The ability to search online listings of available homes for sale changed the way home buyers shop houses. These days, the majority of buyers first look online to both get a feel for what’s available in their target area and to evaluate what they might be able to afford. Online listings can certainly be a helpful tool, but they also can cause stress, according to one new survey. The survey found 66 percent of young Americans routinely go online to check the estimated value of homes belonging to their friends. Among them, 59 percent say they do it to measure their own income and worth. This, not surprisingly, leads to feelings of stress and concern among 79 percent of the people who do it. That’s a pretty good reason to restrict yourself to only searching listings if you’re looking for ideas or hoping to better educate yourself about your local market. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a bad case of home envy. (source)
