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Is your listing wired for highspeed internet access?

By Barbara S. Duncan

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

March 26, 2009 12:19 AM

When filling out info on a new listing for the Multiple Listing Service I always cringe when some things are asked.

One of my least favorites is this in choices. Wired for highspeed internet. I always pass that one by because how can you actually tell? One's idea of high speed may be dial up; another's might be cable; and another's is DSL. What is the highest speed that you can be wired for?

Another least favorite and always passed over is "wireless access point." What is that? I need someone to explain it to me before I can get an answer.

Two others make me chuckle. You can choose one of these.

Telephone - private

Telephone - party line

Does anyone still have a party line? How many people DON'T have a private telephone, usually hanging on their belt or in their pocket. It makes me wonder how long since these MLS choices were written. They probably should change it to "Landline" now if they even have a telephone line into the house. They also ask which telephone service is available and that too is probably obsolete since you can choose from so many.

Oh, well.......just skip them since they're not required.......

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Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA

Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD

301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

I can explain. .

do not ever select DSL. . .it is actually a code some agents use it means. .D o not Show this L isting (DSL)

wireless access point.. .that is simply your receptacle where you plug in your computer power cable

and finally. .

Party Line phone

This is a little disturbing but some pornographic companies pay the MLS money to advertise Sexual content "parties by phone". .do not ever check that unless you are willing and able. .

Is it April 1st yet?

Mar 26, 2009 12:29 AM

Elizabeth Bolton

RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA

Cambridge MA Realtor

Oh Barbara that is such a funny combo of fields! And I agree - I wouldn't know how to fill out the internet wiring choices - way too ambiguous.

But if they're not required I guess they can't trip you up - just give you a chuckle. My pet peeve on our MLS is a required field - and completely nonsensical. It's the "Lot Description" field and gives a bunch of choices - corner lot, wooded, golf course frontage, stream, shared drive, etc. It makes me nuts because more often than not none apply - and the only choice is Other. Makes me wonder every time what they were thinking when they crafted that question.

Liz

Mar 26, 2009 12:33 AM

Jim Crawford

Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA

Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

It is like that line we all heard growing up..."The devil is in the details!" Most agents if they don't know....they don't care. Most of todays generations only want a cell phone and an internet connection.

Mar 26, 2009 01:10 AM

Charles Buell

Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA

Seattle Home Inspector

Barbara it always takes a long time for printed forms to catch up with reality:)

Mar 26, 2009 01:43 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Fernando, you were so funny here prior April 1 that I had to go calling on you and added you as an associate. Looking at a few blogs it appears that you are a short sale expert! Glad to make your acquaintance here on the Rain!

Mar 26, 2009 01:58 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Liz, I admit I hurry over most of those things. Putting stuff in beyond a two car garage seems too much on that section. No one puts in much about energy efficiency. Luckily, we can totally skip the basements part since we don't grow them here! Thanks for commenting on my blog.

Jim, I must say that even in my home, I'm not absolutely positive what I'm wired for. I do cable but was once wired for wireless (now why is that?) but when I dropped wireless they took away the wires! Confusion, confusion.

Charles, you're right about that.

Mar 26, 2009 02:15 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Dear Mrs Barbara,

I like my chicken southern-fried and my internet must be high-speed. Anything less slows me down.

Godson Nutsy

Mar 26, 2009 05:05 AM

Debi Ernst

St. Charles County, Missouri - Prudential Alliance Realtors - O'Fallon, MO

GRI, e-PRO, Broker/Sales Associate

Barbara - LOL! I remember those party line days, too! I don't think our MLS asks about "highspeed internet"... :)

Mar 26, 2009 05:10 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

We have DSL or DSL possibility -- and unless the sellers are actually on high-speed, I don't even check that box. It's like saying there is 220V for the dryer when you haven't really checked it out. Half the time I don't even mention if the sewer is in and connected, because I may not actually know.

Mar 26, 2009 06:53 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Nutsy, you don't like southern-fried chicken. You're just trying to sweeten me up. What do you want? It's yours!

Debi, do you reckon somewhere out in never-never land they still have party lines?

Elizabeth, you put it well. Most of that stuff is not relevant to a buyer or if it is, they need to check it out for themselves. They can check to see if they can get high speed internet from that address.

Mar 26, 2009 07:43 AM

Suesan Jenifer Therriault

JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team - Blakeslee, PA

"Inspecting every purchase as if it were my own".

Barbara - High speed refers to any form of cable or DSL connection as well as dedicated T1 T3 networks. Most Realtors have cable or DSL. Wireless Access Point is exactly that. A signal that can be picked up wirelessly by a desktop computer or notebook without the need of a cable.

The final one ... private or party. You probably won't believe this, but it's really true. About 10 years or so ago I had a 196-acre farm in Guilford NY where the phone company was still offering party line service. Hope that helped.

Mar 26, 2009 10:53 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Barbara, high speed is definitely not dial up. Is anyone using that anymore? DSL, cable, LAN, Wi-Fi are all high speed or broadband. A wireless access point is for WiFi areas like restaurants, hotels or internal to an office. 802.11 a/b/g short range wireless standards. Party line telephone lines? Are they still around? You are finding some interesting stuff.

Mar 27, 2009 01:51 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Suesan, wahts a T1 T3 network? LOL. What sounds easy to you is Greek to some of us. Thanks for explaining it so far.

Gary, I've never understood the difference in high speed and broadband. You've explained the wireless access point okay. Surely party lines are gone. But you can have those 3 way or more connections and that's a form of party, isn't it. LOL

Mar 27, 2009 05:06 AM