Did you know 6.9 million homes were sold in the United States last year?
According to Statista, the tally is expected to reach 7 million by 2023. It adds that residence sales have increased since 2011, save for two small declines in 2014 and 2018.
As of the fiscal first quarter of 2022, the homeownership rate across the country was 65% versus 35% for renters.
Whether you own a home and want to buy an investment property or relocate from your present residence, or you’re a renter looking to buy, the right tools will help.
You no longer have to rely on merely finding a realtor, booking viewings, and going to homes.
Technology has revolutionized how people search for homes in this digital age, so it makes sense to take advantage of what’s available. Here’s a look at three apps for finding real estate.
1. Google Earth
If you want to look at a home before going to the location and setting foot on the property, one option is Google Earth.
Key in the address and look at any property on your radar. You can, of course, do so right from the app on your phone or your computer.
Are you looking for a rural home but don’t want to have neighbors located too close?
You can check out Google Earth to see where the home you want is in relation to other homes. You can have a bird’s eye view or a street-level view.
Tapping into this technology will make your home search easier since you can determine which homes you want to view in person.
2. Zillow
If you’re looking for the most downloaded real estate application for Android and Apple devices, that would be Zillow.
It offers 3D home tours featuring floor-plan views and panoramic images. You’ll feel like you’re actually at the property.
You can save a lot of time using this app since you can learn a lot about any property you’re interested in before booking a personal viewing.
Zillow is about providing real estate and rental marketplace data. For example, are you interested in getting data on estimated house valuations?
If you’re looking to buy an investment property, you’ll find this information especially useful when the time comes to forward an offer.
Real estate investing is a great way to generate passive income through monthly rent from tenants. You can also benefit as the value of your investment portfolio increases.
If you do plan to build a portfolio of investment properties, hiring a property manager will simplify things.
You can focus on seeking out investment opportunities while the property manager can handle the day-to-day operations. Going this route will make your life easier.
3. Xome Real Estate
Xome Real Estate is known for its data and search features for residences being sold via the auction route. But the app also offers data for homes sold via traditional methods.
One feature you’ll want to know about is the Xome Zoom capability where you can point your phone camera at a property to gather information on said property.
The app will display the type of information about the house that you’ll want to know about.
When you’re zooming in on a specific area, you can filter results to see homes that are not on the market.
This will give you access to projected home valuations and public record data.
Buying a home can be a stressful ordeal. But if you take advantage of the technology available, you’ll find that the process doesn’t have to be that difficult.
Accessing many details about properties will save time since you won’t have to go to each one physically.
You will, instead, only have to book viewings for homes that fit your criteria.
