Why can't you search for apts and houses they way you want to?
For example I might want to know
1) which direction the house faces.
2) If it's an apt or townhouse, is it a corner unit.
3) if it have a dishwasher.
4) if it has an open floor plan.
5) if it has an attached garage.
And of course location.
Home searching is something LOTS of people do and right now there seems to be no real good way to do it.
