How to Buy a Home
We are a local Guerneville Real Estate Agent who has not only the knowledge and expertise of a dynamite agent but also knows the terrain, so to speak. He knows where each home is and what its pros and cons are. He is a great listener which makes him an invaluable agent for his clients because he hears what they want in a home and is able to find them a home that matches their specific needs. To make sure that you are well informed on both the available properties and the lifestyle here on the Russian River take a minute to Explore the Russian River Community.
Pre-Approval
Getting a Pre-Approval when you are buying a home is very important because it shows buyers that you are serious about purchasing a home by providing them with proof that the bank is willing to lend to you. It is like remembering to bring your wallet with you to the grocery store...when you are out shopping for a home you should have your pre-approval with you.A pre-approval is also the bank telling you how much you can get a mortgage for.
Writing an Offer
Once you
Find Your Perfect Home you are ready to write an offer. Writing an offer on a home for sale on the Russian River isn't just about deciding what price to offer...the offer will also include a timeline with dates, such as how many days you will need to get inspections done on the property and how long you need to make sure your loan is in place.
Disputes often arise when buyers and sellers go into the transaction with different ideas about what the sale will include. It is important to know the difference between what belongs to the owner as personal property and what will transfer in the sale.
Home values are sometimes higher or lower than they should be for a number of different reasons. Talk to you agent and allow them to draw on their experience to help you decide whether you should offer more or less than the asking price in order to help get your offer accepted and get you a great deal.
The Earnest Money Deposit or EMD is basically a message to the seller from the buyer. The buyer is putting money into an account and saying to the seller "Listen, I am serious about buying this home and when I release my contingencies this deposit is yours."
You want to make sure that the agent that you are working with is local to the area and will know the local market conditions and has a good amount of experience in writing offers. Research your agent online and make sure that they have the reputation you are looking for. You want and deserve someone who knows what they are doing and who will negotiate for you in such a way that they are going to get you the best deal possible.
Escrow
Investing in Russian River real estate for the first time can be fun and exciting if you are armed with knowledge about the process of buying a home so there are no unwanted surprises! Click the link to discover everything that you need to know about escrow and how the process works once you have entered into escrow.
Learn About The Escrow ProcessHome...The Logistics
Important Inspections
There is a disclosure called the Buyer Inspection Elections that you will get when you enter contract. This allows you to choose which inspections you would like to get done...no matter what anyone says the most important inspections are any and all inspections that you deem necessary!
A home warranty typically covers repairs on your home, including electrical, plumbing, heating ducts and central air conditioning, major appliances, and the water heater, but there are exceptions from coverage that will depend on your specific home warranty.
Although you can legally own a home in California and not have homeowners insurance, it is a good idea to protect your home, and your personal belongings inside the home, against any unforeseen damage. Homeowners insurance will help protect your home against natural disasters, and accidents that may occur within the home.
Flood Insurance is a sound investment if you live in an area that has large amounts of rain, hurricanes, snow, or is ocean front, river front, or creek front. Flood insurance protects your home against the damage done by water entering your home.
When you are in escrow, your title company will do a title search to see if there are any liens, encumbrances, judgments, etc. that may be clouding the title of the home. The title company does this search of public archives to find any records of anything that may affect the title of the home in order to remedy, if possible, any issues in ownership. Once they have completed this search, they will prepare a Preliminary Title report that will outline what they found.
Relocation
Are you relocating to this area? If so then you have tons of questions…where is a good place to eat? Are there any good schools? What about shopping? Is the Russian River accessible from town? What is there to do in Guerneville anyway? Discover the lifestyle and have all your questions answered by visiting our Facebook Page titled
Russian River Living or checking out our blog.
Many people will choose an area to move to based on what schools are available for their children and what those schools have to offer. It is important to make sure that the area you are moving to is going to enrich your children and expand their horizons. The Russian River has natural beauty, strong close knit communities, and great schools!
Close Escrow
Closing time is the most exciting part of the transaction both for clients and for us here at Millar and Company. Our team will help you review your closing costs and the Estimated Settlement Statements provided by your title company to make sure that everything is in place before you close. The best part of our job here at Millar and Company is getting to give you the keys to your new home and watch as the joy of owning your own home shines through your smile!