The age of information has brought us a deluge of facts, figures and convenience. Sometimes I'm not sure if we are heading in the right direction. It seems we can get information faster than we can decipher it.
My clients come to me with a fistful of listings, county records and virtual comps from Zillow. I end up spending more time explaining the reality of the situation, taking each fact, figure and comp, examining and explaining it. When we are done, we wonder who is ahead, the gatherer of the info or the explainer of the facts.
THE COOL PART... DON'T MISS THIS NEW FREE SERVICE!
The latest new whiz bang wow tool has been developed in the land one mile above the sea, Denver. This service is easy, free and guaranteed to open eyes wide with amazement.
Send a text message with your cell phone to the number 46873 (if you can't remember that, it also spells HOUSE on the keypad). Enter an address, any address will do, I tried my own. Within seconds you will have a response back telling you the estimated value, sq. ft., number of bedrooms/baths, year built, lot size, owners names, last sold price and date, plus the 1 year area trends.
Oh my!
The service is brought to you by HouseFront. The developers took nine months to create a data base that combines County Records with the MLS info. Their website claims they cover 77 MILLION properties. Chances are yours is among them.
THE SPOOKY PART...Should it be let loose?
As I've said, I've used it and it is really cool. But with that said, I also worry about such a tool in the hands of the general public. The transparency of information is not what bothers me, it's the accessibility to information that can be used in unscrupulous ways.
My mind wonders how my 86 year old, mother-in-law who believes everything anyone tells her, even telemarketers who call to collect a past due bill (that doesn't exist) could be at risk. Someone could show up at her door, spew out a few facts to prove their credibility and she would give away the farm.
Of course the information is available, but now with this service it is delivered to one's finger tips while they are standing on your doorstep. Does this bother anyone else, or am I just a wimp?
BACK TO THE COOL PART ...
I love technology and have a passion for finding the best ways to use it. This service is a handy way to provide speedy information on the fly. Overall I believe the positive (convenience) will out weight the negative (spooky) part.
The people at HouseFront have blogged here on Active Rain before, but didn't get much milage. Maybe by me sharing this new tool again, it will get more exposure. Try it out and let me know if you think it is Cool or Spooky?
Here are some media links:
Rocky Mountain News ~ Real Estate info at one's finger tips
Techlife ~ How much is the house on aisle 4?
Lifehacker ~ Research home prices on your phone with HouseFront
House TXTR on AR ~ Text HOUSE
Our own Roberta Murphy ~ Disruptive technology Alert: Home Values via Cell Phone
NOTE: I have no connection to this company (other than via text messaging that is!).
Comments (41)Subscribe to CommentsComment