4 Free Apps to Make House Hunting More Fun

There are so many smartphone apps available now to help potential buyers look for a home, check out the neighborhood, and connect with a Grand Rapids real estate agent from just about anywhere. Some of the best apps use your mobile device’s GPS system to figure out where you are, and then give you relevant info in incredibly useful ways. The question is, which apps are actually worth downloading? If you’re in the market for a new home, here are a few newer apps that are getting good buzz:

• A fun app for new potential home buyers: If you’re early in the home buying process, a new app called Doorsteps Swipe (free) is perfect for learning about your preferences while gathering information about homes in the Grand Rapids real estate market. The idea is to look at listings, and then swipe to indicate whether you like them or not, to build a picture of your ideal home.
• To get big brother data on any home just by taking a picture: To learn more about any house you see, try Homesnap (free). All you do is take a photo of a home you like, and the app immediately brings up information like the most recent sale price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, tax assessments, and school boundaries.
• If you love your social media: To get an instant social media snapshot of any neighborhood, try CO Everywhere (free). With this app, you draw boundaries around an interactive map of a neighborhoods you’re interested in, and you’ll see local social media content from Twitter, Instagram and Facebook from that area. It also posts local Meetup events and deals and coupons from local businesses through sites like YipIt.
• For all the insider info about a particular neighborhood: Try Sitegeist (free) for detailed neighborhood information, including information that your realtor may be prevented by law or ethics from sharing with you. The site is an easy way to access publicly available statistics like the average income, education level, age, number of males and females, whether people are single or married, and even the average number of kids per household.

Of course any of these apps are only as good as the data they are able to mine, and an app that works great for you this summer may not even be around the next time you are house hunting. However, these apps can help make your house hunting more fun and efficient, and can quickly provide you information you may not have even thought to ask about.

When you’re using your phone in your search, keep our home search handy, by all means, and feel free to ask me about what apps I’m currently using that may be available to home buyers, as well. As you work through the process of purchasing a home, there is no substitute for an experienced Grand Rapids real estate agent, so contact The Sprich Group at 616-485-0952, and enjoy your home search!

Photo: Highways Agency