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Learn about Buying a Home in San Diego

Home Sweet HomeThe Home Buying Process Made Simple

You may have purchased many homes in the past, or this might be your first one! Since the process changes from state to state and from time to time, we’ve created a series of posts designed to bring you up to speed in record time!

First, we’ll explain a little bit about how the real estate industry works in general. In our series of posts devoted to explaining the home buying process, we’ll cover:

  • How to Choose a Lender
  • Agency Relationships
  • Strategy for Making an Offer
  • What to Know about the Purchase Agreement Before You Write
  • What to Expect in Escrow

(and much more!)We’re here for you to answer any questions and help you take the steps to finding your Dream Home.

While you are gathering information, check out our live financial calculators to compare renting vs owning, get an idea of closing costs, calculate your mortgage payment, and even the true cost of waiting to buy, in case interest rates go up while you wait. I promise you’ll learn something valuable! We’re here for you to answer any questions and help you take the steps to finding your Dream Home.

Thumbnail image for Buying a Home – The First Key Steps

Buying a Home – The First Key Steps

by Sara Driscoll August 18, 2010 Buyers

What’s so hard about buying a home, right? People do it every day. If you talk to people who have completed a home purchase, some will tell you it was easy, some will say there were a lot of disappointments and a lot of things they wish they had known going in. Your first key is knowing what to expect.

Buying a home can be easy and accomplished with little stress, if you have a plan. Each of the following steps of the plan have a blog post devoted to it, but here’s the quick overview:

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Buying a Home – Choosing a Lender

by Sara Driscoll August 17, 2010 Buyers

Choosing A Lender. This is one of your most critical decisions when buying a home. Many home buyers have fallen prey to internet lenders who can’t and don’t deliver the loan programs promised…and the unsuspecting buyer discovers this right before the closing is to occur. If the rate and terms seem too good to be true, trust that instinct. You’re right. It is essential to work with a lender who is available personally to explain the financing options available to you, make recommendations based upon your specific circumstances, answer all of your questions, and keep you informed at each step of the process. You are looking for a seasoned professional, not a computer program. So how do you find this person?

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Buying a Home – Get Your Home Financing Approved Now

by Sara Driscoll August 19, 2010 Blog

Making application for your home financing prior to getting serious about a property is a must. You’re going to search high and low for the perfect home to buy. Once you find it, you want to be sure you can actually buy it.

There are two important limits to your purchasing power. One is the payment the lender will approve. The other is even more important, and that’s the monthly amount you are comfortable with. Many buyers find that they can qualify for a higher payment than they really want, given their lifestyles.

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Buying a Home – Real Estate Agency Relationships

by Sara Driscoll August 18, 2010 Buyers

Agency is one of the most important concepts in the Home Buying Process. An agent can work exclusively for the buyer, the seller, or as a “dual agent”, in which case, both parties are represented either by the same agent or the same company. It’s important to understand what you can expect in any of these scenarios before you make an offer on your ideal home. Begin your relationship with a personal consultation, which should last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. The best agents welcome the opportunity to make sure you’re a good match for working together.

You can also choose formally to have your agent represent you exclusively. A Buyer Brokerage Agreement is similar to a listing agreement, in that you have a written contract outlining your agent’s responsibilities to you and yours to them.

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Negotiating for Home Buyers

Secrets of a Real Estate Agent – Negotiating Tips for Home Buyers – VIDEO

by Sara Driscoll August 15, 2010 Buyers

A home is one of the largest and most emotional purchases most of us make in our lives. Here are a few key points to keep in mind as you negotiate for your Dream Home. SECRET #1: Negotiation Begins Long Before the Offer is Written. Every interaction between buyers, sellers and their agents has a bearing on the outcome of an attempted home purchase. Every question the listing agent or the seller answers can give you a clue as to their motivation. (It’s good to remember this whether you are asking or answering the questions.)

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Obama-Care 3.8% Tax

Obama-Care 3.8% Tax on Real Estate Sales?

by Sara Driscoll April 28, 2012 Buyers

Have you heard that Obama-Care includes a 3.8% tax on real estate sales? Rumors abound and misinformation dominates any mention of the topic. Here are some facts.

Beginning January 1, 2013, the 3.8% tax on some investment income will take effect. The most common misconception is …

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Real Estate Outlook: Buyers vs Sellers

by Sara Driscoll February 14, 2012 Buyers

Real Estate Buyers and Sellers: Their Unique Perspective

We all read the same newspapers and listen to the same analysis, right? While no one has a crystal ball, buyers and sellers have very different opinions about whether their real estate glass is half full or half …

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Top 4 Reasons People are Buying Homes Now

by Sara Driscoll August 20, 2011 Blog

If you’d like to be a homeowner but you’re not sure the time is right to do it, I can’t blame you. You can’t get through a day without hearing about turmoil in the housing market or how troubled the economy is. Would you like to analyze your options and see for yourself if this might be the right time for you to buy a home? If so, then read on…

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What Is Your Best Investment Today?

by Sara Driscoll August 14, 2011 Buyers

Five year certificates of deposit earn a little over 2%, but rental properties are yielding 8-10 times more than that. Income properties are tangible assets which have benefited dramatically in inflationary times. Cash assets can be devastated by inflation, and diversifying into income properties can provide real protection.

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Do You Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda?

by Sara Driscoll August 1, 2011 Blog

In the three years following this 1996 headline, California home prices rose 19.7%, wiping out the losses of the early 90′s and ending the next decade with a net gain of 9.35%. While the media is helpless to resist playing up bad economic news, the simple truth is that a home remains the most enduring investment most of us will ever make. Read some past headlines for a good laugh.

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