# Best websites for searching homes for sale? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 11, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597 "2007-12-11T06:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/1 "2007-12-11T06:13:36Z")
I may be looking to relocate in the coming months, and I’m curious whether anyone’s got recommendations on websites for finding properties for sale online. I’m in the Chicago area and looking to stay, and there are a variety of region-specific sites focusing on the area. I’ve visited a lot of sites, but it’s hard to know which have the biggest databases to search in. The MLS might be my next step as I begin to narrow down the search, but in a nutshell, I’m trying to find median prices in the major neighborhoods in and around Chicago, particularly the outlying suburbs to the west. I’m interested in knowing whether anyone’s had any success with online home hunting, either through a realtor site or otherwise. Anybody ever found these sorts of sites a good help in narrowing down your choices? ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/2 "2007-12-11T15:06:25Z")
Tried [Zillow](http://www.zillow.com/) ? That’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/3 "2007-12-11T16:05:01Z")
I’ve gotten good results from [Realtor.com](http://Realtor.com) At least enough to give you a general idea. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/4 "2007-12-11T16:42:09Z")
I bought in May, IIRC I initially saw my condo on [ownacondo.com](http://ownacondo.com), but got the selling agent’s contact info from [realtor.com](http://realtor.com). My impression was that most of the listings in the former are also posted in the latter. I found the info on [trulia.com](http://trulia.com) to be helpful but incomplete. I’ve also found a number of interesting listings on craigslist (some FSBO but not the majority), I would say that is a very good secondary source. So my impression is that [realtor.com](http://realtor.com) is the main site around here, but I’d also be interested to know if there are any others. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/6 "2011-05-29T12:10:51Z")
Identify the Realtor Multiple List Systems that service the areas you wish to search. Logons for searching are free to the public. Residential real estate is not really marketed or sold “regionally”, it’s usually limited to distinct areas and those areas are covered by a local MLS. Regional search systems are usually just front ends for ads or specific real estate companies and will not have the demographic info you need. It’s really not much work to ID the handful of local MLS’s you need to search and just poke around. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/8 "2011-05-29T15:35:10Z")
We found our house in San Diego with [redfin.com](http://redfin.com) I did a quick search - 22,000 results for the Chicago area! ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/9 "2011-05-29T15:38:31Z")
Trulia seems to be a good site. ---
**Author:** ![dukette71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@dukette71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dukette71)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-websites-for-searching-homes-for-sale/429597/10 "2011-05-30T05:12:15Z")
Seconding Redfin. I like that it has forums for if you need to vent.