I should caveat that there is an Open House search and a Realtor search but you can't just search for houses. Why?

I couldn't get into the listings either. Looks like you have to be a member.

Can't you go to realtor.com & type in the zip code etc and see the houses available in the area you are relocating to?

I'm copy-pasting in a post I made to a seller's question a while ago:

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"There are a couple points of common confusion here.

What "the" Multiple Listing Service is can vary from place to place. In some areas it's owned by the National Association of Realtors and in others it's a private company, and in some places more than one Service is in popular use by local RE agents. These are strictly subscription-only to access, and you need to have a real estate license and pay a fee to get that subscription. (So if you want to access the MLS for different states, you need to pay more than one subscription fee and hold a license in more than one state.)

This is not what people are talking about on this forum when they say they've browsed the MLS. Some advertising websites call themselves a "multiple listing service" because they show the properties for sale from "the" Multiple Listing Service, but they are not "the" same Multiple Listing Service. "The" MLS is more of a database that also contains non-public information like special showing instructions, if a house is vacant, the type of contract the listing agent has with the sellers, what compensation is being offered to a buyer's agent, etc."

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Mary, it looks like you are trying to log into "the" MLS, instead of a regular public search site called "MLS".

It is possible that the best public search sites in this area do not call themselves an "MLS".

Do any of you out in NE have any good searching suggestions? A quick Google brings up Homes.com and several FSBO sites, but I don't have enough local knowledge to say how comprehensive their listings are.

Good luck in answering your questions! If you are trying to look up info to sell and don't want to use your agent, sometimes a trip to the town hall or public records office can be more helpful.

Best,
Jane

I think the link to the Omaha one is "the MLS".
the following link is to "the" Dayton MLS.
But as you can see - despite the fact that the websites look like the exact same template (colors, font, layout, drop downs) the Dayton MLS allows Public access to search for houses many different ways.
the Omaha one only allows searches for open houses.
I think this has to be a conscious choice by the Omaha realtor board (which PMO).
Obviously on both as a realtor you get access to much more information.

I wanted to look because I'm freaking about the crappy pictures and limited copy on the REA companies website. And my realtor keeps patronizing me telling me not to worry - there are lots more details and pictures on the MLS and its the realtors she's trying get interested. She says she's allowed more pictures and copy space on MLS. So not being able to check (considering the somewhat poor job on the companies website) you can imagine my frustration. AGH!
I love the Dayton website. I can use google earth to find areas where there are trees, lakes, easy access to highways, whether there's a big structure with a big parking lot (a negative), etc ., find street names and search by street. How cool!

Here is a link that might be useful: http://dayton.rapmls.com/

What "the" Multiple Listing Service is can vary from place to place. In some areas it's owned by the National Association of Realtors and in others it's a private company,

I don't believe that the NAR owns any local MLS services. They are usually owned by the local real estate board. Each board can choose to whether or not they want to have a "public" MLS.

mary1000 there is a public access side (see link below). How is your selling process going? I noticed that you are just south of me in Plattsmouth. You have a wonderful house and I love the acreage. We live in the Tregaron subdividion. We are trying to sell our old house over by Bellevue West High School. I wish we had sold it 2.5 years ago when we had the new house built. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: This link will get you to the public access side of Great Plains MLS

Sorry I gave you the wrong link. The link below will get you to the OAMLS with extended descriptions.

Here is a link that might be useful: QAMLS

Lavern - you are BRILLIANT!
Thank you
As for how is the selling going? Not so good. Signed what...Tuesday? Realtor has been struggling with getting pictures loaded onto the website- first 2 days without a front of house picture at all.
Just now she sent me the most patronizing email. She has me typed as an obsessive researcher type. That's probably true. But it doesn't mean that I don't have legitimate points. Like the picture of the house being squished. Or the fact that I just took a better one without the shadows.
Again with "the she's attracting realtors", no one else is as obsessive as looking as I am, 22 years experience I'm distracting her from doing her job. Maybe she's right. But does it matter? Should the info on the website be good from day one? And is a realtor going to buy the house? The laundry room didn't have any numbers.
I think I've sent her a total of 5 emails. Not long ones - just no house picture? No Laundry room dimensions? House picture squished? Maybe should emphasize 2005 house vs. commute. I have to calm down.
The only showing canceled.
Bellevue is a tough tough market right now. But the spring rotation into STRATCOM should be happening soon though numbers may be down, I think STRAT has downsized some. But hopefully you'll snare someone.

