The minute I saw her online, I was a goner. And, no, I'm not talking about a pretty face -- I'm talking about the perfect house. . .

After a lifetime as an Army brat, Navy wife, and Federal employee, the one thing I know how to do is move. And the most important relocation lesson I've learned over that lifetime of moving is, to the extent that you can, know before you go.

When my husband and I decided to exchange the high costs, pressures and pollution of the Washington, D.C. area for a simpler life in central Pennsylvania, we knew we were in for a major change. We both held very demanding jobs -- finding time for travel and house exploration posed a challenge. I collected regional publications and braced myself for the ordeal of life on hold, waiting for telephone information from a myriad of agencies regarding taxes, auto registrations, all the usual relocation subjects.

And then a miracle happened, appropriately enough on Easter weekend.

Quite by accident I stumbled upon a Hershey, PA, broker's website while exploring cyberspace with my new laptop. Since 1986 marked my last experience buying and selling homes, the possibility of on-line real estate searches never crossed my mind.

The Brownstone Real Estate website I found offered a well-designed "relocation profile" that allowed me to stipulate all the "must-haves" (his-and-hers office, really great kitchen, one-level floor plan with some style) and the "no-ways" (rabbit-warren layout, small windows, low ceilings), as well as price range, lot size and community. A choice of homes arranged by price category popped up -- and there it was, a house so perfect I might have designed it myself. Six great photographs (my little laptop couldn't hack virtual tours) and well-written descriptions revealed one room to be more ideal than the next. The exterior, low and Tuscan with a terra cotta roof, might have been a fantasy come to life.

The package I received from the company was equally great: tax, school, business, restaurant, shopping, sightseeing and historical information, plus the best map imaginable were all included.

We used that map to navigate our way to Hershey only once. The savvy agent showed us seven houses, beginning with the least expensive, saving my on-line love for next to last. When my husband and I walked through the carved double doors to the gallery entrance, all pretense of being hard sells fell away -- we all but drooled.

We weren't seduced into stupidity, however. The agent helped us arrange for a structural exam, well inspection, and radon testing (radon being big in this area), all of which was accomplished long-distance. Then we made our offer; it was accepted.

Suddenly we realized there was a major flaw in this picture: the house was ideal, but we couldn't move for 18 months. The broker's website saved us again -- enter a renter in need of exactly our house -- for exactly 18 months.

By then, I was the queen of real estate cyberspace. When it came to selling our D.C. area house, I didn't think twice -- onto the net I went, and found Pat Fales. Her website was really appealing, offering not only expected area data, but also Washington's 100 Best Restaurants! Pat listed our house, showcased it on her website -- and sold it the first weekend it was on the market. The transaction could not have been more positive.

Not every on-line experience was “happily ever after.”  For instance, I located two other Pennsylvania brokers with websites.  One never responded at all. The second telephoned two weeks later, ignoring my relocation input and suggesting an area far from where we wanted to live.  By then my husband and I were committed to our dream house.

We had a similar experience when selling our old house: two other websites, no response from one, a telephone call from the second agent, who we felt had no real experience in our neighborhood, suggested a listing prices which seemed inflated to us.  Had I more experience myself with on-line searches, I might have contacted many more sites. 

Could I have done my real estate searching 10 years ago?

Heck no, who knew from Internet?

Would I do it over? Absolutely.

In fact, here we go again -- did you know there are some really great beach houses in Delaware?

Published: March 19, 2001

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