Using Current Technology to Search for Your New Home

Technology has changed the real estate industry, especially over the last ten years. Today Realtors, home buyers, and lenders are using technology to do most of the activities that relate to a housing transaction.

Home buyers may still drive few miles to view an open house. However, it’s so much easier to find open houses now with the help of technology. Most young buyers are technologically adept, and they know how to find a new home online.

You too can use websites and mobile applications to search for new homes quickly and efficiently.

How to find a home with technology

Traditionally, people use the classified section in a newspaper to find a new home. Today, most people visit real estate websites to find information about new or existing homes. These are some of the places we go now:

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• Realtor and broker websites: These have details on new houses, existing home sales, financing, mortgage rates, schools, neighborhoods, variations in home values, proximity to job centers, proximity to freeways, and public transportation.
• Real estate companies: Companies such as Zillow.com offer platforms to find new homes. These sites provide databases on new home sales, home values, tax history, price changes, and mortgage rates.
• Home builder websites: Builders describe new developments. National homebuilders sometimes enable you to search for new homes all over the country, by zip code or city.
• Bank websites: All major banks have dedicated websites with details on how to purchase a home, buying foreclosures, applying for loans, and managing closing costs.
• Lender websites: Private lenders often host websites with details on loan rates, qualifications, payment simulators, and mortgage calculators. Many offer the ability to apply for loans and upload supporting documents.
• Social media sites: You can buy and sell homes by posting ads on social media websites. Millions of users go to social media platforms daily. Many of these users are young professionals who plan to buy new homes. Social media sites also allow buyers to target and search specific markets.
• Mobile applications: Most banks, real estate companies, lenders, and builders furnish mobile apps to help real estate consumers with research regarding new homes. These apps enable users to search new or existing homes, set search criteria, and find lenders with low rates.

You’re armed with info

Potential buyers can pursue extensive research about new homes online. This will help you to deal with sellers with every detail of the potential transaction in hand, including home value, potential for appreciation, condition of the local job market, and proximity to schools.

It’s up to buyers to use various online tools and mobile platforms to gain the advantage in a real estate transaction. Today, anyone can obtain more or less the same amount of information as any real estate professional.

You can use online resources to identify current trends in real estate around the country. The past few years have moved the industry deeply into technology, which has allowed buyers, sellers, brokers, lenders, and mortgage servicers to work together closely and efficiently.