Blog > Posts from August 2009

Since we launched the newest version of our site last month, we’ve been taking requests. Users (and our own staff) have given us all kinds of ideas for improving Sawbuck’s home search. Many of these were from users of our original site who missed the free-form map-based searching they had come to love. Some offered constructive criticism like:

“You have destroyed my favorite real estate site. Bring back the old site. I loathe you.”

OK, that is more of a paraphrase. But we could tell they missed the freedom that our old no-boundaries map search offered. We always liked it too, but wanted to offer a lot more tools and information that could only come with defined “areas” (cities, towns, zip codes, neighborhoods, etc.). So we set to work improving our Map View.

By default, Map View shows you an outline of the area you’re looking at, with icons for the homes that match your search criteria. Only homes inside the area are shown—and you can switch to List View or Gallery to view and sort those same homes. Around the edges are icons for that area’s nearest neighbors, each with a count of the matching homes in that area—mouse over those icons to preview the area’s boundaries or click on it to jump to that area, with your search criteria intact.

But what if you want to see homes across boundaries? Now you can. Pull down the new “Show Me…” menu at the top-right of the map. The second choice is “All Homes on Map”. Pick this to remove the nearby area icons from the map and show matching listings across the map without regard for the boundaries. You can scroll or zoom the map infinitely to see more matching homes.

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In each market we enter, we must strictly follow the local MLS (multiple listing service) rules governing the display of certain housing data.  In Dallas, local MLS rules do not permit us – or any other broker – to display the final "sold" prices for properties.  Therefore, any "Recent Sales" information that is displayed on Sawbuck is not based on actual final sold prices, but rather on the final "list" price of the property(s).

When you view a specific "Recent Sale" on Sawbuck, you will be able to see the date on which it sold and its final list price (along with the listing history, which shows the initial date it listed and any list price changes prior to selling), but not the actual sold price.  Also, all market statistics for Dallas which relate to recent sales are similarly driven by final list prices and not actual sold prices.  So, for example, when a median sales price is noted for a particular zip code in the Dallas area, it is based on the final list price of sold properties.

Despite the fact that it is not based on actual sold prices, we think the "Recent Sales" data for Dallas which we display on Sawbuck is still very useful and relevant to consumers who want to educate themselves about the real estate market.  Several data points, such as Total Sales and Days on Market, are particularly valuable.

Dallas' own JR Ewing (AP Photo)

As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas...and now, so is Sawbuck!

Today, we launched our site and service in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area.

For the last few weeks, we've been downloading, processing and storing millions of DFW data points. We've added 335,000 new homes to our database, including 47,000 active listings and 1,500,000 new pictures. Dallas users and customers can now take advantage of our real-time updates, including new listings, price changes, contracts and sales.

On the business side, we're ready to help Dallas buyers and sellers find great agents and get great deals on their mortgage and settlement. Every time we come to a new market, it is a real learning experience. Each state, each city and each MLS have their own unique rules and customs that combine to make real estate so very local.

We decided long ago to rely on the local expertise of top real estate agents and teams, rather than try to become expert--everywhere--ourselves. So far, this strategy has worked out well for Sawbuck and our customers alike, and we're excited to bring it to Dallas for the first time.

Last month, we launched in L.A.; today, we're live in Dallas. And we have major expansion plans for the remainder of 2009. If we aren't in your area now, you might be next. Stay tuned!