Helloooo there!

Sorry I am late today...  I had to run to the office this morning and write up an offer (yay!), and then grocery shopping (groan).  LOL  
Here it is...Sunday again...is it me or is time flying by?  My husbands vacation is over (sad face), and my son goes back to school on Wednesday (yeah...happy face!).....just kidding.  :-)  He will be a junior this year....sigh...how does this all happen?  I always feel a bit melancholy at the start of the school year...I mean, it seems like you blink, and your kids grow up!  School clothes shopping done, but I still need school supplies for him.  I am feeling pretty happy though that I don't have to get school stuff for the oldest (class of '11), and the youngest (class of '28).  Ok.....never thought about that....yikes!!  :-)  So, who else is getting ready for fall already???

So, this week we are going to talk a bit about the difference between inspections and appraisals.  These are two very important steps in the home buying adventure, but they benefit two different people.  The inspection is for the benefit of the buyer...so you know what you are buying.  The appraisal is for the benefit of the lender, so that they don't loan more than the home is worth.  

Inspection>>>>  Paid for by the buyer, takes about 2-3 hours.  You should be at the home inspection, and yes, your buyers agent should be at the home inspection as well.  We can't help, assist, and advise if we aren't there.  The average cost of a home inspection is $325-$350, and while yes, you can get one done for less, you really do get what you pay for.  Ask your buyers agent for help.  The inspection is again, paid for by you, and is for your benefit.  The inspectors job is to give the full story of the home.  ALL homes have issues...  When the inspector is done you should know more about the home than the sellers do.  The inspector works for you, the buyer...no one else.  The inspection report is for your benefit, and for your information.  You have the right to request repairs, but the sellers have the right to negotiate those repairs.  The sellers can do all the repairs, none of the repairs, or some of the repairs.  For most loans the lender does not get a copy of the inspection, but there are some loans, or instances where the lender does get a copy of the inspection.  So...even if you are ok with the needed repairs on the home, the underwriters can still call out the repair and make it a condition of your financing which means it will have to be done.  Please remember that ALL homes have repairs, or issues needing some attention....it's part of being a home, and doing those repairs is part of being a homeowner.  Whatever the inspector calls out for repair is not, by definition, a lender required repair.  Most loans/lenders will never see the inspection report and really don't care about it.

Appraisals????  Again, paid for by the buyer, but you will not be there for the appraisal, and neither will your agent be (for the most part).  We are not supposed to be there for the appraiser because really, the bank doesn't want us to talk with appraiser as they are afraid we might 'influence' them.  You pay for the appraiser, but the bank orders it.  There is no way to chose an appraiser like you chose the inspector.  There were some new laws established a couple of years ago that states the lender can not chose the appraiser because, before, there were some appraisers who did whatever they could to make those numbers to stay on the lenders payroll.  Now, when you pay for the appraiser, the lender orders the appraisal, and it gets thrown into a 'lottery' type of thing and whoever gets pulled up is the appraiser.  We have no way of know who is going to be the appraiser, and what they will do.  Some appraisers just do some measurements, walk around the home for a visual, and call it good.  Some appraisers perform mini-inspections....  we just never know...  For instance, earlier this year I had a client buying a home with rotten siding.  They were aware the siding was rotten, but they knew people.  Rotten siding is a guarantee call out for an appraiser and an inspector.  The inspector called it, and the appraiser did NOT!  I was shocked...,, but there it is.  If the appraiser had called out the siding for repair then it would have become a lender required repair which means the loan can not be financed until the repair is done, and the appraiser  comes back out to approve that the repair was done.  On the other hand, I had an appraiser come out to a home that was in really good condition and call out the paint around the garage door for re-painting....that wasn't chipping or anything.  Both homes were using the same loan type, but of course, different appraisers.  I never feel safe about a home purchase until the home appraisal is done...completed....and turned in.  So, the appraiser works for the bank....paid for by you, but yes, they work for the bank.  The appraisers number one job is to make sure that the home is worth at least as much as what you are purchasing it for.  The bank will only loan you either the purchase price, or the appraised price....whichever is less.  It is ok if the home appraises for more...that is good, but the home needs to appraise for at least as much as the purchase price.  If the appraiser calls out a repair then it is a condition of the loan, and no financing until the repair is completed.  

