#traciedemars

[traciedemars]

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes: Home Showings 101...home buyer & seller education ​www.traciedemars.com Saturday, February 8th, from 9am-12pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room       1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Tuesday, February 11th, from 5pm - 8pm (ish)        Marshall Community Center, Conference room       1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, February 22nd, from 12pm-3pm (ish) ​       Vancouver YMCA, conference room      11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave).                                                                                     If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                                                   ....we also have home seller classes available too...look for link on top of website                   Happy February!   Finally....January is over...not that it was the longest month ever, or anything like that...  The beginning of the year is a good time to sell your home (if you've been thinking about it), and it's a time where a lot of folks who have been thinking about buying a home start the pre-approval process.  This months blog is going to address something that is important for both sellers, and buyers....showing homes.  Let's talk about this...the funnest, and the scariest part... As we've talked about in the past, there's a process to buying (and even selling) a home.... first,  you take a home buyer (or home seller) class, second, you move on to getting pre-approved.  Yes, even if you are selling a home, you want to get pre-approved before you go looking for your next home.  For a seller (who is going to be a homebuyer when their home sells) part of the information you will be giving to your lender is the guesstimated amount that you'll receive from the sale of your current home...your Realtor will help with this.  When you are buying a home, your Realtor is here to help you with your home adventure, and while yes, this is kind of scary...it is a lot of fun.  Whether this is your first home, or your 3rd, or 5th, or whatever...with a pre-approval & your Realtor,  you are ready for the 'fun' part.....LOOKING AT HOMES!  :-)  This is always an exciting time for buyers, and it should be!  Every home you pull up to has the possibility to be 'the one'....The one you make an offer on, the one that you buy, the ONE that becomes YOUR HOME...and it is very exciting, and yes, kind of scary too.  For the sellers though, it is very stressful because currently this IS their home, and they're leaving so that strangers can come in.  As a Realtor, we are trying to make this as easy as possible for both the buyer and seller, but we need help... From the homeowners (sellers), we are asking that the home be available to show, that the home be clean, nothing of value is being left out, all medicines are put away and out of sight (not left in bathrooms or kitchen cabinets), anything that a seller wants excluded from the sale is noted, that sweet pups are either removed or kenneled, that sweet kitties are noted as inside only or inside/outside ok, and that please, please... homeowners (sellers) be gone for showings.  Before you go on the market, talk to your Realtor about HOW the showings will work with your home.  Some folks are cool with a few hours notice, some need more time.  Most of my clients need a bit more time for showings.  If you have kids and/or pets, it's ok to ask for 24 hour notice.  That way you have time to prepare your home to be seen in its best possible condition.  You are still living in your home, and the buyers and buyers Realtor will (or should) respect that.  A lockbox will be put on your home, and during a showing the buyers agent will access the box for the key.  An email and/or a text will be sent to the sellers Realtor to let them know that a Realtor with XYZ company has accessed the home, and for how long we were there.  Before a seller puts their home on the market there is preparation, and usually some 'honey-do's' that need to be done.  As always, there is more to it than this, but that is a different class....and email.  You can always call me for more information when you are selling your home. From the buyers....it gets a bit more complicated...  before we go house shopping, we are asking that you have a pre-approval letter with a solid lender, we are asking that you do not look at homes above your price range, we are asking that you have thought about the Top Three things you want in a home (so we can show you homes that have those items you value most), and that you help us help you....      When a Realtor opens the lockbox to show you the home, we are taking responsibility for everything that happens from that moment on....until we lock up the house and put the key back into the lockbox.  As I say all the time...  Real Estate is NOT like HGTV...  you don't just get to wander the home while your Realtor sits outside...  we must be with you at all times when touring your potential new home.  Sometimes this can be like herding cats, but we understand your excitement...  just please, please as you are touring the home, and we know you have your family with you, please...we must all stay together.  Don't make me sing to you here.....    As cool as those toys look, I'm sorry but the kiddos can't play with them, and sorry...but you can't jump on the beds either.  It's ok to open cupboards, and closets, but we can't open dressers, or go through someone else's personal items.  Touring a home is a VISUAL thing....sorry.  Yes, you can use the bathroom.    When it's wet out (and lately it's been VERY wet), it's always a good take off our shoes before we enter someone else's home so be sure to wear easy on & off shoes, or use shoe booties.    When we are looking at homes, often we have more than one home to look at, and many homes are owner occupied so your Realtor makes appointments.  We do the best we can to make sure we have enough time to look at the homes, but we need to stay within our timeframes as the sellers are waiting to come home after we leave, or there are other Realtors waiting to show the home.  I promise we are not trying to 'rush' you through the home...we are just trying to stay within the timeframes so that you can see the other homes on your list.    With the real estate market starting to pick up for spring, it's important that if a home comes up that you like, you need to let your Realtor know as soon as possible so we can make an appointment for you to see it.  Your Realtor should be sending you a list of homes as they come on the market for you to check....drive by the homes...check out those neighborhoods....and let's make an appointment to go see the inside of the home.    Do not trust Internet photos!  Realtors hire professional photographers for our listings for a reason.  :-)  Internet photos are a lot like internet dating...you don't know what you're going to get when you get there      Like the neighborhood, but not sure about the house?  Let's at least go check out the inside!  You never know as you can't judge a book (or a house) by its cover.    ASK QUESTIONS!!  For heavens sake...this is a home you are thinking about buying...  ask questions!  As your Realtor, we are here to help!  If we can't answer your questions, we can at least set up in the right direction to get those answers. Buying a home is a very emotional experience.  Your Realtor is here to point out pros/cons, and to help you.... Trust your heart, but use your head...  or your Realtor.  :-)  Remember that we work FOR you.  Once you find THE home it's time to talk about making an offer, and those pesky timelines that you need to know, and that we need to abide by.  So, let's talk about that....next month!   Thank you, as always, for reading this. I hope this helps you this week!  Please, if you have any questions, please feel free to call, email, text, or even facebook me anytime.  I am always here to help!   Information is power, and I hope that I am help you!  Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you. I hope that explains this a bit, but if you have any questions, or comments please call or email me anytime!  Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me.  I would love to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure!  :-)    As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.   Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers. ....disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings... Upcoming Topics: How long is the home buying process... aka....when do I GET Keys? Last Month:  New Year...New Home?  Maybe?  Where to Start? Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,   ;-D   Tracie DeMars   Real Estate broker     Re/Max - Van Mall   360/ 903-3504 cell   360/ 882-3600 fax   www.traciedemars.com   traciedemars@aol.com       “Interested in free and non promotional home education classes?  Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.” "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."       - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

Pre-approvals....what you need to know,   Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes: Saturday, September 22nd, from 12pm-3pm (ish)        Vancouver YMCA, conference room        11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave) Saturday, October 6th , from 9am-12pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room       1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, October 20th, from 5pm-8pm (ish)      Marshall Community Center, conference room      1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                                                  ....we also have home seller classes available too...link on left on website                  Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D ~~~~~~~~~Happy ...well, whatever day it is!   What a month!  Yesterday, my youngest child started 3rd grade. I think I have started and stopped this email about 4 times in the last couple of weeks, but what with everything going on...  it kind of went on the back burner.   It's a different world from when I went to school... when I was at school, teachers had the last word on everything.  If a teacher called home, you were in trouble....if a teacher needed something...  it happened.  When my older kids were young, teachers still got what they needed …  now, I am not going to lie to you... I did have it out with my older daughters high school principal a few times!  Teachers though...  teachers I have the utmost respect for them.  When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher... I wanted to teach high school history and English. Yep, that was my goal when I was young... not a singer or a movie star... a teacher!  Of course, I am not a teacher... I am a Realtor, but I still teach....and I still help.    So, here we are...  another school year started, and all of the sudden we are in the last trimester of the year.  So here's to 'Happy Hallowthankmas' period time.     So this week let's talk about the what the steps are to buying a home?  This is where it gets crazy because most of us just don't know....you just kind of 'fall into it'...  You meet up with someone, and like a whirlwind romance, next thing you know you are in a 30 year commitment called a mortgage loan!     So....if you are thinking about buying a home, what are your steps?  What do you need to know before you start?     Well, that is what the Free Home Buyer Education Classes are for!  ....that, and this weekly blog anyhow!  :-D   The first step to buying a home is the home buyer education classes.     Did you know that more people will get education when buying a car than when buying a home? The classes are non-promotional, free, and meant to give home buyers a head start on the information they need to buying a home, and taking advantage of the state loan programs that are out there to HELP people buy a home!    Real Estate & Lending is all about 'verbiage' as we are 'taught' scripts to make things sound good for you, when in actuality...it may not be that great at all.  We do go over all of that, and try to make everything as clear as possible considering it starts off as mud.  :-)  As instructors of the classes we are volunteers, so while we HOPE that you will call us to help  you with your homebuying adventure, by no means do you have to.  :-)Buying a home, especially your first home, is such a big thing that sometimes it is hard to wait when we get the bug.  Buying a home is still the American dream, and gives us roots in a community.  It is the place where we raise our children, plant our gardens, paint our rooms, and show our personality.  A house isn't just a place of four walls and a door, but a home....and a place of dreams.  Knowing all of this as we do, when it comes to buying a home, patience isn't always our biggest virtue!    :-D     The second step in the home buying process is talking with a lender to  help you get pre-approved for a loan.     The reason why we say that talking to a lender is your second step is because while you don't go grocery shopping without knowing how much is in your bank account, you should never go looking at homes without knowing how much you can afford.  A lenders job is to pre-approve you for as much as they can, but that doesn't always mean that you can, or that you should, spend that much on purchasing a home.  We all have lives, and you don't want to be housepoor.  Make sure that you know your budget, and what is a comfortable amount for you to spend monthly on a mortgage.  Remember to make sure that you have enough for small things like eating out (ok....if you have my family it isn't a 'small' thing at all to eat out!), going to the movies, maybe going on a family trip....and let's not forget buying groceries and gas!  Also...as a homeowner, now you have other additional expenses and potential repairs to put aside for.  I always tell all my clients to put aside some money from every check into a 'special' account at a banking institution that you don't regularly frequent.  Maybe it is a credit union across town that is only open for 4 hours a day, but make sure you don't have a checkbook or a debit card for it.  It doesn't have to be a lot of money....maybe only $10-$20 per check, but this is your 'rainy day' fund...or really, the funds for any home repairs that will, eventually, come up.  Being a home owner does mean being prepared for home repairs that always happen at the worst possible time!  Home Warranties really are your best friend when buying a home...and yes, this is different than Homeowners Insurance (aka Hazard Insurance).  That will be a topic for another week. :-)     The rule of thumb though is to make sure that when you are looking for homes, after you get pre-approved, to make sure you are looking at homes with your buyers agent that you can afford, and not max out your budget!     Remember that not all lenders can access the downpayment assistance loans, so make sure that you are going through someone who can.  If you have any questions about that, please feel free to call, or email, Chris Berg @ Pinnacle Mortgage...503-320-0925 (he is local), and cberg@pcmloan.com .       When getting pre-approved, make sure to ask your lender if your pre-approval has already gone through the manual underwriters.  We are seeing more, and more people lately who, thinking they are pre-approved, go out and find a home, only to find out days before signing, that the manual underwriters are declining their loan!  This is terrible as this means that this family who have already packed up, given notice, and are ready to move....now have no loan, and therefore, no home!  I don't want that to happen to any of my clients, so as a buyers agent, when I am speaking with a lender, I always ask their lender if the buyers loan approval was sent to the manual underwriter, or if it is just a computer approval.  Having your pre-approval go through the manual underwriters, instead of just a computer approval, does take some more time, usually up to a week more, but in the end it is always better to be safe rather than sorry!     Please remember that your pre-approval is only good for 90 days, and yes, you will have to update it at the end of the process...usually when your file goes to underwriting for the final documents to sign.  Please continue to pay your bills (on time), please do not change work hours, please do not go out and buy appliances, do not get a personal loan for 'stuff for the house', do not go buy a car/truck/boat/etc.  If you have any questions, please talk with your lender first as all of these things can cause your loan to be declined...at the final step....which is awful for everyone.  Your pre-approval is NOT set in stone....  A pre-approval is a snap-shot of your 'current' financial situation, and if that changes...so can your pre-approval.  Your financial situation will be looked at by a myriad of different people, and scrutinized about 2-3 times by the underwriters...which are actually the people with the power.  Please remember to talk with your lender and real estate agent...we are here to help!  :-)     A pre-approval is good for a monthly mortgage payment amount...not a purchase price.  Your interest rate can not be locked in until about 30-45 days from closing/keys.  What this means is that the interest rate you are quoted at the time of pre-approval is merely a 'guesstimate'.  This part is always a bit strange, but your lender can't even start your actual loan process until you have a signed around contract on a home...signed (and agreed to) by the person with the legal authority to sell that home.  If interest rates go up in the process of buying your home, and your rate is not locked in, then your monthly mortgage payment will change...and so can your pre-approval.     Your buyers agent, and your lender should work together, and communicate with each other to help you through this process!  I know I say this all the time, but we work for YOU!  By working together we help you achieve your goal of your own home where you can kick your shoes off, turn on some football (ok, maybe that is just my house!), and relax!  A buyers agent and a lender should work together as a team, communicating with each other, and with you, every step of the way....that is what we are here for!  :-)   I also asked Chris Berg for some information on this email...There are three forms of approvals that you will see when you purchase a home. Prequalification, preapproval, and approval. A prequalification is not worth the paper it's printed on and most if not all sellers will not except a prequalification when you make an offer on a home. The reason for this is that a prequalification is basically just checking your credit but not verifying income or down payment or any of the other thousand things that can go wrong during the transaction. A preapproval covers all the things they seller needs to see. Not only does it verify your credit but also verifies your income, tax returns, W-2s, down payment, employment and address history, and rent payments. A preapproval is what you need in order to make an offer on a home. An approval is generally not achieved until you were under contract on a home. It verifies all the items in a preapproval but also includes the appraisal and preliminary title report on all borrowers and sellers. In order to get a preapproval you need to bring your lender your last two years tax returns, W-2s, last 30 days pay stubs, ID, and two months bank statements if you have a down payment. If you are seriously considering buying a home a preapproval, with most lenders, will not cost you any money and will allow you to deal with any issues well before you spend the money to make an offer on a home. No animals were harmed during the writing of this email. Thank you,  Chris BergMortgage Advisor with Pinnacle Capital MortgageMLO-198082503-320-0925 cellCberg@pcmloan.com Information is power,  and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.  If you have any questions, or comments please get a hold of me anytime.  You can call, text, email, or even facebook me.  Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me as I would be honored to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure!  :-)    As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.   Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.   ....disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...   Upcoming Topics: What do I need to buy a home, Hiring a Realtor...questions to ask, What if I don't have a Down Payment? .....  &....What does an Agent do for me? Debt to Income Ratios....What is this? Last Week:  Why take a home buyers (or sellers) class? Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,   ;-D   Tracie DeMars   Real Estate broker   Re/Max - Van Mall   360/ 903-3504 cell   360/ 882-3600 fax   www.traciedemars.com   traciedemars@aol.com       “Interested in free and non promotional home education classes?  Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.” "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."       - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999

