5 Must-Have Apps for Homeowners

As a homeowner, your work is never done. Whether you’re planning to buy a home or you already own a home, there are plenty of apps that make buying or owning a home easier than ever. Here are five apps for homeowners that will make life easier for you.

Mortgage Calculator App

Before you even start your search, you always plan ahead to buy a home. The first step is to get your financial house in order and organize your finances.

Quicken Loans’ mortgage calculator app allows you to determine your monthly mortgage payment while house hunting, see how much home you can afford, learn if refinancing makes sense for you, see the total cost of your loan and learn how much you can save by making extra payments.

RealScout

During the home search process, it’s easy to get email inbox fatigue between communication from your broker and MLS alerts when a new listing hits the market…and that is before the negotiation process even starts.

RealScout makes that process faster, easier and more efficient with a home search experience that includes the unique ability to hunt for listings based on features and amenities. RealScout works directly with the MLS to give you true home information (Pro Tip: You need to be connected with an agent to use RealScout. Here is where to find an agent).

Walk Score

For many people, walkability is a prime factor in determining where to live. While walkability has always been a huge value-add to city homes, it is becoming a bigger consideration as renters and buyers are also looking for more walkable suburbs.

Using Walk Score, you can calculate your commute times, assess proximity to public transit, and determine the walkability of any location. The iPhone app has a map of nearby restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, schools, and more — all within walking distance of your potential new home.

Houzz

Billed as “the new way to design your home” Houzz is the new go-to for even the most dedicated HGTV enthusiast.  The online community about architecture, interior design, decorating, landscape design and home improvement boasts over 17 million interior design photos, home decor, decorating ideas and professionals online.

Using Houzz, you can share ideas with family and friends, get advice from other homeowners and professionals, connect with designers and contractors and even shop your favorite products from your mobile phone or tablet.

If you can’t keep Chip & Joanna Gaines in your pocket, Houzz is the next best thing.

Centriq

In an increasingly digital world, no one wants to have to store hefty user manuals or buyers’ guides to your big ticket appliances.

Enter Centriq, one of our favorite iPhone apps for homeowners created by two homeowners that lets you keep track of all of the products in your home – from major appliances to paint colors – all in your pocket.

Now, you can simply take a picture of a product label and Centriq identifies the product, fetches the user manual, troubleshooting guides, parts & other information to help you make the most of your investments. You can also track receipts, warranties –  you name it – and should you ever sell your home, you can easily transfer the property to another app user.