REDMOND, Wash., March 23, 1999 — The MSN
™HomeAdvisor
™
online real estate service, the award-winning guide to finding homes and loans on the Web, today announced it will give away a free personal computer system to customers who close a loan on HomeAdvisor during the
“Get a Loan. Get a Free PC”
Spring Giveaway. This unprecedented offer is available today while supplies last* on the HomeAdvisor Web site at http://www.homeadvisor.com/ .
Microsoft also announced the addition of three new national lenders to the HomeAdvisor site. Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corp., Countrywide Home Loans Inc. and Prism Mortgage Co., three leaders in consumer mortgage lending, will now offer their mortgage loans as part of the HomeAdvisor Loan Finder and join Principal Residential Mortgage Inc., American Finance and Investment Inc., LoanWorks Inc., and HomeSide Lending Inc. on the HomeAdvisor site. Together, these companies provide consumers with the opportunity to choose from thousands of loan products on HomeAdvisor, saving them time and money when finding and financing their next home.
“This is the first time an online real estate service has given away something of this value to home buyers,”
said Ian Morris, group product manager for MSN HomeAdvisor.
“The online lending category is growing at an incredible pace. The ‘Get a Loan. Get a Free PC’ Spring Giveaway will bring even more home buyers to our site, where we’re confident they’ll save time and money when financing or refinancing their home.”
“
Get a Loan. Get a Free PC
”
The
“Get a Loan. Get a Free PC”
offer gives any consumer who closes a loan of $125,000 (U.S.) or more through HomeAdvisor a custom-built, Internet-ready desktop personal computer system, with a 300MHz processor, a 56Kbps modem, 32 MB of RAM and a monitor. Home buyers who close loans below $125,000 (U.S.) will receive a Casio PV-200 (while supplies last*). Consumers can visit the HomeAdvisor site for more details about either computer. The promotion applies to loans originated after March 23 and will continue while supplies last.*
New National Lenders
Microsoft has worked hard to help ensure that consumers on HomeAdvisor have access to only the best mortgage products from the nation’s most recognized, well-trusted lending institutions. With the addition of three of the nation’s leading lenders today, home buyers now have access to an even wider selection of mortgage products for their financing and refinancing needs.
“Microsoft is the first and only technology company to integrate the home-buying process with the home lending process,”
said Cameron King, executive vice president of
e-commerce for Countrywide Home Loans.
“By joining HomeAdvisor now, at the start of the spring home-buying season and this can’t-miss promotion, we’re sure to see a large number of consumers securing their next mortgage online through Countrywide.”
Other industry leaders agree.
“The HomeAdvisor comprehensive and integrated approach to online lending and the entire home-buying process fits our business model exactly,”
said Dori Shimoda, senior vice president of e-commerce at Chase Manhattan Mortgage.
“By combining its technology and marketing expertise with our strong brand and market leadership, Microsoft has developed the winning formula for online lending. We believe that our relationship with Microsoft will drive new customers to Chase loan products online, and we are excited to be adding our products to the HomeAdvisor site.”
About MSN HomeAdvisor
HomeAdvisor is the Internet’s most complete guide for finding homes and loans, combining Microsoft technology with services and expertise from some of the most trusted names in the real estate industry. It empowers consumers through every step of the home-buying process and is the first Internet site to fully integrate content and services such as neighborhood, crime and school statistics with homes, loans, editorial content and expert advice. Winner of the Inman Innovator Award as best residential real estate site, HomeAdvisor is a PC Magazine Top 100 Web site and Yahoo! Internet Life Best of the Best winner. Part of the MSN network of Internet services, HomeAdvisor launched in July 1998 and is free on the World Wide Web at http://homeadvisor.MSN.com/ (connect-time charges may apply).
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
* Supplies include 1,000 Kensentric Systems PCs and 300 Casio PV-200 Personal Viewers. The offer is open to legal U.S. residents, but is not available in all 50 United States. The PCs will be provided by Microsoft and not by participating lenders.
Microsoft, MSN and HomeAdvisor are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Chase Manhattan Mortgage is a subsidiary of the Chase Manhattan Corp. Chase is an equal housing lender.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
