The slowdown in the housing market has created new challenges for individuals selling a home, and for buyers looking to score a deal on a property.

Buyers and sellers alike should have a good understanding about how the real estate market works. One place to find valuable real estate insights is the World Wide Web.

Here are a few general real estate sites that serve up a range of information on everything from property listings to home improvement.

¢ Home Buyer’s Information Center (www.ourfamily place.com/homebuyer) provides hints, checklists and to-do lists for buying a home.

¢ Homes.com (www.homes.com) can search for properties for sale, agents and brokers, or the value of a home.

¢ National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org/ home_buyers_and_sellers/buy_or_sell.html) features consumer protection tips, remodeling advice and mortgage contract pitfalls and insights.

¢ Realestateabc.com (www. realestateabc.com) contains a wide range of real estate tips, focused articles and general information.

¢ The Real Estate Library (relibrary.com/main_page.asp) offers a number of real estate tools for buyers and sellers.