BEST Communities Announces Online Home Buying Tool to Redefine the New Home Buying Experience for Its Customers

BEST Communities is pleased to announce the release of its new online home buying tool at www.bestcommunities.ca, available immediately. The new site is the only builder website in western Canada that offers a comprehensive way to price out a complete home completely online.

Edmonton, Alberta (PRWEB) December 1, 2004 -- Traditional builder websites have only offered scant information on a builder and its products. Often, builders show vague, generic or outdated information on their sites. The new BEST Communities website blurs the distinction between company showcase and online buying tool to allow its customers to configure, price out, choose colors and selections, and view financing options for their home, completely online.

Its becoming an online world", said Ryan Barkway, Director of Marketing for the Landmark Group of Builders. We find that the majority of our customers are sophisticated Internet users that demand more information than a traditional builder website offers". When asked about specific differences, Barkway responded: Fundamentally, what BEST Communities is doing different is offering the ability for the customer to completely configure their home to their tastes without having to visit a showhome. For example, a customer can chose their model, their options and choices, view actual samples of options such as flooring and coutntertops, or paint colors, and after they are done they can determine what their mortgage payment will be. All of the information that a customer chooses is saved for instant retrieval the next time they visit the site on their computer, so later they can go back and try out different options, change colors, even select a completely different house without changing the options they selected. This way of presenting information to our customers is a fundamental advance in the way that people look for new homes. We feel that this presentation method is unique among builders in North America"

Even the way that a mortgage payment is presented has been completely re-thought" , said Barkway. Traditional online mortgage calculators either assume a given mortgage rate or ask the customer to input a specific rate. The BEST online mortgage calculator shows every posted interest rate for every type of mortgage from every major lender in Alberta. And, its updated every 24 hours automatically, so its always current. We even allow the customer to conduct 'what-if scenarios on their home purchase with intuitive value sliders, modifying the payment automatically if they specify a larger downpayment for example"

With the release of the new bestcommunities.ca, BEST Communities is poised to bridge the gap between traditional home buying and online E-Tailing. Its unconventional and innovative approach to product presentation offers customers considering a new home with instant, accurate and in-depth information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About BEST Communities
BEST Communities is an award-winning home builder with over 27 years of experience in the Edmonton marketplace. Builders of the # 1 best selling home in Edmonton in 2003, BEST is also a model corporate citizen, with several long standing programs in place that are designed to enhance the quality of life in Edmonton.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ryan Barkway
BEST Communities
780-436-5959
www.bestcommunities.ca

# # #