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The old saying that “there’s an app for that” is now true more often than not. With close to 1 million mobile applications available, it can be an overwhelming task to sort out the truly useful from those that are just useless. I’ve done some homework for you by providing a short list of mobile apps I think you’ll find useful for saving time, making smart decisions and keeping you organized while you’re off hunting for your next home.
1. Dictionary of Real Estate Terms
What it does: Translates the vast universe of real estate jargon and acronyms into plain English, putting a decoder at your fingertips for easy reference any time you need it during your house hunt or transaction. The Dictionary includes over 3,000 real estate terms, charts and graphs. You can save your searches and email terms to others.
Why it’s useful: You will most likely hear words or terms you have never heard before- and you need to know what the terms used in your inspection, disclosure, contract and loan documents mean.
Compatability: iPhone and Android
2. House Hunter
What it does: Helps you organize your house-hunting notes and priorities so you can more easily remember and compare the homes you’ve seen. The app also helps you evaluate the homes you’ve seen by providing a scorecard that weighs features against what you’ve identified as requirements and priorities. It includes a mortgage calculator, photo storage, and a feature that allows you to share your notes with your agent, among other bells and whistles.
Why it’s useful: After you see about five to ten houses, they can all start to blend together. This app helps you keep your original priorities straight, while also keeping you mindful of what were and how the homes you see measure up against them.
Compatability: iPhone
3. SpringPad
What it does: Helps you keep track of any and every thing you want to remember in a digital notebook you can access from anywhere, on any device. You can:
- scan barcodes of home furnishings, appliances and other items you want to buy after you move
- save ideas, property addresses, online clippings from design and news sites, photos from decor mags and to do lists from your mortgage broker
- categorize all these things - and more - by house hunt, mortgage and escrow, moving, and decorating
- set reminders, share your notes with your agent or even get an email alert when the duvet you want goes on sale.
Why it’s useful: Empowers you to organize the hundreds of elements of your home buying adventure into a single spot and access it wherever you are - without carrying a bulky, messy binder or folder around.
Compatability: iPhone and Android
4. ColorSnap
What it does: Allows you to take a picture with your phone’s camera on anything, then discover the corresponding Sherwin-Williams paint color.
Why it’s useful: If you see a wall color you love in a home you, well, don’t like too much otherwise, you can capture the color and replicate that once you do find your dream home.
Compatability: iPhone and Android
5. Karl’s Mortgage Calculator
What it does: Calculates mortgage payments using the principal loan amount, interest and term. It also gives you a more precise idea of what your total monthly expenses will be on a given home by factoring in line items other calculators leave out, like mortgage insurance, homeowners association dues, property taxes and homeowners’ insurance.
Why it’s useful: Having this mortgage calculator handy during your house-hunting adventures will enable you to quickly calculate how a given increase in your offer price will change your monthly payment.
Compatability: Android (or try Mortgage Calulator Pro on iPhone)
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