FAQ

Selling Or Buying… What’s Next?

Whether you’re selling your home or looking to buy a home, the process involves many steps. While each transaction is unique, there are common questions and process’ with each sale.

It is our desire to “uncomplicate” the process for you, by knowing what to expect. The unknown can cause anxiety, so we encourage you to read the “What To Expect When You’re Expecting… (no, not the maternity book) To Sell or Buy a Home.”

Remember to breathe, and we’ll guide you every step of the way!

“What To Expect When You're Expecting... To Sell Your House

  1. Take 3 deep breaths, and exhale slowly
  2. Expect a listing appointment to take about 2 hours to explain and complete the paperwork
  3. Expect we will want all owners present at the appointment
  4. Expect to receive an email of how to prepare your home for a photoshoot
  5. Expect to have a spare house key ready for all locked doors to place in the lockbox
  6. Expect to have a successful showing by turning on lights, keeping the home clean and orderly, turning on soft music, and crating or taking your pets with you
  7. Expect phone calls from agents to show your home according to your instructions
  8. Expect your instructions to not always be followed perfectly
  9. Expect showing cancellations, no-shows, or re-schedules at times
  10. Expect showings to take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours
  11. Expect that 2 hour showings are worth the inconvenience
  12. Expect to be a little overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork of your first offer
  13. Expect to receive the offer via email with a phone call or appointment to review together
  14. Expect to receive our knowledge and expertise in negotiating your offer
  15. Expect us to listen to you and help you see challenges objectively to help you accomplish your goals
  16. Expect that all offers are unique with positive and negative points
  17. Expect that a “low-ball” offer is a buyer that wants to buy your home, it’s an opportunity to negotiate
  18. Expect to experience waves of emotion and then repeat Number One.

What To Expect When Your House Is Under Contract (Selling)

  1. Expect to provide the buyer with a Sellers Property Disclosure Statement and Insurance Claims History report for the past 5 years
  2. Expect the buyer to schedule as many inspections as they desire during the inspection period (first 10 days after contract acceptance unless negotiated differently in the purchase contract)
  3. Expect that you are expected to not be home during the inspections (the buyer will be accompanied by their agent)
  4. Expect to make sure the water, electric, and gas are kept on through closing
  5. Expect to receive a list of repairs requested by the buyer at the end of their inspection period
  6. Expect to experience waves of emotion and take 3 deep breaths, and exhale slowly
  7. Expect to have 5 days to respond to the buyer with what you will or will not agree to repair (you can get bids during this time, sometime seller’s offer monetary credits in lieu of repairs as well)
  8. Expect the buyer to have 5 days to either agree to your response, or cancel the contract and receive a refund of their earnest money deposit (if they cancel, your house goes back on the market, otherwise the sale moves forward)
  9. Expect to have the agreed upon repairs completed with receipts provided to the buyer no later than 3 days prior to close of escrow
  10. Expect the buyer’s lender to order the appraisal
  11. Expect to receive regular updates from us on the status of the buyer’s loan progress
  12. Expect to receive a “Woohoo” from us when the house appraises
  13. Expect to receive a “Boohoo” from us if the house does not appraise
  14. Expect to have a conversation with us about options to consider if this occurs
  15. Expect the buyer to complete their loan documents
  16. Expect to contact the utility companies to have them taken out of your name on the close of escrow date
  17. Expect to not cancel your homeowners insurance until after close of escrow (recordation) takes place
  18. Expect the buyer to do a final walk-through prior to signing their documents to verify all agreed upon repairs have been completed and to verify the home is in the same condition as when it went under contract
  19. Expect your signing of documents (fondly called closing but it’s not really) to be scheduled by us with the title company when they receive all of the documents they need from the lender (this may require a couple of deep breaths)
  20. Expect us to review the Estimated Settlement Statement from the title company to verify all items of the contract have been accurately applied (we often do not receive this document until the day of signing)
  21. Expect us to attend the signing with you, drink lots of coffee, and offer you our sincere congratulations
  22. Expect to have all of your personal belongings removed from the home prior to the Close of Escrow date
  23. Expect the property to record on the “Close of Escrow” date that is written on the Purchase Contract
  24. Expect us to contact you after recordation with a super big “Woohoo, your house is officially sold and your check is ready!”
  25. Expect us to stay in touch with you…we value our relationship with you and consider you a lifelong friend

“What To Expect When You're Expecting...To Buy A Home!”

