Zillow.com is my new best friend. Even though I always mispronounce his name as Zwillow, it has all the good 411 and doesn’t mind that I’m just a tad nosy. Okay, extremely nosy (but it’s a trait that brings in my salary, so it can’t be all that bad, right?).

While my traffic at the website is more in the realm of stalking, it has been one of many nifty, new real estate resources that will help me in making my first purchase. The site allows you to type in an address and see how much a house is worth. While it can’t tell whether the “quaint and cozy house with character” has marble countertops or mismatching, outdated appliances, it’s a good resource for those looking to get a good deal. Especially now that the market shows the rate of shifty house flippers is growing as steadily as foreclosures.

While it can’t document a history of construction shortcuts, Zillow, like any good best friend, can help the bring to light the reality of a real estate agent trying to woo you into buying that hot mess that’s been on the market for months on end. If you listen closely enough, you can hear it whisper sweet nothings in your ear like, “Don’t be fooled by staging tricks, sugar. A queen-size bed alongside floor-length window treatments is your first warning sign! 1,000 square feet is an entrapment, not ‘cozy,’ so keep looking. Love you, bestie!”