When most people today start looking for a house to buy or a piece of land to build on they turn to the Internet to help with research. They visit sites that let them search on their own because they feel that they don't want to be pressured by some pesky real estate agent. They try to educate themselves about the market using one of the many "self help" sites available to do research and ask questions. They try to make a go of it armed with all this information they have gathered.
They find a few properties on line that interest them. They may spend a few hours comparing values using the handy on line tools. They
try to determine the value before they waste time actually seeing the property. When they are finally fully prepared, they call the real estate company listed on the ad and learn that house has already gone into contract. All that time wasted on something they did not even go to see.
Ok maybe it is still available... so they make and appointment and the agent meets them there to open the door. They enter the house to find it looks nothing at all like the pictures on line and will take thousands more than they thought to bring it into this century. The listing agent is no help because they work for the seller and they are obligated to work in the seller's interest. If you happen to miss the crack in the foundation that you could slip a small child through or the fact that the "lovely hard wood floors" are really a laminate they won't point it out.
Not to worry the buyers head back to the Internet and ask questions. I have seen a lot of specific questions asked and specific answers given on line about properties that the person answering the question may not be the best person to help the buyer. They are sometimes answered by the listing agent (who is working for the seller and can not work in the buyer's best interest) or by someone who never saw the property in question. If they rely on this type of answer to help make a decision to offer on a property then they might be making a mistake. Yes these people who answer may be real estate professionals or "experienced" home buyers but they can't tell without viewing the property whether it is a problem that should be a real concern. I am on some of these sites as a professional and I do answer questions but I answer them in a general way that offers help but also suggests a buyer's agent to work with the buyer through the purchase process.
Let's say that they decide that they want to put an offer in. They head back to a few of those self help research sites and use the on line resources to do some more research on this perfect spot. They will use data from the research to prepare what they think is a fair offer that reflects the value of the property. What they don't know is that many of the on line sites are not accurate in the values that they help someone compute. The agent who showed them the house will not tell be able to help them with value because they are working for the seller. These agents are not even supposed to tell a buyer what they should do about home inspection contingencies, customary local practices, or anything else. 
So if you are starting a search for real estate don't make the same mistake they are making. The Internet is a great place to get some basic knowledge but don't waste too much valuable time on specific property searches. For that, you should find a local Real Estate Professional to help you. If you are looking in the Greater Hudson Valley of New York I would love to be your Real Estate Guide. If you are looking elsewhere I can help you to find someone where you want to be to get you through the maze.
Take advantage of my free, no obligation introduction to buying real estate in this part of New York state by adding my Home Buying Seminar in the evening on Wednesday May 20th. Click on the above link for more details and please preregister as soon as possible.
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