Free app gives detailed info for homebuyers

When you’re shopping for a home, trying to zero in on the best property is more art than science. But there’s a new tool out there that’s trying to shift the balance toward science.

HomeSnap is a free app that lets you drive down a street, pull out your smartphone, aim it a house and snap a picture. Based on that picture alone, the app will tell you almost everything about that property. You don’t even need to know which street you’re on!

Among the info that’s available from HomeSnap, all at the snap of a picture:

• Home value
• Date of last sale
• Price of last sale
• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• Lot size
• Info about local schools

According to HomeSnap’s site, the app pulls real-time data from the Multiple Listing Service. For listed homes, you can see list price, pictures of the interior and complete listing details, much like you would get with a traditional QR barcode on a ‘for sale’ sign. For sold homes, you can learn the last sale price and a complete listing history.

HomeSnap is available for Apple iOS, while an Android version is coming soon.

I read Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg’s review of HomeSnap and he noted that the app has trouble with condos and row houses, but excels when it comes to single-family homes. Of course, your results could vary when you use it!