I work hard to give you everything you need for a successful, enjoyable real estate transaction.

I’m happy to provide you with a few of the tools you need to prepare in the pages below.

Once you’ve armed yourself with a little bit of knowledge and are ready to act, get me on your side for a smoother, faster, less stressful transaction.

I look forward to working for you!

Sheila

Are You Drowning in a Sea of Real Estate Information?  
by Steve Harney on July 26, 2010
For Buyers,For Sellers

One of the most difficult things to do if you are thinking of buying or selling a home is to navigate through the sea of information available today. If we google “real estate” there are approximately 441 million sites. That’s 441 MILLION!!

Other searches you might try:

• “real estate information” – 277 million sites
•  “selling a home” – 55+ million sites
• “buying a home” – 76+ million sites
• “what is my home worth?” – 73+ million sites 

The amount of information seems endless even if you narrow the search dramatically. Google “Montana real estate” and you get over 31 million sites. That equates to 75,000 real estate web sites for each residence in the state!

What you find on the best of sites can also be confusing. Time.com recently had these two article titles listed at the same time on front page of their real estate section:

1. New data say house prices may be nearing a bottom.
2. House prices keep dropping and they’re not done yet.

Same source, same day, two articles saying exactly opposite things!

What should you do?

Seth Godin, a best-selling author and founder of Squiddo.com, when he addressed the business community on the issue of gathering and dispensing information said:

Many people and organizations are contributing to this mass of data, but few are taking advantage of the opportunity to collate it and present it to people who desperately need it. Think about how much needs to be sorted, compared, updated and presented to people who want to choose or learn or trade on it.

You must find those industry leaders in your local real estate market (both agents and loan officers) that have made it a mission in their lives to truly gather all the pertinent information for their clients and customers. They will then become experts who are able to understand not only what is happening in the current real estate market but also why it is happening.

Once you have found that person, make sure that they take the time to simply and effectively explain your options. Then you will feel confident that you are making the best decision for yourself and your family based on all the information available.

Don’t get lost in the sea of information. Hire a real estate expert to help you navigate.