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Princeton NJ Real Estate - How To Find Information You Can Trust    

There is no shortage of real estate information on the Internet. The challenge is to find information you can trust and rely on.  Real estate data requires understanding and explanation, since much of it could be confusing and even contradictory. For Greater Princeton NJ area home buyers and sellers unreliable information is at best useless and  at worst is harmful and could potentially be costly. Understanding what the information and housing market reports mean and most importantly the credibility of the source are key to using Internet for Princeton NJ real estate. Realtor advice and ulterior motives

Two things yesterday prompted me to write this article. I received a call from a relocation company assisting an international buyer. This person needed to find out about the Princeton real estate market before he could accept his job transfer. This is a very typical situation, as housing prices could significantly affect decisions for relocation and job transfers.

The relocation company, impressed with the  Princeton NJ housing market reports on my blog and other information for home buyers, recommended it to their client.  He was hesitant because the information was provided by the Realtor.  Perhaps some people have reasons to think that information provided by Realtors is self serving or unreliable. I suggested they spend a few minutes to learn about the author,  the content,  and the effort involved in making this information publicly available on the Internet.  All of this could help this buyer and others decide on the credibility of the information.

DYI advice and Knowledge

The second incident was prompted by my article Buying real estate without a Realtor (and my concerns in this regard). It continues to draw attention most likely from people looking for the prescription on how not to use a Realtor. Yesterday I found an article written by a consumer in California of his experience buying a home without an agent. I was hoping that such an article could be useful for consumers wanting to learn from his experience.

He gives the reasons  why he wasnt successful and advice. The problem with his information is that it just doesnt make any sense to me as a professional in the field. It was crossing the line of being wrong  to potentially being harmful.

Here is one example. This writer suggests real estate agents commissions cause increased real estate taxes and is one of the reasons not to use agents.  I usually dont comment on real estate practices in other states but I could hardly believe this to be the case in California. Real estate taxes in most states are based on appraisals done by local municipalities and have nothing to do with real estate agents. There were many other nonsensical ideas and suggestions in his article as well.

The motivation of this writer, I would imagine, was good, as he took the time to write. I could only hope that the effect of this article not cause harm to someone using it to make decisions about buying and selling real estate.

Understand the credibility of the writer. Blogs are excellent way to do it, as you can find out about the person behind the blog. This is the simple answer to judging the quality of the information on the Internet. Unlike static web sites, usually advertising vehicles, blogs allow you to get to know the author. On my blog and some others you can ask questions, leave a comment, e-mail, and call.  This will go a long way to help assess the quality of the content and the credibility of the writer.

Princeton NJ Real Estate Mercer County homes -Housing Market Statistics March 2008

 Princeton NJ Real Estate - About Princeton - Relocating And Living

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate -Secrets To Buying A Home Like A Realtor

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate - Secrets to Home Selling Like a Realtor

 Photo by Kyle Macdonald

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