In a nutshell....the inspector works for you, and the appraiser works for the bank.  There is more to it, of course, there always is....but this should help you to understand the difference between the two more.  As always....call, text, email, or facebook with any questions!!   I am here to help.....

f you know anyone who is thinking about buying a home, our next Saturday class is Saturday, September 8, 2012 at the Vancouver YMCA located at 11324 NE 51st Circle (corner of SR-500 & 112th/Gher Road) from 9am-12pm.  Remember....with reservation...we will throw in lunch!  :-)




Please call, email, text, or even facebook me (at Tracie DeMars Real Estate Q&A) anytime with any questions, or if there is anything I can do to assist you with your home buying adventure! As your buyers agent, I am, as always, here to help!! :-D




Thank you again for your business and for your referrals!


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



Thank you again for attending the home buyer education classes, and I hope that you will continue to refer the classes out to your friends, family, and co-workers. Upcoming class dates and times are located at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com. Just click on the link on the left hand side. Or you can go to www.learningtobuyahome.com and click the links.

We appreciate your referrals and word of mouth! Also, if you have somewhere that we can place the flyers at, please let me know....
:-D




Next Week: Closing costs/downpayment...what are they?  A breakdown
Last Week: Buyer questions...answered

Remember that you can always go to 'Free Home Buyer Education' on Facebook for all of my weekly blogs and upcoming class dates/times/locations. I post the weekly blogs on there as well. 


Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, 
;-D 
Tracie DeMars
Buyer's Agent
Re/Max - Van Mall 
360/ 903-3504 cell 
360/ 882-3600 fax 
www.traciedemars.com 
find me on LinkedIn
traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home buyer classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com or www.learningtobuyahome.com for local upcoming classes, or facebook: free home buyer education.”

*****Remember that if you are interested I can, and will be happy to, set you up on an email that will automatically email you with new home listings in your area and price range as they come up on the market. This email will include all bank owned homes and anything with price changes. Just send me what you are hoping to find, your top 3 things in a home, and what is the best email to send it to. This is with no obligation, and is a good way to 'window shop'. :-)

Hello there and happy (much) cooler Sunday!

Ok...I don't know about you, but I am SO much happier with the cooler weather!  The super heat is so not my friend...  it messes with my hair and makes me look like Fi-Fi the wonder poodle!  Oh...all right, I do have better reasons than that... the super heat just drains me, and seems to trigger more migraines....Air conditioning is my friend...  LOL  Luckily, we don't have heat like that often, and for that I am grateful.  My oldest daughter loves the heat...she is crazy, but again...she is almost 19 so that goes without saying. :-)  My son (who turned 16 this Wednesday...you have been warned) is more like me and is not a fan of the big heat.  He is a good boy, but he had better be since my insurance almost doubled by adding him.  The two and half year old doesn't really care...she is a simple soul...food?  good!  Drink?  good!  People to adore her?  Well...obviously!!  LOL  Got to love kids...  
I hope you were able to stay cool this past week....  As for me and mine...it is time to convince the older two to watch the younger one so my husband and I can celebrate our 20 year anniversary....  :-D

We do have a class today at the Parsley Center (4100 Plomondon Road, enter in the door by the swimming pool) from 9am-12pm.  We know that not everyone has Saturdays off, so we try to offer a Sunday class at least every other month.  

Now...on to real estate....  when the heat gets crazy like it has been (and you thought I didn't have a point), people always look more for homes with AC.  Not that I can argue as I love my AC, but there are other ways to get AC into your home without going into a bidding war for a home with a heat pump when the weather hits 90+.  You think I am talking about window air conditioners, don't you?  :-)  Well, yes and no.  Window air conditioners are wonderful as again we don't have heat like that often, and we used them before we got a heat pump, however, there are other ways as well.  There are portable AC units you can purchase for your home, or you can call the Clark PUD after you buy your home.  Why??  The Clark PUD has some wonderful programs for homeowners.  If you purchase a home with metal windows, you can contact Clark PUD and talk with them about newer, vinyl windows to increase energy proficiency in your home.  The PUD will offer a low interest loan that they can add to your monthly payment.  The Clark PUD can also help with additional insulation if you don't want to do it yourself, and the Clark PUD offers ductless air conditioners.  Yep...you read that right.  Say you buy a home with ceiling heat....contact the Clark PUD about a ductless heat pump.  It is very efficient and works wonderfully.  We are starting to see them in more and more homes, and it is a great program.  It is a program similar as with the windows.  There are a lot of programs available for homeowners....another bonus!  :-)

