First Time Home Buyer

5 Ways to Write a Winning Offer in Today’s Real Estate Market

Our nation is in the midst of a serious housing crunch. Last year, a lack of inventory and soaring prices left many would-be homebuyers feeling pinched. But now, with interest rates climbing, many of them are also feeling desperate to lock in a mortgage—which has only added fuel to the fire.1 Fortunately, if you’re a buyer struggling to find a home, we have some good news. While it’s true that higher mortgage rates can decrease your purchasing budget, there are additional ways to compete in a hot market. Yes, a high offer...

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A Return to ‘Normal’? The State of Real Estate in 2022

Last year was one for the real estate history books. The pandemic helped usher in a buying frenzy that caused home prices to soar nationwide by a record 19.9% between August 2020 and August 2021.1 However, there were signs in the fourth quarter that the red-hot housing market was beginning to simmer down. In the month of October, only 60.3% of sales involved a bidding war—down from a high of 74.5% in April.2 While this trend could be attributed to seasonality, it could also be a signal that the real estate...

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New Build or Existing Home: Which One Is Right for You?

Homebuyers today are facing a huge dilemma. There simply aren’t enough homes for sale.1 Nationwide, there were 1.27 million active listings in September, down 13% from the previous year. According to the National Association of Realtors, that’s about 2.4 months of inventory, which is far less than the six months that is generally needed to strike a healthy balance between supply and demand.2 Given the limited number of available properties, if you’re a buyer in today’s market, you may need to expand your search to include both new construction and resale homes....

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New Website look

MODERN, SLEEK & SEXY NEW WEBSITE!

MODERN, SLEEK & SEXY NEW WEBSITE! HOW DO I STAND OUT AND GET NOTICED? A constant challenge as a Realtor is finding ways to stand out! In a sea of spectacular realtors waiting to partner with you to buy or sell a home, or both, it's often challenging to get noticed. As a result, each year when I sit down to create a business plan, after reviewing what worked and didn't work in the previous year I focus on 3 things: 1. Avenues where I can provide value 2. A marketing plan that isn't...

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Negotiations

10 Steps in Buying a Home: Part 6-Negotiating Towards Ratification

10 Steps in Buying a Home: Part 6-Negotiating Towards Ratification Negotiating aspects This is the point in the 10 Steps in Buying a Home where you really find out what your true commitment is to buying this house! Do you want this house more then the other buyers who have submitted offers? There are several terms and conditions written into your offer in addition to price. The seller and their agent consider the terms of all offers and weighs them with the price to find the very best offer....

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10 Steps to Buying a Home – Step 5 The Offer

10 Steps to Buying a Home – Step 5 The Offer Making an offer When do you know you are ready to make an offer on a home? Pre-approval from lender – Check! Private home tour with agent – Check! You may look at 3 homes or 20+ homes before finding one that speaks to you, matches your needs/wants and is within your budget. Remember that finding the perfect home for you is a process and each buyers’ process is as unique as they are. We are currently experiencing...

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Marin Real Estate

10 Steps in Buying a Home – STEP 4: Preview Homes

10 Steps in Buying a Home – STEP 4: Preview Homes Congratulations! You are now ready to get in your Realtors car and start down that path of finding your next perfect home! You’ve made it through the pre-approval process which is a difficult step and now you will be rewarded with a customized tour of homes that match your budget and hearts desires. Shopping for a house Buying a home is a process and that process is as unique as you are so first step is to disregard...

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10 Step Home Buying Guide-Step1: ESTABLISH A BUDGET

10 Step Home Buying Guide –  1. ESTABLISH A BUDGET Establish a Budget Buying property is a HUGE deal! It’s likely the single biggest purchase you will make in your lifetime. The first step is to establish a budget and to do that you have to step back and look at your big picture. What does owning a home mean to you? How do you see yourself and your family living in the home? Is this your 5-year home or your forever home? What other activities and hobbies...

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10 Steps in Buying a Home – Step 3: Obtain Lender Pre-Approval

10 Steps in Buying a Home – STEP 3: Obtain a lender Pre-approval Pre-approval of a loan You have met with and committed to your Realtor and you are ready and anxious to move forward and find your perfect home. Before you get in your Realtors car to look at homes you need to talk with a lender and obtain a pre-approval. Why is this so crucial? Knowing your buying power is well, powerful. The online calculators will give you a rough idea of your monthly PITI (principle, interest,...

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house shopping

10 Steps in Home Buying – STEP 2: Commit to a Realtor

10 Steps in Home Buying – STEP 2: Commit to a Marin Modern/San Francisco Modern Realtor Home Buying: Call or Email a Realtor Today The home buying process is unique and should be customized to your specific and personal needs and wants. Engaging a Realtor early on will get you started down the right path for your home buying journey. 97% of home buyers today start their search online and spend anywhere from a few weeks to several years researching and planning before contacting a Realtor. This is totally...

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