Why does the Real Estate world make such a fuss over the stats that over 90% of homebuyers start their home-hunting search online? Er, duh? Maybe because the generation before us searched for homes with a newspaper and a Sunday morning drive around the block? I don’t get it (but then again, I’m the Generation X/Yer who grew up with Google and couldn’t imagine home hunting any other way!) If you’re like me and want access to as much information as possible about your future investment, check out these amazing app and web resources for the Toronto homebuyer.
FIVE APPS FOR EVERY SERIOUS TORONTO HOMEBUYER TO DOWNLOAD
Realtor.Ca
The Realtor.ca app is pretty much the go to app for consumers when it comes to searching for real estate. I mean, it’s not as good as your Realtor’s access to listings since it is delayed by a day (you see listings here the day after they actually hit the market) but it’s accurate with up-to-date listing info. I love the ability to so easily see everything around you that’s on the MLS and then star your favourite’s. To be honest, I find this much more friendly to use than even the main site, www.realtor.ca. If you download, be sure to add me so sending something over with a question is just an easy tap. TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE.
School Locator
If school consideration is a thought for you, the school locator is a must download. By typing in the address of the home you are looking at, you can immediately find out what the catchment public and Catholic elementary and intermediate school options are and how they were rated by the Fraser Institute. Click on the school and you’ll find out more details, like it’s five years rating out of 10. TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE.
Around Me
When you show up at a prospective home for a showing, it’s nice to know what’s close. Where is the nearest coffee shop, grocery store, movie theatre and bank for example? The aptly named app “Around Me” does just that. It shows you everything essential in the radius around said address. LOVE this app. TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE.
Walk Score
To most Toronto buyers, walkability to transit, food, work and shopping is nearly as important as price of home is. “Walk Score” measures the number of typical consumer destinations within walking distance of a house, with scores ranging from 0 (car dependent) to 100 (most walkable). And this app gives you that rating right away. TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE.
Rocketman
If transit is important to you – and it is to most downtown owners, car or no car – the RocketMan App is a free, must download add. It accurately tells you where all the nearest transit spots are to your prospective home, when the next train or bus will arrive and locates bike sharing locations near you. TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE.
FIVE WEBSITES FOR EVERY SERIOUS TORONTO HOMEBUYER TO BOOKMARK
House Creep
For more information about the dark side of homes, House Creep is your source. Housecreep is an online community that chronicles the history of homes from all over the world by crowdsourcing publicly available information and personal experiences. This includes murders, deaths, marijuana grow ups, the works! Caution: this site (1) becomes addictive quickly, and (2) is at times super creepy. TO VISIT CLICK HERE.
The Dirt.Co
It could be one of the best, or worst, things to hit the Toronto condo market since websites like Yelp turned the tables on restaurant criticism. thedirt.co is a crowdsourcing website that shares the dirt (both positive and negative) on every downtown condo in Toronto. TO VISIT CLICK HERE.
Icovia Room Planner
Enter the measurements for any room in a house (or condo/loft) and then see how furniture of every shape and size fits in the space. What a fun website for seeing how well your king size bed will really fit into that home for sale! TO VISIT CLICK HERE.
Urban Toronto
UrbanToronto is Toronto’s premier website focused on condos, architecture, urban development and real estate. The site has the largest and most active community of its kind, populated by the tastemakers, condo aficionados, buyers, builders and Realtors like myself. Well-known and respected by industry members and urban dwellers alike, the site has garnered a reputation for solid reporting, breaking stories and early news on projects before they are widely reported. Thinking about pre-construction? There’s probably a huge thread of info about the project on there already. TO VISIT CLICK HERE.
Houzz
For ideas on design and home remodelling or even to just get connected with architects or designers, there is no better site than Houzz. Surfer beware though – this site is addictive. TO VISIT CLICK HERE.
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