Short answer everything!

Advocacy  I am your 100 percent advocate working only for you. My whole focus is helping you.

Sometimes it is education;  helping you to weigh options together of the consequences of different actions. I would like to have a crystal ball but I do not  think they exist. (I do try to chat up agents).  Could you pay too much? (bad) could you lose the house you love?  (Also bad) I try to educate you about the whole home buying process.

Financials  Buyying a home is a large expenditure and the various types of financing plays a role.. Are you Cash, Conventional VA or FHA.  I work with a range of financing and I work with a range of really good lenders. I have worked with one lender for over 9 years if she says it work, you can take it to the bank. That statement alone has made many of my deals win in a multi offer situation.  Sometimes someone is really not quite ready. I put one FHA buyer on a budget they were spending $700.00 per month on restaurants.  They quit going out, saved and were able to convert from FHA to a low down conventional loan. Final result they ended up with a wonderful single family forever home instead of a condo.

Showing Homes  Yes I have the magic key (or the app) that opens the doors and I get to read all of the secret remarks but that is not all I do. I organize showings. Yes I know you have the internet and have been looking at homes 3 times a day. But I are used to looking at thousands of listings, I can usually tell from photos if the counter is actually granite/solid surface or just cheap laminate. A lot of times I have been to the building or seen the house so I can help advise you on whether you want to see it or if it is a waste your time. I sometimes come up with listing from left field that are just right. I coordinate the showing, set up appointments and arrange things. Hopefully with a lunch break in the middle. I am committed to finding you the right house no matter how many it takes.

Showing Homes part 2 I help you look at important things ie is the plumbing cast iron. On an old craftsman you need to know what is the state of the foundation. I have a joke there are 2 kinds of foundations in North Park those that have been replaced and those that are going to need it. I usually have a set of  numbers of what some of the repairs will cost so I help you evaluate. I also have a background in rehab and art so I can give you some ideas of how to make the space better. I also spend a lot of time pointing out bad things.

Offers The scary question in home buying is  “is the one”? I provide comps of the area, point out bad features and immediately get on the phone to the other agent. How many offers? What are your seller’s needs and desires.  Once we had to let the seller stay 2 months in order to make it work and WIN.

support  Back to being there for you; I mean totally there for you. Sometimes I am the marital counselor,  the shrink. Buying a house is so stressful it can make even the most well-grounded folks loss it for a few minutes. Guess what you get to vent on me.

Research   Agents are the best researchers of all time.  We Try to help you find out about previous sales, inspections issues. Etc. I once had some people looking at a newer SFH home in Carlsbad, we noticed some re-piping and wondered why. I spent quite a fewl hours but eventually found that the development had been sued for construction issues. Needless to say we passed on that one.

Side note about construction defects almost all condo developments go through litigation read my article about that here.

Inspections Yeah we got the house. But now the fun begins….

First the home inspection but wait there is more. In California you are talking a huge amount of money. It might be worth some extra to figure out if everything is correct. I am there for all of the inspections. I can help you get bids. I also negotiate repairs.

Paperwork  There is a ton of it. In California we kill a small tree with every transaction. Just kidding, we do it all electronically. My preferred method is to sit down with you and go over everything on my tablet. Then I send it to you to sign.  I never ask you to sign anything that I did not send over first as a pdf for you to read. There is a lot of information. CAR updates their form at least 2 times a year. I take lots of classes and stay current. It also helps that my broker is a real estate Attorney. Big shout out to Spencer Lugash and the rest of the Big Block Family, I am happy to say we do everything by the book.

Paperwork part 2   I coordinate with your lender and  with escrow.  Making sure you understand the loan process and the title and escrow papers. I keep escrow moving. Finally I am there to help you understand and sign your loan documents.

 

The end.   I have the pleasure of handing you your keys to your new home. Then we are off to a new relationship as friend and resource.