This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A handful of Web sites can help home buyers with everything from finding their dream house to locating a reputable mortgage lender. If you are in the market for a new home this spring, here's where you may want to start:

UTAHREALESTATE.COM

This site, powered by the Wasatch Front Regional Multiple Listing Service (but not inclusive of all its information) offers property searches based on a variety of criteria, such as asking price, location, lot size, square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. There are exterior and interior photos of most, as well as the street addresses and listing agents.

UMLA.ORG and UAMB.ORG

Members of the Utah Association of Mortgage Lenders and the Utah Association of Mortgage Brokers often have completed continuing education courses and are active in their industry. Most board members are veteran lenders, and both of these organizations' Web sites are a good place to start when looking for a lender.

BANKRATE.COM

On this Web site, you'll find a host of educational tools, such as a mortgage calculator that helps determine your monthly payment based on your loan amount and mortgage rate. There's also a host of resources that can help you determine what type of mortgage may work best for your family and how to get the best deal on a home loan.

FORSALEBYOWNER.COM and FSBO.COM

The Wasatch Front Regional Multiple Listing Service does not include properties that are being sold by owners acting on their own behalf without the help of a real estate agent. But sites such as ForSalebyOwner.com and Fsbo.com can help you identify properties in many different areas of the state and nation that are being sold by their owners.

ZILLOW.COM

This Web site has evolved into a useful home-finding tool. Type in an address and city, and you'll get a listing of homes for sale in the immediate area. Its distinctive feature is that below a property's listing price is a"Zestimate," or estimate of the property's value. Nothing replaces an actual appraisal, but Zillow's value estimates have improved to provide a decent ballpark idea.

Lesley Mitchell writes One Cheap Chick in daily blog form at blogs.sltrib.com/cheap —

Local home prices

O For a database of local home prices, visit http://bit.ly/uthomes.