First American offers free market reports

First American CoreLogic has launched a new service, ePropertyWatch, that provides homeowners with e-mail updates on their property value, recent sales, price trends and foreclosure activity in their neighborhood.

Homeowners who register for the free, advertising-driven service are also notified of any liens filed against their property at the county recorder's office to protect them from fraudulent transfers of deed.

Real estate professionals can create their own free ePropertyWatch accounts and enroll their clients in the service at no charge. Creating an account allows real estate professionals to put their branding -- including name, company logo and contact information -- on all of the ePropertyWatch e-mails their clients receive, as well as the upper-right-hand corner of homeowner Web pages on the site.

First American CoreLogic says it will not charge real estate professionals or their clients to use ePropertyWatch. Like Facebook or other Web services, "our goal is to make valuable offers to them in the future," the company says in its pitch to Realtors and other real estate professionals.

First American CoreLogic monitors more than 65 million properties in 1,100 counties and about 4.5 million real estate transactions per month. Any homeowners whose property is included in the database is eligible for the ePropertyWatch service, the company said in a press release.

First American CoreLogic promises users the company will "never rent or sell your name or e-mail address to anyone."

A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on the site says users may increase the estimate of their homes' value -- but only for their own record-keeping purposes -- to reflect factors like a desirable location or an upgraded kitchen or bathroom. The FAQ advises users who discover incorrect information about their lien to contact their county recorder's office.

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