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Your Guide to Section 8 & The Best Apartment Finder Websites

Your Guide to Section 8 & The Best Apartment Finder Websites

Finding an affordable living space can be a challenge. Fortunately, the internet is full of online apartment finder websites. There are even apps available to search on the go.

However, this does not necessarily make the search feel less overwhelming. Some apartment finder websites are difficult to navigate, making it much harder for users to find what they are looking for.

In the sections below, you will discover websites with features optimized for their users. These are the best websites for finding your dream home.

About Trulia

This home listings website provides many filters for customizing your search. Using map-based searching, you can click on Trulia’s map and customize your search based on neighborhood.

When the website has your general location, it will recommend nearby neighborhoods that meet your preferences. You can examine if there are certain places that you want to live nearby, such as a specific school or public transit.

Trulia’s unique map filter also provides statistical data on neighborhoods. This way, you can see the affordability of certain areas within a neighborhood and define areas where crime is particularly high.

If you download their app, you can look at comprehensive neighborhood guides. Trulia users will provide reviews of neighborhoods as well as ratings. 

About Zillow

One of the most popular websites for finding homes, Zillow has several desirable features to help you find a suitable home.

One of the main features of the website is the variety of filters it has. You can narrow down to the city you want to begin looking for your apartment.

Then, you can filter by rooms, rent amount, lot size and other details of the building.  When you click on the name of the listing, you can see the description and the days it has been listed. 

Uploaded by the renter and next to images are extra features the apartment has such as heating, whether the landlord takes pets, the deposits and fee, and more.  Zillow also has their own widget called Zestimate.

This feature will display the estimated rental value of the apartment you are viewing. This allows you to see the real value of the apartment.

About HotPads

Similar to Zillow, there are a larger variation of filters, so you are able to narrow down your perfect rental home. HotPads has more filters than Zillow or Trulia, with special restrictions to add to your preferences.

Some examples of special restrictions are income-based housing, military housing and senior housing. There is also the option to filter out homes by rental type. 

HotPads has more filters than Zillow or Trulia, with special restrictions to add to your preferences.

Some examples of special restrictions are income-based housing, military housing and senior housing. There is also the option to filter out homes by rental type. 

HotPads also allows you to set up alerts for new listings that fall within your preferences when they become available.

This website also allows neighborhood ratings and comments from users, which allow a new user to understand how safe the neighborhood is and other details.

Other information the website provides is data on the demographics, market value of the area and a detailed “about” section as well. If you want details of both the neighborhood and your future apartment, HotPads is a good place to start searching.

About Rent Jungle

This rental listing website, like most listing sites, provides map-based results and displays its most active listings.

One specific feature it has is that you are able to compare rental spaces. So, if there are two apartments that you have in mind and want to put them side-by-side, Rent Jungle can allow this.

This is also very useful if you are comparing rent from different cities. 

This website has the fundamental filters for a listing website like number of bathrooms and bedrooms, amenities, and features of the rental space. 

One specific feature to rent jungle is the ability to measure the average trend and market strength by city. They also display the archive of market data they have previously collected.

If you need useful tips, the website also provides apartment market articles for its users.

Learn About Useful Calculators While Apartment Hunting

While you are apartment hunting, knowing where you stand financially first can be helpful. Having a handle on your credit and keeping a budget for your move are just a few items for your checklist.

Below are some calculators that will help you reach a well-rounded understanding of your personal finances.