Top Real Estate Websites.

I thought I would give everyone a quick insight on the top real estate websites...in case some of you don't know which sites are the best for looking at listings.

The top rated real estate website in the nation is Yahoo Real Estate.

The second top website is what most of my clients go to...Realtor.com

On Realtor.com you can look at all available real estate listings and some of them will even have up to 25 pictures.

The 3rd most popular consumer real estate website is Edinarealty.com.

On our company website you can even view SOLD prices on homes. We are the first website to share this info with you, besides the county websites. Any Edina Realty listing may also have up to 25 pictures for you to look at too!

Another additional feature of Edinarealty.com is that you can view open house times online, instead of in the newspaper.

Mostly all buyers start their search online in some way or another, and end up calling us with a list of homes that they want to see. Some of our buyers even make it more easy for us and just email us the MLS numbers! Gone are the days when the real estate agent is the primary source for available housing, it mostly starts on the web!

Other real estate websites that you might want to check out are:

eBay.com

BobVilla.com

HGTV.com

and of course my website...HomesbyHolli.com

Let Steve and I know if you have any questions on any of our Blog postings or just a general real estate question, we would be happy to email you an answer right away.

Email: holli@homesbyholli.com

stevehoem@edinarealty.com

Investment Properties - Special Use


Rentals are a great way to get someone else to pay your mortgage payment.

If you're looking for "positive cash flow" meaning you have money left over from the rent received after paying all expenses, you'll probably either need to buy a severely distressed property and put some elbow grease into it or put down a significant down payment (greater than 20%).
What are some good rentals?

Do you live near a college campus or even better yet, have kids approaching college age? If you can buy a home near the college your kids will be attending, you'll have built-in landlords for at least a few years. This is a GREAT plan plus it will save you money on rental costs for your kids!
How about a vacation area near you? Homes in your neighborhood?

It is nice to have a vacation home that you can use a few weeks out of the year and rent the rest of the time but be sure you talk with your accountant to stay within the tax laws. If you can buy and rent homes nearby, it will help with those late night maintenance calls and also make it easier to drive past to ensure the home is being kept up.

Whatever the case, check on financing costs for "non-owner occupied" home loans as part of your preliminary planning and ensure you can survive a few months of vacancy as you wait for the right renters.

Investment property is a bright path to financial independence!