Home Inspections

Buying a home is a big decision that includes more than falling in love with the style and decor of a home. A home needs to be in good working order. This is where an home inspector comes in. Read more

The Anatomy of a Real Estate Purchase

The steps, process and details of buying real estate can be intimidating and overwhelming to the first-time (and even the veteran) buyer. If you’ve never done this before, you likely have no idea how the process begins or what to expect.

Every market does things a little differently, and you should ask your real estate agent how the process works in your community. For the most part, however, the transaction should follow these seven steps.

Make an offer and write up a contract

When you love a place and think it could be your future home, it’s time to take a serious and legally binding step toward purchasing it. This means writing up a purchase offer and signing a real estate contract. Read more

Know Your Expenses Before You Buy

For many, homeownership is still a dream. Moving from renting can seem like it’s an impossible mission.
But if you plan ahead and carefully budget, the goal of homeownership can be yours.

When budgeting how much home you can afford, it’s important to understand and anticipate the costs of owning and maintaining a home. Here are a few things that some first-time buyers forget to include. Read more

4 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Foreclosure

Foreclosures can offer big bargains, but buyers need to be careful that they don’t get over their heads in purchasing a home that may need more repairs than they bargained for.

Foreclosures are usually sold as-is, and homes that are left vacant standing too long can have a lot of maintenance problems. Read more

Lenders are Looking More at the Condition of the Property

It is pretty well known these days that mortgage applicants are liable to undergo scrutiny more thorough than just about anyone in the business can remember. I don’t know about the rest of the country, but in our neck of the woods (Orange County, California) we are also seeing the emergence of a parallel trend. Not only are borrowers getting a more thorough examination, but also the properties themselves are being scrutinized as never before.

I am not talking about the value of the property — those kinds of appraisal issues have been with us for some time now. Today, I am referring to the physical condition of the property. Read more