You know you’re a Bay Area home buyer when the idea of a “rentback” to a home seller gives you chills. What if the home owner doesn’t leave? What if you become a landlord? What if you have to end up evicting them? Enter the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) form: “Seller in Possession.” Basically…
Home sellers in Oakland, Alameda and some other East Bay cities need to decide whether to repair their sewer lateral, if necessary, or let the buyer pay for repairing the sewer lateral. It’s part of a program called East Bay Private Sewer Lateral (PSL) In Oakland, home sellers or home buyers where there is a…
The New York Times profiled of a Los Angeles house buyer who wrote a “love letter” to the seller. The buyer just happened to be a successful Hallmark romance movie writer. Was wooing the owner with a romantic letter how she got the house? Why many home sellers sand real estate agents won’t look at…
I buy my home buyer clients a home warranty for a typical reason: peace of mind. I’ll admit, it took my becoming a real estate agent to learn about the magic of home warranties. Most of us assume only new developments have warranties, just like a new dishwasher. Nope! In fact, I usually warn buyers…
What’s the most important feature when buying a home? The oldest wisdom says “location, location, location.” But what exactly defines the perfect location that checks all the boxes of desirability and long-term appreciate? It depends! The book FLIP: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit distills that perfect location into “9 Neighborhood Appeal Factors.” You…
Chicago Title put together a scary video of home title horror stories (for Halloween). There’s nothing funny about someone stealing your property through fraud or finding out that you don’t actually own the property you bought. Watch these horror stories if you have any doubts about the importance of title insurance. What is title insurance…
According to Chicago Title, scammers and fraudsters are impersonating property owners to illegally sell real property — especially vacant lots and land. Avoid being scammed! Due to the types of vacant lots and land property being targeted, it can take months or years for the actual property owner to discover the fraud. Facebook has lots…
Do you fully understand the importance of being prepared for flooding in their homes…or outside of your home? The California Association of Realtors points out that homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage. After the record-breaking wildfires in California, the risk of flash flooding and mud flows increase significantly until vegetation is restored — up…
How can a home buyer make a winning offer on a house that has multiple offers for which the seller is looking for the “highest and best” offer? Good question! All along the East Bay near the Bay, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, home sellers are countering multiple offers asking for “highest and best.” In short, it’s…
Beyond home insurance, there are a few things to ponder before embarking on home ownership. Here are 3 super important things that might save you and your loved ones a lot of headaches and money in the future: 1) People talk about having a will, but a trust might be even more important. Having a…