REDMOND, Wash., May 15, 2000 — HomeAdvisor Technologies Inc. today unveiled the newest version of the HomeAdvisor.com TM online real estate service, the complete guide to everything about the home. The new version of HomeAdvisor.com includes the most comprehensive information available to help consumers with every home-related decision, including all aspects of renting, buying, financing, moving, maintaining, improving, selling and shopping for their home.
The new HomeAdvisor.com also delivers a lineup of innovative features in an integrated format not available anywhere else on the Internet. These features include a free home valuation tool that allows consumers to quickly determine the value of almost any home in the United States and a Homeowner’s Handbook that includes tools to diagnose home-related problems and learn about simple repairs for every area of the home.
HomeAdvisor.com’s new features and enhancements represent the latest step in its expansion as the leading destination for buyers, sellers and homeowners nationwide. HomeAdvisor Technologies’ new loan technology platform, which will guarantee* consumers the best-priced loans anywhere and automate many of the steps required to approve and finance a mortgage, will launch on the new HomeAdvisor.com in the coming weeks.
“HomeAdvisor.com offers a level of comprehensiveness that can’t be found anywhere on the Web today,”
said Bryan Mistele, general manager of HomeAdvisor Technologies.
“The combination of rich educational features and practical decision-making tools make HomeAdvisor.com the natural choice for consumers at every point in their home ownership cycle.”
HomeAdvisor.com now provides consumers with more than 2,500 pages of content and tools in eight core areas, bringing them a wealth of objective information for every aspect of home living. Consumers can tailor HomeAdvisor.com to their individual tastes and preferences, with various trackers and e-mail notifications, calculators, checklists and guides to help them make informed home-related decisions based on their personal needs.
Highlights of HomeAdvisor.com’s new features and enhancements include the following:
Selling
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A revolutionary new home valuation feature allows consumers to quickly determine the value of almost any home in the United States. With the most comprehensive coverage available anywhere, consumers will receive an estimate for how much their home is worth.
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The new Sell section provides decision-making tools to potential home sellers to help them determine if the time is right to sell and compare the costs of moving to the costs of improving a current home. It also offers tools and content to help sellers price their property, prepare their home for sale, determine the cost of selling and close the deal.
Home Improvements and Repair
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The Homeowner’s Handbook empowers consumers with tools that can help them diagnose home-related problems and learn simple repairs for every area of the home, including the roof; the electrical, plumbing and climate-control systems; appliances; windows; and doors.
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The Seasonal Maintenance Planner helps consumers preserve the value of their home and avoid major repairs by performing regular maintenance tasks each season.
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The Common Problems Index and Easy Repairs Index give consumers quick access to home maintenance information.
Moving
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A new Moving section provides comprehensive tools for helping people with all their moving and relocation needs — before, during and after a big move — and includes an interactive Move Calendar, change of address tool and Insurance Center.
Buying
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The improved Home Finder tool enables consumers to more quickly and easily narrow their home search with new search criteria located directly on the home page. Homebuyers and real estate agents can search for houses by state, region, neighborhood and price range; find a specific home by address; and search by ZIP code, city or even an MLS number. Consumers also can view multiple images of a home listing and find a real estate agent to help them buy or sell a home.
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New Canadian home listings now offer homebuyers access to nearly two out of every three homes for sale in Canada.
Lifestyle Interests and Shopping
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A new Lifestyle section delivers a richly integrated set of features to help consumers enhance and improve their home, including design and decorating tips, home furnishings and appliances, home office and technology ideas, garden and landscape planning, and community forum advice and family-related resources.
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A new Shop section enables consumers to shop for products and services for their home from one convenient location. Consumers can select from products in a wide variety of areas including home furnishings and decoration, entertainment and electronics, kitchen and bathroom, home office and technology, and garden and landscape. They can find services ranging from financial services to common household needs such as repairs, inspections and cleaning. This also includes services for individuals and families such as auto, child care, doctors, drugstores, pets and travel.
About HomeAdvisor.com
HomeAdvisor.com is the Internet’s most complete guide for finding everything about the home, combining Microsoft® technology with services and expertise from the most trusted names in the real estate and mortgage industries. HomeAdvisor.com helps consumers address every home-related decision and will provide the guaranteed* lowest rates for mortgage loans. Winner of the Inman Innovator Award as the best residential real estate site, HomeAdvisor.com is a PC Magazine Top 100 Web site, a Yahoo! Internet Life Best of the Best winner and one of its 100 Best Sites for 2000, and a Family PC Web Site of the Month. Launched in July 1998, HomeAdvisor.com can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.homeadvisor.com/ .
About HomeAdvisor Technologies
HomeAdvisor Technologies Inc. is dedicated to dramatically improving the way homes are financed, bought, sold and maintained. Formed in March 2000 and backed by Microsoft, HomeAdvisor Technologies consists of three divisions focused on delivering the tools and services necessary to revolutionize the real estate and mortgage transaction while delivering significant time and cost savings to consumers as well as real estate and mortgage professionals.