P.S. How'd you find that?

I'm a researcher type to I guess. I did a google on the great plains MLS and this site came up. The rumor has it that STRATCOM is actually growing, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. At least your realtor can write, mine didn't have pictures up for 5 days and his description stinks. We had a second look showing today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Should the info on the website be good from day one? And is a realtor going to buy the house? The laundry room didn't have any numbers.
I think I've sent her a total of 5 emails. Not long ones - just no house picture? No Laundry room dimensions? House picture squished? Maybe should emphasize 2005 house vs. commute. I have to calm down.
The only showing canceled

Mary, I heard something on HGTV 2 or 3 weeks ago.
You only get one 1st impression.

If someone has looked at your house and decided they didn't care for it enough to add it to their favorites.. Why would they look at new photos?

So I say yes. It should be good from day 1.

Mary, you need to talk to your agent's broker, and bring a copy of that email with you. It's seriously uncool for your agent to be doing a sub-par job and then patronizing you for it. Why hasn't your agent sent you a copy of this glorious MLS ad yet? Why do you even need to hunt for it yourself?

I'm not saying it's necessarily time to fire your agent just a few days into the listing, but you need to let them know upfront and early that their attitude is inappropriate. Better to get expectations on both sides straightened out if you can, before the situation worsens.

Good luck!

Spring is the best time to have your house on the market. Like roselvr said, "first impressions are EVERYTHING".

I've dealt with patronizing agents before. Once they get your signature on the dotted line, they feel like they can do (or say) whatever they want. If this were happening to me, this is how I would be inclined to handle it. JMHO.

Call your agent and tell her you want to stop by the office for chat. Try to pick a time when the office will be busy and filled with people. Bring along copies of the pics you want shown in your ad. When you get there, ask her to show you on her computer, the MLS ad that can only be accessed by her. Have her print a copy of this for your records (evidence).

Give her your pics and tell her you will wait while she posts them. Get a copy of this listing as well. She will be less inclined to talk down to you with witnesses present.

It is YOUR house. YOU are the one paying the mortgage and ongoing expenses, not her. Since she isn't paying the bills, it makes zero difference to her when the house sells.

If she continues to patronize you, tell her you she can either pay your mortgage until it sells, or you will ask her broker to assign you another (more responsive, respectful) agent. Suggest that if this doesn't work you will take the house off the market and rent it until the listing expires.

In any dealings with real estate, I have learned to make detailed notes. If you have to get another realtor, make sure you add a claus that allows you to terminate your listing at any time for ANY reason.

Here goes for a very unpopular comment. Mary, I have a client who is just like you. Researcher type, obsessive about every little thing. Had to approve the comments before I sent them out for advertising, had to approve the comments in the remarks section of MLS. Had to approve each photo. I am her 5th agent. She's been on the market forever. The problem? She's too involved. She's killed a few of her own deals because she refuses to shut her mouth and stay out of things. She worries people, seems too anxious, people think there is something wrong with the house. She is now listed for $50,000 less than her original offer because the listing is stale. As I recall, you tried FSBO, you werent successful. Sit back, relax, let your agent do her job. You hired her to do the job, let her do it. It takes a good two weeks to get a listing out there. She's been in the business 22 years. That doesnt happen by accident, she knows what she's doing. Try to forget about it for a little while. She's probably being less patronizing than you think and more of the calming type. Its not easy to do, but try to not think about selling your house for a few weeks. It will sell.

he's killed a few of her own deals because she refuses to shut her mouth and stay out of things.

