If you have ever used Homesdatabase.com to browse for homes on the market, you’ll be excited to test out their newest version which is live in the beta phase right now, here. HomesDatabase is the consumer version of the multiple listing service for our area. I think the new version is much improved over the prior incarnation; you can search by keywords! Think “garage townhomes with sunroom” or “single family Leesburg home with golf course view.” This isn’t your typical home search site. Now, as a Realtor, listing agent, and buyers agent, I have my thoughts on what is nifty with the new site, but I’d love to get some consumer feedback on what is great and what is lacking, from the homebuyer or homeseller’s perspective.
Please stop by the site and give it a test drive, then come back and comment here on what you liked or disliked. Can’t wait for your feedback!
Cheers,
Heather
Tags: Beta, Home Search, homes for sale, HomesDatabase.com, Loudoun County, Loudoun Homes for sale, Loudoun Real Estate, MLS, MRIS, Multiple Listing Service, Virginia
December 9th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Any other home search sites you might want to review?
Frank
December 11th, 2008 at 2:20 am
So I’ve got a question:
Does the Homesdatabase system send the listing office data on exactly what the buyer is looking for?
Our new map based system does and if I was a buyer I wouldn’t want that information to get into the hands of someone representing the seller in a negotiation.
As and example we helped a family buy a home this summer and they really wanted a 5 bedroom for their four young boys. There are only a few five bedroom homes in their area that come on the market each year. I wouldn’t wanted the seller to have known that during the negotiation.
I guess I think buyers should be told that information is being collected, just like buyers need to be told about agency relationships.
Congratulations on the new system and thanks for the post!
Jon
December 16th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
So far I hate this new homesdatabase.
Very hard to follow and use, didn’t bring up listing in zip that I entered, I entered 20180 Lovettsville VA for search criteria, and listings came up from Louisa County. Very strange.
The original homesdatabase is much better.
Jeff
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:49 am
HATE the new homesdatabase.com site!!!!! Please bring back the old one.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Michelle..what don’t you like about it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
February 6th, 2009 at 12:38 am
I just wrote about this myself. I never tried the old one but I find this very easy to use.
Jeff,
I just tried a zip code search 20180 and the area came right up.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
bring back the old website. the new homesdatabase.com is horrible.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Jim, what don’t you like about it? I’d love to send recommendations back to them to let them know why users are complaining…
February 15th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
i hate it they should put the old one back on.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I don’t like this new version because it makes it difficult to search for specific neighborhoods in DC. For example, with the previous version, I could select to search for homes in Brookland, Shaw, American Univ., etc. Now, if you don’t know the zip code to these neighborhoods, it’s kind of difficult to do that.
Also, before, you could leave condos out of your search. I have no interest in condos, but now it seems like I’m forced to acknowledge them, which may be the ultimate intention.
If there is a way around the things I complained about and I wasn’t bright enough to figure it out, I apologize.
But, the layout is nice, and it’s nice to have the map built in. It’s also nice to be able to search based on heating/cooling preferences (this probably was an option before, but I forget). I was actually initially quite pleased, until I saw that the way I had searched was a bit hampered. It’s a mixed bag for me.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
The new site is inferior to the former site…which I used frequently.
I much prefer the former site because of ease of use and the shoices you could make. Some changes are a step backwards and discourage usage. Please return to the former layout.
March 7th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I absolutely LOVE the new website. It takes getting used to, but I think it’s way better than the old one. For those who liked the old layout, check out this link: http://www.homefinders.com/frameset.htm
June 6th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I HATE this website. Bring back the old one. You put in a city and zip code and it brings up houses in another state. I never look up houses anymore because the new website is soooooo bad.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:05 am
bring back the old website, this one is horrible and is way too hard to use!