As a real estate investor, you are well aware of how dramatically the Internet is changing the way you live your life. While you can probably name a variety of sites you regularly visit for information, news, and entertainment, here are seven websites that can make your job easier and more profitable:
o Hendricks & Partners: Would you like to be able to look into a crystal ball and see what the future holds for an area you are considering investing in? With Hendricks & Partners, now you can. They make available free market segment reports for selected US cities and regions showing key economic data, income, unemployment rate, among other vital details. Knowledge is power in real estate investing, and Hendricks & Partners puts a lot of power at your fingertips that can help you decide if an area makes sense to invest in, whether it’s across town or across the country.
o Pacer – If you’re in the foreclosure market, you understand the importance of getting foreclosure filings done quickly. Pacer is the US Bankruptcy Court’s list of foreclosure filings. You can search for recent filings in a number of ways, which can give you a jump on the competition. Motivated homeowners sometimes choose to work with the first qualified investor to contact them. Pacer can help you be the first; It’s up to you to be the best.
o Zillow.com: Having a ballpark figure of what an investment property might be worth at your fingertips can help you quickly decide if a potential investment property is worth digging into, or if you should skip it altogether. Zillow.com can give you free gifts and estimate a property’s value in seconds. While it can’t replace due diligence, it can give you a ballpark figure that can help speed up your decision on which properties to investigate. With so many owners looking for quick fixes, this tool can help you quickly pull the trigger if it makes sense, or walk away if it doesn’t.
o Elance.com – Do you have a website that needs updating, an article or e-book that needs to be written, or are you looking for the perfect virtual assistant to help you close more deals? If any of these apply to you, Elance is the right website for you. Membership is free; simply publish your project and select the bidder with the qualifications and the proposal that you like the most. Elance allows you to do more remotely and its escrow system allows you and your supplier to collaborate on your project to ensure your satisfaction, while alleviating the supplier’s worries that they will be paid at the end of the project.
o Google Picasa: If you have dozens, or even hundreds, of photos taking up valuable space on your hard drive, you’re well aware of how difficult it can be to organize photos of properties you own or might be interested in buying. Google’s free Picasa software application helps you organize all the photos on your hard drive so you can locate the photo you need in seconds.
o Windows Live Maps: Ever wish you could see the layout of a neighborhood without having to get in your car and fight traffic through the city? Windows Live Maps can put this visual information on your desktop so you can see the layout of a neighborhood or compare a potential investment’s proximity to points of interest, schools, stores, and more. Little details like these can help you decide if an investment is a bad idea, a good idea, or a great idea.
o Microsoft OneNote: If you have organizational challenges like many investors, Microsoft OneNote may be just what the doctor ordered. It is an electronic notebook, so you can organize the properties you own in one notebook and create other notebooks and pages as you need. You may decide to have a separate notebook for properties you are considering purchasing. The beauty of OneNote is that you can keep all your property details at your fingertips, from legal documents to scanned handwritten notes, photos, and even audio files. If you have a fairly new computer, you’re probably already on your system if you use Microsoft Office. These tools will not make you an investment success overnight. What they will do, however, is help you get better organized, research properties, and get more done. The time savings can help you sharpen your focus and close more deals. Closing deals is the name of the game. These tools help you win the game by making sure they are quality deals. Put them to work and see how much faster you can get to your destination.