[traciedemars]

Home Inspections & Seller Disclosures (part one) Home Buyer/Seller Education... free & non-promotional

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes: Saturday, October 20th, from 11am-2pm (ish)        Vancouver YMCA, conference room        11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave) Monday, October 22nd , from 5pm-8pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room       1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, November 3rd, from 9am-12pm (ish)      Marshall Community Center, conference room      1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                                                  ....we also have home seller classes available too...link on left on website                  Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D ~~~~~~~~~Happy ...Sunday night  I love Sundays...  I really do, and especially a drizzly and gray one. Granted I'm only doing laundry and cleaning house, but still ...  a gray and drizzly Sunday calls out for pj's all day, my comfy couch,  a cozy blanket, and football on the TV.  It's a glorious day I tell you... glorious.  I even took a short nap!  When the day is gray and drizzly, I don't feel guilty for a 'down' day.  :-)    We do have an exciting event coming up though....  Winter Client Appreciation!   Saturday, November 17th, from 3pm-6pm, Chris Berg & I are thrilled to be hosting the NEW, 'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them' movie!!  You know the drill...  let me, or Chris Berg (cberg@pcmloan.com) know how many adults & kids tickets you need....  and yes, there are some 21+ tickets available as well.  Limit of 6 tickets please unless you have talked to me or Chris Berg about it first. We are excited to see you soon!!  :-) ...and Thank YOU.. Thank you for your referrals!  Thank you for recommending us, or the classes to those you know (and on Facebook too), and THANK YOU for letting us to be part of your home adventures. We appreciate you so much So this week I do want to talk about something that has come up a couple of times recently...  Inspections, Repairs, and what happens AFTER.. What do I mean about 'after' though? Well, first let's talk about Inspections for just a bit...    It is my opinion that you shouldn't waive the home inspection... it doesn't matter if the home is brand new, or a 100 years old, you should ALWAYS have a home inspection done.  After mutual acceptance of the offer (where both buyer & seller have agreed to all terms), the home goes into 'pending' status, and this is where your timelines start.  In real estate we have a lot of timelines that we need to make sure we are meeting, and the inspection is a BIG one.  From mutual acceptance you have 10 CALENDAR days to have the home inspection done, and to request any repairs from the seller.  'Calendar Days' being the key word words here.  A few things to remember about the home inspection... the home inspector does need to be licensed in the state of Washington, but he's usually not a contractor.  What this means is that if you have something about the home that you have a concern about, we would want to request a licensed contractor to come look at it.   If you are buying a used car, you would take that car to a mechanic to take a look at it, right?  Is that mechanic going to find everything wrong with the car?  Most likely not, but that mechanic can usually tell you pretty quickly if there is anything seriously wrong with vehicle in the short period they're checking it out.  As a potential buyer this will help you decide if you want to purchase that vehicle in its current condition, if you want to go back to the seller and re-negotiate, or if you maybe don't want to buy that car at all.  This is a lot like a home inspection.  You are purchasing a 'used' home ... nothing more, and nothing less. This is not 'Holmes on Homes', and the inspector can't do anything invasive to the home.  During the home inspection you are having a 'house mechanic' take a quick look at the home to see what they can find about it that you can use to decide if you want to continue with the purchase of the home with the home in its current condition, if you want to go back to the seller and re-negotiate for some repairs, or if you want to back out of the purchase of the home inspection.  Just like a mechanic though there are good ones out there and some ... well....some not so good.  You can always ask your Realtor if they have any inspectors they could refer you to, or ask family/friends.  I will give you a list of questions to ask too.    Just like a vehicle mechanic though, even with good ones...  sometimes they don't catch things.  Most inspections are only a couple of hours and again, it's visual.  You will find more things as you live in the home... just like you find things once you actually start driving the car regularly.  You are going to live in that home differently than the last home owner did...just like you are going to drive the car differently than the last owner did. The goal of BOTH inspections is to hopefully catch anything 'major'...anything that could affect the health and/or safety of the home or the occupants, and anything that could require the assistance of a licensed contractor.   During the home inspection there is a very good chance the home inspector IS going to talk with you about things in the home that you should be aware of as a homeowner. Some of these items are going to be things to 'keep an eye on' for future repair, some of these items may just be things you 'need to know'...informational things..., and some of these things may be items that need repair now.  YOU should be at the home inspection, and your AGENT should be at the home inspection as well. We can't help you if we aren't there... and we are here to help you.   You, and your agent, will talk about the home inspection and what (if any) repair requests you would like to send to the sellers for their consideration.  There are going to be things that you will be needing (or wanting) to do as a homeowner when you move in, so what we're looking for at the home inspection is anything that (again) is going to affect the health/safety of the home, or the occupants... or that is going to need to be looked at/repaired by a licensed contractor.  After the home inspection (I usually advise my clients to respond with the inspection repairs within 24 hours at the most), you need to decide if you are ok with the home in its current condition and what to continue forward to closing, if you just want to back out of the purchase based on the information from the home inspection,  or if you want to request any repairs from the seller.  In 99% of the cases, this is what happens....  you have talked to the inspector,you have seen the report, you have talked with your agent and you are ok with some things at the home inspection, but there are some items you want repaired.  Your agent then sends that form with the information of those items to the sellers agent to go over with the seller. The seller has 3 days to respond.  The seller may come back and say, 'we will do no repairs...buy as-is, or back out', or the seller may say, "we will do all the repairs and we move forward to closing', or the seller (as usually happens) might say, " we will repair items 1, 2, and 4, but not 3, 5, and 6...and we'll do item #7, but changing it to this".    The sellers agent will send this information back to your agent, and then You and your agent will discuss your response.... Are you ok with the sellers response? Are you not ok?  Do you want to continue forward to closing? Do you want to back out?  ...or maybe you want to counter their response?  See...  re-negotiating....   However, if both parties can not come to an agreement then the deal does fall apart and dies. You will get your earnest money back as that is a legal reason to back out (as long as you didn't waive your home inspection), but you will lose the money you paid to the home inspector for the inspection. One thing you want to talk about with your agent before the home inspection is the sellers disclosures.  The sellers disclosures are a 6 page form where the sellers are 'supposed' to disclose everything they know about the home during their home ownership.  Again... key words.. 'during their home ownership'.  The sellers are supposed to disclose anything that has happened, and been repaired, and/or anything that they are aware of... during their ownership of the home.  If it is, or was, something that was prior to their ownership?  Well...  should they disclose?  Yes...if they are aware of it, but one thing to remember is that most sellers do not really know anything about their home.  The sellers disclosures are filled out by the sellers, and their agents can't really help them fill them out.  Personally,  when I am listing a home, I explain what the sellers disclosures are, and what the questions mean.  Many sellers disclosures are just randomly filled out by the sellers who have no idea what they are doing.  So look at the sellers disclosures, ask questions about it.  Your buyers agent can ask the sellers for more information on anything, and as always, you can ask the home inspector to take a look at anything that you have concerns about.  Sellers disclosures are difficult because sometimes... a lot of times actually... they are not filled out correctly.  I have had  to send them back to the sellers agents a couple of times requesting they be filled out correctly, and/or asking for more information from the sellers. This is frustrating for the sellers, and for the buyers...and yes, for me as well.  As with ALL legal forms, and yes, Realtor forms used when buying and/or selling a home, ARE legal forms... don't fill out, or sign anything without being certain what you are signing. Ask questions....ASK for clarification...ASK, ASK, ASK...  Your Realtor is here to help you. I am going to talk about sellers disclosures more next week because we have had some issues with them recently after closing.... So, home inspectors and home inspections...  remember that this wet and rainy weather is a GREAT time for home inspections!  We get a lot of rain here so this weather is the best time to see if there are any water/moisture issues in, or UNDER the home.   When hiring a home inspector some good questions to ask them are:How long have you been licensed?    Licensing for home inspectors in the State of Washington has only has only been required since September of 2009. Many inspectors were in business, unlicensed, before that. Some inspectors took the initiative and were licensed way before that. Your inspector should be bonded, insured, and carry E&O (errors and omissions) insurance. How long will the inspection take? How much is it?    The average home inspection should take about 2-3 hours. The average cost is about $400-$450...now to be honest, you can get an inspection for cheaper, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Make sure your inspector is inspecting what is important to you. Remember, as a buyer, the inspector works for you...not the buyers agent, the sellers agent, or the sellers. YOU, the buyer, are hiring this contractor to perform a service for you. Ask the inspector what their inspection entails, and what is included...or not. What does your home inspection entail? What will you do?    A home inspector should be walking and checking the roof. A roof must have 2+ year certificate for state or government grants/loans, VA loans, and FHA loans. A home inspector should be walking around the exterior and checking the siding, and looking at the housing vents for broken/missing screens. The home inspector will also be looking at vegetation around the home, and look at the water meter on the curb for current activity.Inside the home, the inspector will crawl the crawlspace looking for leaks, groundwater, evidence or signs of current, or past animal activity, etc. The inspector should also be checking the atticspace for signs of current or past leakage and/or mold.    The inspector will also be looking at all water faucets and toilets for leakage, drainage, and more. The inspector should also be checking all windows, electrical outlets and the main electric box for safety hazards, vents and heating units, and more. Do you (the inspector) have a water reader?    Some inspectors have a water reader that reads moisture 1 inch into a surface, be it wall or floor. These are wonderful for finding such things as leaking wax seals in toilets (very common), moisture in a wall around a window that hasn't had its' weep seals cleaned, moisture in walls or flooring around such places as washer/dryers, fridges, dishwashers, showers, toilets, and bathtubs. What paperwork will be included at this cost?    Some inspectors will charge you extra for a FHA Dry Rot and Pest Report, or for a print out of your inspection. You will need a FHA Dry Rot Pest Report for the state loans, VA loans, and FHA loans. Make sure your cost includes a copy of this. Also, ask how the inspector will get you a copy of your inspection, in what form will it come to you, and how soon can you expect it. The average cost for a home inspection is around $400, but the cost can vary with the size of the home you are purchasing. Some other inspections that you might want to consider is a sewer scope.  This is where a plumber comes out and puts a camera down the sewer/septic lines to make sure they are clear of obstructions.  It is an additional cost of usually about $150.   If the home is on septic, request a septic report/inspection that is one year or less of age.  Another inspection you may want to consider (especially in a home with a basement, or any part of the home under ground like a split level, or daylight basement) is a radon test.  Many people ask me why there aren't more homes with basements....and there are 2 reasons why that is.... water/moisture and radon.  Most of Clark County has a high water table ...not like New Orleans or anything... but we do have a lot of moisture in the ground and clay....which holds water.   There are many areas of Clark County where homes will have sump pumps, or extra drainage in the crawlspace to help with this, but if a home has a basement, or some form of it...that is an area you want the inspector to be checking out.  Then there is Radon... radon is a gas that comes from the ground that can make people very sick.  Some areas have high levels of radon and some areas...not so much.  I have a client buying a home right now with a very high level of radon read in the daylight basement.  There are contractors who come out for radon remediation, and they are having that done.   Lots of information this week... sorry!  Part 2 of this will be coming next week or so. :-)   Information is power,  and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.  If you have any questions, or comments please get a hold of me anytime.  You can call, text, email, or even facebook me.  Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me as I would be honored to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure.    As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.   Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.   ....disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...   Upcoming Topics: What happens AFTER the home inspection? Delayed Possession... What is this & what does it mean to you Interest Rates (information from Chris Berg, Pinnacle Mortgage) What do I need to buy a home, Hiring a Realtor...questions to ask, What if I don't have a Down Payment? .....  &....What does an Agent do for me? Debt to Income Ratios....What is this? Last Week:  Pre-Approvals... what, why...and getting one Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,   ;-D   Tracie DeMars   Real Estate broker   Re/Max - Van Mall   360/ 903-3504 cell   360/ 882-3600 fax   www.traciedemars.com   traciedemars@aol.com       “Interested in free and non promotional home education classes?  Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.” "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."       - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

Tuesday's Tips with Tracie Be aware.. Showing Homes with Big Brother & Covid

www.learningtobuyahome.com

www.freesellerclasses.com

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Tuesday's Tips with Tracie www.learningtobuyahome.com Selling your home and building a home

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Tuesday's Tips with Tracie www.learningtobuyahome.com

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Tuesday's Tips with Tracie: selling & buying contingent

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Tuesday's Tips with Tracie: Explaining Closing Costs www.learningtobuyahome.com

www.traciedemars.com

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COVID & buying or selling...Education

Home Buyer & Seller Education & Virtual Classes

Please remember that, currently, ALL BUYER & SELLER classes are being held virtually. We look forward to teaching at the community centers again, once they open.

For the virtual classes, they are TWO hours long, and will start at the scheduled starting time. Please email traciedemars@aol.com for link & password

Upcoming Home BUYER Classes

Saturday, August 8, from 10am-12pm (ish)

Saturday, August 15, from 11am-1pm (ish)

Saturday, August 22nd, from 12pm-2pm (ish)

Monday, August 24th, from 5pm - 7pm (ish)

Saturday, August 29th, from 10am - 12pm (ish)

Upcoming Home SELLER Classes

Saturday, August 8th, from 12:30-2:30pm

Saturday, August 22nd, from 9am-11am

Thursday, August 27th, from 5:30pm-7:30pm

Happy August!

