Finding a home to buy was easier. It just involved finding a realtor, visiting some real estate, and making a show if you could see yourself spending many happy years there. However, the housing market is currently booming, and many people are bidding even if they bid at the asking price.
With such a competitive market, you will need a competitive advantage. Fortunately, there are plenty of great iPhone and Android apps to expand your options and help you find a great deal at home.
Realtor.com is one of the most popular home search sites available. His website is one of the go-to sites for those who want to see what’s available. Its app is also quite accurate and convenient, with a few extra features that make it a must-download.
One of my most favorite features is the search by navigation time. We all know that buying a home in an urban area can be expensive, which is why many people choose a suburb to move from. Finding this on your own can be daunting, but if you search by commute time, you can see how much certain areas are and you will be surprised how many new areas you will discover are often affordable.
For those buying a home out of state, the Realtor.com app also offers a virtual tour feature. This is great because it helps you figure out if the house is worth taking a trip to see in person, or in some cases you might make an offer right away!
download: Realtor.com Real Estate for iOS | Android (free)
2. Zillow Real Estate and Rentals
Zillow, another popular property search website, also has a great app that makes searching for your new home easier than ever. Zillow offers great features like Zestimate, which shows you the exact value of a home. Zillow also has a variety of homes for sale owned by Zillow and offers virtual tours along with an easy purchase.
Zillow owns nearly all of the listings owned by Realtor.com, with their listings coming directly from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). However, there are other options for finding properties not listed elsewhere. Zillow has a profile by owner Feature, in which you can see all properties for sale that are not made through a realtor.
In many cases, you will find more affordable properties with less competition when searching through the owner. If you have a realtor, they can help guide you through the process of buying real estate directly from the owners.
download: Zillow real estate and rentals for iOS | Android (free)
3. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook may not be the go-to site when searching for real estate. However, the Facebook Marketplace has a lot of properties for sale by the owners that are not available anywhere else. These properties can be anything from a small plot of land to a multi-million dollar mansion.
Many real estate investors are listed on the Facebook Marketplace due to the number of people searching there, and this gives you the possibility to strike a deal. A qualified real estate agent or buyer’s agent can help you navigate the process of buying a property you want here.
download: Facebook iOS | Android (Free in-app purchases available)
4. USHUD Foreclosure Home Search
When a person can’t make their mortgage payments anymore, their home usually goes up for foreclosure. In this case, the bank will usually sell the house to make up for the amount of money lost from lending it. Since many people have made some mortgage payments, sometimes for years, the loss is not significant and the banks only want to sell the properties to recover their initial investment.
For those looking for a home bargain, USHUD Foreclosure Home Search is a great app. The condition of the houses varies from dilapidated to almost new building. The USHUD Foreclosure Home search also lists homes up for auction by the government, giving buyers an even bigger deal. However, you must be pre-qualified to view the listings.
The app allows you to choose notification settings which includes notifying you of each new feature listed.
download: USHUD Foreclosure Home iOS | Android (free)
5. Homes for sale and rent
Homes for sale, rent is the name of the official Homes.com app. Homes.com has one of the largest databases of homes for sale or available for rent in the United States. Although there are many similar features to other popular home buying apps, there are some key additions that set this app apart from others. One of them is the live mortgage rate calculator and mortgage rate tools, which are some of the best in the industry.
This app also includes foreclosure properties from the national database, making the app the only app that includes a complete listing of MLS listings and foreclosure listings.
download: Homes for sale, for rent iOS | Android (free)
6. RE/MAX Real Estate Search
If you have researched real estate before, you may be familiar with RE/MAX. It is one of the largest real estate companies in the United States. The exclusive app also helps those looking for a home to find a great deal.
This app includes all MLS listings and also has a great sync option. For those who find themselves switching between their phones and computers when searching for a property, or those who want to share details with their significant other, RE/MAX provides a simplified way to do so. When you save a list on your phone, it can save your preferences on your other devices.
This app also provides instant notifications of new properties, which is essential for the fast-moving housing market.
download: RE/MAX Real Estate Search iOS | Android (free)
7. Auction.com
You might want to try to get an amazing deal for your next home. With the constant bidding wars raging over new properties, it can seem impossible to get a deal that works for you. But if you’re not in a hurry to move, you may want to consider Auction.com.
The Auction.com app makes it incredibly easy to not only search for real estate auctions but also search for properties and bid. While the auction market tends to move quickly, you can stay updated on all properties by receiving notifications when new properties are available.
download: Auction.com for iOS | Android (free)
Find your dream home
Finding your dream home doesn’t have to be complicated. Although the housing market can be difficult to navigate, using these apps can help make the home buying process easier. Whether you want to buy a home on the MLS, by owner, or at an auction, downloading one (or more) of these apps can give you a competitive advantage and get your offer accepted.
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