When I purchased my iphone over a year ago, I had truly no idea how addictive it would be. From emails, to web surfing, to apps that do just about anything, it's permanently glued to my hand. And now that my husband and I are in the process of buying a home, I have found even more reasons why I just adore this amazing piece of equipment. Now that I've shamelessly plugged the iphone, here are my top 5 Real Estate apps:

Reason #1 - Realtor.com app
I bow down to thee, realtor.com app. From open houses to maps to the properties, this is hands down the most interactive real estate app I have seen yet. I especially love the feature that lets you find nearby listings and open houses, no matter where you are because it synchs with your current location. Let's not forget the ability to email the listings, save them for future viewing and being able to call the Realtor right from the property detail page.  Yes, this app is pretty sweet.

Reason #2 - Google Reader
If you subscribe to blogs about the housing market, mortgage rates, or say perhaps our blog (hint hint), this is a GREAT way to read them all in one, nice, neat little place without having to check umpteen websites and blogs.

Reason #3 - the BHG Home Select app
Now I am not just mentioning this app because we're a BHG affiliate. It truly is a robust application - especially the ability to snap and store photos of homes you visit to include images that are NOT listed in online at sites like realtor,com, zillow and such. The neighborhood and community tool is incredible. If you are looking for the right area, schools and community info, this is the app for you.

Reason #4 - Around me app
This is not a real estate specific app, however, can be VERY useful when exploring a neighborhood. It shows you literally what's around you. From restaurants, schools, atm's, coffee shops, bars, movie theaters, supermarkets and more. It's a fantastic way to virtually discover your potential new community.

Reason #5 - Trulia app
At first you think it's just another real estate home search tool, but what sets the trulia app apart is the price history feature. This nifty little tool shows you the price history of a property - where it was listed originally, and reductions or increases in list price, etc so you can see the pricing trends in a particular market, community or even solitary listing.