haven't owned a home in at least three years. The credit does not have to be repaid, and is fully reimbursable, so households can get their credit returned to them in the form of a payment.

If you are in the market for your first home in the Wake Forest, North Raleigh, or Franklin County Areas, or know someone who is please email or call us today to let our team help guide you in the purchase. As your Realtor we can help you make sure you make the right choices and take advantage of this Great Time to Buy! Email us at alice@aliceray.com or call us at 919-556-6459!

Search for Real Estate in Wake Forest, NC - How to find homes in Wake Forest, NC

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:13:20 GMT

The Best Way to Search for Homes in the Wake Forest, Raleigh, and Youngsville, NC Areas.

There is no reason to search for Real Estate any other way!

I believe there is a lot of confusion with the way buyers are searching for homes these days. The combination of the media, variety of websites, and advertisements about homes has made it very difficult for the average buyer to know what they need to do to make sure they are getting up to date information about homes for sale.

Many websites today have to be manually updated by either a homeowner or a listing agent anytime a home is put on the market, sold, or has a stutus or price change. If you are a buyer and happen to use one of the sites you may be looking at outdated or incorrect information. Sites such as these include Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow, Yahoo Real Estate, and many others.

So what is a buyer looking for a home in the Wake Forest area suppossed to do? Well as a Real Estate agent I know that if I was looking for a home myself I would go straight to our MLS system to find my next home. When I look in the MLS I know that I am getting the most up to date information and the most information on the most homes than I can get anywhere else. I know i can hear you now - "well that is great if you are a real estate agent and have access to the MLS system!"

YOU TOO can have access to the MLS system! All you have to do is have a Realtor who is a member of the MLS system set you up a custom search in the system and it will automatically email you MLS Sheets from the MLS system. You can have instant access to more information than you will find on any other search site out there, including the search on my website, realtor.com, any other real estate company or agent's website!

The way it works is you send the agent your search criteria. For example, I may be looking for a minimum 3BR/2BA home in Wake Forest with a two car garage, at least 1/2 acre, between $150,000 and $200,000. Once my agent puts in the search the sytem will email a link to a webpage created specifically for me that will load all of the homes that currently match my search to it. I will then be able to view the MLS sheet on each of these properties and either save or delete the ones I like. I can even make notes that will be saved when I access the site later. Then I will autmatically receive an email every day there is a new listing that matches my search or if one of my matches has a price or status change.

So after a few days I may realize I'm not finding my dream home and I need to include homes in Wake Forest that have less than 1/2 an acre as well. Or maybe I decide to extend my search to include real estate in Youngsville or Raleigh. All I do is send my agent a quick email and ask for those changes and its done!

Want to find out more about this powerful search option? Click on the following link to see more information and examples of what it looks like. Or just send us an email at alice@aliceray.com with your search criteria and we will get you started right away.

Click here for more about the MLS Search for Wake Forest Homes and Real Estate in the Wake Forest, North Raleigh, and Youngsville, NC Areas!

First Time Homebuyers - This Blog is for You! $8,000 Tax Credit Info & More!

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:10:21 GMT

First Time Homebuyers

What you need to know!

First off you have made a good first step by visiting our website. In this blog we are going to try to give you all the information you want without requiring anything of you. No special meeting to attend, no phone number, and no email address. In the end we hope you have gained some knowledge and are ready to make that exciting step into homeownership!

Here is a list of things we are going to cover:

1. First Time Buyer Tax Credit

2. Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

3. Choosing a Realtor to Represent You!

4. Searching for Homes

5. Making the offer!

6. Savings of Owning versus Renting

7. Give the Alice Ray Team a Call or Email!

You can reach us at alice@aliceray.com or contact Alice directly at 919-906-5794!

Ready? Let's get started! Click on any of the above topics to the specific blog on that section!

First Time Homebuyers Section 1 - 2009 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:53:15 GMT

First Time Buyer Tax Credit

I'm sure most of you have heard about the first time home buyer tax credit that is available to anyone who has not owned a home in the past three years. If not, don't worry, I'm going to provide all of the details for you and also clear up a few frequently asked questions.

The details:

First the original 2008 Tax Credit

In 2008 Congress created a $7,500 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit.
It went into effect April 8, 2008 and was set to expire July 1, 2009.
The big problem: It had to be repaid over 15 years. People view it as a debt and not as a benefit.

So a new credit was introduced in 2009 largely beacuase of a strong push from the National Association of Realtors!

