1. Mouseover links on the map highlight individual properties on an “active [...]]]> Recently, I have been using a slew of various web sites to research real estate listings. Most real estate web sites sport tools such as active maps that activate displays on a list on same page. There are two kinds of these.

1. Mouseover links on the map highlight individual properties on an “active list” located on the same page .
2. Clickable links on the map make a small popup displaying information about that property.

All these data sites work reasonably well. Only one web site allowed filtering according to when it came on the in market, RealtyTrac.com. RealtyTrac is unique in that it also displays a history of actions such as notice of default (NOD) and trustee sale (NOS)
Here is a summary of what I found as far as the other database search and filtering goes

Zillow
Nice tools including maps with clickable points linked to a list on same page. The Zillow values are consistently much higher than real, their algorithm may be putting too much weight on 2008 comparable prices. On the other hand, it is great for comparable sales, since it simultaneously shows a list and a zoomable map. It is excellent for this purpose. It shows foreclosures, but if you want the address, it wants you to sign up for a separate paid web site to get the full street address.

HomesDatabase.com
Thoroughly designed interface uses the mouseover method. I like the maps and the way you can search by moving or zooming the map to display the properties of interest. This is my favorite, albeit not as deep as Realty Trac.

Trulia.com
Similar maps to Zillow with clickable links. The Active Maps are small but the “active list” is easy to use. The detail pages are ok, they show “Days on Trulia” whatever that means . The comparable sales, maps and a 18 month chart of the zip codes median price is a nice touch. They are do not state a value, rather letting the reader decide.
Seems awkward, but that may be because the user has only 2 weeks experience. The links to get the agents data do not always work.
interesting filters unique to Trulia:
properties listed in the last 7 days on Trulia

Eppraisal.com
If you type in some addresses, the weird search mechanism throws an error instead of showing the nearest address. They have a clickable map. Interesting emphasis on valuation, shows three values for each property.
• The Eppraisal price estimate- based on a plain vanilla average of 5-6 recent sales. Those recent sales are displayed at the same time, so it is documented easily.
• The Zillow price estimate- always hilariously high as mentioned above.
• The Cyberhomes price estimate- also often high
They have a nice chart showing median sales prices as well as local economic and social information.

Cyberhomes.com
I have not used it before today and don’t know much about it yet. They do feed appraisal valuations to RealtyTrac . Otherwise, it appears to have the same information as the others but their estimates are higher, but not as off as Zillow. It’s a nice interface, and clean.

RealtyTrac.com
I started using more recently. It has a deeper dataset compared to the other sites. The searching mechanism not bad, especially since it allows filters by all variables except days on market. I have not decided whether the interface is all that good. It displays a transaction history going back 10 years or so, which no other site does.

Realtor.com -
Attractive site, we are not using as much except to see the market. Nice presentation, not much depth, not up to date.

Foreclosurereporting.com
Supposedly the best foreclosure specialty site. Nice searching tool. Easy to do manual data extraction from the lists. Not much in the way of a map search, I found myself relying on Zillow while using it. We have cancelled this subscription since it is 100% superceded by RealtyTrac.

During the week of April 26th, Texas-based Guaranty Bank demolished about a dozen new houses in California. I don’t understand how or why they could not find [...]]]> Am I imagining this?
Is this ridiculous or what? New homes?!

During the week of April 26th, Texas-based Guaranty Bank demolished about a dozen new houses in California. I don’t understand how or why they could not find a buyer for these frame structures who would move them and save all this hard work and material from the land fill. These were frames for Gods sake! With brick veneer. They could have called me and I would have had them cut up and taken away to be re-used. I might have done it at no cost to the bank. What a waste.

Shame on Guaranty, I hope they get whats coming to them for this disastrous approach to business and built assets.

Demolition shows a complete lack of imagination