from: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/home/articles/0412homebuying12.html
Internet puts important data at interested party's fingertips
Diane Cole
Special for The Republic
Apr. 12, 2003 12:00 AM
Today's home buyer has a wealth of information at his fingertips - on the Internet. Within the following sites you'll find links to other useful sites. Gather as much information as you can to familiarize yourself with the home-buying process. Keep in mind that the Internet provides data, but it's your job to interpret it. Your research also should include talking to friends, family, neighbors and your real-estate agent.
General information
10 Steps to Homeownership, Homestore.com: www.homestore.com/finance/buyersguide
Becoming a Homeowner, Fannie Mae: www.fanniemae.com/homebuyers/home path
Buyer Advisory, Arizona Association of Realtors: www.aaronline.com/documents/buy_advis.pdf
Buying a home, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: www.hud.gov/buying/index.cfm . Available in Spanish.
Real-estate glossary, Inman News Features: inman.com/inmanconsumer.asp
Home listings
Scan listings of resale and new homes based on location, price, size, amenities and other criteria. Find interactive maps to locate neighborhoods, and virtual tours of homes often include floor plans and photographs.
NATIONAL ONLINE HOME BUYING PORTALS:
HomeGain: http://www.homegain.com
Homes.com: http://www.homes.com
Microsoft: http://houseandhome.msn.com
National Association of Realtors: http://realtor.com
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICES:
Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Phoenix metro area: http://www.armls.com
Tucson Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, Tucson metro area: http://www.tarmls.com
For multiple listing sites for other Arizona cities, search http://www.aaronline.com/AboutUs/LocalAssociations/ . Click on the link for the city or area you want to search.
REALTY COMPANIES:
All of the major real-estate companies and many small and independent companies have Web sites. Type the name of the company in your favorite search engine. For example, http://www.AltaVista.com , http://www.google.com, http://www.yahoo.com .Or search "Arizona real estate firms" to find companies in Arizona. Listings found on company sites include the agent or branch to contact for more information about the home.
NEW HOMES:
If you're looking for a new home, visit builders' sites for details on new developments, floor plans and options. Search "Arizona home builders" for a list of builder Web sites, or type the name of the builder in the search bar. Get more information about buying a new home from the National Association of Home Builders, For Consumers, at http://www.nahb.com .
Financing
Research mortgage rates, closing costs and services offered, and use various financial calculators and amortization schedules before making your financing decision.
You can compare mortgage lenders (processes and funds loans), mortgage brokers (works with a variety of lenders to fund loans), and online referral services (forwards applications for competitive bidding by several lenders).
Also, obtain financing online or use the information to negotiate the best deal with a local lender. Online financing is growing in popularity due to increased security; look for the security symbol on Web sites and avoid sites that have inadequate privacy disclosures.
GENERAL FINANCING INFORMATION:
Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association: http://www.azmortgagelenders.com
Mortgage Brokers Association of America: http://www.mbaa.org/consumer/index.html
Mortgage 101: http://nt.mortgage101.com .Available in Spanish.
Your Route to Homeown- ership, Freddie Mac: http://www.freddiemac.com/homebuyers/bank/ . Available in Spanish.
REFERRAL SERVICES:
E-LOAN: http://www.eloan.com
Lending Tree: http://www.lendingtree.com
Quicken Loans: http://www.quickenloans.com
MORTGAGE LENDERS AND BROKERS:
All of the major companies have Web sites. Search "mortgages" in your favorite search engine.
Neighborhood facts Get to know the neighborhood and its services, including schools, housing costs, demographics, crime rates and jobs. A Homebuyer's Guide to Environmental Hazard, Consumer Law Page: http://consumerlawpage.com/brochure/homehaz.shtml
Arizona military and public airports, Arizona Department of Real Estate: http://www.re.state.az.us/airport.html
Arizona public and private schools, Arizona Department of Education: http://www.ade.state.az.us/schools
Find a Neighborhood, http://Homestore.com : http://www.homestore.com
Neighborhood Finder, Microsoft: http://houseandhome.msn.com/move/moveoverview.aspx
Find real-estate agent After developing your home search criteria and locating specific homes that meet them, contact a real-estate agent to show you the homes you've selected. A real-estate agent can help you sort through the information you've gathered and the homes you've identified to help you get the home you want. Arizona Directory of Licensees, Arizona Department of Real Estate: http://www.re.state.az.us/db.html
Find A Realtor, Arizona Association of Realtors: http://www.aaronline.com
Diane Cole is communications director for the Arizona Association of Realtors. For more information, visit http://www.aaronline.com, or if you have home-buying questions you would like answered in future articles, send e-mail to questions@aaronline.com or write Arizona Association of Realtors, 255 E. Osborn Road, No. 200, Phoenix, AZ 85012. Consult your legal or tax adviser before making decisions with legal or tax consequences.