Homes for Sale Online

"My heart started pounding every morning when I opened my inbox," says Lesley Suter, a Los Angeles-based editor who spent more than a year searching for homes for sale online. In addition to checking a daily e-mail that she'd receive from her real estate agent listing homes that met her and her husband's specifications, she shuffled through six bookmarks (from MLS to Zillow) throughout the day that also tracked new homes for sale online.

With many Internet sites focused on real estate and new homes for sale, plus loads of real estate agents with websites or on social networks, finding a new home for sale online has never been easier. Of course, there's no way to avoid real-world searches – attending open houses, walking or driving through neighborhoods -- nor should you. But the wealth of information, statistics and even home-video tours online should help you streamline and target your search for a new home online.

However, that information overload means that buyers need to do their homework and cross-reference listings. Handy programs like MapQuest help you figure out if a listing is a beauty or a beast.

Here's a guide to help you navigate through the mass of new homes for sale online.