Earlier last year, we wrote about a new app that was changing the way homebuyers find the their perfect listing. The app, Sitegeist, doesn't focus on each home like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, or square footage it may have. Instead, this out-of-the-box app scopes out the neighborhood. When we tested it, we were able to find the ratio of men to women, the different age groups, as well as the median home value in different neighborhoods. The app comes with many other features, but soon enough, no one will be able to access the free app.
While Sitegeist has won multiple awards along with downloads from more than 100,000 people, it's in need of a complete update, which the creators at Sunlight Foundation can't afford. Project Manager of Sunlight Foundation Nicko Margolies gave the backstory, saying, "It was built in 2012 and designed for iOS 6. The data displayed in the app is outdated (if it shows up at all), and there are a number of critical bugs making the user experience quite poor." In the effort to revitalize the app, Sunlight Foundation created a Kickstarter campaign to raise $45,000. Over $1,500 have been raised so far, and if they meet their goal, they'll be able to completely rebuild the app, update it with existing information on neighborhoods, and even add new data sources. For now, as Margolies said, "We're turning to the fans to help us save it." Check out our previous post to have an inside look on how it works.
· Turning to the Fans to Save Sitegeist, Neighborhood App [Curbed DC]