We succeeded in removing the repayment requirement for 2009.
The credit has been extended to on or before November 30, 2009 and can be claimed by those who closed on homes on or after January 1, 2009. It is still repayable for 2008 purchases.
The credit has been expanded to the lesser of $8,000 or 10% of purchase price. Therefore any home over $80,000 will receive the $8,000 tax credit.

So what this means for the current first time homebuyer looking to puchase a home now: You will receive an $8,000 Tax Credit if you home purchase is at least $80,000 as long as you close on your new home before November 30, 2009!

Here are a few things to remember about the credit:

1. The new tax credit is REFUNDABLE!

Refundable means that if your total tax liability in the given year is less than $8,000, the IRS will send a refund for the balance! Many taxpayers do not have tax liability that exceeds $8,000. For example, according to the 2008 IRS Tax Tables:

•A single filer would need $46,600 in taxable income to have $8,000 in tax liability.

•A couple would need $58,600 in taxable income to have $8,000 in tax liability.

•Those with less tax liability will in most cases get a refund meaning they get the full value of the credit.

2. Who Cannot Take the Credit?

If any of the following:

–Your income exceeds the phase-out range. This means joint filers with Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) of $170,000 and above and other taxpayers with MAGI of $95,000 and above.

–You buy your home from a close relative. This includes your spouse, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.

–You stop using your home as your main home.

–You sell your home before the end of three years.

–You are a nonresident alien.

3. First Time Homebuyer Definition:

Defined as someone who did not own another main home at any time during the three years prior to the date of purchase.

–For example, if you bought a home on January 15, 2009, you cannot take the credit for that home if you owned, or had an ownership interest in, another home at any time from January 15, 2006 through January 15, 2009.

–So if the last time you owned a home was 2005, you are eligible for the credit even though it is really not your “first” home.

–For married joint filers, both must meet the 1sttime homebuyer test to take the credit on a joint return.

4. More on Income Limits:

TYPE	INCOME LIMIT	PHASE OUT START
SingleFilers	$95,000	$75,000
Married Filers	$170,000	$150,000

This means that for singles making over $75,000 and couples making over $150,000, the credit is proportionately reduced as incomes approach $95,000 and $170,000 respectively.So if a couple makes $165,000, the excess amount is used to create a fraction 15,000/20,000 (.75) times the credit amount. 75% or $6,000 of the credit would be disallowed. They would still get a $2,000 credit.

5. The Home Details:

Must be the “main home” i.e. principal residence. Which is generally considered to be the home where you spend 50% or more of your time. It can be a condo, Single Family detached, co-op, townhouse or something similar.

•The home must be located in the United States .

•Vacation homes and rental properties are not eligible.

•For new construction, the “purchase date” is the date you occupy the home. So the move in date must be before December 1, 2009.

6. Recapture 3-Year Residency

•If the home is sold prior to three years of ownership, the tax credit must be repaid.

–This is an improvement from the prior credit. That credit needed to be repaid in total over 15 years or the balance had to be repaid on sale.

•This provision is designed to prevent flipping homes in order to get the credit.

7. Other Provisions

•The new credit is available to residents of the District of Columbia

•Purchasers who utilize state/local revenue bond financing can now use the credit.

•Purchasers who bought before January 1, 2009 are still subject to the terms of the repayable credit.

8. When Can You Claim the Credit

It can be claimed on your 2008 Tax Return (to be filed by April 15, 2009), an amended 2008 Tax Return, or your 2009 Tax Return.

Conclusion

•The new credit is greatly improved compared to the old credit.

•It is a true credit and does not need to be repaid as long as you occupy the home for 3 years.

•NAR estimates that hundreds of thousands of potential buyers will take advantage of the credit.

Click here to continue to How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Click here to return to the Main Blog so you can reach the other topics.

First Time Homebuyer's Section 2 - Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:57:56 GMT

How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Pre-approval is an important first step in the home buying process, especially for the first time home buyer. Many people will start off looking for homes online and getting figured out exactly what you want only to find out later that you may or may not be able to afford what you are looking at. Once your expectations are set so high it is difficult to adjust to homes that are available in your price range. Finding out first home much home you can afford will put you in a much better position and save you a lot of time.

One note I want to point out at this time is just because a lender approves you for a $300,000 home, doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t consider homes less than that. One big mistake that many people have taken in the past is they buy as much home as they can and they struggle to make all of the payments every month and therefore have to cut back on savings and everyday luxuries and necessities that they are used to. Always leave yourself some wiggle room and make sure you are comfortable with your payments and are still able to save a little each month.

Now back to getting Pre-approved. Pre-approval is better than getting pre-qualified. A mortgage lender is able to pre-qualify you with limited information, but going ahead and getting pre-approved gives you a leg up when you make an offer on the home you decide on. Pre-approval means the lender has verified many more things and you are essentially approved for the loan with minimum conditions left to meet. Your offer will look stronger with a pre-approval letter.

