So you want to buy a home in the Golden State. Or maybe you’re ready to sell and move on to your next big thing. Either way, California REALTORS® are here to help.
While COVID-19 has changed the way we live, home is still closer than you think. With the help of a California REALTOR®, the whole process can be done safely and effectively. Here are five things to consider while buying and selling in today’s market.
Buying and selling a home is stressful, especially today with nearly every home receiving multiple offers and selling for above list price. You need to work with an expert who is familiar with current safety guidelines and the ever-changing market. Working with a professional who is tech-savvy and adept at virtual tours, knows the market inside and out, and can serve as your trusted confidante is key to finding or selling your home.
Your safety is your REALTOR’s® top priority. Take advantage of virtual open houses and video tours. Along with photos and videos, many listings also offer virtual reality tours to let you see the home, room by room, as if you were there. You can also FaceTime with your REALTOR® to uncover any blind spots and get questions answered. But if you find a place you love and want to see it up close, most REALTORS® will be able to set up a socially distanced in-person tour.
As a seller, know that virtual showings are becoming the new norm. Talk to your REALTOR® about creating videos for potential buyers, hosting live streams, or even throwing a virtual open house via Zoom. Your REALTOR® can also help you with more high-tech options, like creating a 3-D digital model of your home, or doing a virtual staging where simulated images of your house are enhanced with digital decor and furniture. If you’re comfortable with showing your home in person, your REALTOR® will always come prepared with masks, gloves, sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
Right now, it’s a seller’s market. For buyers, this means if you love a specific house, someone else probably does too. So don’t get discouraged if you’re outbid — that perfect place WILL come along. For sellers, this means you should be prepared for multiple offers. No matter what situation you’re dealing with, a California REALTOR® will be right there with you, every step of the way. In the meantime, check out our interactive dashboards and sales & price reports to stay up to date with the market.
These days, inspections and appraisals might not require in-person contact. At a remote home inspection, the inspector will check out the home and review their findings with you over video. The same goes for appraisals. If a lender allows it, appraisals can be done virtually, or by driving by a property. A lender may also offer a ‘desktop appraisal’ where they assess the value of the home by reviewing data and comparable properties to get you an accurate report.
Congratulations! Whether you found a buyer, or you found a home, closings can be the most exciting part of the process. But even if you hold off on the hand shakes, most closings do require some form of in-person interaction. After all, it’s not a deal until that document is signed.
Consider a “drive up closing” where the buyer signs papers in their car, while a title expert delivers the pre-prepared documents between parties. You can also opt for having a notary public come to your house to get a witnessed ink signature with minimal safety risk.
A California REALTOR® can help answer any questions you have and provide support in every step of your buying or selling experience.
