Help is on the web

Trying to sell your house? - Try this many desperate home owners are turning to trading homes in this slumping real estate market to unload properties that they no longer want.

There are no firm numbers, but anecdotal evidence suggests that swapping houses is becoming an accepted alternative for people who can't find the right property, and it's happening fairly frequently.

Web sites like OnlineHouseTrading.com charge $19.95 for a listing. Similar sites include GoSwap.org, DaytonaHomeTrader.com, and DomuSwap.com. In all, there are currently an estimated 16,000 of these sorts of posts, analysts of the classified market say.

Some real estate companies are getting into the swing of it. Of the 1,919 houses listed on DomuSwap.com, 13 percent — or 250 — were listed by real estate practitioners.

Bad neighbors bringing down the value of your house? - Try RottenNeighbor.com a Web site that lets people dish about their neighbors — both the good and the bad.

Type in any address and if someone has posted something negative about it, a bright red house pops up on top of the satellite image. Green house icons show up where the nice neighbors live.

Need some encouragement? - Try this interactive ego booster go there for an endless stream of praise. "You are astounding," "You make life worth living," "You are the master of all you survey." Everyone can use a little encouragement from time to time, and remember "The stars smiled and sang the day you were born."