Help for Online Condo Shoppers

Here are some tips for navigating the online condo purchase process.

Before you open your browser, open your checkbook. The dream home you find in cyberspace may cost a lot more back on earth.

Talk to a lender prior to starting your condo search.

Know what you can afford, what kind of loan you qualify for and what you are comfortable spending.

Take into account monthly condo fees, mortgage fees and taxes.

If you want to submit personal information to get more details on a condo, take measures to avoid privacy violations, phishing and spam. Past regional National Association of Realtors Vice President Dale Mattison says, "If there's one fault that I see in Internet usage, from a consumer standpoint, it's the lack of personal service, responsibility and sometimes performance." A Web site that looks like condo listings could actually be run by a lender trying to grab contact information.

Most Realtors are not going to collect your personal data and sell it. To date, Mattison has never heard of any Internet fraud incidents on Realtor Web sites.

If you go to a Web site and you can't see who's operating it, do not enter any personal information. All sites should list name, contact information, address, phone number and credentials.

You may want to set up a temporary e-mail account devoted to correspondence with real estate Web sites.

-- Aliya Sternstein