I know I was going to talk about the difference between Inspection and Appraisals, but I am going to put that off for next week.  I had a couple of questions this week that I thought you might enjoy instead.  The point of this is to answer your questions, and to help you after all... Please contact me if  you have any other questions, or if there is anything I can help you with!  I hope this helps... 

"It seems that a lot of the houses I like are either cash only or FHA 203K loan, and so I'm really starting to consider a FHA 203K..Do you know if it is possible to do the housekey loan for down payment assistance with the FHA 203K loans? Are the banks even doing FHA 203K loans right now?"


Yeah....cash and 203k loan types of homes sell for less....because less people can do them. 
 
First answer....I don't know of any of the state loan programs that will consider a 203k loan.  The reason why is that with the state loans, the home must be in a safe and livable condition.  In fact, in April of this year they changed their rules so that any home purchased with a state assistance loan has to include a copy of the home inspection for the bond underwriters to approve.  They do not fund fixers....  One of the reasons that they don't is because most first time home buyers do not have the funds to do repairs, and if they did have the funds to do repairs, they would not qualify for the state loan programs.  To qualify for the state bond assistance programs you can't have money of your own...the loan is for people who need their money, not for people who just don't want to use their own money.  The second reason why the bond does not fund fixers is because if, for some reason, you were to default on the loan, they don't want to be stuck with a home that can't sell because it needs to much work.  The bond is fairly strict about the homes condition....maybe not as strict as VA loans, but stricter than regular FHA....and remember that FHA has strict qualifications for the condition of the homes that they will fund.
Second answer...  it is harder for a 203k loan.  For a 203k loan to work the buyer needs to have cash, and needs to be prepared that the repairs will end up costing more.  For more information on a 203k loan, call Chris Berg at Pinnacle Mortgage at 503-320-0925...however, what I have been told is that most 203k loans end up falling apart before closing....all of them costing the buyer money with no home to show for it.  It may not be as much of a gamble as waiting on a short sale, but it is still a gamble.  Most banks say that they can do them, but few actually do.  Make sure that if this is the path for you that you are speaking with a lender who knows what they are doing with them....and that the lender gives you all the information on it...including the potential pitfalls and cons.  

There are a lot of great homes out there.  The hardest thing for most people is seeing what homes are in their price range, and adjusting their expectations.  The market has changed again since last year....there are more buyers, and not as much inventory out there.  This has caused an increase in homes values...and prices.  For a good home, in a good neighborhood, and that is at a good price...there is often the chance of multiple offers, and the home will sell quickly.  In this market it really is a rule of thumb that if it looks to good to be true, then it probably is.....there is either something wrong with it that makes financing difficult (in which case it is listed cheaply and an investor will most likely purchase it.  HUD homes fit into this category), or it is a short sale (in which case the listing agent just needs an offer to get the process even started...the listing price doesn't mean a thing as the bank as not agreed to it.  IF the bank does respond it will be about 6-9 months, and short sales are at about an 85% fail rate.  IF the home is a bankruptcy, the bk court will require the buyer to bring in, on average, $15,000 to satisfy the bk court.). 

Again...there are a LOT of great homes out there, and many homes that are in good shape, that will finance, and that people can (and do) purchase.  These are homes being sold by regular sellers, investors, estates, bank owned properties (remember that there is no special list...if a bank owned home is for sale, it is on the rmls.com), etc....  
I am sorry...I don't mean to be a 'debbie downer', but I do believe in being truthful.  I will do all I can to help you find a wonderful home that you can love, and be happy in.....but I can't get you Widmer if all you can afford is Hams Beer.  Please remember that this is your First home, but most likely won't be your last....

"Do you know if anyone loans on manufactured homes in a community of manufactured homes or do they only loan on manufactured homes on land?"