Here are the steps and the necessary information and paperwork a mortgage lender will ask you for:

1. Choosing a Lender

First thing you need to do is get in touch with a mortgage lender. Many people’s first option is their current bank or who they have their current home loan with. If you are a first time home buyer you may want to consider a parent’s mortgage lender or a recommendation from a friend who has a mortgage lender they trust. Another good option is to get a few options from a Realtor. Realtors have many lenders that like to earn their business and will generally work hard to make sure a Realtors client they send to them is well taken care of.

2. Loan Application

The Mortgage lender will need you to fill out a loan application. Many lenders now have this available online for you to fill out or can send you one by email. You can also either meet them at their office even talk to them on the phone and they can fill out the information for you. It is usually a simple process that will only take 20 to 30 minutes.

Here are some questions that many lenders applications will ask:

For your street address, e-mail address, phone and Social Security number. If you've lived at your current address for less than three years, the lender will want to know where you lived before that. If you are buying this home with another person or persons, they'll probably want to know your relationship to the co-borrowers.
Whether you currently rent, own or live with family.
How many dependents you have.
Your annual income.
Your occupation, employer and how long you've been employed there. If you've been with the company for less than two years, it will ask where you worked previously.
Your assets -- what you own and what it is worth. This includes your current home and other property, checking and savings accounts, stocks, bonds and retirements accounts.
Your liabilities -- how much you owe, to whom and how much you pay every month.
Whether you have filed for bankruptcy in the last 10 years.
Whether you are behind on any bills.
Whether you are a first-time buyer.
Whether you are buying a home as a residence or rental property or, in the case of a duplex or other multi-family unit, both.

You may not need them immediately but eventually you will need your W2s, pay stubs, bank statements, brokerage statements and more. So it's never too early to start a file and fill it up.

3. Credit Report/Score

With your social security number, full name, and address all of your past financials is complied and rated.

The higher the score the better a 750 score and above your at the top of the list, 680 and above you are in the game but may have hoops to jump through for a better interest rate, below 650 you can still get a mortgage usually at a much higher interest rate.

You may want to consider getting a credit report on your own before speaking with a lender. You are entitled to a yearly free credit report from each of the main three reporting agencies. You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com to get yours. If you are married you would want to get it for you and your spouse. By getting this ahead of time you may be able to find errors that you can work on correcting before you contact a lender. Many lenders can also help you find these errors and advise you as to how to correct them to get where you need to be.

4. Answer Questions and Provide Documentation

Depending on how complicated your finances are you may receive your pre-approval in a couple of hours or it may take days. If you have held the same job for 10 years and have no credit card debt, two car payments, and a simple financial portfolio it may only take an hour, but if you have changed jobs 5 times in the last 5 years, have many credit cards with debt, late payments, etc., it may take as long as a week or two to get pre-approved.

Be ready to provide tax returns, W-2’s, bank statements, etc if the mortgage lender needs it to produce the pre-approval. The quicker you can provide all the documents and information the faster the pre-approval process will go.

In today’s lending market the rules are changing constantly and mortgage lenders are having to request more to get loan approved by the underwriters so do not let the loan process frustrate you if additional questions or requirements come up. This is just a sign that the lending institutions are now researching people better to make sure they are lending as they should so we are able to get out of the current financial mess we are in.

5. Get your Pre-Approval Letter!

Once the lender sends you the pre-approval letter you are ready to provide this to your Realtor and start house hunting! Your Pre-approval letter will usually state what price home you are pre-approved up to and sometime the type of loan program and at what interest rate you are pre-approved for. You may also want to ask how long your pre-approval letter is valid for – typically this can be anywhere from 30 to 90 days. Most lenders will extend the pre-approval once the time runs up but they may require for your credit to be checked one more time before they extend it.

Now you are a qualified buyer and are ready to seriously begin searching for your new home! Once you have reached this step the fun stuff begins. Now you need to make sure you choose the right Realtor to represent you in purchasing your home!

Click here to go to the next section about choosing a Realtor to help represent you!

Click here to go back to the main Blog.

First Time Homebuyer Section 3 - Choosing a Realtor to Represent You

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:05:54 GMT

Choosing a Realtor to Represent You

Many 1st time home buyers are often confused about how a Real Estate Agent helps to represent them and how that Real Estate Agent is paid. I hope to clear up these questions in this blog and help you to understand the benefits of choosing the right agent.

