Letters to the Editor

Re: 'Another venture-backed startup lands in real estate' (July 17)

Dear Editor:

The layout and functionality of the site is great! After some time with the site it became clear to me that Terabitz has the data surrounding the purchase and sale of one's home down. The challenge is going to be gathering the actual homes that are for sale (the feed of properties).

They mention teaming up with MLS associations ... I think this is a big mistake. I would rather hear they are going the Trulia route, of teaming up with brokerages, or the Zillow direction of user-generation -- although both carry their own challenges.

Has Terabitz given any thought to just going out and getting the data for ALL homes, not just homes for sale. What I'm saying is that in the time and frustration from working with any of the 800 MLS offices, you could have teamed up with local tax-assessment offices and gathered public data on ALL homes, which I think is more the value of Terabitz anyway. This makes Terabitz more of the Kelly Blue Book, Google Local and Download.com of real estate. A go-to site for info on the home I am purchasing, rather that the site I am visiting to make a purchase.

Again, great-looking site ... I would just examine where the feed of homes for sale is coming from.

Josh Harris
Open The Home
Bloomington, Ill.

Re: 'New loan guidance wrong for housing' (July 16)

Dear Editor:

To all those who pushed so hard for the government to get involved in the mortgage market ... CONGRATULATIONS! You got what you wanted: another ham-handed move by people who should know better but never seem to.

If these flunkies had any idea about the best ways to handle the mortgage market they would have stopped the abuses in the system three years ago.

Just to be sure they really screw things up, they now want to lower the conforming loan limit without any thought to areas that, even with prices declining, still retain an average price that is well above the current conforming level.

Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. I never cease to be amazed by bureaucratic stupidity.

Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West
Manhattan Beach, Calif.

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