Maybe We're Getting TOO Easy To Find?

Maybe We're Getting TOO Easy To Find?

Once upon a time it was fairly difficult to find out much information about a person.  You wanted to find their phone number, you grabbed the phone book and if they weren't unlisted there it was along with their home address.   You MIGHT even find their spouse's name there too, but that was pretty much the end of the EASY information.

You wanted to know how much they paid for their home, you'd have to either ask them or go to the courthouse.  How much they made?  NUNYA BIZNESS!!  How old they were?  Pictures? How many kids they had?  All things you'd have to know them to know.  And perhaps considering the widespread use of social media, old expectations of privacy are outdated?  The virtual snoopers and gossipers can just find out whatever they want with a few correct clicks of the mouse.

And don't get us wrong, as REALTORS® we WANT you to find us, but we want you to find our BUSINESS presence to help you decide if we're the right Warren County REALTORS® to help you buy or sell your home!  Find our website, our blog, the places we advertise our listings!

But there's a website we recently came across that may concern you depending on how much you value your privacy.  It's called www.spokeo.com and is basically a collector of all those little bits and pieces of public (and not so public) information that's out there on the web. 

The interface is simple, type in someone's name, username, etc. and EVERYONE in that database that matches in the whole U.S. comes up, and then you scroll through by state and select the likely candidate.  Click and up pops a virtual Rolodex card with their name, address, phone number, home's value, how many kids, spouse's name, etc.  And for a few dollars a month a person can suddenly find out WAY more about you that Spokeo doesn't initially disclose, information that we personally feel ISN'T truly anyone else's business.

The good news if you value your privacy?  Spokeo.com has an opt out option and here's how to do it:

First find your profile and copy the link at the top.  Next enter www.spokeo.com/privacy and paste than link into the appropriate spot, follow the remaining instructions, confirm the email when you get it, and POOF...now you're back to some level of invisibility.

You decide, you can stay visible if you like, or go silent.  We've personally chosen to delete both our names from Spokeo's database.  You make the call for yourselves.

We hope you find this information helpful!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz