Housing decisions are tough. There’s a lot of information that you need to synthesize, and the process can be overwhelming. But, you can use new tech to help move the process along much more smoothly. And the housing decisions in particular that you might be thinking about include how big of a loan you need to take out, or how much can you afford monthly for an apartment or condo, or if you can afford to add on a new garage to your place, and if that will affect your tax rates.
All of those decisions require some serious number crunching, and tech can either help you find the answers to those questions directly, or at the very least point you to people who are experts in the field. Consider things like refinancing rates, geolocation tags, virtual and augmented reality, and even being more skeptical of online housing reviews – and think of how tech can help with each.
Refinancing Rates
How exactly do you decide when it’s time to refinance a mortgage? Unless you have prior experience with such things, or are an expert in the field yourself, the answer in your mind might be a little nebulous. But, you can search for mortgage calculators online, and you can find all sorts of high-quality web resources that will either point you in the right direction, or offer services online or potentially in person. The quality of your answers will often depend on the quality of your searches, though!
Geolocation Tags
One super cool feature of modern mobile searches is the ability to work with geolocation tags. And especially since the housing market is all about location, location, location, knowing that when you search, the data will be considered is a huge benefit. You can simply take your phone with you when you’re searching for real estate deals, and depending on the format and browser that you search from, you can get the most relevant data based on where you are instead of just what you want!
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Another interesting way to use technology to help out with your housing decisions is to install augmented reality apps or virtual reality software that allows you to experience either being in a house virtually, or seeing what certain things would look like in certain places. The technology isn’t fully developed yet, but when it hits, the housing market will change forever in terms of options that consumers have.
Skeptical Reviewing of Reviews
And finally, if you want to use tech to your advantage, first look up how people are gaming the system in order to make fake reviews of real estate seem better than they are, and then use tech to research how to spot those fake reviews. With about an hour of research, you’ll know a ton more about how to avoid pitfalls of misinformation.