I apologize for the bad news here....  To my knowledge, no lender will loan on a manufactured home in a community because the land is not owned.  Manufactured homes are actually considered personal property, and not real estate property.  When the land is not owned, the only way to get a loan is by private source (like owner carrying contract), or by getting a personal loan.  
Now...it used to not be so bad if the manufactured home was on its own land, but loans have changed, and now it is almost impossible to get any type of loan on a manufactured home....on its own land, or not.  I do know of a couple of lenders who say that they can still provide loans for manufactured homes, but they will require a high(er) credit score, will have a higher interest rate, and will require more of a down payment....none of the state loan programs will loan on a manufactured home.  The problem is that manufactured homes, as nice as some of the are, are not built to last the way a stick built home will.  Because of this lending on a manufactured home is considered more of a 'risk' to a lender.  With banks it is all about risk....the higher the risk, the more difficult they make it....  
Again, I do apologize for being the bearer of bad news...., but if you are still interested in manufactured homes, please let me know and I can provide you with the name of the 2 lenders I know who say that they can (or will) still do them.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there is anything else I can help you with!  I am, as always, here to help in any way I can!


 If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a home, our next classes are Thursday, August 23, 2012, at the Parsley Center (aka Bagley Center) located at 4100 Plomondon Road (just down from the main post office on Caples Road off of Fourth Plain from 5pm-8pm.  With reservations, lunch is included.... :-)  and because it is a two class week next week, our next Saturday class is Saturday, August 25, 2012 at the Vancouver YMCA located at 11324 NE 51st Circle (corner of SR-500 & 112th/Gher Road) from 10am-1pm.  




Please call, email, text, or even facebook me (at Tracie DeMars Real Estate Q&A) anytime with any questions, or if there is anything I can do to assist you with your home buying adventure! As your buyers agent, I am, as always, here to help!! :-D




Thank you again for your business and for your referrals!


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



Thank you again for attending the home buyer education classes, and I hope that you will continue to refer the classes out to your friends, family, and co-workers. Upcoming class dates and times are located at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com. Just click on the link on the left hand side. Or you can go to www.learningtobuyahome.com and click the links.

We appreciate your referrals and word of mouth! Also, if you have somewhere that we can place the flyers at, please let me know....
:-D




Next Week: Inspection and Appraisal....What is the difference?
Last Week: Home Loans...Pros/Cons

Remember that you can always go to 'Free Home Buyer Education' on Facebook for all of my weekly blogs and upcoming class dates/times/locations. I post the weekly blogs on there as well. 


Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, 
;-D 
Tracie DeMars
Buyer's Agent
Re/Max - Van Mall 
360/ 903-3504 cell 
360/ 882-3600 fax 
www.traciedemars.com 
find me on LinkedIn
traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home buyer classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.comor www.learningtobuyahome.com for local upcoming classes, or facebook: free home buyer education.”

*****Remember that if you are interested I can, and will be happy to, set you up on an email that will automatically email you with new home listings in your area and price range as they come up on the market. This email will include all bank owned homes and anything with price changes. Just send me what you are hoping to find, your top 3 things in a home, and what is the best email to send it to. This is with no obligation, and is a good way to 'window shop'. :-)

**thank you for stopping to talk with us today at the fair!  Please call or email with any questions as I am, as always, here to help!  updated class schedule is always available at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com or www.learningtobuyahome.com  ;-D  **

Hello there!!  

Yep, it is that time again...Saturday night and I am typing up our weekly blog.  :-)  The last day for the Clark County Fair is tomorrow, and yes, we will be there...again!  Honestly though...I am so GLAD it is done as I am dog tired!  LOL  Now...don't get me wrong...I LOVE the fair.  I love to talk to people, and meet people, and I have had a lot of fun (especially people watching!), but after 10 days, with no day off....I am ready.  :-)  It is a lot of fun though....and tomorrow my family will actually be joining me after my shift at the Home Buyer Education Booth so that we can walk around and enjoy it as well.  Is it weird that I have been there for 9 days and haven't even walked around the exhibit hall?!  :-D  Actually...I do that on purpose so that when my family comes that I am able to walk around with them and it is new to me as well.  Ok...so it might be a little strange, but I think we have already established that I may be a little off kilter!!  LOL

