Gearing up for a move in the near future? Everyone who’s been in the middle of a real estate transaction knows that the process can be stressful – from the selling and buying process, to the move itself. That’s why any little bit of help in this department is much appreciated and welcomed.
These days, with technology taking over just about every aspect of our lives, we can take advantage of many awesome apps that are popping up all the time to make moving a cinch.
Here are 10 of the best apps to help get you through every step of the moving process.
1. AroundMe
When it comes to real estate, it’s all about location. The AroundMe app takes this very seriously by showing you nearby amenities, including banks, gas stations, schools, supermarkets, and hospitals near a specified location. You’ll get a number of listings in a certain area that are near the amenities you want, which can make the house hunting process a little easier.
2. House Hunter
This handy app available on iTunes was designed to handle some of the emotions that typically come with buying a new house. It allows you to establish a list of your priority features on a scale of 1 to 10 – homes are rated based on this scale to help you narrow down your choices of homes that meet your criteria. Pictures of the property’s interior and exterior can also be added to these ratings.
3. SiteWise
While a little on the pricier side at $9.99, the SiteWise app provides you with detailed information about the demographics of certain areas you’re contemplating moving into. Perhaps you’re looking for a neighborhood with young families, or an area with young working professionals. This app can give you a demographic report that includes population by age, household income, education level, number of children, and so on. It’s one of the best and easiest ways to find the perfect city or community for you, even if you’ve never even been there before.
4. Wikihood
This app is also really handy when it comes finding out what’s really happening in a neighborhood. Simply click on the Wikihood app when you’re looking for a neighborhood, and the app will automatically pull up all the articles found on Wikipedia that are related to the current geographic location of your phone. You’ll get an in-depth look at schools, hospitals, transit options, and even historical data about the area.
5. Homesnap
This MLS app helps you search the local multiple listing service (MLS) to find properties for sale in your area of choice. It also comes with a feature that lets you snap a photo of any home across the US to get instant property details, including the value of homes, when they last sold, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, property taxes, property boundaries, and many others. If a home catches your eye, you can use the app to contact your real estate agent to schedule a showing.
6. Mortgage Calculator Pro
For less than a dollar, you can have this app handy with you at all times to help you calculate your monthly mortgage payments for various homes you look at. This can help you more realistically compare the final price of various properties. You’ve got the option of including HOA fees, property taxes, and other miscellaneous items that can affect the price. You can save amortization tables on your computer to make it simpler to compare each home’s costs.
7. Dictionary of Real Estate Terms
Sometimes it can be tough to understand all the real estate terms that fly around on listings and during negotiations. The Dictionary of Real Estate Terms app features over 3,000 real estate terms that are defined in simple words. For $3.99, you’ll finally be able to find out what certain words and phrases on listings mean, like “encumbrances”, “easements”, and other big words you normally wouldn’t hear every day.
8. PDF Pen Pro
All the documents and contracts that you’ll be signing when buying and selling can be overwhelming. You might even have a tight deadline that you aren’t able to meet for some reason, or aren’t able to get to a certain location to sign the necessary documents in person. Being able to digitally review and sign this paperwork using an app like PDF Pen Pro (for $9.99) can help you keep on top of these documents and prevent you from missing deadlines.
9. Moving Day
This free app for iPhones features a built-in label-making and bar code scanning capability. To use this app, you can create bar codes on your iPhone, print out your labels, then tape them to the boxes when it’s time to finally start moving. This way, you’ll know exactly which room to put each box in your new home, and be able to easily find exactly what you’re looking for when you’re unpacking. You can scan your boxes and see the items inside without actually opening the box. If the scanner doesn’t work, you also have the ability to manually punch in the bar code.
10. iHandy Level Free
This app can come in really handy when you’ve finally found the home you love, finalized the purchase agreement, and moved in. Now comes time to decorate the interior to your tastes, and the iHandy app can really help. This app basically transforms your mobile phone into a level for exact alignment. Making sure your picture frames are straight has never been easier – no more excessive holes in the walls from improperly placed nails!
Buying, selling and moving can be lengthy and complicated processes. Luckily, there are tools available at your fingertips to help make the moving process a little bit easier.
