m^A m I I I; .'*?• • ' - / ' : ' • ..»••> 'v'V 'A :' "'•' Page 2 YourHome Thursday, August 4, 2005 How to use the Internet to buy and sell a home Q. We need to sell our home and want to buy another. How do we use the Internet effectively? Cameron, Grosse Pointe Farms A. The real estate industry has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Web design and maintenance in order to offer consumers the ability to "shop and sell" online. Sites such as "Realtor.com" are among the most visited sites on the 'Net, and they offer buyers and sellers the ability to find any home in America that is listed with traditional brokerages. So how do you use the Internet to your advantage? One suggestion is when shopping for a home, visit as many sites as possible but focus in on the MLS-based Web sites that showcase all the homes that are currently on the market. Realtor.com is such a site that showcases every home that is under contract with a brokerage. If it is on the market, it is on Realtor.com. Realtor.com, the official Web site of the National Association of Realtors, allows consumers to set their own search criteria for any home in America. Be consistent in your searches, and you will stay up to date on all the homes as they come on the market. Remember to save your searches so you can simply update your search daily or weekly. If you are selling as well, make sure your agent has saturated your home on the Web. This means all company Web sites (i.e., Coldwell Banker, Century 21) as well as any other sites to which the individual agent may subscribe. The more the better! Make sure to ask your agent what they do with respect to virtual marketing. Browse your listing and make sure the pictures and descriptions really sell your home. Once you have used the Internet to research homes in your desired market, then contact an agent to set up a showing. Pictures don't do most homes justice, and you really do have to "touch the paint." Virtual tours are another wonderful tool that a Web site can provide, and certainly "tours" can help By Steve Aiuto shape your mind's eye as to the potential desirability of a home. Again, people buy and sell houses, not the Internet, so take advantage of the insights of real estate professionals and personally tour as many homes as your schedule allows. In the end, the Internet is an important and effective tool to research homes, but few people buy as large a purchase as a home without going inside. That is why people ultimately sell homes not computers. Buying a home is as visceral/emotional as it is logical. Buying a DVD on eBay is fine as it represents only a $20 investment. A house, however, is an entirely different thing, and as such, the people behind the technology will always be an integral part of the education, marketing and successful selling of real property. Use the Internet in conjunction with the efforts of a real estate professional, and you will get the best results. Earmark homes in your Web notebook and e-mail them to an agent so that he or she may set up the showing on your behalf. Working as a team allows everyone to contribute to the process. Remember the Internet is part of the process not the final outcome. You should enjoy the process of researching online, but in the end, you live with the outcome of a successful real estate purchase and a smooth and memorable transaction. Steve Aiuto is a licensed Realtor living in Grosse Pointe Park. He can be reached at steveaiuto@hotmail.com. milu.^imVW ON THE COVER. 1136 THREE MILE GROSSE POINTE PARK Four bedroom, four and one half bath completely renovated center entrance Colonial. Master suite with cathedral ceilings, attached large bathroom and dressing room. State of the art kitchen. Library, family room, formal dining room and powder room. Basement excavated underneath the new family room. A pleasure to show. Call Jim Saros for more details. $969,000. 742 SHELDEN GROSSE POINTE SHORES Lake Shore Vernier area. Picture perfect four bedroom, three and one half bath Colonial. Newly renovated kitchen and bathrooms, second floor laundry room, service stairs, three and one half car garage. Circular driveway, wonderful views. Attractively priced at $1,295,000. 17 OXFORD GROSSE POINTE SHORES (Best buy in Grosse Pointe in this price range) Must be seen to appreciate - totally renovated FIRST CLASS!! Located on one of Grosse Pointe Shores finest streets. Five bedrooms, four and one half baths, newer family room, gorgeous marble entrance foyer, master bedroom on separate wing. Four car attached garage, beautifully decorated and appointed. Attractively priced at $1,399,999. 781 LAKESHORE GROSSE POINTE SHORES Sharp split-level on a large lot with beautiful lake views! Steps from Grosse Pointe Shores Lakefront Park and Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Gorgeous new Mutschler kitchen with top end appointments. Great for entertaining. Four bedrooms, three full baths, two lavatories, newer gas forced air/central air. $995,000 uros^B^y 17108 Mack ^>TllT^f-* Grosse Pointe, MI |pALMHlJC (313) 886-9030
(illOSSK $8.780.000 I..AKEI,A\'D n.Rosw; poi\ n: SFNNIN'GDAEE f;nossK POINTE WOODS $098.000 I.AKri.AM) GHO'SSE POEYTE c ! AKI'I \M) (,|[(I\SI i'OIY IT CITY • fe- Splendor in the Pointes EAKEVIEW GROSSE POlYTE PARK Thursday, August 4, 2005 YourHome Page 3 KEYWOOD I'.iiossi: FARMS I.O('HM(K.)ll GHOSSE FOEY TE SHOHFS GROSS! POEYTE CITY I.OCHMOOK GROSS!-' POINT E WOODS $870,000 GROSSE I'OI\'I'K CITY \ OXF-OKD GHOSSE POINT!, WOODS TOFRAIYE GHOSSE POIM E FAKMS $499,900 GHOSSE. POI\TF WOODS ToriiAiM-: $1.880,000 UKK SHORE; 'GHOSSK POINTE FARMS. $700,000 SHEFTJEN 'GHOSSE POINTE SHORES $049,900 DEAN LANE GROSSE POlNTE FARMS $496,000 fOlOMIAL HI) GKO'SSE POINTE WOODS SHORES $409,000 \ KDGEWOOD (i ROSSE PO'INTE SHORES 82 Kercheval, on the Hill &£h/b*9&i& 313-884-0600 Grosse Pointe Farms wwwJohnstoneandjohnstone.com! r-- -. - • * : ''. •: . > . ' • , ' » •
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