Actually it is not always the agent's fault. Trulia, Realtytrac, Zillow, and many other sites of this type do not have accurate information to start with. I myself have had listings on Trulia with incorrect information and Trulia has not changed the information once I requested it to be corrected. Our local MLS had correct information which is really the only true MLS for our area. The other sites do not always pull all the correct data from the MLS and unfortunately there is not a lot we as agents can do about it.

As others have already said, a local real estate agent is the best source of information.

Parody,

Keep in mind that any information is only as good as it's source and agents draw their information from a number of resources, including obtaining it directly.

The seller and the local tax records are typically the major contributors toward MLS information and are both fine examples of misinformation resources for which agents need to deal with. Since it often takes time to work through these mistakes and correct them your patience is required and appreciated.

The forclosure sites might not be the best place to look for USDA qualifing homes. You should get partnered up with a local Realtor® that can get you a feed for all the homes in the area that are available. You would even be able to get updates as new homes come on the market in your price range and area. The homes that are in great shape and priced well do not last long.
By the way here is a check list that you might want to take with you to review homes that you like. It is the USDA appraisal condition guidelines. You can use it to figure out if the property you want will qualify.

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/id/5-0_Existing.pdf

Hi Parodyofamuse,
I can certainly understand your frustration. Here is a link to the USDA Rural Development site. Click on Single Family Housing and follow the instructions. You can enter any address and it will tell you if that property is a qualifying address for this type of loan and save you some gas and time. I use it before I list any home as eligible for rural housing loans.

Have a great evening.

Brenda Jolly

http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do

Are you finding it is the same agent, a certain company's agents or a regional agent issue? Are you only searching in Marshall County? If it's isolated, we as a REALTOR community need to know the errors. It's our job to serve the public and if that information is incorrect, it's a disservice to you (obviously) and to our industry. Feel free to send me samples and I'll take it up with our MLS board.