I have to admit.. I am sad today. Today is the day before the Clark County Fair would have started. Today I should be at the fairgrounds setting up our booth and getting ready for the fair to start tomorrow morning. We are at the fair every year, and as exhausting as it is, it is also fun, exciting...and honestly... I absolutely love it when our friends, family, clients (both past, present, and future) come and visit us. I love seeing everyone and visiting with them. I also love being able to give little gifts to everyone. I am also looking at the projected weather forecast for the next week, and honestly, I am crying a bit as it is really a PERFECT fair forecast.....of course it is, right? Remember how at the beginning of this year we were so excited? All the holidays that were going to fall on the weekends? 4th of July on a Saturday? Rock on! Halloween on a Saturday AND with a Full Moon? AWESOME! Christmas? New Years? On Saturdays? Score!! It's like the stars all lined up for a perfect year....and well, it's like that piece of cake you are so excited to come home to eat, and that you have been thinking about ALL day...and you come home, and it is GONE!!! Someone else ate it!! You know what I mean...right? That is what 2020 feels like to me... crazy.. but here we are.

HEADS UP, if you are a CLIENT, please check your mail boxes! We couldn't do a Client Appreciation this spring, but there is something in your mailbox that should be a little fun. We are also trying to plan something for the end of summer... we will see how that shakes out... stay tuned!

This month I am going to talk about showing a home and a few of those 'hidden' fees that people don't think about. Whether you are thinking about selling (because it is definitely a sellers market), or you are buying a home... how does that work right now with COVID and everything else going on? Well, hopefully, this should help. As always...feel free to reach out with any questions! Thank you!!

While showing homes, we go over lots of 'little' things that otherwise people don't think about. Some of these items are the 'hidden' costs of buying a home....those things that you weren't planning on, but probably should be. Not too long ago, I was on one of the facebook swap/free/sale sites, and I was reading how some people were upset with the home buying process and the 'hidden' fees they weren't told about. It is true that there are a LOT of fees and other expenses involved with buying a home. The point of these blogs, and of course, the home buyer classes is to give folks this information. There shouldn't be anything 'hidden' about the home buying process. As you know, I am a big fan of not sugarcoating anything....I believe that an ugly truth is better than a pretty lie every day of the week. You might not always like what I have to say (and that is ok), but I am not going to hold anything back from you on the off chance you might not ask me to help you buy, or sell, your home. Personally I don't just want to hear about the 'good' things about a loan, or process....I want to hear it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly, so that I can make the best decision for me and my family based on the pros and the cons....not just the good. So....yes, I am not going to just agree with what you read on the internet, or saw on HGTV, or heard from your direct and personal circle....I am going to give you the pros and cons because this is YOUR home buying (or selling) adventure, and YOU need to make the decisions. My job is to help you find, and have, all the information I can get you so that you can make those choices based on a full picture....not just half of one. Last month we talked about the 'basic' fees of earnest money, home inspection (including the possibility of radon & sewer scope), and appraisal. However there are a few other 'fees' that you might want to think about.

Other fees?

Changing out locks

...I always advise my clients to change out the locks of their new homes. Why? Well, even if the sellers give you all the keys they have...there is not guarantee that there isn't more keys running around somewhere. I used to change out my house locks every couple of years because my kids were always losing keys. Finally....last year... I went and purchased the the house locks that have the key pad. It is awesome!! I don't worry about lost keys anymore. Every family member has a code, and what is the best is that I can add and delete codes as needed. So...go away for a couple of days, and have a house sitter? Give them a code,and when you get back you simply delete the code. I tell you....worth it!

Mailbox key

...yes, legally you are not supposed to copy the mailbox key, but a lot of people do. Mail is not something you want to mess with. Take your HUD form down to the post office, and have them re-key the box, and get a new key. Cost is about $100, but for peace of mind...that isn't much. When you are changing out locks, talk with the locksmith... she/he may be able to help with this as well.

Paint

...you will probably want to paint some, or all, the rooms of your new home. Each gallon of paint runs about $25. Paint is the easiest thing you can do to make the home 'yours', and it's fun! Paint can change the entire feel of a room, or home. Personally, I am a fan of semi-gloss. I like the shine to it, and most importantly, it cleans up easy....with kids and big dogs, this is my go-to.

Minor repairs

...during the home inspection the inspector will probably point out repairs that the home may need. Some of these repairs may be cosmetic repairs that will be part of your 'honey-do list' with your new home. Remember that, at the home inspection, we are looking for any repairs that will affect the safety of the home, or occupants...or anything that may need a contractor to repair. The 'big' areas that we usually see repairs for are roofs, attic spaces, crawlspaces, and siding. These are the places that usually get called out during the repair process for a licensed contractor to come in Remember that home inspectors are licensed for home inspections. It is during this period that we will request a second opinion by a licensed contractor...who can give a better, more thorough inspection/repair for the item that the inspector called out. All homes have some repairs that will need to be done by the (new) homeowner....it is part of being a homeowner. Don't forget that the worst thing a homeowner can do is to defer maintenance. If you need help with that, give me a call or email... I always have a 'guy' that you can call for help. Anytime you need work done around the home that you can't do, give me a holler...I know people. I tease, but it is true. I know excellent contractors that will usually give you a better deal because I refer them out. I refer them out because they do a good job...and give better deals. Just like in Real Estate... referrals are the name of the game. :-)

Lawn supplies

...did you come from an apartment? Well, most likely now you have a yard. You will need a lawnmower to start with. There will be other lawn equipment that will follow...weed eaters, trimmers, wheel barrels, shovels, and a myriad other things that come with having a yard.

Appliances

...don't forget that washer, dryer, and fridges don't come with the home. If you don't already have these appliances then you may also be purchasing a washer, dryer, and/or a fridge. Just please, please, please wait until AFTER you get keys for the home before you go purchase these things.

Curtains/Blinds

...if your new home doesn't already have some then this may be on your 'to buy' list. Sometimes even if your home does have some, you may want new ones. Honestly, I have had very good luck with curtains at places like Target, or Fred Meyer, or even Wal-Mart. I think I've gotten all my curtains from Target. They have blinds as well.

House Cleaner/Carpet Cleaner

...when a home is vacant you know exactly what you're going to be walking into when your buyers agent (hopefully me LOL) gives you keys, but... when the home is owner occupied, you don't. Yes, you can and will do a walk thru of the home before closing, but it will still be occupied. In many cases, when the home is owner occupied the (soon to be) previous owner doesn't vacate the property until day of closing, or sometimes even a couple of days after closing. With cases like this, you really don't know what condition the home will be upon closing. We have to have faith that the (soon to be) previous owner will leave the home in a clean condition, but sometimes...well, sometimes, they don't. Also, one persons idea of clean is not another persons idea of 'clean'. :-) Many times, whether the home is vacant or owner occupied, a buyer will book a professional carpet cleaning, or house cleaning after closing....simply for peace of mind.

Insurance

...wait..you already have insurance, don't you? Well...yes, you have mortgage insurance, title insurance, and homeowners insurance, but what about earthquake insurance? You don't...

When I purchased my home my homeowners insurance included earthquake insurance. About 10 years ago though we received a letter that no longer would homeowners insurance include earthquake insurance....why? Because we live in the #1 high danger area for earthquakes. Because of that earthquake insurance must now be purchased separately. So, AFTER you buy your home, call your insurance company and add on earthquake insurance. Cost isn't too much, but it is important....just in case.

Toilet Seats

Yeah, I know you probably didn't think of that, but really....if it were me, I would change out the toilet seats when you buy your new home. Why? Well, since now you are thinking about it....I'm sure you can see why. LOL Toilet seats are not expensive, and really...having new seats just makes you feel better! :-D

As we've talked about, once you hire a Realtor to help you with your home adventure, you are ready for the 'fun' part.....LOOKING AT HOMES! :-) This is always an exciting time for buyers, and it should be! Every home you pull up to has the possibility to be 'the one'....The one you make an offer on, the one that you buy, the ONE that becomes YOUR HOME...and it is very exciting. For the sellers though, it is very stressful because currently it is THEIR home, and they're leaving so that strangers can come in. As a Realtor, we are trying to make this as easy as possible for both the buyer and seller, but we need help... especially right now...

We are in the world of COVID, and it has changed how we look at homes.

For the homeowners (sellers), we are asking that the home be available to show, that the home be clean, nothing of value is being left out, all medicines are put away and out of sight (not left in bathrooms or kitchen cabinets), anything that a seller wants excluded from the sale is noted, that sweet pups are either removed or kenneled, that sweet kitties are noted as inside only or inside/outside ok, and that please, please... homeowners (sellers) be gone for showings. Selling your home means opening up your home to strangers. Please note that anytime a Realtor shows your home, that Realtor is responsible for the buyers they bring into your home. If you have any COVID concerns, please bring them up with, and talk about them with your Realtor. As always, there is more to it than this, but that is a different class....and email. You can always call me for more information when you are selling your home.

For the buyers....it gets a bit more complicated... before we go house shopping, we are asking that you have a pre-approval letter with a solid lender, we are asking that you do not look at homes above your price range, we are asking that you have thought about the Top Three things you want in a home (so we can show you homes that have those items you value most), and that you help us help you.... We are currently in Phase 2 which means that we can't have more than 3 people (including the Realtor) in the house at a time, and yes, masks are currently required when we are showing homes. Many homes will request that we take off shoes so be sure to wear easy on/off shoes.

When a Realtor opens the lockbox to show you the home, we are taking responsibility for everything that happens from that moment on....until we lock up the house and put the key back into the lockbox. As I say all the time... Real Estate is NOT like HGTV... you don't just get to wander the home while your Realtor sits outside... we must be with you at all times when touring your potential new home. Sometimes this can be like herding cats, but we understand your excitement... just please, please as you are touring the home, and we know you have your family with you, please...we must all stay together. Don't make me sing to you here.....

As cool as those toys look, I'm sorry but the kiddos can't play with them, and sorry...but you can't jump on the beds either. It's ok to open cupboards, and closets, but we can't open dressers, or go through someone else's personal items. Touring a home is a VISUAL thing....sorry. However, yes, you can use the bathroom....usually.. sometimes we do have requests from sellers that bathrooms are NOT used. I showed a home last week where the sellers literally taped the toilets shut on days they were showing. I thought it was funny...

When we are looking at homes, often we have more than one home to look at, and many homes are owner occupied so your Realtor makes appointments. We do the best we can to make sure we have enough time to look at the homes, but we need to stay within our timeframes as the sellers are waiting to come home after we leave, or there are other Realtors waiting to show the home. I promise we are not trying to 'rush' you through the home...we are just trying to stay within the timeframes so that you can see the other homes on your list.

Looking at homes is exciting, and many of you will send your Realtor a long list of homes to go see, but what you don't know.....yet...that looking at homes is exhausting, and they quickly starts to blend together. Don't look at more than 6-8 in one appointment. I've had clients look at up to 10 at once, and that is a lot. We can do it....just be prepared. Your Realtor should give you a print out for each home we see, so be sure to take notes on each of the houses because they will blend together and you will not remember what you liked, or didn't like, about the first couple of homes by the time we get to the last couple of homes. :-)

With the real estate market being so crazy right now, it's important that if a home comes up that you like, that you let your Realtor know as soon as possible so we can make an appointment for you to see it. Many homes are receiving multiple offers and go pending within a few days. Your Realtor should be sending you a list of homes as they come on the market for you to check....drive by the homes...check out those neighborhoods....and let's make an appointment to go see the inside of the home.

Do not trust Internet photos! Realtors hire professional photographers for our listings for a reason. Smile Internet photos are a lot like internet dating...you don't know what you're going to get when you get there

Like the neighborhood, but not sure about the house? Let's at least go check out the inside! You never know as you can't judge a book (or a house) by its cover.

ASK QUESTIONS!! For heavens sake...this is a home you are thinking about buying... ask questions! As your Realtor, we are here to help! If we can't answer your questions, we can at least set up in the right direction to get those answers.

Buying a home is a very emotional experience. Your Realtor is here to point out pros/cons, and to help you.... Trust your heart, but use your head... or your Realtor. :-) Remember that we work FOR you.

As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one. Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships. Your agent, and your lender work for YOU. You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals. Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure. The goal is to be informative and non-promotional. :-) We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.

If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard...or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email, text, or facebook me anytime. I am, as always, happy to help!

Thank you again for your business and your referrals!! ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.

. ..disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...

Information is power, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there.... If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.

If you have any questions, or comments please get a hold of me anytime. You can call, text, email, or even facebook me. Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me as I would be honored to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure.

Upcoming Topics:

What if I don't have a Down Payment?

How do I hire a Realtor, & do I have to sign anything?

Heating Types (but I want AC)

Last Week: Can you buy a home with ZERO out of pocket?

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,

;-D

Tracie DeMars

Real Estate broker

Re/Max - Van Mall

360/ 903-3504 cell

360/ 882-3600 fax

www.traciedemars.com

traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home education classes? Go to www.learningtobuyahome.com or www.freesellerclasses.com for local upcoming home BUYER and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.”