So....let's get down to some fun stuff here...  For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to get you over a short explanation of loans pros/cons, but Chris Berg (Pinnacle Mortgage 503-320-0925) has been a little busy and hasn't been able to get something for me.  Well....he worked the closing shift at the booth the other night, and yes, it does get slow sometimes so he had some time to send me something.  :-)  Please remember that this is only a very short and limited explanation, and for more information on any of these loans, you can call or email Chris directly.  His email is chris.berg@pmblending.com.  We also go into more detail at the free home buyer classes as well.   So, per Chris.....
Here is a brief overview of my pros and cons list for standard loans:

Conforming loans:

Pros- Multiple mortgage insurance options, no maximum income limit

Cons- Higher rates, higher credit score requirements, higher down payment requirements, longer bankruptcy and foreclosure and shortsale seasoning.  Must qualify for both the loan and the mortgage insurance. Smallest box to fit into out of all the standard loans.

FHA Loans

Pros- Lowest rates, lowest credit score requirement, low down payment requirement, no maximum income limit, shortest bankruptcy foreclosure and shortsale seasoning requirement, when you qualify for the mortgage you qualify for the mortgage insurance

Cons- A higher cost for the mortgage insurance while it is needed

VA Loans

Pros-Same rate as FHA, 100% financing, no monthly mortgage insurance, lowest payments

Cons-Must be a veteran

USDA Loans

Pros- Least expensive mortgage insurance loan, 100% financing, short bankruptcy foreclosure and shortsale seasoning, very low rates

Cons- Home must be in a rural\approved area, maximum household income limit, 3rd party underwriting means longer close time

Housekey Loan

Pros- 100% financing with Washington Bond 2nd mortgage, 1st mortgage is a FHA loan so see pros above

Cons- 2nd mortgage must be paid back, higher rates than standard FHA loan, 3rd party underwriting means longer closing times, Cannot refinance loan until 2nd mortgage is paid off

Let me know if you need anything else on this!  ~Chris Berg

So there you have it!  :-)  Now if I may add a few things from a buyers agent perspective...
Conforming loans aren't really used that often.  Often a FHA works better, but it really depends upon the buyer.  With a conforming loan, a fixer has a better chance of being purchased...but the home still has to meet some requirements.
FHA is really the most used home loan, and mortgage insurance (again, it is your friend) can be removed after 3-5 years.  I purchased my home back in 2001 with a FHA loan.  The home must be in a 'safe and livable' condition to FHA guidelines and codes....won't be buying a fixer with this loan.  The home can need some cosmetic updating, but the bones have to be good.  
VA is really the best loan out there, but I think our veterans deserve it.  We always say that if you can go VA, you should.  :-)  The home has to be in really good shape for VA as this loan has the strictest of the 'safe and livable' standards of any of the loans
USDA (RD) loans are used by many folks, but the home must be purchased NORTH of the 179th Street line....nothing in Vancouver.  So, currently that is Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, Woodland, etc.  There is talk, however, that the RD may be pulling Battle Ground out of the RD area as of 10/1/12.  They have been talking about it for 3 years now, and this news just came out this week, so we will give you more information as we can get it.  Great loan, but again, home has to meet FHA inspection/condition standards.
Housekey loans are also good programs, but do carry some cons that for a lot of people make not using them better.  As of April of this year, the housekey underwriters receive a copy of the home inspection as well.  Homes purchased with this loan, again, have to be in fairly good shape.  The underwriters can, and sometimes do, ask for repairs that you might have been ok without, or that an appraisal didn't call out....doesn't matter though...if the underwriter calls it out, the repair is now a condition of financing.  This is where a buyers agent, and a good lender, helps you as we will do all we can to work it out.  

As always, holler with any questions!  Email?  Phone?  Text?  Facebook?  Yep, yep, yep, and yep....You know where to find us, and yes, we are always here to help!!  :-)  


If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a home, our next class is Sunday, August 19, 2012, at the Parsley Center (aka Bagley Center) located at 4100 Plomondon Road (just down from the main post office on Caples Road off of Fourth Plain from 9am-12pm.  With reservations, lunch is included.... :-) 




Please call, email, text, or even facebook me (at Tracie DeMars Real Estate Q&A) anytime with any questions, or if there is anything I can do to assist you with your home buying adventure! As your buyers agent, I am, as always, here to help!! :-D




Thank you again for your business and for your referrals!


