5 best apps for finding your next Bay Area dream home
With a Bay Area housing market continuing to suffer from low inventory and skyhigh prices, you need to be as savvy as ever when buying a home. From making sure finances are in order to working with a trusted realtor, you have a lot to think about — and that’s not even considering the overwhelming and time-consuming tasks of locating new homes on the market.
“The market was always competitive pre2008 crash, but today customers must have even more assets and income to qualify for loans,” said Denise Borgia, senior loan specialist at North Star Mortgage. “Educating homebuyers on how important it is to keep credit scores up and debt down is very important.”
Let’s pretend for a brief moment that your financial house is clean of cobwebs. Who is going to help you secure your next huge investment? As sharp as you are, are you really qualified to make such a life-altering purchase on your own?
“The biggest thing is to utilize a professional agent,” said Madeline Chiavettta of Coldwell Banker. “Hire the best agent out there. Not a part-timer, not your cousin who has a real estate license and not a friend of a friend, but a professional. If you needed brain surgery, you wouldn’t hire someone right out of school. You need someone who is working for you 24 hours a day and is eating, breathing and sleeping real estate. Remember that we are dealing with your net worth.”
Personal finances and trusted realtors aside, another extremely daunting task is discovering the newest homes on the market that are in harmony with your desires. Thankfully, as tethered as you might be to your mobile devices, there are numerous apps available to help you unearth properties in your location of choice.
By downloading these applications, you could find yourself one step closer to moving into your Bay Area dream home.
PropertyMinder
Designed by agents for agents, PropertyMinder is a robust tool that’s all about current information and timely communication. Along with enabling you to message your agent at all hours, mobile tracking lets your realtor measure your interests, budget and search trends. With one simple click, you can request
more information and schedule appointments for any home on the market as well.
“Our app gives Bay Area homebuyers instant access to every local listing,” said Tawd Frensley, vice president of sales and marketing for PropertyMinder. “The GPS integration allows for easy-to-use proximity searches, and our map swipe feature lets homebuyers navigate their own path on the map without having to use their keyboard.” Redfin
One of the first to develop an app tailoredmade for the Apple Watch, Redfin’s Draw Your Own Search feature is a nifty way to locate properties that fall inside of the exact area you wish to reside.
You can draw an outline on your mobile device for the specific area in which you’re pursuing a home. After setting additional filters like number of rooms and pricing, the app provides updated information on what’s available in the mapped-out area. It also alerts you almost instantly if new homes are available on the market, prices have been lowered or particular homes are about to sell. Trulia
It’s one thing to punch a zip code and pricing into your smart device to see what’s available, but what if you really want a home with features like hardwood floors?
Trulia digs deep by grouping homes into different categories based on their attributes — such as homes constructed with gorgeous oak flooring — making it easier for shoppers to find homes that match their criteria.
Moreover, the application learns your preferences the more you engage with homes. This means less time wading through properties you’d never be interested in and more time reading personalized home recommendations. Homesnap
There’s a good chance you or your kids use Snapchat, but have you checked out Homesnap?
Homesnap helps you discover your next sensational sanctuary by allowing you to snap a photo of any home to get all the information you desire, including when it last sold and the current market value.
Along with providing real-time MLS data, the app is a no-brainer for Apple Watch users who can snag a pic instantly with a simple flick of the wrist. HomeSpotter
An app that places a strong emphasis on communication, HomeSpotter encourages collaborative home searching by allowing friends, family and agents to discuss new homes on the market directly from within the app.
One interesting feature that could gain traction is Spot, which shows properties through an augmented reality interface akin to Pokémon GO. It’s a fun and alternative way to view properties on sale no matter where you are in the Bay Area.
Finding the home of your dreams can be an exasperating experience, but with the help of these house-hunting apps the process can be less stressful.
Andy Coffaro is a Digital Content Manager at Bay Area News Group. Please email him questions or comments at acoffaro@ bayareanewsgroup.com.