Do you like the idea of investing in real estate, but don't know where to start? It's tough to find the perfect software to guide you through each step of the process. That's why we've compiled this list of programs that stand head and shoulders higher than standard tools and are both free and paid software. Thus, here is a real estate investment analysis software for you.

Each program is explained with a rundown on what it can do, how it can help you invest in real estate better, as well as how much it costs. Before purchasing one or more of these services make sure they meet your needs and be sure to read customer reviews for all purchases – these folks are always right! Ready? Let's get started.

1. BiggerPockets

BiggerPockets is a forum-based community where investors can communicate with each other about real estate investing strategies, properties, and more. This is one of the most common places that new investors start out, as it offers a large number of free resources for beginners. The most popular of these resources is the “BiggerPockets Quick Start Guide to Real Estate Investing” eBook. BiggerPockets also has podcasts and live webinars to help you learn more about real estate investing.

2. Madrinet

Madrinet is a free real estate investing course that teaches you how to invest in real estate, how to buy your first house, and how to finance your first million-dollar home. The program is easy to use, doesn't require too much time investment, and is fairly comprehensive for the basics of investing in real estate. Madrinet also offers a suite of tools that can be used in conjunction with the program such as custom reports, mortgage calculators, and account software.

3. RealEstateInvestor Academy

RealEstateInvestor Academy is another free resource for beginners interested in learning more about real estate investing. Their eBook breaks down the basics of real estate investing such as how to find properties to buy, how to find a low-risk investment using the bank's FHA loan program, how to finance your investment, and much more.

4. Investopedia

Investopedia is one of the best resources for beginners learning about real estate investing as they have tons of information that can help you make better decisions about your investments. Before purchasing an eBook or software program, start with this resource.

5. Zillow

Zillow (formerly Realtor.com) has great tools that are useful for lookups of homes for sale in any area you may be interested in buying in. They also have a great loan calculator, which you can use to find out what your monthly mortgage payment may be based on your income and debt.

6. Trulia

Trulia has a great search engine that even lists properties that are for sale in your area, by neighborhood, or by specific moods (like “cheap but fixer-upper” or “luxury home in the luxurious neighborhood”). Their website also has tools that allow you to view information about each property and filter out the ones you don't want to look at. They also have plenty of articles to help get an idea of how real estate investing works in other areas as well.

7. Zillow Home Value

This is an awesome tool that shows you the current market value of all of a home's components. This way, if you are buying an investment property or building a new house, you can estimate how much money it takes to buy and renovate it. The only downfall is that it doesn't work with all types of real estate, so make sure the property is appraised and listed on Zillow before relying on this tool for your purchase.

8. Trulia Rentals

Trulia also has a rental search tool that will show you rentals in your area as well as popular neighborhoods in other areas around the country. This is great if you intend to buy a home and rent it out for a bit until you are ready to live in it.

9. Zillow Mortgage Calculator

There is nothing more important than finding out what your monthly mortgage payments are going to be before taking out a loan. Use this tool to figure out how much a specific property will cost you based on your income and debt-to-income ratio. This is great for investors who want to improve their credit score before purchasing a home or apartment building.

10. RealtyTrac

This tool has one of the best public records search tools out there, where you can search properties with liens against them or foreclosures, and even filter out specific types of properties such as rental homes, bank-owned properties, and much more to see what they are worth.

11. Tax-Rates.org

This tool is great for figuring out how much you will owe in taxes after purchasing a property, especially if the cost is going to be substantial. You can even visit the IRS website to find out more about what taxes are in your area and how real estate affects them.

12. Realtor.com

This is a great resource for finding out if a property has been for sale in your area recently and what the price was. It also shows the price history of properties that have recently sold in your area, so it's another good tool to use with Zillow when you are looking at homes to buy or sell.

13. Better Homes and Gardens

For those new to real estate investing, you should definitely be familiar with this magazine as they have tons of great how-to-do guides that can help you buy investment properties quickly and efficiently. In fact, you can subscribe to them for a cheap price and read their online versions as well, which will help you cut down on your costs compared to finding the same information through other channels.

14. Realtor.com Value Calculator

When buying properties as an investment, you want to know how much the property is worth and whether it is worth purchasing or not. Use this calculator from Zillow to figure out exactly what value the property has based on your desired purchase price and how much money you are willing to put into the property before it is “fixed up” for renting or living in.

15. SimpleHomes.net

If you are interested in purchasing a home to live in (which is a good idea if you plan to rent it out), then this site is a great resource for finding homes all over the country. You can search for properties that are on the market, by price, area, and even by specific types of homes such as “landscaping home” or “man cave” which will help you find exactly what you are looking for. They also have information on renting out your own home, which is a great way for first-time investors to get their feet wet before purchasing multi-unit buildings.

16. Rent.com

If you are looking to invest in a single-family house or an apartment building, this is the site to use. They have a huge variety of areas and types of houses for sale all over the country as well as specific areas such as “bedroom communities” or “school districts” which will help you narrow your search down to specific communities so that you can find the perfect place.

Real estate investment software analysis is important so that you make the right choice about the software for your real estate investment.