If you're looking for a home — or even if you just like to keep your eye on homes for sale in your neighborhood — I've got a great new tool to share with you just in time for the busy spring market.

Just visit http://app.mkbrealtors.com/MKBRPAYNE/ to download our new home search app, and search properties from the entire Roanoke Valley MLS.

The app, which is available for iPhone or Android, has a ton of great search features that make home shopping a breeze:

• Location-based search: Tap "Closest Homes" or "Closest Rentals" to get a list of properties close to your GPS location. You can also enter an address to search for properties close to that location. This makes shopping by neighborhoods so easy, whether you're looking at properties from home or driving around a particular area you like (If you're driving, pull over or let your passenger do the searching.)
• Advanced search: This is the sort of property search you'd see on most any real estate website. You can search by property type, price, beds and baths, size, or MLS number. You can also use the location-based search with the advanced search to set a radius around a location. The advanced search allows you to search rentals as well.
• Open houses: Quickly find open houses throughout the valley or around a certain location.
• New listings: You won't miss a single new property.
• Price change: Search all homes that have had a recent list price adjustment.
• List or map view: Display any set of search results in a list sorted by distance or price, or on a Google map. You can even draw a circle on the map and see homes within your outline.
• Refine search: Start with a broad search and continue to add parameters until you get just the search you want.
• Save searches: Save any search and choose to get alerts by email or push notification when new properties that match your criteria are added to the MLS.

Individual listings contain all the information found in the MLS, including all the photos for each home and a long list of property details.

Once you find a property you like, it's easy to share it with family or friends, post it to Facebook or Twitter, save it to a personalized list or get directions. If you have questions about the home, just tap "Contact" to reach me by phone, email or text message.

The folks I've shared the app with so far have had good things to say about it, so I hope you'll give it a try! Download it today, and let me know what you think.