Best sites for online home shopping

Multiple market area sites

• Roost • Redfin

Roost.com
Coverage: 14 markets, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Orange County, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego and Silicon Valley (new market suggestions accepted).

Listings source: Local MLS offices, brokers and builders; an estimated 900,000 current listings; updated hourly (with the most recent update time listed at the top of the page).

Pros: Very comprehensive listings inventory; ability to select properties from larger list to see in detail later; six options for sorting results; three search result view options: list view, map view and photo view; keyword search allows you to enter unwanted keywords in listings, too (e.g., "no pool").

Cons: For those who prefer viewing listings all in the same format, clicking on a property for more details takes you to the sponsoring broker's site; new construction and for-sale-by-owner searches must be done separately.

Coolest features: Sliders at left of search results page allow for quick adjustments on search price, number of bedrooms or baths, and square feet; registered users can highlight preferred properties to compare, save notes on properties and save a search for later, all accessible from any computer.

Redfin.com
Coverage: Six regions (Bay Area, Boston, Los Angeles/Orange County, Calif., San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C.), with Chicago coming soon.

Listings source: 16 MLSs, updated as quickly as every 15 minutes for 10 of those and up to every several hours for others.

Pros: No need to find a buyer's agent to be shown properties (Redfin agents, who work on salary rather than commission, can arrange tours, draft offers online and handle negotiations); "Popular searches" list in case you need ideas for what to search for; view listing summary at right as you scroll down search results list; comprehensive listings include details such as lot outlines, county tax records, school information and Zillow.com market value estimates; comparative market analysis data; sign up for e-mail newsletter with last week's sales, info on price reductions, upcoming open houses, neighborhood indicators and news, previews of upcoming listings, and home shopping tips.

Cons: Must pay Redfin agent for home tours greater than two hours or for second tours; limit of 10 offers every six months; no guarantee that an agent working on salary only will provide better service than one working on commission.

Coolest features: Customers of this online brokerage have two-thirds of the buyer's agent commission price refunded at closing; Listing details include zoomable overhead view photos for a look at the neighborhood.