More Open Source Help for Home Buyers
April 22nd, 2008 categories: Real Estate News
From vacations, to soup to nuts, the world wide web has become, in many ways, the buyer’s pot of gold as it has refined itself and changed the way we buy and sell. And, for the home buyer, the information keeps getting better and better. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that more is better. It simply means that there is more. The “better’ takes a bit of sorting. What information is value added, or meaningful, and what isn’t? 
While the online resources for home buyers could fill books (and do), there’s much to be gained by the potential home buyer by spending a few minutes searching the web as they consider where and what to buy. Not only is it one of the best ways to get a quick lesson in Home Buying 101, but many new and novel resources are available as well. One of those that just launced is FranklyMLS.com, which the author calls an “MLS wiki”. While a “wiki” is defined as a platform or online resource that allows users to edit or add content collectively, the real value is found in its’ callaborative effort. Like a team whose synergism in working together results in a sum that is greater than the individual parts, the beauty of the wiki is its’ value in sharing information.
What FranklyMLS is attempting to do, is to provide the consumer with more information than might be found on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), or other sites like Realtor.com, Zillow, or others. FranklyMLS is a buyer’s resource that includes photos and comments about properties from agents other than the listing agent. Its’ intent is to provide buyers with property information not available from normal home sites and sources. This information might include how far a property is from the highway, or the train station. While there are limitations on what photos, other than the listing agent, can be taken, additional photos might be taken by a buyer’s agent showing how features otherwise unknown to a prospective buyer. This includes items like water damage in the bathroom, foundation cracks, or, on the postive side, the great view from the back porch or the oversized back deck.
This wiki MLS is meant to inform. It is simply another source, but a novel and a much needed one from a buyer’s perspective, on what a property has to offer. FranklyMLS.com presents a new way of assisting the home buyer. Like many other groundbreaking offerings, there’s sure to be some growing pains to be worked through. In the meantime, let’s take advantage of a tool we can all benefit from.
