Learn How to Be a Good Home-Shopper on the Internet...                 [download print version]

Williams Systems has the absolute best methods to shop for a home anywhere in Southern California, and especially in Santa Barbara .

The internet is a fine tool for exploring possible homes. When it is time to visit the best homes, we will help you to see and select the right ones. Once we start working together you will see 100% of all available properties.

There are two groups of homes for sale, the “hidden inventory” representing 12% of the homes for sale, and the multiple listing service, 88%. We sell homes in both categories.

We are the very rare agents that know how to search the hidden inventory! The hidden inventory is:

1. the for sale by owners, 2. expired listings from past years that still might sell, 3. bank foreclosures, 4. new office listings before they hit the market, 5. our past clients and connections with people thinking of selling, 6. we will send letters to neighborhoods where you want to live asking potential sellers to call us., and 7. advertise your needs in the local paper. This is a hands-on, meet-in-the-office style of home searching requiring an appointment and interview.

The best way to shop for listed properties is by using our unmatched searching capabilities. There are two search choices: Full service or fully anonymous self serve.

Home search programs are the most efficient way to shop for a new home using the internet. Both of our search methods set up search criteria for properties to automatically alert you via e-mail of brand new Multiple Listing Service (MLS) property listings.

Method One: We set up an automatic search for homes for you. This involves a short, but necessary, interview between you and our professional sales staff. We have to define what you are looking for and your price preferences.

For Method One you contact us by phone or e-mail, and after a brief interview, we will set up an automatic e-mail search for you. Until you wish it to stop, you will be automatically e-mailed all suitable properties in the multiple listing service, that correspond with your property requirements. We will assist you to widen or narrow the search as needed, and you may search homes for sale in any part of Southern California .

Method Two: We give you powerful search tools to set up completely anonymous searches. You may have as many or few searches as you want and you can change them as often as you choose. No salesman will call unless you ask for assistance. This is completely free and everything you need to do this is available on this web site. Navigate through the following the steps to set up your private property search:

a. Go to “homes for sale,”
b. Click on Santa Barbara and Southern California MLS,
c. Click on the map to navigate to the city and neighborhood(s) that interest you
d. Enter price and other parameters at the bottom of the page

1. Hit “Search” and look at the available selection of homes
2. To Save the search and receive automatic updates of all new listings that match your search: Click the Save Search button near the bottom of the page.
3. The web site asks for your name, phone and e-mail. (Remember we will only contact you if you asked to be contacted.) Now the search will continue automatically.
4. Every day all new homes that come on the market with the parameters of your private search will be e-mailed to you automatically as they come on the market.
5. Call or e-mail us to set an appointment to see any homes that interest you.

You can make as many searches as you want. We will not contact you unless you wish it. This gives you terrific control over your searches!