1. Working With Real Estate Agents

The first thing I would like to bring your attention to is a document called Working With Real Estate Agents, which was produced by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission and is designed to give you a description of all of the different types of Agency and the differences between them. I recommend you click on the link above and read that form. Your Agent will ask you to sign a copy of that form to acknowledge that you have received a copy. The NC Real Estate commission requires agents to have a signed copy with every client they work with, buying or selling.

2. Buyer’s Agent

The most common type of agent for a buyer to have is what is known as a Buyer’s Agent. In the buyer’s agent relationship the agent works in the sole interest of the buyer. Here is the information from the document above about Buyer’s Agents:

Duties to Buyer:

If the real estate firm and its agents represent you, they must

· promote your best interests

· be loyal to you

· follow your lawful instructions

· provide you with all material facts that could influence your decisions

· use reasonable skill, care and diligence, and

· account for all monies they handle for you.

Once you have agreed (either orally or in writing) for the firm and its agents to be your buyer's agent, they may not give any confidential information about you to sellers or their agents without your permission so long as they represent you. But until you make this agreement with your buyer's agent, you should avoid telling the agent anything you would not want a seller to know.

3. How a Buyer’s Agent is Paid

When a buyer’s agent helps to represent you in the purchase of your new home they are compensated by the listing company. The listing company has a listing agreement with the seller that states a specified commission that will be paid to the listing company. The listing company then advertised the property in the MLS system and agrees to pay a buyer’s agent a certain portion of the commission they are receiving.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Will I get a better deal if I go directly to the Listing Agent?

Answer: Many times a buyer thinks they will get a better deal if they deal directly with the listing agent. But in reality the listing agent will just end up getting the entire commission and will not be paying any portion of the commission to a buyer’s agent. In the end the same amount of commission is paid by the seller.

Question: How do I know an agent has the experience to represent me and help me avoid potential pitfalls?

Answer: Real Estate Agents in the last several years have increased in numbers dramatically. Almost everyone knows a friend, family member, or friend of a friend who is a Real Estate Agent. In the last year though, there have been a large reduction in the number of agents in the business do to the current economic situation and the increase in education that is now required to be an Active agent. When choosing an agent to help you I would recommend picking someone who has been steady in the business for many years and they do real estate as a full-time profession. There are many agents who do real estate part-time and try to help there friends and family when their real estate needs arise. This is OK if you feel confident that they stay on top of the real estate industry and are very knowledgeable of the latest forms, contracts, and potential problems that are arising in today’s market. The market today is changing on almost a daily basis and you need an agent that is dedicated to the profession. Would you have a doctor perform surgery who did not have the past experience, is up to date on the latest techniques, or only occasionally performed surgeries? I don’t think you would want to make the same mistake with the most likely largest purchase you ever make. Find someone with experience......and by the way – even you couldn’t guess, I highly recommend the Alice Ray Team with RE/MAX Hometown!

4. Dual Agency

Dual Agency comes about when the agent representing you as your buyer’s agent shows you one of their own listings or one of the listings their company has listed. Sometimes Dual Agency is not the best option for a buyer. If you are working with a reputable agent who has been in business for a while you probably do not have anything to worry about as that agent will be able to represent both sides the correct way and will not risk their reputation and credibility at the sake of one side or the other. Even though your agent is showing you a listing that is listed by their company there is a good chance that they are unfamiliar with the seller or any of the details of the listings. You can have the agent represent you as a designated agent in this case and you pretty much have the same relationship as you would with a buyer’s agent.

Here is an excerpt from the Working With Real Estate Agents brochure on Dual Agency:

Dual Agent

You may permit an agent or firm to represent you and the seller at the same time. This "dual agency relationship" is most likely to happen if you become interested in a property listed with your buyer's agent or the agent's firm. If this occurs and you have not already agreed to a dual agency relationship in your (written or oral) buyer agency agreement, your buyer's agent will ask you to sign a separate agreement or document permitting him or her to act as agent for both you and the seller. It may be difficult for a dual agent to advance the interests of both the buyer and seller. Nevertheless, a dual agent must treat buyers and sellers fairly and equally. Although the dual agent owes them the same duties, buyers and sellers can prohibit dual agents from divulging certain confidential information about them to the other party.

Some firms also offer a form of dual agency called "designated agency" where one agent in the firm represents the seller and another agent represents the buyer. This option (when available) may allow each "designated agent" to more fully represent each party.

If you choose the "dual agency" option, remember that since a dual agent's loyalty is divided between parties with competing interests, it is especially important that you have a clear understanding of

· what your relationship is with the dual agent and

· what the agent will be doing for you in the transaction.

This can best be accomplished by putting the agreement in writing at the earliest possible time.