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

- Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

Let's talk about CLOSING COSTS!   Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer & Seller Classes:   Until further notice, all classes are going to be held virtually due to the Coronavirus. Please email traciedemars@aol.com, or cberglender@gmail.com for a link & password to the classes.   Thank you!   Home Buyer Classes: Saturday, May 9th, from 9am-11am Saturday, May 16th, from 12pm-2pm Tuesday, May 19th, from 5pm-7pm Saturday, May 30th, from 11am-1pm Seller Classes: Saturday, May 16th, from 9am-11am Thursday May 21st, from 5pm-7pm If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....       Good morning...  or afternoon?  I have lost all sense of time, and dates.  It's a weird time in our lives right now.  A few weeks ago when I wrote up the 'Forbearance and what it really means' blog, I thought that we would all be back to 'normal' by now...whatever 'normal' is...  However, I think we can all agree that 2020 is the year that time forgot, and here we were all excited about holidays falling on weekend days...   Chris & I are getting used to the virtual classes, and people seem to like them.  It is a shorter time frame though so there are things we simply do not have time to cover, and that's why I need to step these up again to at least every other week instead of just once a month as I've been doing.  Please, if you have any questions, send them over to me, and I will be happy to help!  Chris and I are both still working.  I am still showing homes, and writing up offers, but showing homes is a bit trickier right now as we do want everyone to be safe, and we have to work within the guidelines that we have been given.  Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks???   Just a quick message...  usually about now we would be having our Client Appreciation Event where we THANK YOU for your friendship, your referrals, your continued business & support...and well, just for being part of our lives!  We LOVE YOU.  Let's be honest...that's not happening this year, so be on the lookout for a little something-something from me and Chris Berg in your mailbox in the next few weeks.  When you get it you just have to tag us on the social media of your choice...Facebook?  Instagram?  ...and maybe leave us a glowing review somewhere??  We miss you!!                                                 I want to go over Closing costs this time, and 'hopefully' I will be able to get a short video out on this too.  I am working on that one...  Let me know what you think!  Closing costs are an important part of the home buying (or selling) process, but no one really knows what they are, are often how much they're going to be....and why is that?  Well, first you need to know that there are 28 people involved in the purchase/sale of a home.  You will most likely only ever see four of them.... your lender, your agent, your inspector, and your title officer at the end.  You'll hear a lot about appraisers, and underwriters, but that is a different blog.  Everyone has a job to do in the transfer of the property from the seller to the buyer....and everyone needs to get paid.  Your buyers agent is FREE  (don't get caught by 'buyers agency fees' as those are not common), but that may be the only free thing you get.  Seriously... you don't have to pay for a buyers agent!  There is your good news.  :-D     So what the heck is closing costs then?  Lots of people talk about closing costs, but most people don't understand what they are...or how they're paid. Closing costs have two separate parts really...1....the part associated with your loan, and 2...the part associated with the title company and changing the ownership of the home to you..      One thing you need to know is that closing costs are not set...in other words...one persons closing costs will not be the same as another persons closing costs.  Why?  Because ...1....every person has a different loan based on their credit scores, type of loan, amount of home buying, amount (if any) of downpayment, what day they're closing (keys) on, interest rate, APR rate, lender they're using (some have more fees than others), etc...  See how complicated that can get?     So what about the second part?  Well, that can differ as well based on the title company since not every title company charges exactly the same for their individual costs.  Then there is also the costs for the property taxes of the home, time of year you are buying based on when the taxes are due/have been paid, cost of your home owners insurance, amount of loan interest, and more.  Even more confusing, yes?         Ok...now I know you are thinking that this weeks post is pointless then, but really, I have a point!  :-)  My point is that closing costs are variable based on you, your loan, your lender, your (soon to be) new home, and on the title company.  So how do you figure that out?  Well, really no one can figure out HOW much your closing costs are going to be until you have an accepted offer on a home...then we can figure out what your closing costs will be because you will have a home to base numbers off of, a loan chosen, a lender, and the title company picked out.  Most numbers in real estate are a guesstimate until you have all the pieces in place...all the ducks in order...so to speak.      When you are getting pre-approved, your lender will base all your numbers on a guesstimate...what we think your costs are going to be.  Most times lenders, etc will guess high so that the numbers will come in smaller and more affordable for you.  It is always better to look like a hero than a zero!  :-)   I know, I know...still not very helpful is it?  I am sorry.  Closing costs are as individual as you are.  However, 98% of buyers will request the seller to pay for 2%-3% of their closing costs.  Where does that number come from though as even this number changes depending on the person, their loan, the home involved, etc.       Well, to start...  a FHA loan requires 3.5% downpayment.  FHA is the most common loan type for buyers as it is very forgiving, and easier for the majority of folks to get pre-approved for.  There are some loans, and yes, grants too, that can take care of that down payment for you....meaning a ZERO down loan for you, the buyer.  There are some additional fees to using these down payment assistance programs that is part of your closing costs.  There is also a zero down USDA loan that has other fees associated with it.   On average, the costs between title, loan, lender, taxes, interest, insurance, etc....run about 2%-3% of the homes purchase price....rarely does it run more.    When listing a home, I (and many other agents) include at least some seller paid closing costs to the sales price of the home.  This is done because so many buyers request those from the seller, and this way it isn't a surprise to the seller.  So, yes, some sellers will pay for your closing costs when buying a home...of course, that depends on if there are other offers involved.  In a multiple offer situation the seller may not pay any closing costs.  One thing you need to know though is that if you ask for 3% in closing costs, and the lender only needs 2%, you don't get that other 1%....it goes back to the seller.  You can't get cash back from buying a home....unless you are having your earnest money &/or appraisal fee returned to you...this happens if you are using a loan that covers your costs and fees.  Usually your appraisal is part of your closing costs (but paid for at time of appraisal), and your earnest money is applied toward your down payment, or your closing costs.     Again, 85% of the time a buyer will request some of the closing costs to be paid for by the seller.  The other 15% of the time a buyer will pay their own closing costs so they don't have to finance them.  Right there is the REALITY of closing costs.  The seller never actually 'pays' for your closing costs... the buyer is financing them into the purchase price of the home...adding the closing costs to their loan.  The seller is merely accepting less than the purchase price so that the buyer can do this.  If you remember ANYTHING about this email...that is what you should remember.So, if a buyer has their own down payment, the lender can also help pay closing costs, and this can be done a couple of different ways.  If a buyer is using one of the down payment assistance loans or grants, or the USDA loan, the lender can't help pay those closing costs.  The buyer can use their earnest money towards these though.  Not asking a seller for help with closing costs does make for a 'stronger' offer, but let's be honest...that isn't always an option for a lot of people.  However, if able to do so, sometimes people will use the zero down loan or the down payment assistance loans, and use the money they have for their own closing costs, but asking the seller for help with closing costs is quite common.  Really it depends on many things.   In short....buyers responsibility for closing costs are:* Lender's Title Insurance Policy* Half of the escrow fee* Home Inspection (paid for at time of inspection)* Recording fees* First year Homeowners Insurance Premium* First year Flood Insurance (if applies)* Pro-rated property taxes* Appraisal fee (paid for when appraisal is ordered)* Survey fee (if required)* HOA fees (if applies)* Pro-rated HOA fees (if applies)* Lender fees;  appraisal fee (see above), credit report, loan origination fee, pre-paid interest, private mortgage insurance  All of these fees can change depending on the title company, the lender you've hired (closing costs can differ between lenders as some charge more & some charge less), the home insurance company you are using, the home inspector you've hired, the appraisers and what they're charging (and if you need a rush), etc.. Let me see if I can't make that part a bit easier... I am going to give you 2 loans to choose from, and we are going to PRETEND that I am loaning you $1,000 for a year First loan is 0% interest.                           Second loan is 5% interest. What loan do you want?  The 0% one, right?  Most people (in the class) always choose this one, but frankly, there's not enough detail here for you choose a loan, so let's take it a step further....  I have to charge you (the buyer) closing costs.  Closing costs is to pay for all those 28 people that are involved in the purchase/sale of a home.  The seller has their own portion of closing costs to pay as well.  On 'average', the closing costs for the seller are going to be about 8%-9% of the purchase price.  Yep... there's a cost to buy a home, and a cost to sell a home too.                                                                    First loan at 0%                                        Second loan at 5% Remember...closing costs....     Bank one charges $200                                Bank two charges  $100 So, what happens a year from now?  How much of your money do I have a year from now when you come back and pay me back my $1000 that I loaned to you?  Well....let's break that down...  Remember that the original $1000 doesn't count because it was already my money.  I loaned it to you, and now you are paying it back to me...                                                                                    First loan at 0%                                                                  Second loan at 5%       Closing costs....      Bank one charges $200                                             Bank two charges  $100     Interest...  Bank one has   0%                                                        Bank two has      $50                            ----------                                                                         ------------ How much of your money do I have?                            With Bank one I have  $200                      Wit          h Bank two I have $150

So with bank one it's going to cost you 20% to borrow that money for a year, & with bank two it's going to be 15%...   which one is better now?   This is a very simplified example, but you get it.  There is a lot more to closing costs & buying a home than just interest rate.  You could have an amazing, unheard of interest rate, but the costs to get that rate could end up being astronomical, and not worth it over the length of your ownership.  Remember that interest rates are NOT controlled or governed by the lenders....it is by the GOVERNMENT.  All lenders are very close to each other because the interest rate is not in their control.  Realistically speaking it is how much they are going to CHARGE you for the loan and the interest rate that is going to matter.   as always....I am available for questions...as is Chris Berg with Cardinal Financial (cberg@gmail.com or chris.berg@cardinalfinancial.com & 503-320-0925 cell)       One last thing you need to remember is that a real estate agent is not a sales person.  It is not our job to 'sell' you anything.  We are assistants, advisers, guidance, and help.  You should not feel as if your agent is trying to sell you a home, or anything else, our job should be to help you in getting the home you want.  This being said remember that you do not get T-Bone steaks for the price of hamburger...Look ONLY at homes within your budget.  ALWAYS ask questions, and expect answers without a lot of lingo.  I was always told that if you can't explain something in a way that the other person can understand clearly, it is because you don't understand it yourself.  :-)             Information is power, and I hope that I am able to help you.  Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  AND If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.                                                                                                                                                   As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.   If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard...or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email,  text, or facebook me anytime.  I am, as always, happy to help! Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.   .   ..disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...   Upcoming Topics: Can you buy a home with ZERO out of pocket??What are the costs of buying a home?  ALL of them??Buyers Agency...what are they really, and do you have to sign one? Last Month:  What does forbearance really mean?   Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, ;-D Tracie DeMars Real Estate broker Re/Max - Van Mall 360/ 903-3504 cell 360/ 882-3600 fax www.traciedemars.com traciedemars@aol.com “Interested in free and non promotional home education classes?  Go to www.learningtobuyahome.com or www.freesellerclasses.com, for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.” "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."   - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

Want to buy a home?  Where to Start?

