App brings real estate listings to your fingertips

Looking for real estate on Oahu? There’s an app for that.

When I heard luxury real estate company Kahala Associates just released a mobile real estate search website and app for Apple and Android devices, I had to check it out. It took just a minute or two to load onto my iPad. Then, almost immediately after launching it, I could see two properties for sale within walking distance—and that was before I tested the search function.

I really like how the app uses global positioning to show you nearby listings, with the prices highlighted. Just glancing at the screen, I can see that there are homes ranging from $700,000 to $1.1 million withinwalking distance from mine, along with three homes under $700,000 on the other side of Enchanted Lake. Just a couple taps opens up details about the listings, including photos.

The app shows all listings on Oahu, but you can select "Company Only" in the search function if you want to only see Kahala Associates listings.

While I didn’t have a lot of luck trying to move the map to find different listings, simply typing “Kaneohe” into the search field brought up about a dozen listings, including the Ninja Sushi restaurant at Windward Mall.

I ended up playing with it for quite a while, drawn in by the ability to see all the listings in a neighborhood mapped out. If you have a smart phone or tablet, you can easily search for listings, find realtors and explore market trends.

The app has a “Scope Search” feature that uses the camera to find information on properties around them. It’s a lot more handy than a “For Sale” sign that doesn’t offer up much information. For example, in seconds I learned that a townhome on Keolu Drive in Kailua is listed at $325,000, has four bedrooms, two baths and a lanai.

It also has a “Perimeter Search” that allows you to draw boundaries and zoom in on areas of interest, along with the ability to bookmark and compare properties. Once you've done that, you can see your saved properties on the KahalaAssociates.com app.

Conclusion: If you're looking for real estate on Oahu, the Kahala Associates app is worth checking out.