It's rare that we land upon a real estate Web site which not only passes along local information, but statewide information, as well. The Connecticut Real Estate Connection does just that, recognizing that many prospective homebuyers and homesellers browsing the 'Net haven't actually selected a new hometown yet. Instead, they're relying on the Internet to conduct a little preliminary research. The Connecticut Real Estate Connection, sponsored by Country Living Associates, saves consumers considerable time. Imagine how many hours it would take to do online searches of the major towns and cities in the state of Connecticut (and you've got a lot of choices in this beautiful New England state), and then scan the various sites for practical information. This inefficient use of your time might as well be spent on a trip to Connecticut to do your research.

The site compiles a househunter's "wish list," so to speak, and offers such features as Realtor profiles and links, local maps, relocation information, a database of homes for sale, and even free software for consumers. With additional links to the Weather Channel, homeadvisor.com and realtor.com, it's a veritable online library of all things Connecticut.

Those who are in the market for a home in Connecticut but aren't sure where to start should begin with the site's online questionnaire, which asks prospective homebuyers to answer such questions as their towns of interest, desired price range, their "must have" list of amenities and preferred architecture, and their "wish lists" of additional features they'd like to have in a home. The top-producing Realtors who represent Country Living Associates then match consumers' criteria with Connecticut homes based upon their own knowledge of new-listing inventory. Realtors have always made the home-search process easier for consumers by eliminating the legwork, but Country Living Associates has made it easier than ever for consumers. Creating a list of homes that meet your criteria has become as easy as logging on to your home computer's Internet system. This service is particularly valuable to relocating families and individuals who are unfamiliar with Connecticut but need to find a Realtor and a home in a relative hurry.

While the towns of Westport, Weston, Wilton, Fairfield and Bridgeport are Country Living Associates' specialties, its Realtors will refer any question for which they don't have an answer to other Connecticut real estate professionals, so the site is indeed statewide in its scope of services. A search of the site's home database reveals quite a few luxury properties offered by Country Living Associates' Realtors. Prices of featured properties range from $500,000 to nearly $1.4 million. Each property is featured in full color with limited descriptions of amenities and links to each listing's respective Realtor. If you don't have your sights set on a home this expensive, don't worry; these are merely featured properties among many other available homes. Filling out the above-mentioned questionnaire is your best bet for finding the home that meets your budget.

Consumers may request relocation information, as well, by filling out another online questionnaire. A "Preferred Professionals" link connects consumers with such resources as real estate attorneys and mortgage and financial institutions (this link is currently being expanded). Perhaps the best feature of the site, however, is its offer of free software, a Windows program that includes a payment calculator, a mortgage prequalification tool, tips on saving money on your mortgage and how to increase the value of your home, 10 steps to home ownership, tips for buyers and sellers, and a moving "to do" list.

The site's additional services include a mortgage calculator, street maps, and -- particularly valuable -- an extensive list of links to municipality Web sites. The list delivers consumers to the official Web sites of Connecticut towns in which they have an interest. The municipality sites contain local statistics, school information, weather, local news, information about points of interest, and more. This link, an incredible time-saving resource, enables consumers to quickly browse facts on nearly every major town and city in Connecticut.

The Connecticut Real Estate Connection personifies the power of the Internet as an informational tool. When sites are constructed with timely, practical and comprehensive data, consumers gain knowledge and save time. And the site proves, too, that Realtors are still very much needed in our society, despite the growth of technology. When we put the practical experience of Realtors and the power of the Internet together, consumers benefit from an unprecedented level of service from real estate professionals.

Published: January 19, 1999

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