Home Adventure Education  & Home buyer & seller classes Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:                                                     Saturday January 6 , from 9am-12pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room                                   1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)                             Thursday, January 11, from 5pm-8pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room                                   1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, January 20, from 12pm-3pm (ish) Vancouver YMCA, conference room 11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Rd/112th Ave)                                                                                                                         If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                                                                             ....we also have home seller classes available too...link on left on website                                             Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D                           ~~~~~~~~~                                                                                                                            Hey there!                             Happy New Years!  :-)  2018...  does anyone else feel that 2017 flew by?  When you're young they tell you that time goes by faster as you get older.... I am here to tell you that it really is true.  I guess we all need to listen to Dr. Who, and to stop blinking!!!  ....sigh...                               I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with friends, family, and food.... holiday food really is the best.  With the new year starting though, a lot of folks start thinking about new things, and resolutions.  I'm not a fan of resolutions... unless they are to eat more bacon, read more books, crochet more blankets, or help folks buy (or sell) a home.... those are about the only resolutions I can keep!  Do you have resolutions?  Do you keep yours?      The holidays are really about family & home, I think.....having friends & families over for the holidays, or going to someone else's home for the holiday celebrations.  Add that to the new year, and new beginnings and many people start thinking about the next big step.  Is it time for a new home...a bigger home?  Maybe a smaller home, or are you renting your home, but want to be a homeowner?   Purchasing a home, whether it's your first home, or you've owned homes before, is one of the four BIG steps we take in life.  What most folks don't know is where to start, and what questions do you need to ask yourself?  What questions do you ask a lender? A Realtor?  What about classes?  There are SO many right now (it's because it IS the beginning of the year), but how do you KNOW which one is going to give you the best information?    There are definitely some questions you should ask.... Let's start with questions to ask yourself....                           #1...  Do you have a steady income?                           When you decide it is time to try to buy a home, a lender is going to want to see a steady income.  Have you been on your job for at least 6 months?  Were you working before that?  Was it in the same industry?  If you weren't working before your current job, were you in school?  Were you in school for the occupation you are in, or something similar?  Are you self employed?  Do you have at least 2 years of 1099's and tax records to prove your income?  These are all questions a lender will ask, and need answers to.  Want more information on this part?  Contact Chris Berg at Pinnacle Mortgage for answers.  He can be reached at cberg@pcmloan.com , or at 503-320-0925.  Don't let the 503 number fool you....he is local.  :-)                                                     Owning a home is usually a bit more expensive than renting.  With the rising costs of monthly rent, your rent and mortgage payment may be about the same, but owning does have a few more expenses.  When you rent, and something breaks, or has an issue, you call your landlord, or rental management company, and eventually things get repaired.  When you own a home, YOU are the landlord, and so you need to budget for those home repair issues that will come up.  Take $20 from each check and have it automatically deposited in a credit union or financial institution of your choice.  Do not have a check book or card for this account.  This is your home maintenance fund.  You know I love the home warranty, and remember that you can continue it year after year.  Use this fund to pay for that next year of the home warranty.  However, remember that the home warranty does not cover roofing, windows, walls, flooring, or siding.  This account should also be used to maintain and take care of those items as well.                                                       #2...How much debt to you have?                           This is a big one.  We all have debt, and don't get me wrong....I think Dave Ramsey is a good guy with many excellent ideas, but there is one area that he preaches that actually hurts you in the pursuit of buying a home.  The idea of a cash based living style is wonderful, but when it comes to buying a home this will actually hurt you.  Strange as it is, having NO credit is worse than having BAD credit!  Some debt is actually good....not a lot...but some.  A lender will base the amount of your pre-approval on how much income you have vs how much debt you have.  Your mortgage payment can only be a certain percentage of your disposable income which, in a nutshell, is your income minus your debt.  Some debt is good because it gives you a history of payments.  Are you credit worthy?  Do you pay your debts?  Do you pay those debts on time?  Are you reliable?  Too much debt is bad because the ratio of your debt to your income is too high.  When you are applying for a mortgage, that is (for some of us) the largest debt we will ever carry.  How do lenders know if you will pay back that debt?  They will look at your credit score...which is determined by how well you pay your current debt.  This kinds of leads me to our next question.                                                     #3...  What is your credit score?                           Ah yes...the dreaded credit score!  In the upcoming weeks we will spend some time talking about credit scores...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  For right now though, a credit score is based on your credit history.  It tells the lender a story about your reliability of repaying your debt.  Frankly, at some time, we all have credit issues...or at least most of us do.  Many moons ago, when my husband and I were in the early years of our marriage, we had 'issues'.  We had 2 young children, and a ton of medical debt.  When our son was a baby, we declared chapter 7 bankruptcy.  At the time it was the only thing we could do.  My husbands wages were being garnished, and we couldn't even afford diapers.  We were, in a word, BROKE...and only going broker.  So, we made the decision to go bankrupt.  It was, looking back at it, really the best decision we could have made.  After the discharge, we took it upon ourselves to learn about how 'this' all works.  I think they should teach budgeting, and credit in schools.  This lack of understanding gets a lot of young adults in trouble....of course....just like everything else here this is just my opinion  :-)  So, we learned, and we made better decisions, and choices.  We learned to live within our means.  We learned to stock up, and save.  We went back to school to better ourselves, and our situations so we could provide a better life for (at the time) two children.  Our oldest daughter was married this year, and like most young couples they are broke. I guess it is where most of us start. She *barely* remembers what it was like when she was very young.A credit score is based on what type of credit you have, if you make your payments on time (late payments ding your credit score), how much credit you are carrying, and if you pay off your credit in a timely fashion.  Do you have a car loan?  Do you make the minimum credit payment, or more?  Have you paid off a debt?  If you have paid off a credit card....don't close the account because closing the account can hurt your credit score.  Cut up the card if you want, but keep the account open.  Do you have high credit balances?  Lenders don't like to see this because if you have high credit balances it means you have less credit to draw on in case of emergency, and let's face it, we all have emergencies sometimes.                             In short, a credit score is based on your past credit history, and lenders use this number to determine how risky it is to loan to you.  With lending...it is all about risk.  They prefer to loan money to individuals with reliability.  They don't want to loan money to individuals with a high risk...someone who most likely won't pay back the money.                             So what can you do if your credit score is somewhat, less than stellar?  Call your lender, or call Chris.  They can go over your credit report with you, and point out the areas that you need to address.  They can, and should, actually HELP you to understand your credit report, and should be able to give you some steps to take to better your credit score.  Is it hard work?  Yes...but the end result is absolutely worth it.  It may take some time, but if you do all the steps, we can....and will...help you find a home.                                                       What is 'good' credit?  Most loans will want to say a 'mid-score' of at least 620.  There are three credit scoring companies, Equifax, Transunion, and Experian.  The lender will use the middle score of the three.  The better the credit score, the lower your interest rate for some loans as they have determined you have less risk. With a few loans, you can go as low at 580 on your credit score, but there are some 'hiccups' with that.  The majority of loan programs, especially the loan programs that help home buyers with downpayment will require a 620 mid score to loan money to buy a home.                                                                                     #4... Do you have a down payment?  Do you need help with one?                          There is quite a few down payment grants & loans out there that can help with that.  Yes, there really is!  Many lenders, and classes will talk about one...maybe 2, of them...but there are some grants to help with your down payment too.  No lie...  There is also other ways to come up with a down payment....401k, 'gifts', tax refunds, etc.  All of these options (and the pros/cons of each) are discussed by Chris Berg at the free & non-promotional home buyer education classes.  Remember that you do need money for a earnest money deposit, the home inspection, and the appraisal though.  Anyone who tells you that you don't need any money to buy a home is blowing smoke.... *and I'll let you finish that*   #5....  Have you taken a home buyer education class?                          Buying a home, or taking that first step to buying a home, is a tense, exciting, thrilling, fun, and yet scary time for everyone.  These classes are about 3 - 3 1/2 hours long and will go over the entire real estate process & what the papers all really mean to you.  The lender will go over the entire loan process including closing costs, down payment loans/grants, and the loans (including the 100% loans), the pros & cons of each (not just the good stuff, but the things you really do need to know too) , credit (and help to get you there), interest rates, and more.  The real estate portion will help you understand the steps, the questions to ask a Realtor (see next weeks email), inspections, appraisals, earnest money, and what all those papers involved in an offer really mean.  The classes are free, non-promotional, and taught at community centers for your convenience.   Before you talk with a Realtor, or a lender, and definitely BEFORE you sign any papers with either a Realtor or a lender... TAKE A CLASS.  A home buyer education class should be your first step....not the last one.  When you call to rsvp for a class.... ask how long the Realtor and lender have been teaching classes.  Ask how long the Realtor has been licensed.  Ask where the classes are being held at....are you going to a lender office?  A real estate office?  What will they go over?  There's nothing wrong with taking more than one class too..  Buying (and selling) a home are some of the biggest things that you will ever do.  The only thing that will cost you more money is having a child....and wouldn't it have been nice to have a handbook for that?  :-D                                                                                                               Information is power, and I hope that I am able to help you.  Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.                                                                                                                                                                As always....this is just a quick overview.... please remember that your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.                                                        If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard...or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email,                              text, or facebook me anytime.  I am, as always, happy to help!                                                          Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.                                                             .                               ..disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...                                                                                       Next Week:                               Interview Questions to hire a Realtor                                                                                                              Last Week:   Winter time & buying (or not) buying a home                                                                             Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,                               ;-D                               Tracie DeMars                               Real Estate broker                               Re/Max - Van Mall                               360/ 903-3504 cell                               360/ 882-3600 fax                               www.traciedemars.com                               traciedemars@aol.com                                                               “Interested in free and non promotional home buying or selling classes?  Go to www.traciedemars.com  for local upcoming classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home adventure education blog.  Classes are now available for home owners thinking about selling their home.  Links are on the left."                                                         "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."                                    - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999). 

[traciedemars]

How Long is the Home Buying Process.... aka...When do I get Keys???? Home Education Information & Classes for Buyers & Sellers...

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:

Thursday, March 12th, from 5pm - 8pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, Conference room 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Saturday, March 21st, from 11am-2pm (ish) ​ Vancouver YMCA, conference room 11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave).

Monday, April 6th, from 5pm - 8pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, Conference room 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Saturday, April 11th, from 9am-12pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, conference room 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know. We understand that you have lives, and families, and work. We will work something out that works better with your schedule. Just let us know.... ....we also have home seller classes available too...look for link on top of website

Happy March & Daylight Savings Time!

Spring! It's coming! I can feel it... and so an the plants, and the trees. My daffy's are blooming, and the market is absolutely crazy. The real estate market runs on a pretty basic pattern...unless something out of the normal happens. The best time of year to be a seller is February through early June. The best time of the year to be a buyer is June - August, and again, October - January. So, why is this? Well, the majority of potential buyers use their tax refunds for down payments and/or closing costs, and most people get their tax returns starting in February. Most people who are thinking about selling don't put their homes on the market though until after spring break. This is why the market is so brutal right now. There are more buyers than there are homes for sale. It will ease up a bit about mid-April, but still be pretty crazy. Once kids start getting out of school in June, the market changes again. The summer has more homes for sale, and less buyers so it's a good time to be a buyer, but not too bad of a time to be a seller either as the market picks up again when kids go back to school in September. In September & October we see folks buying hoping to get in before the holidays. After Halloween the market dies because of the holidays & the weather, but that is a great time to be a buyer. This is the most common cycle we see in real estate but things like the teacher strike we saw a few years ago can disrupt the cycle.

Now, honestly, the best time to buy or sell a home is when it is the BEST time for your family. I can give you all the information, but ultimately, you need to decide when it is the best time for your family to make THAT move. So, what's your first step? Talking to a lender about how much you are pre-approved for. There's nothing a realtor can do for you until we know what price range you are looking at. This can also determine when is a good time for you to be out there on the house hunt. What if you are selling & buying? Well, then you want to start with your Realtor to see what your current home is worth, and what you would be looking at after selling. Then you would go to your lender to get pre-approved...just like we had just talked about.

So, one of the questions we get a LOT is how long is the home buying process? Of course, what people really want to know is when do they get keys? So...when does this all happen? The home buying process is sometimes super short, and sometimes takes a long time. On average, most people write an offer on one of the first 6 homes they see. Weird? Not really if you think about it.... when you get pre-approved you have an idea of the home you are looking for. Your Realtor is going to do everything they can to help you find that home. First, we are going to hope that the home you are hoping to find is in your price range, but if it is... we're going to find it. Now, sometimes, it can take longer....especially depending on the time of year. The real estate market ebbs and flows and runs on a pretty cyclical nature. There are times of the year where it's better to be a seller, and times of the year when it is better to be a buyer. How long it takes to get a home under contract really depends on these factors. However, what happens after the home is under contract....

Once we have a home under contract with an accepted offer, that home goes PENDING (Congratulations!). This is when things really start moving. A copy of the signed around purchase & sale agreement goes to your lender and to the escrow/title company. The escrow company opens escrow on the home, and does a title search. The lender will call you to come in and sign your lending documents. Now that you have a home under contract, the loan application, and process can begin. On your end, we need to schedule the home inspection. We have 10 days to have the home inspection completed and to request any repairs. Once the inspection process is complete, the appraisal process begins. Remember that the home inspection is for your information, and the appraisal is for the banks information. Once the appraisal is in, the file goes to the underwriters again for their approval. Once we have the underwriters approval, closing documents are ordered. You will receive an email asking you to acknowledge receipt of the closing documents. From receipt of the closing documents you have 3 days before you can sign at title. Everyone always ask, "when is my signing appointment?" We don't know...yet... You see, once the title company receives the documents from the lender, they have to balance those papers, and numbers, and information with the lender to verify that all the information is correct. Until they are 'balanced' with the lender, they can not set up the signing appointment. Once this is all done, the title officer will call you for a signing appointment. Yay! Signing appointments are often same, or next, day. The title officer will also let you know how much (if anything) you need to bring into signing with you. Signing & closing gets mixed up quite often, but they are totally different steps. Signing is when you meet with the title officer at the escrow office to sign acceptance of the loan, and of the property you are purchasing. You will receive copies of everything you have signed and get sent home....to wait.... Why? Because now we move on to the last step in your home buying process, the closing.

Once you, and the seller have signed, all the paperwork goes back to the underwriters to sign off on, and then to the lenders to fund. After funding happens, you will probably get a call from your lender letting you know it's all done. Ok, well, they are all done. We, however, are not... Once funding happens (and this is when the banks get their monies), all the information goes back to the title company. The title company then sends the necessary information to the courthouse to record your sale. Recording is closing...this is when the home becomes yours. Recording happens during business days from 10am-12pm & from 3pm-5pm. Once the home records in your name, the title officer calls your Realtor to let me know that you are recorded. Congratulations!! NOW I can call you to meet up for those magical KEYS!!

One thing to mention...your lender, and your Realtor....we do NOT give out your information. We value your privacy. Recording on a home purchase, or sale, is matter of public record though. You WILL start getting tons of crap mail, and calls because it is public record. If you are not sure about anything you are receiving, please call your lender, or Realtor, we can let you know if it is spam, or something you need, or help you get information on where to ask.

So, how long does this take? Depending on your loan type, and the speed that you can get your information to your lender, and the speed we can get inspectors and appraisers out, anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 weeks to get from accepted contract to keys. Average is about 40 days. I've got one right now that we are closing in 2 weeks!!! I've got another one that just received keys that went into 6 weeks because the appraiser called out a repair. Wait, hold the phone!!! That can happen???? Why, yes, it can...but that is an email for a different day. :-D

Thank you, as always, for reading this. I hope this helps you this week! Please, if you have any questions, please feel free to call, email, text, or even facebook me anytime. I am always here to help!

Information is power, and I hope that I am help you! Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there.... If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.

I hope that explains this a bit, but if you have any questions, or comments please call or email me anytime! Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me. I would love to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure! :-)

As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one. Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships. Your agent, and your lender work for YOU. You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals. Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure. The goal is to be informative and non-promotional. :-) We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.

Thank you again for your business and your referrals!! ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.

....disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...

Upcoming Topics: What's the difference between Inspection & Appraisal?

Last Month: Showings...what you need to know

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, ;-D Tracie DeMars Real Estate broker Re/Max - Van Mall 360/ 903-3504 cell 360/ 882-3600 fax www.traciedemars.com traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home education classes? Go to www.learningtobuyahome.com, or www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.”

