The Rocca Sisters Blog

We all know that buying a home can be daunting, which is why having a knowledgeable and reliable agent is crucial to the process. But there are things that you can do before engaging with an agent, and chances are that the tools you need are right in your pocket or purse! A smartphone can be very helpful in shopping for a home, and here are several free apps that can help you narrow down your wants, save you time, and make the homebuying process easier and less intimidating.

AroundMe

This app is a very popular resource when travelling, but also terrific for narrowing down where you might want to purchase a home. AroundMe allows you to search for the nearest restaurants, banks, gas stations, or find a movie schedule nearby. You can search for amenities close to the neighbourhood you want and easily eliminate areas that do not have easy access to things that are important to you.

Walk Score

This is an ideal app to help you learn more about your desired neighbourhood. When you open the app and search a location, it will score the address from 1 – 100 on a walk score, designating it as “car dependent” for a lower score, “somewhat walkable” for mid-range score, or “walker’s paradise” for a high score. The list icon at the bottom of the home screen will show you nearby amenities, which will help you discover more about an area in which you might be interested.

Houzz

This app is the granddaddy of all things design-related and can help you narrow down what is important to you in a home, help you get inspired, and even connect you with local architects, designers and more.

Canadian Mortgage App

Switching gears a little bit, this app is billed as “a simple-to-use app to help you calculate all your home ownership costs and maximize your buying power”. This app is great, as it calculates all the specifics of your monthly home ownership costs, which is especially helpful for first-time buyers. Their website boasts that you can “calculate your home ownership costs with confidence, or check out Closing Costs, Maximum Loan, and Land Transfer tax screen to see the first-time buyer and newly built rebates available in your city.”

Realtor.ca

You may already be aware of the realtor.ca website, but the app version has the added benefit of being portable! If you like to drive around an area in which you are interested to get a street-view perspective of a neighbourhood, this app is a great way to check out prices of properties that are for sale and give you an idea of property values as you’re touring around.

These apps are a great start, however it is essential to have the knowledge, experience and expertise of a trusted advisor and brand behind you. Call The Rocca Sisters Team today and let Cathy and Tanya walk you through the essential steps to home buying and selling success!