When my first-time home buyer clients called, they were on a (quick) mission: find a house in the Wilson High School zone that has 3+ bedrooms, 2+ bathrooms and is under $500k. Something move in ready, with a yard, a cute neighborhood, and preferably walkable. Extra bonus: a basement that could eventually be turned into a rental, or a place for their in-laws to stay when in town.
The caveat? They wouldn’t be here to tour any of the houses and likely wouldn’t be here until possession day. And they needed it to close in the next two months.
Here are five tools that got us through tours, an accepted offer, inspections and closing:
1. Facetime and YouTube:
When we toured homes we used Facetime so that they could see it live because as we all know, photos often don’t do it justice (or in some cases do it too much justice). When they weren’t able to see it in person, I video’d the home and loaded up the videos to You Tube so they could take a look when their schedules allowed.
As tough as photos can be to gauge a house from, it’s equally tricky to understand the layout if the listing agent hasn’t provided a floor plan. Enter the Magic Plan App. For homes my clients were really interested in, I created a floor plan using the app so that they had a good understanding of room dimensions, ceiling heights and the overall layout.
3. A digital timeline:
I use a digital timeline with all clients, but in this case it was particularly helpful. The timeline I use auto populates my clients calendar with critical dates: earnest money deposit due date, inspection dates, inspection deadlines, etc. It’s helpful for keeping everyone on the same page.
4. An amazing Mortgage Broker:
Enter Rayko Diaz from Guild Mortgage. Rayko was in constant communication with the group, both as a whole and separately. He sent status updates weekly to let people know what was needed of them and when. Also: he’s a great guy.
This is a critical factor in buying something sight unseen. You want to know that the agent you use has style and tools to help you understand what you’re buying. Equally important is their access to phenomenal inspectors and sub contractors who can give you a really clear understanding of the home’s condition and the cost of any associated repairs that need to be done so you can adequately negotiate prior to the inspection contingency expiring.
I’m so excited for my clients as they enter the next chapter of their life! This house is a beauty, it’s in such a cute neighborhood and all the updates were in keeping with the mid-century charm.
Now comes the fun part: handing them the keys when they see it for the first time in person!
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