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

New Year...New Home...Maybe?  How/Where to Start? Real Estate Education Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:     Saturday, January 11th, from 9am-12pm (ish)             Marshall Community Center, conference room             1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Monday, January 13th, from 5pm - 8pm (ish)        Marshall Community Center, Conference room       1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, January 25th, from 11am-2pm (ish) ​       Vancouver YMCA, conference room       11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave).                                                                                            If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something o ut that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                                                  ....we also have home seller classes available too...link on left on website                  Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D ~~~~~~~~~                                                                     Happy New Year!   First I want to thank everyone for attending the Client Appreciation events!  Frozen II, and Star Wars:  The Rise of Skywalker was pretty awesome, and we loving hosting these events for you.  Just our way of saying Thank You for allowing Chris Berg & I to be a part of your home adventure.     Happy New Years!  :-)  2020  Is it just me, or was 2019 a bit bipolar?  It was a bit of a rough year, but now we move forward, and every day is a new start...thankfully!  You know, I remember being told that that time goes by faster as you get older.... I am here to tell you that it really is true.  I guess we all need to listen to Dr. Who, and to stop blinking!!!  ....sigh...      I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with friends, family, and food.... holiday food really is the best.  With the new year starting though, a lot of folks start thinking about new things, and resolutions.  I'm not a fan of resolutions... unless they are to eat more bacon, read more books, crochet more blankets, or help folks buy (or sell) a home.... those are about the only resolutions I can keep!  Do you have resolutions?  Do you keep yours?     The holidays are really about family & home, I think.....having friends & families over for the holidays, or going to someone else's home for the holiday celebration...add that to the new year, and new beginnings and many people start thinking about the next big step.  Is it time for a new home?  Maybe your current home is too small for your family now, and it's time for  a bigger home?  Maybe your family has become smaller and it's time for a smaller home?  Or are you renting your current home, and want to be a homeowner? Purchasing a home, whether it's your first home, or you've owned homes before, is one of the four BIG steps we take in life.  What most folks don't know is where to start, and what questions do you need to ask yourself?  What questions do you ask a lender? A Realtor?  What about classes?  There are SO many right now (it's because it IS the beginning of the year), but how do you KNOW which one is going to give you the best information?    There are definitely some questions you should ask....Let's start with questions to ask yourself....  Bonus Answer.... What if I have a home currently, but want to get a new home?    I bought my first home in 2001.  It was an amazing time for my family, and while we made quite a few mistakes in the purchasing of the home (we went through a builders representative and didn't have our own Realtor), it was still exciting.  I started working for a builder shortly after we moved into our new home, and boy...was that an education.  A few years later we thought about selling, and buying a new home, but were not sure how that would work.   I mean....how do you buy a new home if you are IN the old home?  How would that work?  So we didn't.... we stayed, and that was ok as I was leaving the builder and working real estate outside of the builder by then...and it was best to stay put as the market was starting to slide...hello recession.  I started teaching home buyer education classes because I remember how lost I was when I purchased my first home.  I mean...  believe it or not, but I did take a class before I bought...it was a very LONG class, and they used a booklet that made ZERO sense to me, so it was no help whatsoever.  I wanted to teach classes that made SENSE, and that used the paperwork that people would actually see when buying a home....that was 15 years ago.  About 7 years ago, as the market was heating up from the recession, I had a client call me asking this very question...  HOW do they buy a new home when they own a home already?  How do they sell their current home?  What about paperwork? Agents?  Fees?  Marketing? How do they set up, or handle showings?  How do they sell, and buy at the same time?  So....  we came up for a class for that too.  www.freesellerclasses.com, for upcoming classes, and YES, THE FOLLOWING ANSWERS STILL APPLY TO YOUR SITUATION TOO.  You can always call me with questions too...  I'm always here to help... #1...  Do you have a steady income? When you decide it is time to try to buy a home, a lender is going to want to see a steady income.  Have you been on your job for at least 6 months?  Were you working before that?  Was it in the same industry?  If you weren't working before your current job, were you in school?  Were you in school for the occupation you are in, or something similar?  Are you self employed?  Do you have at least 2 years of 1099's and tax records to prove your income?  These are all questions a lender will ask, and need answers to.  Want more information on this part?  Contact Chris Berg at Cardinal Financial for answers.  He can be reached at Chris.Berg@cardinalfinancial.com, 503-320-0925.  Don't let the 503 number fool you....he is local.  :-)Owning a home is usually a bit more expensive than renting.  With the rising costs of monthly rent, your rent and mortgage payment may be about the same, but owning does have a few more expenses.  When you rent, and something breaks, or has an issue, you call your landlord, or rental management company, and eventually things get repaired.  When you own a home, YOU are the landlord, and so you need to budget for those home repair issues that will come up.  Take $20 from each check and have it automatically deposited in a credit union or financial institution of your choice.  Do not have a check book or card for this account.  This is your home maintenance fund.  You know I love the home warranty, and remember that you can continue it year after year.  Use this fund to pay for that next year of the home warranty.  However, remember that the home warranty does not cover roofing, windows, walls, flooring, or siding.  This account should also be used to maintain and take care of those items as well.  #2...How much debt to you have?This is a big one.  We all have debt, and don't get me wrong....I think Dave Ramsey is a good guy with many excellent ideas, but there is one area that he preaches that actually hurts you in the pursuit of buying a home.  The idea of a cash based living style is wonderful, but when it comes to buying a home this will actually hurt you.  Strange as it is, having NO credit is worse than having BAD credit!  Some debt is actually good....not a lot...but some.  A lender will base the amount of your pre-approval on how much income you have vs how much debt you have.  Your mortgage payment can only be a certain percentage of your disposable income which, in a nutshell, is your income minus your debt.  Some debt is good because it gives you a history of payments.  Are you credit worthy?  Do you pay your debts?  Do you pay those debts on time?  Are you reliable?  Too much debt is bad because the ratio of your debt to your income is too high.  When you are applying for a mortgage, that is (for some of us) the largest debt we will ever carry.  How do lenders know if you will pay back that debt?  They will look at your credit score...which is determined by how well you pay your current debt.  This kinds of leads me to our next question. #3...  What is your credit score?Ah yes...the dreaded credit score!  In the upcoming weeks we will spend some time talking about credit scores...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  For right now though, a credit score is based on your credit history.  It tells the lender a story about your reliability of repaying your debt.  Frankly, at some time, we all have credit issues...or at least most of us do.  Many moons ago, when my husband and I were in the early years of our marriage, we had 'issues'.  We had 2 young children, and a ton of medical debt.  When our son was a baby, we declared chapter 7 bankruptcy.  At the time it was the only thing we could do.  My husbands wages were being garnished, and we couldn't even afford diapers.  We were, in a word, BROKE...and only going broker.  So, we made the decision to go bankrupt.  It was, looking back at it, really the best decision we could have made.  After the discharge, we took it upon ourselves to learn about how 'this' all works.  I think they should teach budgeting, and credit in schools.  This lack of understanding gets a lot of young adults in trouble....of course....just like everything else here this is just my opinion  :-)  So, we learned, and we made better decisions, and choices.  We learned to live within our means.  We learned to stock up, and save.  We went back to school to better ourselves, and our situations so we could provide a better life for (at the time) two children.  Our oldest daughter, and our son in law had a baby this year, and like most young couples they are broke. I guess it is where most of us start. She *barely* remembers what it was like when she was very young.So about that Credit Score....A credit score is based on what type of credit you have, if you make your payments on time (late payments ding your credit score), how much credit you are carrying, and if you pay off your credit in a timely fashion.  Do you have a car loan?  Do you make the minimum credit payment, or more?  Have you paid off a debt?  If you have paid off a credit card....don't close the account because closing the account can hurt your credit score.  Cut up the card if you want, but keep the account open.  Do you have high credit balances?  Lenders don't like to see this because if you have high credit balances it means you have less credit to draw on in case of emergency, and let's face it, we all have emergencies sometimes.  In short, a credit score is based on your past credit history, and lenders use this number to determine how risky it is to loan to you.  With lending...it is all about risk.  They prefer to loan money to individuals with reliability.  They don't want to loan money to individuals with a high risk...someone who most likely won't pay back the money.  So what can you do if your credit score is somewhat, less than stellar?  Call your lender, or call Chris.  They can go over your credit report with you, and point out the areas that you need to address.  They can, and should, actually HELP you to understand your credit report, and should be able to give you some steps to take to better your credit score.  Is it hard work?  Yes...but the end result is absolutely worth it.  It may take some time, but if you do all the steps, we can....and will...help you find a home.  What is 'good' credit?  Most loans will want to say a 'mid-score' of at least 620.  There are three credit scoring companies, Equifax, Transunion, and Experian.  The lender will use the middle score of the three.  The better the credit score, the lower your interest rate for some loans as they have determined you have less risk. With a few loans, you can go as low at 580 on your credit score, but there are some 'hiccups' with that.  The majority of loan programs, especially the loan programs that help home buyers with downpayment will require a 620 mid score to loan money to buy a home.     #4... Do you have a down payment?  Do you need help with one?There are still a few 100% loan programs for those without a down payment, but there are a few strings for these.... mainly location, or being a member of the military.  Surprisingly, you don't have to be a first time home buyer for these programs.  What if you are a first time home buyer thought?  Well, there is quite a few down payment grants & loans out there that can help with that.  Yes, there really is!  Many lenders, and classes will talk about one...maybe 2, of them...but there are some grants to help with your down payment too.  No lie...  There are also other ways to come up with a down payment....401k, 'gifts', tax refunds, etc.  All of these options (and the pros/cons of each) are discussed by Chris Berg at the free & non-promotional home buyer education classes. However, and this is VERY IMPORTANT, remember that you do need money for a earnest money deposit, the home inspection, and the appraisal though.  Anyone who tells you that you don't need any money to buy a home is blowing smoke.... *and I'll let you finish that*   #5....  Have you taken a home buyer education class?Buying a home, whether you have a home already, or are a first time home buyer, is a tense, exciting, thrilling, fun, and yet scary time for everyone.  These classes are about 3 - 3 1/2 hours long and will go over the entire real estate process & what the papers all really mean to you.  The lender will go over the entire loan process including closing costs, down payment loans/grants, and the loans (including the 100% loans), the pros & cons of each (not just the good stuff, but the things you really do need to know too) , credit (and help to get you there), interest rates, and more.  The real estate portion will help you understand the steps, the questions to ask a Realtor, inspections, appraisals, earnest money, and what all those papers involved in an offer really mean.  The classes are free, non-promotional, and taught at community centers for your convenience.   Before you talk with a Realtor, or a lender, and definitely BEFORE you sign any papers with either a Realtor or a lender... TAKE A CLASS.  A home buyer education class should be your first step....not the last one.  When you call to rsvp for a class.... ask how long the Realtor and lender have been teaching classes.  Ask how long the Realtor has been licensed.  Ask where the classes are being held at....are you going to a lender office?  A real estate office?  What will they go over?  There's nothing wrong with taking more than one class too..  Buying (and selling) a home are some of the biggest things that you will ever do.  The only thing that will cost you more money is having a child....and wouldn't it have been nice to have a handbook for that?  :-D                         Information is power, and I hope that I am able to help you.  Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.                                                                             As always....this is just a quick overview.... please remember that your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.  If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard...or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email,  text, or facebook me anytime.  I am, as always, happy to help! Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.   .   ..disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...   Next Week:   Interview Questions to hire a Realtor, or How long is the home buying process aka WHEN do I get keys?                             Last Week:   Winter time & buying (or not) buying a home                                                                              Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,   ;-D   Tracie DeMars   Real Estate broker Re/Max - Van Mall   360/ 903-3504 cell   360/ 882-3600 fax     www.traciedemars.com traciedemars@aol.com “Interested in free and non promotional home buying or selling classes?  Go to www.traciedemars.com or www.learningtobuyahome.com, for upcoming classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home adventure education blog.  Classes are now available for home owners thinking about selling their home.  Links are on the left. ""Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."       - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

Winter Time, and Best Time to Buy a Home...

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:

  ...we also have home seller classes available.  Link on left on website page

Saturday, November 16th, from 11am-2pm (ish) ​       Vancouver YMCA, conference room       11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave).

Saturday, December 7th, from 9am-12pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room       1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Monday, December 9th, from 5pm - 8pm (ish)        Marshall Community Center, Conference room       1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, December 14th, from 12pm-3pm (ish) ​       Vancouver YMCA, conference room       11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave).

If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                        Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D ~~~~~~~~~

Happy Veterans Day...

 I want to take a quick moment to thank our veterans... those who have served, and those who are serving.  I appreciate the sacrifices you have made, and are making.  I have many clients, friends, and family who've served, or are serving, and I've had many tell me that the hardest part is being so far from family & home.  Home..it's a powerful word....and for many folks one of the reasons why they do serve.  So...thank you...

 Now, today is November 12th...and like many I am enjoying the new Disney+!  Oh my, so many movies that I a remember as a child, and when my older kids were much younger... Blackbeard's Ghost, Pollyanna, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, and so much more.  It's a glorious thing!    Don't forget about the Client Appreciation Event coming up for 11/23 from 3pm-6pm (or thereabouts) for Frozen 2!  Chris Berg buy out the entire theater for these events a few times a year to say, Thank you, to our clients.  We appreciate you!  Now...Frozen 2 is sold out in the general area, but there are some seats available in the 21+ area, and we are going to start rsvp'ing for Star Wars IX in December!!  Thank you for your business and for your referrals...  

So, this week, let's talk about the current market for a quick moment.....I know that it's gray and dreary, and everyone has the holidays on their mind, but honestly, if you are even 'thinking' about buying a home....NOW is the best time.  Yes, there are not a whole lot of homes on the market, but the market is not as competitive as it is during the spring time.  Remember that from offer to keys it will take about 6-7 weeks.  The market tends to pick up and start getting crazy again right about late February/early March-April when folks start getting their tax refunds.    

Now...please remember that my magic wand is broken, and the magic 8 ball exploded all over my house with the coming holidays... so no one really knows what is going to happen.   Typically in an election year we don't see a whole lot of movement with interest rates, or any major changes that could disrupt the economy.  Seattle and the Portland Metro are still very solid markets, and we are still in a sellers market, but it isn't as strong or fierce as it was a few years ago.  We are still seeing multiple offers on homes in certain price ranges, but for many other homes we are seeing sellers paying some closing costs for the buyers.  What will happen for the coming year though?  This is a lot like foretelling the weather right now... as it really depends on when things happen.  Most industry sources do say that home prices should start plateauing though.  This doesn't mean that the home prices will not go up...they just shouldn't go up like last year.  They should steady out. As people see the change in the market coming, more homeowners should put the home on the market so they can begin their move to their new home, and this will help all the price ranges see more homes on the market. So, yes, there aren't as many homes on the market right now than there will be say around...spring break... the homes that are on the market though are solid sellers.  

 Yes, prices are still going up, but not as much as they were the past few years, so let's talk about how all that works.  I bought my old home in late 2001, with a 6.875% interest rate....don't feel bad, or shocked....in a 'healthy' market, a 'normal' interest rate would be about 7%.  We were THRILLED to be under 7%!   We sold that home in 2017, and it was harder than I thought it would be.  It was our first home, and we had lived there for 16 years.  It was the craziest thing, but did you know that when our buyers purchased our home for the $285,000 it was worth, with the 3.5% interest rate.... our mortgages were almost THE SAME!   Wait...I'm not (that) crazy...it's economics.  Yes, they bought it for more than I owed, but with a much lower interest rate.   That equaled my lower owed amount, but higher interest rate. How crazy is that???  Now, here's the crazy part... in 2016, my old house was only worth about $245,000, and right now, that same home is worth $330,000! NUTS!!!  My mother purchased a home in the 80's for $70,000, but her interest rate was 18.375%!!!   ....now that is crazy!!    The point of this is that while yes, prices are going up, the interest rates are still really low, so you can purchase more home.   When this changes, and interest rates rise it doesn't mean that home prices will immediately start dropping, they should start leveling off ...it will take a bit of time to balance out though.  

  I have clients asking me if they should just settle then on a home, and frankly this is a tough question.   No, you shouldn't 'just settle' on a home, but you may have to adjust either the type of home you want, the location, or be able to go up in purchase price to get what you want.  Please remember that this most likely is not your last home, but your home for the next 5-10 years....that's the average.  Know what your top 3 things are that you need in a home.  Whether you are buying a home, or selling a home...it is exciting, scary, fun, and frustrating.  It's a lot like a roller coaster, or driving down Mill Plain during rush hour,....or during that last month of pregnancy. I tell you....there's a reason I don't drink often.....I'm afraid once I start that I won't stop!  ;-D  (just kidding)  Buying and/or selling a home always going to be a a roller coaster when you're on the ride.  We're here though to help...that's what we do.

