Are you looking for a house or apartment? Check out these apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone

The real estate market is showing signs of life again in the US, and has been for the better part of the past year.  While the days of the "NINJa" loan (No Job No Income) mortgage are long gone, generally lower prices in many markets are making housing widely accessible, especially for people who have been saving up money for a down payment, or people who might qualify for an FHA loan, or recently honorably discharged veterans with a VA loan at their disposal.

Markets on the coasts are heating up again, inventory levels in parts of Northern California are as low as a couple weeks (meaning that if no more houses went up for sale, remaining listings would be consumed within two weeks).  Florida and Arizona are the other hot markets right now as well.  If you are in the hunt for a house, that means that finding listings fast, looking at them and contacting the real estate agent quickly can mean the difference between getting the house you want or not.

These apps can be a handy helper in your search for your dream home and they may prove indispensable if you are the type who wants to shop without the help of an agent tracking properties down for you.  All of these apps use GPS, show properties for sale or rent (including apartments), enable quick contact to listing agents and provide a myriad of other tools which you might find useful.  All but one are available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.  Of course it is not a complete listing either, but if you were thinking of looking around, these app are a fine place to start.  So, get out there an find a place to call home!