These days almost everyone is armed to the teeth with internet-accessible devices and an impressive library of apps to entertain and help manage life; there is something for almost everyone. Unless you recently bought a home, you may not be aware of the number of internet sites and mobile applications there are to take some of the stomach-sinking guesswork out of purchasing a house.
GoogleMaps
Not only can Google Maps give you a bird’s eye view of your prospective home relative to important locations (schools, shopping areas, work, etc.), but the Street View tool is extremely useful to get a 360-degree perspective of the street and neighborhood. My marketing director used this tool for reassurance that her daughter was renting her summer apartment on a safe street in New York City!
GreatSchools
GreatSchools.org finder is a helpful tool for parents to find information, ratings and reviews of the K-12 public and private schools in their prospective home’s neighborhood. I strongly recommend this website to my relocation clients who are moving to Atlanta. Work commute and school district tend to be among the top variables when deciding on a new home.
HomeStyler
Not sure if your living room furniture will fit into the new home? Homestyler.com is a fun tool to help Homestyleranswer that question. You’ll need the dimensions of the new room, but once you have them, the templates and tools to recreate the space graphically are easy to use. You can have your living space all arranged before you even move in!
Nextdoor
Once you have purchased your home, this private social network connects you to your immediate neighbors. Everyone has to verify their address to be able to join your neighborhood Nextdoor.com social group. It’s a wonderful way to share safety issues, sell or give away household items, make or get recommendations, arrange block parties, welcome new neighbors
CrimeMapping
This is a great website to learn about crime activity by neighborhood and make comparisons to your current location. The data for CrimeMapping.com is extracted from the most current law enforcement records available.
Posted on 12/16/2014 at 10:30 AM