 When you are looking for a home,  you need to consider more than just the house.  You are also buying the neighborhood, the schools, the property taxes, the local parks, the neighbors, and the local infrastructure.  The home needs to 'fit' you like your favorite pair of pj's. For example....this last weekend I had a client look at a home that she liked.  On paper it was everything she said she wanted, and she couldn't find anything against the house that would cause her to not want to write an offer. So why was she hesitant?  Because this home was that sweater or shirt that looks good on the rack, and so you try it on.  It fits ok, and it looks all right, but there is just 'something' that is 'off' with it.....you can't figure it out either.  Sometimes you buy it, but never wear it, and sometimes you put it back.  Buying the 'right' home is a lot like that.  You can, and will, see homes you like, but they just don't 'fit'.  Put that home back.  Sometimes you see an item of clothing on the rack that you really don't know about....but you try it on anyway and BAM!  you look AMAZING!  Some homes don't look like much from the outside, but you get inside and they are amazing.  Remember that internet home photos are a lot like internet dating....you never know what you are going to see when you get there, and many agents hire professional photographers for a reason.  I can always tell which photos an agent did themselves, and who hired someone.   Finding the 'right' home is like sliding into your favorite jeans, or boots.....there is just something about it that 'fits'.  I see homes I 'like' all the time, but just because I like it doesn't mean it fits.  If you are obsessed with a home that you have seen though.   You really like the home, and you keep going back to the pictures, and driving by the house.....that's the 'right' home....even if it was one of the first homes you saw, or it was something you didn't think you wanted, or weren't sure about.  That home is that sweater/shirt/shoes that you just weren't sure about....until you tried it on.  Darling, you look AMAZING!   Trust your instincts....this is YOUR home, and YOUR mortgage.    With rents going up so much lately you can buy for about what your renting...or close to it.

  What is the best time to buy, or sell?  Whenever YOU are ready.  Sometimes waiting makes sense, and sometimes it really doesn't.  I am a firm believer that the right home will always be ready when you are, and that it will all fall into place.  Remember....your agent works for you.   YOUR agent isn't a salesperson.  We shouldn't be trying to 'sell' you on anything.  YOUR agent works for YOU....not the other way around.  When you hire an agent you are hiring a representative; someone who should be looking out for your best interests. Always ask questions. We do this all the time, and we love it, so use our knowledge to your advantage.  There really is NO stupid question in real estate. There is always learning opportunities, and that is goes for us as well.   If i can't answer your question; I will help you find someone who can.  We're in this together.  

Don't forget though... that the first step in ANY adventure is education. Take a home buyer class, or a home seller class....that's what they're there for.  

Information

is power,  and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....

 If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.  

If you have any questions, or comments please get a hold of me anytime.  You can call, text, email, or even facebook me.  Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me as I would be honored to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure.

   As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.   Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.   ....disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...   Upcoming Topics:

Winter Home Maintenance & things to look for...

Last Week:  Delayed Possession...what is this madness?

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,  

;-D  

Tracie DeMars  

Real Estate broker

Re/Max - Van Mall  

360/ 903-3504 cell  

360/ 882-3600 fax  

www.traciedemars.com

traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home education classes?  Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.”

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."    

  - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).

[traciedemars]

Water, and your Home...    Home Buyer Classes: Saturday, October 21st, from 11am - 2pm (ish)  11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave) Monday, October 23rd, from 5pm-8pm (ish)  Marshall Community Center, conference room 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, November 4th, from 9am-12pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, conference room 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Thursday, November 9th, from 5pm-8pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, conference room 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know.... ....we also have home seller classes available too...link on left on website Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D~~~~~~~~~Another quick reminder that we have our Winter Client Appreciation coming up!  Chris Berg and I are honored to invite you to Star Wars: The LAST JEDI on Saturday, 12/16 from 3:30pm-6:30pm. Please let either me (traciedemars@aol.com) or Chris Berg (cberg@pcmloan.com), know that you would like to attend and how many adults/kids will be in your party.  We will send you the link to get your tickets, and make sure you are on the 'list'.  :-D   They are first come, first served...and no assigned seating.  Because Disney is anticipating a huge showing for this they upped some things on us, so this is the only movie event we will be hosting this winter.  In the spring we are anticipating hosting The new INCREDIBLES movie (FINALLY!!!), and hopefully the Han Solo movie as well.  Chris and I want you to know that we appreciate you!  We appreciate your trust, your friendship, and your referrals! Thank YOU so much for trusting us with your Home Adventure....whether you are Buying, Selling, or Refinancing...  we appreciate you.  So...come watch a movie with us!!  :-D .....and here comes the rain....  Actually, I may be in the minority here, but I love the rain.  Deep down I'm really a homebody.  When it's nice out we feel guilty if we are not out 'enjoying' it.  Nice weather is for doing 'stuff'....for working in the yard, for hiking, for going places, for exploring....for doing everything except what homebodies really love doing.  Homebodies....we love doing things like: snuggling on the couch, or blanket burrito ourselves next to a nice, cozy fire (inside), or wearing fuzzy socks & cozy pjs...maybe we're reading, or crocheting, or binging on Netflix...homebodies like to hole up inside our homes and bunker down...and the best part about fall & winter is that we don't have to feel guilty for doing so!  Yay!!!  I LOVE this time of year... October through December is my absolute favorite.  In fact I think we need to start talking Christmas soon...  Bring on the 'bad' weather because it's all good to me!!  LOL We are supposed to get a LOT of rain though this weekend so be prepared.  :-) This week I do want to talk a bit about rain, and water in our area because it is something we deal with here.  Every area has their 'things', but for us...it is water.  I had something else typed up regarding contractors and home repairs & upgrades that I was going to send out, but I think I will wait on that one just a bit.  The fall and winter months are excellent for rain, snow (in the mountains), for holidays, for snuggling on the couch (see a trend here?), and for a lot of things, but they're also good for home buyers and sellers.  We do live in an area with a considerable amount of rain, so doing a home inspection during the time of year when we do see the most moisture is actually a good thing for buyers (and home owners) so you can actually 'see' how the home does in time of rain.   During a home inspection, one of the things an inspector does is crawl in the crawlspace (better him than me!).  When the weather is wet, s/he is going to see things that they might not see during the dry weather.  Many areas where we live have a high water table so water in the crawlspace really isn't that uncommon, but it can be an issue.  Is it small amounts...soggy ground....under the visquean? Is it draining under the home from dirt at ground level ventilation areas that will need some correction?   Is there water actually sitting in the crawlspace that needs to properly drained to the low point drain under the home?  Does it need a sump pump put in to properly dispose of? These are all pretty common things we see during a home inspection and most of it is pretty quick and easy to remedy.  I was helping some clients sell their home about this time last year and during the home inspection their buyers inspector noted water in the crawlspace.  This particular home backed to a swampy area, and while my clients swore they had never had water under there before, they did this year.  We had a drainage expert come in to put in proper drains and a sump pump under the home to prevent it happening again.  This is always the worse case scenario...but not unexpected.  It's funny....I lived in Woodland for 20 years with a totally dry crawlspace even though my neighbor behind me had a sump pump, and the neighbor next to me had some extra drainage in their crawlspace.  This shows that even though one home might be dry...their neighbors might not be.  We recently moved to a hill in the Battle Ground area and guess what?  Yep.... I have a moist crawlspace! LOL  Ok....I'm laughing because 1) I felt someone cringe when they read 'moist' (even though I love that word), but 2) because Woodland, a flood zone, we had a totally dry crawlspace, and we live on a hill now, not in a flood zone, with a moist crawlspace!  It cracks me up...  It's just a little ground moisture so nothing sitting on top of the visquean (the plastic barrier under your home).  There isn't really anything we can do about this except keep an eye on it to see if we need additional drainage put under our home at some point.  Rain can also do a number on your siding...  if you have vinyl siding make sure that the pieces are all snug and overlap, you don't want water to get behind that.  Look for holes or penetration in your siding and seal those up.  If you have T-111, Wood, Wood composite, Shingle, or LP (a LOT of homes have these types of siding)...water is not your friend.  Look for areas of swelling where water may be getting soaked up.  This will occur on lower leading edges like the bottom of the siding around your foundation, or where the top gable /\ meets the side.  This is actually a pretty easy fix and is quite common.  One of the things you can do to make sure that water doesn't affect your siding is to keep it sealed with paint.  Siding like this really does need a good coat of paint every 5 years, but on those lower leading edges, keep them sealed with primer and paint.  If you have fiber cement, or hardiplank siding then you're still not in the clear.  This is a great siding, but again...keep an eye out for anywhere that water can leak in, and yes, you still need to paint this type of siding for protection too.  Your home inspector will be walking around and checking the siding out, along with other things.  Most inspectors start outside the home, looking at most of the things that I am going to be writing about here.... Gutters....let's keep those gutters cleaned out.  There are quite a bit of falling leaves and tree needles right now that can, and will get in there.  Those first good rains are going to show you which gutters need cleaned out.  As I type this I am noticing that the gutter end by my daughters rooms is overflowing.  I just texted my husband that it is going to need cleaned out.  Did you know that if your gutters get plugged and are overflowing it can do damage to the roof overhang wood...it can cause wood rot to the wood right there, it can also get plugged at the downspout and overflow into your crawlspace.  Yep, sometimes the water in the crawlspace doesn't come from the ground at all, but from a plugged downspout. Do you have skylights?  My house has two small ones.  This is a good time to make sure that the flashing around those is sealed tight... water leaking around skylights won't be noticeable for quite some time....and after it has done a bunch of damage to the roof plywood around those lights, and to the insulation in the attic, before you even see it in your ceiling or the ceiling openings for those skylights.  What about the roof?  When it is raining is an excellent time for the inspector to be looking inside your atticspace for any signs of moisture coming through the roof.  He will see signs of moisture on the roof plywood decking that might need addressed by a licensed roofer.  Don't forget that any wet insulation will be needing replaced too.  Another thing the inspector will be looking at is to make sure that the ventilation in the attic is open, and not blocked.  Is there moss on the roof?  This is pretty common to happen here....I mean, we have moss EVERYWHERE, but you don't want to see it on a roof.  There's a powder that can be sprinkled on the roof to help with that, a zinc strip that can be placed on the roof to help prevent the growth of moss, but one thing we don't  want is moss.  If, and when, you own your home, do NOT pressure wash your roof!  Oh my goodness...  don't pressure wash moss off your roof!   Use the zinc strip, or the powder, and then get up there with a stiff broom and brush off the dead moss if need be.  Pressure washing your roof actually shortens the life span of your roof by washing off the granules that protect it from the elements....and for heavens sakes, do NOT use TIDE on your roof!!  Tide gets oils, and dirts out of your clothes, right?  What do you think your roof is made of???  I still see, and hear, about people using laundry detergent on their roof, and it just slays me.... How about stairs or decking?  During the rain is a good time to see how slick those might be....I don't know about you, but I can't even count how many times I've slipped on decking in the rain while out showing homes. I know that grace isn't my strong suit, but they can be slick.  Other things that can be noted about a home during the fall/winter months...  Are there any areas of water pooling around the home?  How does the home hold heat?  Wood framing around windows are caulked and sealed, or is there wood rot?  Does the nearby water run off run towards the home, or towards the street?  We live in the land of liquid sunshine, and there is no reason to fear it.... let's embrace it!  Our homes are built to protect and shield us...from the world, and from the elements.  We need to help it do it's job by taking care of it.  Most items that come up during a home inspection are pretty simple repairs, and there aren't too many that are very expensive, but over my years of helping people buy and sell homes I have noticed that it gets more expensive to fix the longer you wait to do it.  Little things can, and do, often tsunami into BIG things.  As a home owner, it isn't a bad thing to occasionally have a home inspected.  Call your inspector (or call me...I have some numbers), and ask them to come out to look at your home.  You don't have to be buying, or selling, a home to have it inspected.  Some times it is nice to have a fresh pair of eyes come through to catch those 'little' things before they become 'big' things.  Some other things that are good to do to a home during this time of year:  change out batteries in your smoke detector, caulk around windows (inside & out), put some Moss B Gone (or similar product) on your roof to prevent moss growth, clean out those gutters, clean & vacuum out your wall heaters, have your furnace serviced, have your chimney swept, make sure you have a chimney cap on your fireplace chimney, check the screens on all your crawlspace vents so that you don't get animals underneath your home (please make sure you don't already have animals underneath there first!) check the screens on all your house vents so that you don't have birds getting in there during the spring (unless you want to be a birdies godmother/father?), check your atticspace for signs of wetness & to make sure all your vents are properly venting outside, check your crawlspace for water either ground or leaks (a good idea is to run all your water in your home first...like the sinks, tubs, and flush the toilets) & to make sure that your under the home insulation isn't torn down because of animals, go around your home and pull back any dirt or bark dust that is sitting up against your siding or your crawlspace vents..... prepare your home for the upcoming fall/winter.  One thing about crawlspace vents...  a lot of times I will see homes with those Styrofoam blocks in the vents... this is not necessarily a good thing.  If we have times of extreme, prolonged cold then those blocks can be helpful (think December 2008), but our area is pretty temperate and they're really not needed...and especially not year around.  My favorite home inspector likes to tell people that, "a home is a living, breathing organism.  Just like you and me, it needs to breathe."  The vents around your home allow it to 'breathe'.  Because we do get so much moisture around here, allowing your home to 'breathe' can help prevent the dreaded 'M' word.....no, not Moist.....MOLD.  Mold occurs mainly in moist, stagnant, humid areas.  If you are going to use the Styrofoam blocks then remember to, 'install in fall, remove in spring'. Don't fear the weather, and the time of year, when buying a home... every year, the best time of year to be a buyer is always going to be October-February...before the spring crush. As always, I hope this helps!  Please feel free to call, email, text, or facebook with any questions.  I think I covered everything...but I'm sure there are things I forgot.  I've been down with that sickness all week so I've been dating Nyquil & Dayquil.  I think I'm on the road to feeling better though...or at least I hope I am!  What can I do to help you today??? Information is power, and I hope that I am able to help you.  Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  AND If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.  As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.  If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard...or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email, text, or facebook me anytime.  I am, as always, happy to help! Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.  ..disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings... Upcoming Topics: Flash vs Bones...what should a buyer be looking for in homes? Last Week: Home Buying Down Payment information Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,  ;-D   Tracie DeMars Real Estate broker Re/Max - Van Mall   360/ 903-3504 cell   360/ 882-3600 fax   www.traciedemars.com   traciedemars@aol.com Interested in free and non promotional home education classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog. "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 -1999).

