Best Apps for Buying a Home

Best Apps for Buying a Home

If you need to move soon and have to find a house fast, there’s an app for that! Actually, there are several apps that make house hunting simple enough for you to do anytime, anywhere. But which app is the one that’s going to make it easiest for you to find your dream home so you can schedule your Houston movers as soon as possible? The following are some of the top apps to use on your journey to buying a home in the Houston area.

Zillow

Zillow has been a staple in the home buying process for years now. It’s so easy to use and has so many listings on it that it’s fun to just scroll through it even when you’re not in the market for a home! So it’s perfect for serious homebuyers and daydreamers alike.

Pros: Zillow allows you to see the history of the listing price and taxes of each home, so you can get an idea of whether it’s the best price you’re going to get on the house you have your heart set on.

Cons: One of the downsides of Zillow is that it doesn’t always list the HOA information. And when it does, it’s sort of buried at the bottom of the page, even though you definitely need to know this information upfront if you want a true idea of your monthly cost! Also, Zillow isn’t as updated as the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is what real estate agents use for listings. That means Zillow doesn’t necessarily have access to every home on the market, and sometimes by the time the listing shows up on Zillow, it’s already under contract with another buyer.

Trulia

Another popular homebuying app is Trulia. Though it’s owned by Zillow, many buyers find that it’s actually better during the active home search, since it has a few features that Zillow lacks.

Pros: One of the best details of Trulia is its crime statistics of each area, letting you get an idea of how safe a neighborhood is. In addition, you can easily filter your search using keywords for what you’re looking for in your new Houston home, such as all tile, hardwood floors or a pool.

Cons: Since Trulia is owned by Zillow, it shares its main downside. That means you might not be seeing every listing the second it’s available when you use Trulia instead of the MLS. But this app is still good for browsing homes, so you can send your real estate agent a list of properties you like and he or she can give you more updated information.

Homesnap

Homesnap is yet another homebuying app you can use to browse homes before you schedule moving day with your local Houston movers.

Pros: The best thing about Homesnap is that it doesn’t just give you information on homes for sale. It also lets you learn more about homes that aren’t even on the market! So if you’re driving down the street and see a beautiful house that stops you in your tracks, just take a picture of it and Homesnap will tell you everything you need to know. If it’s for sale, you’ll see the list price and all the other details. If it’s not, you’ll see its past sale prices and estimated value. Plus, this app uses MLS data, meaning it’s always updated.

Cons: The search criteria on Homesnap isn’t as detailed or precise as other homebuying apps, so it may take more time to find a house you’ll love on it. It’s better for when you’re out driving around searching for houses and just need some information on pricing, contact information and open house hours.

Houston Association of Realtors

The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) has its own app dedicated to helping locals find homes in the Houston area. If you’re looking to stay in Houston, you’ll want to try out this app!

Pros: Since this is a local app, you’ll only see homes in the Houston area, so there’s no extra step of limiting your search criteria to a particular state. Plus, this app lists the HOA information, and it’s also connected to the MLS so it gets only updated listings.

Cons: You’ll notice HAR doesn’t use the Great Schools rating program that many other apps do. This might be a disadvantage if your kids would be transferring into new schools after the move.

You can use any of these apps to find your dream home. And as soon as you do–and once you get a move-in date–be sure to schedule Houston movers to help make moving a breeze! Contact our Houston office today to learn more.