San Francisco -based HomeShark,Inc. has announced an exclusive partnership with Wired Digital, the producer of HotBot, to create a new Homes & Loans search service for HotBot's newly designed site. HotBot users now have the option to quickly and easily search for available national mortgage rates and listings of homes for sale.

HomeShark developed the Homes & Loans search service, which features a unique HotBot co-branded interface, allowing customers to receive: instant customized rate quotes and comparisons through HomeShark's Rate Shopper loan selection tool, and instant access to over 800,000 home listings from over 300 real estate services around the country through HomeShark's recently acquired HomeScout, the only available open home listings search engine.

HotBot users need only complete three fields to get instant home listings and mortgage rate quotes. In addition to essential homes and loans search functionality, HotBot customers also have access to HomeShark's discounted mortgages from national lenders, HomeValuation tools to estimate their property's worth, and other real estate resources including tools to help them choose the right mortgage and find a Realtor. The new Homes & Loans search service is prominently placed on HotBot's home page.

In addition, HomeShark is a charter merchant in the Real Estate and Finance sections of HotBot's newly-released HotBot Shopping Directory, providing additional points of access to customers looking to make the home search and mortgage application and approval process as easy as possible.

"Because HotBot is recognized as the best search engine on the Web, it was critical to us to join forces with the leading real estate provider on the Web," said Rick Boyce, Wired Digital's vice president of advertising and commerce. "Our partnership with HomeShark enables us to provide essential home buying services to our customers, allowing them to save money and time."

"We are very pleased to have been chosen by HotBot as their exclusive Homes & Loans partner," said Ned Hoyt, president and CEO of HomeShark. "HotBot shares our commitment to providing our customers value - they provide their customers a better way to search for what they need, and we provide a better way to search for and finance a home."

The HotBot shopping directory will give customers access to HomeShark's unique real estate services via HotBot, as well as the company's other sites including HotWired, Wired News and WebMonkey.

Additional HomeShark partnerships include Excite/Classifieds 2000, AT&T WorldNet, MetaCrawler, and Lycos.

HomeShark, Inc. is the Internet's real estate gateway, providing consumers with a better way to buy their home. HomeShark is the only online source for both discount mortgages and property listings, offering customers savings, convenience and superior service. HomeShark enables users to search for homes and loans with targeted offerings including instant customized interest rate and loan comparisons, discounted mortgages from national lenders at less than half of traditional mortgage fees, the only open real estate listings search engine, property valuation tools, Realtor referrals, and comprehensive information for home buyers and owners. HomeShark, Inc. is headquartered at 118 King Street #226, San Francisco, CA 94107, phone (415) 908-6420, fax (415) 908-6430, e-mail info@homeshark.com.

Wired Digital is the online media division of Wired Ventures Inc. Wired Digital creates products that help people embrace the emerging technological future. Wired Digital properties include HotWired , the award-winning site about Web technology and culture; Wired News, the premier service for news of the digital world; and HotBot, the Web's largest and best-rated search engine. Wired Digital is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with satellite offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

*Related Article: HomeShark Acquires HomeScout