Well number 1 I'm not talking to anyone so I can't kill any deals.
Number two - 22 years experience is only relevant if you ever were good and still are good. And if they are using their skills on my listing not bigger ones.
Number 3 - if or when it doesn't sell I'm sure you'll tell me its the market or overpriced. Would you ever say its the realtor?
My biggest concern - she doesn't get acreages. Not a clue. It was a concern when I hired her, now beginning to be a regret. Basically I came here for advice then ignored it.
As for being an OCD researcher - she may have me pegged that way but obviously not. I hired her rather than research other realtors to death. Had I researched other realtors I would have found the top acreage seller and gone with them.

My my my, you sound so angry. They were words of encouragement.

Had I researched other realtors I would have found the top acreage seller and gone with them.

I believe you posted here, you were torn between the "lawyer/agent" and the real estate lady. So I believe you did research it. You have been on the market 1 week today and you're already regretting listing with this lady? You're right, you have to calm down.

22 years experience is only relevant if you ever were good and still are good

22 years in the business is the relevant point. You can't stay in the business that long if you don't sell houses.

if or when it doesn't sell I'm sure you'll tell me its the market or overpriced. Would you ever say its the realtor?

Yes, and I would also tell you it was the seller.

Lavern found me the website I was looking for. I appreciate that.

linda117 said: " Mary, I have a client who is just like you. Researcher type, obsessive about every little thing", "She's too involved. She's killed a few of her own deals because she refuses to shut her mouth and stay out of things" "Sit back, relax, let your agent do her job." "My my my, you sound so angry. They were words of encouragement."

"Refuses to shut her mouth"? Yikes! So much for words of encouragement.

You, yourself stated in another thread (RE: Realtor Problem - WWYD?)"Do they return your calls, are they attentive to your needs and requests?"

Its obvious that Mary's agent ISN'T being responsive. What is she supposed to do in the meantime, quietly sit on her hands until her agent decides to post the right pics? Will this happen before summer?

Just because the agent has been in the business for 22 years doesn't mean she knows what she is doing. The agent we used has been an agent for 27 years. She still managed to bungle our contract and get fired by her broker.

This agent also informed us that she had refinanced her OWN HOUSE with an adjustable rate mortgage and worried how she would make the payments down the road.

People are turning to FSBO for good reason. Below are just two of many examples on this forum. I guess we can add being treated in a condescending manner to the list.

Posted by disneyrsh May 14, 07
"We are pretty soured on realtors, with experiences of greed, sloth, and incompetence, or at least one of the three, with every realtor we have had dealings with. Throw in an amazing ability to lie with abandon and the picture is not pretty."

contract fell through -- is it us or them?

Posted by jebtb-May 14, 07 "The agent did not send an executed extension before 5:00 (still hasn't in fact) even though I told her we would sign it just to give us more time. I sent notice of termination at 5:00 p.m. I did not want to be faced with choosing between closing with $4,700 for repairs or losing my deposit." "Overall, it seems to me that the agents unrealistically inflate the sellers' expectations, feed the buyers misinformation in a misguided effort to grease the wheels towards closing, and have a poor understanding of what the rights and obligtions of the buyer and seller are under the real estate contract."

Mary,

Why are you even looking at MLS for the area you're going to relocate to? As you often insist on telling us, you've lost money in every real estate transaction. If you really believe that a house is a money pit, then why not just rent something instead of buying? If you really think its all a huge conspiracy and the agents are out to get you, you can bypass all that by finding a rental.

And, from what I've read in some of your other posts, my gut tells me that you're going to have a lot of issues with selling your house, and not just because of your current agent. The last thing you'll want to do is to carry two houses and mortages at the same time.

[QUOTE]if or when it doesn't sell I'm sure you'll tell me its the market or overpriced. Would you ever say its the realtor?[/QUOTE]

Well, you've mentioned several times that your house is overpriced...

You might not have chosen the best agent, when you ignored advice that was given to you, but I think Linda might have a point here. How did the agent come up with the listing price? Did she look at the comps and the market and then determine the price? Or, did you tell the agent what the price should be because you had already lost enough on the house and didn't want to lose anymore money?