Conclusion

Find an agent with experience, good reputation, and is full time. They can end up saving you money in negotiations, delays, choosing the right loan, repairs, etc.

Click here to go to the next topic – Searching for Homes

Click here to go back to the main Blog.

First Time Homebuyers Section 4 - Searching for Homes!

tripp@aliceray.com (Tripp) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:57:29 GMT

Searching for Homes

You now have your pre-approval letter, found an experienced agent, and are ready to start your home search!

Searching for homes can be a tedious process. Today there are a ton of websites you can go to that will show you homes available for sale. I’m going to try and let you know what to look for and some of the best websites and methods that I recommend to use in your home search.

Triangle Multiple Listing Service or TMLS

Most homes that are for sale and you will find online are ones that are listed with a Realtor and our put in to the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. Our local MLS is call the Triangle Multiple Listing Service or TMLS. Once listings are put in the MLS system they are then sent out in an internet data exchange program or IDX that sends provides the data to many different website. Each website may have different information it chooses to get from the MLS but it is all being pulled from the same source. All of your major Real Estate companies use a form of IDX to run their Home Searches on their website, in the end they are all pulling their information from the MLS.

Custom Search from the TMLS

With that said I would say the way to receive the most information, the most updated information, and the most accurate information is to have a Realtor set you up with a custom search in the MLS system that can email you full MLS sheets on every property that meets your search. Realtors that are a little more technologically savvy can even set you up with a website that updates with all of the properties that meet your search and enables you to make notes, delete ones you are not interested in, and mark favorites for you agent to review. The one drawback to this method is your search criteria. The agent can make the search criteria very specific so the properties must meet that search to come up. The broader you make the search the more properties you will see. You may initially think you need 1 Acre of land, but you then realize 0.6 is what you need to adjust to in order to get what you want so the search must be adjusted.

So what you may want to consider is having a Realtor set you up with a search from the MLS and then complement that with searching on one of the other sites that pulls from the MLS. Click here to see more information on the Custom Search from the MLS system and how we can set you up!

Popular Sites for Searching & Information on Each One

Realtor.com – This is the most searched site of all. The good thing about Realtor.com is that it does update quite often and they do show you all of the listings. The bad thing is they limit information depending on how much the listing agent or company pays them yearly so you will miss many pictures and virtual tours that are available.

Remax.com – This is the most visited major Real Estate company search. The site does show all of the listings and updates daily. A map search is available as well as more basic search methods. Each listing does provide every picture available from the MLS as well as the Virtual Tour if available. The downside is depending on where you are searching it requires you to register to view complete information. See the next site to see how to avoid this.

AliceRay.com – This is our website and it is powered by remax.com. It has all of the features the remax.com search has without the requirement for registration! We give you everything without registration.

Craigslist.org – Many people are now looking at Craigslist.org for listings. You can find listings posted by Realtors but there is usually limited information and you will be seeing only a small number of listings available. This is a popular spot for For Sale By Owners but you generally find that these houses are overpriced and can be very hard to purchase without help. A Realtor representing you as your buyer’s agent can try to help you in purchasing a For Sale By Owner so you may still want to contact a buyer’s agent if you think the home for you is a For Sale by Owner.

Other Major Real Estate Companies – Just like Remax.com all other major real estate companies use a form of IDX which pulls information from the TMLS. You can feel fairly confident you will see all of the listings but some may limit what you see. I would not discourage you from any major real estate company’s home search as most are fairly good. Just remember that you may prefer to contact your agent about any of the listings you find because they will be the one representing you and should be your first source for further information.

Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Homes.com, Homegain.com, Etc. – These are sites that offer national home search websites that are not affiliated with the National Association of Realtors. These sites are uploaded property information mainly from third party company a realtor advertises through or from the listing agent directly. Because this is the method they get their information you will not see all of the listings.

Bottom Line

Call or email your Realtor and let them know what you are looking for and get them to set you up with a search directly from the MLS, preferably the webpage method (known as the Client Gateway in our TMLS system), and then do some searching on your own at www.AliceRay.com! (or one of the major real estate companies searches....I mainly add this because I want you to know we do show you everything that is available on our website!)

Click here to have your Client Gateway set up.

Once you have done some searching you may want to drive around and check out some of the neighborhoods various homes are located in. You can begin to narrow down your search. Your goal is to have a 5 or 6 homes you feel would fit you best to view with your agent. If you are unfamiliar with the area you may need to drive around to get a feel for the area and possibly have your agent give you a brief tour of a few neighborhoods and the area to help you familiarize yourself before you pick which homes you may want to see.

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