Two Real Estate Sites

This site
http://webhosts.cisdata.net/bin/web/real_estate/AR27512/SKIPINTRO/1155615240.html

is a bad website because it does a poor job of directing the users. There is so much information on the home page that the users do not know where to look. Also contrast is lost because the font is bolded throughout. The items in the side menu are grouped recognizably but the rest of the text does not use alignment or proximity effectively. As a user, I had a hard time picking out what was important or even navigating through the text. Furthermore, upon clicking on one of the links, the onslaught of stuff is overwhelming, demonstrating the need for better use of white space.

In contrast, this site
http://www.louisianadreamhome.com/new_devts.php

is comparably better. There is an effective use of white space that allows the users to not feel overwhelmed by too many options on a page. The site uses repitition well: the colors and fonts are consistent so as not to cause confusion. The alignment is not distracting. Groups are easily understood because of the good use of proximity and color. Though the text to background contrast could be better, this website is just a more pleasant experience.