You've almost certainly noticed that the Amazon.com wave has swept the Internet. This online bookstore has enjoyed a tremendous amount of support from Web browsers. In addition to merely listing book titles and enabling consumers to order them with a click of a mouse button, Amazon.com also provides online reviews from notable sources and the general public alike.

If you're searching for real estate-specific titles, however, it can be a time-consuming process. That's why, in conjunction with Amazon.com, the Real Estate Bookstore has compiled some 500 real estate titles (and counting) and divided them into easy categories for browing -- and buying -- at no additional cost than Amazon.com charges. Whether you're a home buyer, home seller, an agent, investor or student of real estate. Best of all, Real Estate Bookstore users receive the same discounts Amazon.com provides its customers.

Site Manager Martha Williams is a real estate jack of all trades, having served as an editor and author on the subject for more than 25 years. She chose to market real estate titles online, she says, in order to capitalize on the Internet's capabilities as a research tool for consumers -- and to streamline what can be an extremely time-consuming process. Downloading numerous pages of search results often produces a mixed bag of titles. Sometimes, consumers are provided with a description of a title but with no opportunity to purchase the book online. Or the title could be out of stock or unavailable in its most recent edition. In order to avoid all of those difficulties, the Real Estate Bookstore lists the current real estate titles offered by Amazon.com, so that consumers may browse and order titles that are either available for immediate delivery, or due to high demand, will be available shortly.

The Real Estate Bookstore has integrated additional services into its site since its launch date in August 1998. The site contains links to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Library; "Books in Today's News," which displays news stories in which various real estate titles have been mentioned; stock information and business news via a link to the Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition; and even a link to "Music to Set the Mood," which allows consumers to listen to a few melodies while browsing book titles.

Title categories in the Real Estate Bookstore include Home Buying, Home Selling, Financing, Inspecting, Appraising, Investing, and Licensing Exam Prep. Each category lists an extremely long list of titles; it's hard to believe that so many books have been written on each one of these subjects. Selecting "Home Buying," for example, produced a comprehensive array of book selections covering the fine art of home buying from every angle. A few selections include "Buyer Beware: Insider Secrets You Need to Know Before Buying Your Home-From Choosing an Agent to Closing the Deal" by Carla Cross; "Buying a Home Abroad" by David Hampshire; "Buying a Home on the Internet" by Doug Galen; "Home Buying for Dummies" by Eric Tyson; and "Buying a Home When You're Single" by Donna Albrecht, among many, many others. Alongside each title, you're told whether or not the book is available in paperback, as well as its price range (signified by a particular number of dollar signs). Click on any title you see, and you'll be transported to the book's listing on the Amazon.com Web site.

If you haven't browsed Amazon.com in the past, here's your opportunity. Underneath each book listing, you'll find a list of other recommended authors and titles related to the subject at hand, reviews from both experts and readers, and the opportunity to search and browse titles categorized under real estate-related topics. And, of course, you may order the anything you like online within seconds. Accompanying CD-ROMs are often available for ordering, as well. Books range in price from under $15 to more than $50.

If you want to see a full listing of the Real Estate Bookstore's entire inventory at once, select the "Catalog" link. New catalog entries appear at the top of your screen for easy reference.

Home Selling titles are many, including "How to Sell Your Home When Homes Aren't Selling" by Gregory Lerch; "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home" by Shelley O'Hara; "Feng Shui: A Guide for Increased Real Estate Sales to Asians" by Sheida Hodge; and "The Fourteen Home Selling Secrets: The Mistakes Everyone Makes" by Bob Easter and Mark Victor Hansen. As this listing demonstrates, titles are both diverse and compelling, and the opportunity to read objective reviews on each of them is invaluable.

While browsing through these selections, I decided that I did, indeed, need some music to set the mood, so I headed to that link. I was presented with quite a few interesting options. Selecting James Taylor to set the mood, I was delivered once again to the Amazon.com Web site, where Taylor's album was reviewed, and a link on my screen would allow me to listen to samples from the album. Unfortunately, I was disillusioned to discover that in order to listen to any tunes, I had to download "the latest player from RealNetworks." Skeptical, I typed in the URL I was told to enter in order to download the player. It could be mine ... for a mere $29.99. News flash to the Real Estate Bookstore and Amazon.com: Surprising your consumers with a an unexpected sales pitch is likely to turn them off. I was. But since music certainly isn't the selling point of this site, I was willing to overlook my disillusionment.

"Books in the News" delivered tidbits from a wide variety of titles; in fact, I didn't see any real-estate related books on that day's lineup. A better bet is the "REB Recommendations" link, which provides a brief, one-paragraph review of each courtesy of REB. Selecting the HUD Library link will give you access to a comprehensive list of links, including information about public housing, fair housing, legal information and much more.

The Real Estate Bookstore is well worth a look for anyone who wants information quickly about any aspect of real estate. Best of all, you're able to read objective reviews of each title that grabs your interest -- an invaluable "read before you buy" feature. No matter where you stand -- whether you're a buyer, seller or professional -- this bookstore has something to offer you.

Published: March 23, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.