Top Online Tools in Your Home-buying Toolbox
November 19, 2020
Top Online Tools in Your Home-buying Toolbox
When it comes to using real estate websites, Zillow.com leads the list of most popular in the U.S., with approximately 36 million unique visitors per month, followed by Trulia.com. How can you get the most out of Zillow? Take advantage of these tools in your home-buying toolbox.
Narrow Your Search.
Decide your preferred city, zip code, or neighborhood, and then choose the best way to filter the results:
- Listing type. Look for sales by an agent, by owner, new construction, foreclosures, etc.
- Price point. Set the minimum and maximum so you can search within your price range.
- Number of bedrooms. Set the range between a studio unit or a multi-bedroom expanse.
- Home type. What kind of home makes sense for you? A single family home? Townhouse? Condo? Long-term rental?
- More options. This could be the number of bathrooms, a certain square footage, a home office, the lot size, a waterfront view, or other features that matter most to you.
Go Mobile.
The Zillow app is free and available for Apple and Android devices, plus you can search by nearby location adjacent to wherever your phone or tablet is searching.
The Zestimate.
The dollar value assigned by Zestimate gives you a general idea of what a home is worth and helps you see if it’s fairly priced. (Keep in mind, an experienced local realtor who knows a given area will have more insights than a computer-generated predictor.)
Neighborhood Information.
Check the median Zestimate home price, the foreclosure rate, and whether Zillow predicts if home values will rise or fall in the neighborhood.
School Data.
If you’re searching for a particular school district, you can set your filter to send you listings with a specific combination. You can also gain insights on how a set of schools is rated, as Zillow includes rankings from GreatSchools.
Save and Share.
Zillow lets you save a search to continue looking with the same criteria later on, and also lets you get a second opinion from a friend or share the findings with a buying partner. Not only that, but you can customize your search by a given area on a map, and ask for email updates or mobile app alerts if anything changes.
Popular Posts
January 31, 2024
January 30, 2024
January 25, 2024