  1. Take 3 deep breaths, and exhale slowly
  2. Expect us to recommend some reputable lenders for you to contact if you do not have a preferred lender
  3. Expect to contact a few lenders to pre-qualify for a loan (not all lenders are the same)
  4. Expect to honestly share with us what matters most to you about purchasing a home so we can guide you down the right path
  5. Expect us to ask you a lot of questions to locate your new home
  6. Expect to receive regular emails of homes that match your search criteria the moment they go live in MLS
  7. Expect us to search for properties that are not yet listed in the MLS that match your search criteria
  8. Expect to be as involved in the search as you wish to be by notifying us of properties you’ve located that look promising
  9. Expect us to ask you to drive through the neighborhoods of the homes you wish to tour prior to scheduling to make sure you like the look/feel of the home and neighborhood (online pictures can be deceiving)
  10. Expect us to schedule home showing tours according to availability
  11. Expect to not find the PERFECT home…it doesn’t exist
  12. Expect to use the 80/10/10 rule…if you find a house that has 80% of what you are looking for, 10% of things you can change, and 10% of things you can live with, it’s a winner
  13. Expect to not ever purchase a home if you insist on seeing everything that comes on the market
  14. Expect to act quickly when you find a “winner,” especially in a hot market
  15. Expect us to put together a strong offer to purchase when you choose your new home
  16. Expect us to utilize our expertise and skill as we negotiate the offer with the listing agent
  17. Expect the possibility of counter-offers and not knowing the outcome for a few days
  18. Repeat Number One
  19. Expect an offer on a short sale to possibly take many months before you receive a bank acceptance, and even then the house could get foreclosed on before the sale is complete
  20. Expect us to keep you informed and call you with a “Woohoo” when you have an accepted contract

What To Expect When Once You Are Under Contract (Buying)

  1. Take 3 deep breaths, and exhale slowly
  2. Expect to open escrow by promptly wiring earnest money funds directly to the title company
  3. Expect to research the property condition and all aspects of the home and area within 10 days of contract acceptance
  4. Expect us to guide you every step of the way, starting with scheduling all inspections that are of importance to you (we will be present at inspections with you)
  5. Expect us to obtain the Sellers Property Disclosure Statement and Insurance Claims History report if being provided
  6. Expect to promptly provide documentation to your lender as requested
  7. Expect us to communicate with your lender and send them the contract
  8. Expect to not do ANYTHING that changes your financial status, including but not limited to (ask your lender for a complete list of do’s and don’ts):
    • Quitting your job
    • Changing your job
    • Buying a large ticket item on credit (like $5.00 or more!)
    • Applying for credit (buy the new appliances AFTER you have closed!)
    • Co-Signing for even a candy bar!
    • Keep resources in the bank as directed by your lender
  9. Expect to provide the seller with a list of requested repairs at the end of your inspection period
  10. Expect the seller to take up to 5 days to respond to your request with what they will or will not agree to repair
  11. Expect to have up to 5 days to accept the seller’s response, or cancel the contract. If you cancel, your earnest money will be refunded and you will start the search process over. If you accept the seller’s response…
  12. Expect your lender to order the appraisal (fee required)
  13. Expect the seller to have the agreed upon repairs completed with receipts no later than 3 days prior to close of escrow
  14. Expect to receive a “Woohoo” from us when the house appraises
  15. Expect to receive a “Boohoo” from us if the house does not appraise
  16. Expect to have a conversation with us about options to consider if this occurs
  17. Expect redundancy with requests for documents for your loan…repeat Number 1 and send the documents again
  18. Expect to contact the utility companies to schedule service to be turned on in your name on the close of escrow date, as well as submit a change of address with the post office
  19. Expect to purchase homeowners insurance as directed by your lender
  20. Expect to have a final walk-through prior to signing your documents to verify all agreed upon repairs have been completed and to verify the home is in the same condition as when it went under contract
  21. Expect to sign your documents approximately 3 days prior to close of escrow (fondly called closing but it’s not really)
  22. Expect us to schedule your signing with the title company when they receive all of the documents they need from the lender (this may require you to repeat Number 1)
  23. Expect us to review the Estimated Settlement Statement from the title company to verify all items of the contract have been accurately applied (we often do not receive this document until the day of signing)
  24. Expect to bring a cashier’s check for the amount due on the Settlement Statement to the signing, along with a photo I.D.
  25. Expect us to attend the signing with you, drink lots of coffee, and offer you our sincere congratulations
  26. Expect the signing to take approximately one hour if it is not an all cash transaction…rest your writing hand the night before, whew!
  27. Expect your lender to re-check your credit prior to funding your loan (refer to Number 8)
  28. Expect the property to record on the “Close of Escrow” date that is written on the Purchase Contract
  29. Expect that you may not have the keys or move any items onto the property or take possession until after the house has recorded
  30. Expect us to contact you after recordation with a super big “Woohoo, you are the proud owner of a beautiful new home! Let’s get you those keys!”
  31. Expect us to stay in touch with you…we value our relationship with you and consider you a lifelong friend
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