I found this article very interesting and hope you do as well! It’s good to know about all the ways buyers and sellers have access to real estate information.
More apps for home shoppers
And save some money on your remodel by doing it virtually first.
Posted by Mai Ling at MSN Real Estate on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 12:04 PM
The search for a new home just keeps getting easier for people with iPhones, and it sounds like apps for other smart-phone platforms aren't far behind.
Realtor.com, an MSN Real Estate partner, earlier this year released its free iPhone application that helps users find homes for salewhen they're on the go, and also allows them to take photos and notes that they can later view on their home computer.
Social networking is a big part of the app, which includes contact information for the real-estate agent selling the home, as well as easy access to Facebook and Twitterif you'd like to share what you find with friends and family.
Today, Zillow also announced an update to its free iPhone app, which now allows users to search for homes for rent as well as homes for sale and recently sold homes. Social media platforms are also a big focus, allowing you to share on Facebook and Twitter photos and the estimated values of homes, even ones that aren't for sale.
There also are apps that aim to make your decision easier, which Tracey Taylor writes about in the San Francisco Chronicle's On The Block blog:
Next time you are perusing the photos on a home listing trying to visualize what the rooms would look like with different colors on the walls or furniture that was more to your taste, wonder no more. There's an app for that.
Take a virtual tour of a home via Planomatic's PhotoPlan app, which takes you through the inside and outside of a home that's for sale.
And for all you closet decorators out there, Floor Planner offers you a little piece of virtual heaven with its demo that lets you drag around icons of chairs, patio tables, staircases and more.
But a tool like this isn't only for home seekers who want to see how their home would look with their virtual belongings in it. It also offers a great opportunity to save money on a remodel by helping you figure out what works for your home before it's too late.
Taylor writes that Planomatic is planning to release its app for the BlackBerry and Android soon, and Realtor.com said earlier that it hopes to expand its app to other platforms later this year.
Do you know of any other apps or virtual systems that can aid the hunt for a home or the remodeling process? How have they helped you?