4 Mobile Apps That Can Help You Find the Right Home

Are you planning on purchasing a home in a completely unfamiliar location? You can use your mobile device to get acquainted with the nearby businesses, public transportation, and crime rates in an area. Apps can also help you stick to your purchasing budget and navigate the terrain of real estate jargon. Here are four indispensible apps for your upcoming home search.

Walk Score

Do you want to reduce the amount you drive everyday? Get out and enjoy the fresh air by checking out your property”s Walk Score. This ranking criterion helps you assess crime rates and nearby resources that are within walking range, such as grocery stores, libraries, restaurants, and public transportation. Simply type a property address into the WalkScore app to see what”s in the vicinity.

Mortgage Calculator

When you”re trying to decide on home loans, you”ll need to do some quick calculations. Instead of juggling these options in your head or on paper, have the Mortgage Calculator app do it instead. Just plug in the interest rates, loan amount, and loan terms into each loan option, and you”ll be able to quickly see how much you”ll be responsible for each month.

Dictionary of Real Estate Terms

Contractors, real estate agents, inspectors, and many other industry professionals communicate with one another using specialized terminology that can be difficult for buyers to understand. Typically, a good real estate agent will translate this information for you. However, this dictionary app can prove useful for those times that you run into terminology without assistance.

Crime Mapping

You might think that you”ve discovered the perfect home, only to learn that it has unacceptable amounts of crime occurring in the vicinity. Get a clear idea of the location you”re about to relocate to by thoroughly inspecting maps of the local crime activity. Most of this data is pulled from law enforcement agency databases, so that you can get updated reports as soon as they appear online. Additionally, you can sign up for live notifications, so that you can be aware of any new criminal activity occurring in a prospective home location.

Buying a new home doesn”t have to be a scary venture. Selecting a new neighborhood and finding the right home can be accomplished by working with an astute real estate agent and by making your mobile apps work for you. Get acquainted with communities before you even visit properties, and keep mobile utilities on hand to make the negotiations process easier.