Hi Jeannine,

I work in the local market here in Winston and the surrounding areas. I work with both sellers and buyers. I also list foreclosures for banks. I can provide a custom home search that offers instant notification of homes that meet your criteria in an area. Want to see only foreclosures? I can set that up, and you receive the info via e-mail within minutes of it hitting the MLS. Don't be the last to know, be the first. Call or e-mail for details or to get started!!

Len Montgomery
Len@LenMontgomery.com
336-812-8128

Hi Jeannine, You've got some good feedback here. Hot properties, be they foreclosures, short sales or regular sales are often sold within hours of becoming available. Agents network with each other constantly and have knowledge of properties before they hit the sale market. We pool our resources and caravan groups of properties weekly to stay abreast of changes in the market. At my weekly office meetings we discuss the buyer needs of every agent in the office. Listing agents speak up and let us know what listings they have coming so the buyers agents can line up the paperwork and showings.

Agents spend thousands of dollars a year for access and useage rights to the Multiple Listing Services in California. You may as well take advantage of this enormous pool of information.

If you want to search homes like a Realtor here's my site. There is no cost and no obligation. http://bethwalsh.listingbook.com

Another site with better accuracy is http://www.realtor.com

All listings are originally posted on the Mulitple Listing Service (MLS) - think of it as the mother database. Sites like Trulia, Redfin, etc, pull their data from the MLS. Apparently they do not update their data constantly and consistently so you will often find outdated data.

To get the most accurate and up to date information you need to work with an agent. They can provide you with private client access to the MLS. A good agent should also know the inventory in their area and can alert you to new listings as well as sales.
http://www.bestonthewest.com

Jeannine,
Nothing too new to add here. An agent is your best resource, especially in this busier market.

The reason this is happening to you is that Trulia only has two options for homes for sale - available and sold. Unlike the MLS, it does not change listing status to Looking For Backup (meaning they have an accepted offer in escrow but would consider a Backup Offer) and Pending (meaning the offer has released all of its contingencies and is just waiting to close). Compounding the problem, Trulia sometimes takes a while to mark listings as sold once they are off the market.

Knowing a listings current status and availability is key to you not only finding your dream home, but maintaining your peace of mind while you do. Feel free to drop me a line if you'd like some tips finding a great agent in your area.

Best of luck,
Lauren Sullivan
Coldwell Banker - Brentwood West
LaurenSullivan@ColdwellBanker.com

Der Jeannine,
Yes, You're right. I would recommend you begin to work with an agent in our area, who has updated and correct information on property.

Dot is "on the mark!" (no pun intended) An experienced agent that is familiar with your location can best outline your option and identify the homes that match wour personal search criteria.

Yes, the market is constantly adjusting, especially with the foreclosure sector. The great deals often go to the individuals that are prepared to act quickly when an opportunity presents itself. Our recommendation is to get pre-qualified ASAP and begin working with an agent that can put you on the inside track.

Good luck,
The Eckler Team

Hi, Jeannine, you need a good agent working for you to get you the listings when they first appear.

It does take longer for listings to appear on trulia, for sure! You need to work with a realtor, like myslef =], who can get you new listings immediately when they are put up. Foreclosure sales are being sold with multiple offers very quickly, often within the first couple days. Ver likely, if you don't see the listing until a week after everyone else, it will already be gone. Baldwin Hills has some great opportunities in this market and I'd love to help you take advantage of it. Contact me anytime!

Jeannine,

The only way to get properties as soon as they hit the market is to work with an agent. Agents pay to have access to listing...this is more accurante than trulia.

Trulia can sometimes be a bit behing on updating its info.

Sincerely,

Gary Gukassian
Beverly Realty
mrggg@aol.com