[traciedemars]

Buyers Due Diligence

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:

Thursday, October 17th, from 5pm - 8pm (ish)        Marshall Community Center, Conference room       1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College) Saturday, October 19th, from 12pm-3pm (ish) ​       Vancouver YMCA, conference room       11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (corner of SR500 & Gher Road/112th Ave).

Saturday, November 2nd, from 9am-12pm (ish)       Marshall Community Center, conference room       1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

If these class dates and/or times don't work for you, please let us know.  We understand that you have lives, and families, and work.  We will work something out that works better with your schedule.  Just let us know....                                                                                  

....we also have home seller classes available too...link on left on website

                 Remember...with reservation...we will throw in lunch, or dinner!  :-D                               ~~~~~~~~~

Happy Autumn  

FALL!!!    HappyHallowThanksMas!  The last 3 months of the year are my favorite.  I love the argument between Pumpkin Spice or Apple Cider (Apple Cider is the best by the way followed closely by all things peppermint). I love the colors, the smells, the holi-daze, the weather, and the coziness of it all.  I have a body made for winter clothes.

 I know.. it's strange, but I love gray days that make you want to snuggle in with some hot tea, and a good book, and I love those clear fall days where the sky is so blue & the colors on the trees are so bright...  Ok... I'm waxing poetic here, so I better stop while I'm ahead.

 We do have an exciting event coming up though...2 of them actually....  Winter Client Appreciation Events!  

In November we will be hosting Frozen 2 & in December... well, it's STAR WARS time!!  Chris Berg and I will be limiting tickets to 6 tickets please unless you have talked to me or Chris Berg about it first. We are excited to see you soon!!  :-) ...and Thank YOU.. Thank you for your referrals!  Thank you for recommending us, or the classes to those you know (and on Facebook too), and THANK YOU for letting us to be part of your home adventures. We appreciate you so much

Now...on to our weekly home buyer education!  I know I said we are going to talk about what happens AFTER the home inspection, but first I thougt we should talk about about Buyers Due Diligence, and why this is so important for you.     I saw a very interesting home this week that was right across the street from a cemetery.  Now, that wouldn't bother me, but for some folks...that would be a BIG thing.  My clients liked the land but did not like the house...the house was ...  interesting.  It was a 1925 home, that had been 'worked' on over the years, and probably not professionally.  When I am showing homes to clients, I get asked many questions about the home....some I can answer and some I can't.   Some of the answers we can find out, and some...well, you never really 'know' a home until you are the one living in it.  So, what are some questions I can not answer... is the home haunted?  Um....I don't know?  Has there been a violent crime in the home or in the area?  Um...I don't know?  Believe it or not, that isn't considered a relevant fact when listing the home as it doesn't actually affect the home.  

  When selling a home, the seller (and sellers agent) is only obligated to disclose known material facts about the home on the sellers disclosure, and this is only  about the home during the current sellers ownership.  So what is a 'material fact'?   A 'material fact' is considered to be something that structurally affects the home.  The sellers disclosure is about 6 pages long and the seller is 'supposed to' disclose all known facts about the home on it.  However, if anyone has teenagers you know how often 'supposed to' gets done.  Some sellers will disclose ALL facts about the homes....even those items that have been repaired, some sellers will only disclose those items that they haven't gotten around to fixing, and some sellers just have no idea about anything in their home.  Of course, this is why we do a home inspection.  It isn't that you can't trust the sellers, but when it comes down to it, most sellers don't know anything about their home.  This is called 'Buyers Due Diligence'.  A buyer does have some responsibility for doing some research on the home, and area, that they are wanting, or trying to, buy in.  If your buyers agent knows anything about the home or area then we have to legal responsibility to disclose it.  In Washington, all sellers are required to fill out the 6 page sellers disclosure on their own.  Their Realtor can not do it for them, or help them fill it out.....however, if the seller is a bank, or it is an estate, or an investor then there won't be any sellers disclosures, or if there is, most questions will be answered with "don't know". For every question on the sellers disclosures, the sellers have 4 choices to answer...  "yes, no, don't know, or NA", and every question must be answered....no empty boxes.  When you receive a copy of the sellers disclosure though ...remember to take it with a grain of salt, and hire a good inspector.  Many sellers now will even just put a majority of 'don't know' answers on the sellers disclosure so as to not have any liability.  The majority of sellers aren't trying to 'hide' anything about the home, they just truly don't know.  A realtor will hand the sellers disclosure to their client, the seller, and that is it.  We, real estate agents, can not help the seller fill out the sellers disclosure at all.  If you have any questions regarding anything on the sellers disclosure, your Realtor can request more information (if there is any) from the sellers through their sellers agent.  Make sure you also address any concern you have regarding the homes condition to the home inspector you hire.  He (or she) should be able to help you with that.  The inspector I usually refer out encourages the buyer to walk with him during the home inspection so that the buyer is part of that inspection.  I like to call it a 'crash course in homeowning'.  

By the time he is done with the inspection, my client usually knows more about the home than the current owner does!  I can't stress it enough....ask questions!  You are paying for the home inspection, so walk around with the home inspector, ask questions, learn about what the inspector is checking, and be a part of the home inspection.

  Sometimes, but not often, we will see sellers purposely try to hide something. This sucks.  I had this happen recently with a client. The home in question had been on the market for about 5 months...with 3 different Realtors, and had been pending 2 times before with sale fails. Ok...red flags...3 different Realtors in such a short period of time? Two prior sale fails? hmmm... I asked the current Realtor why the sale fails, and he said there were financing issues.  Ok, sometimes that happens.  I have had that happen on listings of mine too.  Current Realtor was very eager for an offer,and called me about closing costs, etc. My clients liked the home, and the listed price was attractive.  It did need some cosmetic work, but that was ok, for the price and the closing costs. Fast forward to home inspection, and the home passed with flying colors.  Only things that came up was a recalled electric panel (common for the age of the home), and lack of insulation under the home.  Insulation under the home is not required for the age of the home, and was something my clients were willing to do later. The recalled panel would need replaced prior to appraisal as that is something that most likely would be called out.  Where the big issue came was during the sewer scope...  the sewer line from the home to the street had a 35 ft 'bend' in it.  Sewer lines need to go down 1 inch for every foot for optimum flow (yay...the things I know that are weird to know), and due to land settling, etc...this homes sewer line had a dip in it before it went to the street. Ok....it's not like the seller could have known this right? Well, normally I'd agree with you, but in this case he DID KNOW!  Plumber asked us if we knew and we said no (because how would we?)  Plumber then goes on to say that,"well, that's weird, because the seller knows. This home has had a recent sewer scope already done.  There's some paint lines in the street that looks like they were scrubbed off."   Uhhh....what?!  I send this information to the sellers agent (who has no idea),and he assures me that if they knew it would have been on the sellers disclosures (it wasn't). Sellers agent calls his client and then calls me back. At this point both the sellers agent & I know the seller is full of it because the seller told his agent that there was nothing wrong with the sewer line....because he had the city come out and check it a couple of weeks ago and they hydro jetted it. That all of this was just the plumbing contractor and my clients trying to get more money out of him.  Honestly folks, that was our first indication that this deal was going to be hairy & scary...  We requested the recalled panel to be replaced and the sewer line repaired. The seller sent his agent a bid for the sewer line repair that was dated a full 3 weeks BEFORE my client made their offer. When the seller was with Agent #2, and during the 2nd sale fail.  Sale failed because of financing issues...my tush..  

My clients loved many things about the home, and except for the sewer line (and that it needed paint and flooring), it was in excellent condition with a newer roof and new windows. It also had the yard & 2 living spaces that my clients wanted. So, we persisted. Seller did have the panel switched out (with much grumbling).  It cost the seller $700 more than it should have because he tried to go 'cheap' and had to have it redone. The sewer line failed the sewer scope. . at least twice.  The bid that the seller presented was for $10,000 to repair the line.  So now my client had a choice....  do we back out? Do we require the sewer line to be repaired? What do we do? At least one of the previous buyers had backed out because the seller refused to repair the line.  Discussion time...  many of the homes we were looking at with this price range were either smaller and in good condition, or needed a new roof soon (about $7,000 estimate), or new windows (about $5,000),or similar. The sewer line is currently working.  Does it need to be under surveillance? Yes. Will it need to be corrected at some point? Yes. Does it need to be done right now? No.  For my clients they decided to go with the evil you know vs the evil that they may find in another home.  This home was in excellent condition with many things already done (like the new roof, windows, & now a new electric panel)...the only thing that will need to be done will be the sewer line. One thing vs many possible things at a different home.  So I spoke with the sellers agent (who was very dismayed to find out his seller had been lying to him), and they offered a split of the repair cost. What this means is that we had a $10,000 sewer line repair bid. The sellers offered another $4000 in closing costs to offset that repair.  I called my clients lender to ask if my buyers could use all of those closing costs (whatever isn't used is returned to the sellers), and they could!  My clients accepted that compromise as this freed up some money for my clients to do what they wanted to the home to move in... those cosmetic things that they didn't have to put off now.  In the end it worked out.  Of course...that was until closing day....but that is a story for next week....  

 It's not often that seller will blatantly lie on a sellers disclosure.  Most of the time it is something that the sellers don't know about that shows up on a home inspection, or a sewer scope.  However, that is why we do inspections...  because of the things that people don't know, don't think about, and rarely...try to hide.  As I said in my last email... buying a home is a lot like buying a used car.  Most of the time it is all good, but occasionally...occasionally... you find those folks who are trying to get away with something.      Your realtor will help you find out as much about the home as possible.  Your agent should be present at your home inspection, and so should you.  However, whether or not the home is haunted or not, we really can't help you with.  Whether or not there has been a violent crime in the home or area is another thing that we really can't help you with, but we CAN help you by providing some places where you can do some research.  Has anyone died in the home?  Again....I don't know..., but if it is an older home, and/or an estate?  Maybe you should leave out some milk and cookies occasionally?  

  What about that new building being built in the neighborhood?  Your Realtor probably doesn't know what it is, and honestly we shouldn't guess.  That is something that a buyer will want to do some research on.  Is that garage conversion permitted?  Call the city/county.  Your Realtor will help you find the information, but when it comes down to it, because of past legal problems, we are now limited on the extent that we can delve into everything....but we can help you get there still.  It is weird, but there it is.  There is a lot your Realtor can, and will do for you, and we will do all that we can to make sure that you are getting the best customer service possible.  Your Realtor should help you to make sure that you are performing your buyers due diligence to make sure that you won't get any unexpected surprises later.  I am a huge fan of talking with neighbors....neighbors are a great source of information on a home.  :-)  Please remember that you are not just buying the home, you are buying the neighborhood.  One of the questions I always ask my clients is if they have thought about the area they want to move to?  Have they looked into schools, if that is important.  Have they considered locations regarding work, or family/friends?  I encourage my clients to drive around, and check out the neighborhoods they're interested in.  Drive by the homes you are interested in seeing, look at the neighbors, yards, parks, cars, etc...  check out those things that are important to you.  Vancouver doesn't really have a 'good side', or 'bad side'...Clark county has a lot of 'pocket neighborhoods'.  In a two mile radius you can have million dollar homes, new developments, 'sketchy' neighborhoods, and established 'homey' neighborhoods.  Clark County has something for everyone!   What are you looking for in a home/neighborhood?  What are your top 3 things you want (not counting price)?  As a realtor we can not 'steer' you towards, or away, from any neighborhood.  Our job is to help you find the best home we can, in your price range, that fits what you want.  As an agent, I will help you get all the information I can, or direct you to places that can help you get that information.  For example....census.gov is an excellent site to check out neighborhoods, and schools.  Check it out!  

  So...buyers due diligence....talk to neighbors, walk around the home, and neighborhood... and write down a list of questions.  Ask your inspector about these questions to check out.  Ask your real estate agent to help you find out some answers to these questions, or if they can't find the answers, help you find some places where you can do some research or ask questions.  Your Realtor is here to help you!  Remember that your Realtor works FOR you.   Make sure you know what you are getting into....and any questions?  ASK!  ...and keep asking until you get answers!   As always, if you have any questions, please call or email me...I am always here to help.  :-)  Remember...I am a real estate broker, and I look forward to helping you on your home buying adventure...and assisting you to get those keys.  :-D  Whether you are buying, or selling your home, my goal is to be the real estate broker you think of.  I really want to help you with your first time, and every time.  I believe that real estate is about relationships.....and no...that is not a shameless plug!  LOL   I hope this helps you this week!  Please, if you have any questions, please feel free to call, email, text, or even facebook me anytime.  I am always here to help!  

Information is power, and I hope that I am help you!  Good luck, and as always...May the odds be ever in your favor out there....  If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.  

I hope that explains this a bit, but if you have any questions, or comments please call or email me anytime!  Please remember that while I mean these emails/blogs to be helpful, and educational, I am still hoping that you will call, or email me.  I would love to help you with your home buying, or home selling adventure!  :-)

   As always....this is just a quick overview.... again...and I can't say this enough...please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one.  Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships.  Your agent, and your lender work for YOU.  You drive the bus...we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals.  Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure.  The goal is to be informative and non-promotional.  :-)  We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.  

If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard...or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email,  text, or facebook me anytime.  I am, as always, happy to help! Thank you again for your business and your referrals!!  ...and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.   ....disclaimer...if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings...   Upcoming Topics:What happens AFTER the home inspection?

What do I need to buy a home,

What if I don't have a Down Payment?

Pre-Approvals...what, why... and the importance of getting one

Debt to Income Ratios....What is this?

Last Week:  Home Inspections & seller disclosure

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,  

;-D  

Tracie DeMars  

Real Estate broker

Re/Max - Van Mall  

360/ 903-3504 cell  

360/ 882-3600 fax  

www.traciedemars.com

traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home education classes?  Go to www.learningtobuyahome.com or www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.”

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."    

  - Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 - 1999).