Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 27, 1994 TAG: 9404270075
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The system will be used by agents beginning May 1, and it will be available to the public May 15.
Homebuyers - or simply the curious - will be able to access the information from any touch-tone phone, around the clock. They can call the hotline number and key in a five-digit code for each house listed in the system.
The system will allow buyers to screen the market before visiting houses for sale. They will be able to target the homes they want to visit from their own home or car phone.
A buyer may call the system to learn about new listings in a particular area, search for properties by price range or search for newly built homes and open houses.
Mortgage financing and interest rate information on any property in the system will be available. Buyers may access monthly mortgage payments based on the amount they wish to put down.
Tim Garrison, general manager of Boone & Co., predicted that more than 70 percent of homebuyers in the Roanoke Valley will inquire about properties through the company's hotline. He said the information will be more up-to-date than the listing books used by real estate agents.
Boone will include the five-digit code in the newspaper listing and other advertising about homes it is offering for sale.
Each talking ad will give a complete description of the home, including rooms, features, location and price. Purchasers may, if they wish, connect to the listing agent for additional information or an appointment to tour the house.
by CNB