Should You Use Apps to Buy or Sell Your Home?
While the team at Prime Mortgage Landing, Inc. wants to funnel all potential customers to our website as a resource, we also recognize the common usage of apps in today’s digitally connected world. We can be your complete resource for mortgages, we want our customers to understand how to safely use apps for all aspects of the home buying or selling process. Here are some things to keep in mind when using apps.
Should You Check Your Credit Online?
You’ve probably seen information for a variety of agencies that will check your credit score with the tap of a button. But are these really effective. Well, yes and no. But mostly no.
It never hurts to keep up with your own credit score to have a picture of your overall financial health. But these apps don’t check for the same criteria that mortgage companies do when you apply for a home loan. So don’t think that it will be the end of the story if you get different information. Trust the professionals on this one.
Can You Really Find a Home on Zillow?
Zillow is a great resource for prospective home buyers, right? You can just look at properties for sale in your area from your phone and see everything you need to know. Well, that’s not entirely true either. Zillow is a great resource, but not as a complete homebuying tool.
The challenge is that people will start by looking at homes in the area before starting the process to learn what they’re qualified to buy. This can lead to heartbreak when they discover that their dream home is out of their budget. Don’t start with Zillow, start with a mortgage lender.
What Should You Avoid?
Always avoid the apps that promise a quick return on a mortgage application. The advertising for these apps is prevalent. Often, you’ll see commercials for competing mortgage apps back to back on TV. But just because they have a good advertising budget doesn’t mean they can work miracles.
Instead, we encourage you to visit with an independent lender. They have more resources and are trained to do the research for you to not only get you the best rate but find the best possible products that match your home buying needs. Not every experience is the same, so we shouldn’t encourage processes that treat them that way.
Great Apps to Actually Use
So, while you may get the impression that we’re anti-app here, that isn’t entirely true either. We want to make sure people are cautious about where they get information and where they send their information. But that doesn’t mean some apps aren’t useful. Here are a few that can help.
- Pinterest: Staging ideas for selling your home or renovation ideas for your home purchase.
- Homesnap: This is a real estate portal that gives users the same up to date information that realtors can access. Don’t let it replace a realtor, but it can help you understand a home before making a decision.
- Redfin: It can help you narrow your search to neighborhoods and learn information about any homes on the market.
Talk to us today about your mortgage needs and how to find the right home for you in the Asheville area.