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



Thank you again for attending the home buyer education classes, and I hope that you will continue to refer the classes out to your friends, family, and co-workers. Upcoming class dates and times are located at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com. Just click on the link on the left hand side. Or you can go to www.learningtobuyahome.com and click the links.

We appreciate your referrals and word of mouth! Also, if you have somewhere that we can place the flyers at, please let me know....
:-D




Next Week: Inspection and Appraisal....What is the difference?
Last Week: Buyers Due Diligence

Remember that you can always go to 'Free Home Buyer Education' on Facebook for all of my weekly blogs and upcoming class dates/times/locations. I post the weekly blogs on there as well. 


Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, 
;-D 
Tracie DeMars
Buyer's Agent
Re/Max - Van Mall 
360/ 903-3504 cell 
360/ 882-3600 fax 
www.traciedemars.com 
find me on LinkedIn
traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home buyer classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.comor www.learningtobuyahome.com for local upcoming classes, or facebook: free home buyer education.”

*****Remember that if you are interested I can, and will be happy to, set you up on an email that will automatically email you with new home listings in your area and price range as they come up on the market. This email will include all bank owned homes and anything with price changes. Just send me what you are hoping to find, your top 3 things in a home, and what is the best email to send it to. This is with no obligation, and is a good way to 'window shop'. :-)

Hello there on this Sultry Sunday~

HOT!  I know...stating the obvious, right?  It is just too hot....  I think the summer so far has been perfect, but I guess we need to have that extreme (for us) heat every once in awhile to remind us just how good it is usually.  :-)  It is at this time of year that the roads by my house get busy with people heading to the lakes....and then there are the folks who head out to the beaches.  We do live in a wonderful area where we have access to so many wonderful areas to get away and/or cool down.  It is also that time of the year for the Clark County Fair...and yes, we do have a Home Buyer Education Booth there again this year, and if you are there...stop by and Say Howdy!  I have a lot of prizes to raffle off, and some really great donated ones as well that I am handing out to those folks who actually read this!  LOL  

It is really late as I type this and I am feeling a bit loopy.  Chris Berg with Pinnacle is still trying to get me that pros/cons of ALL the loans, but is having a hard time shortening it up in a format that you will read and not fall asleep with.  He goes over all the pros and the cons of all the programs extensively in the class, but we thought it would be great to try to put it in our weekly email as well.  :-)  So...work in progress...  It did kind of leave me in a quandary though as I am not too sure what I should write about this week...I have some ideas tumbling around in my head, but nothing is really forming into anything sensible...maybe because it is so late???  Every week I do spend time writing up a new column, and while yes, sometimes the topics do repeat, the content is always newly put together.  :-)


I saw a really funny facebook post (posted on my page earlier this week) where the agent hung a "Not Haunted" rider on the For Sale sign.  Of course...good to know, of course, but it makes you wonder....  When I am showing homes there are some questions I just can't 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.  The seller is only obligated to disclose known material facts about the home on the sellers disclosure.  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 legally disclose it.  However, if it isn't considered a 'material fact', which is considered to be something that affects the home, then your buyers agent may not know about it either.  Sellers disclosures are filled out by the sellers on all homes....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, everything will be "don't know".  Even when you do receive a copy of the sellers disclosure though...remember to take it with a grain of salt, and hire a good inspector.  

A buyer agent will help you find out as much about the home as possible.  A buyers 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 an estate?  Maybe you should leave out some milk and cookies occasionally?  :-)  

What about that new building being built in the neighborhood?  Your buyers agent probably doesn't know what it is, and 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 buyers agent 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 buyers agent 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 buyers agent 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.  :-)  

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 buyers 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 buyers agent is here to help you!  Make sure you know what your 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.  :-)  I look forward to helping you on your home buying adventure...and assisting you to get those keys.  :-D


If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a home, our next class is Saturday, August 11, 2012, at the Vancouver YMCA located at 11324 NE 51st Circle from 9am-12pm With reservations, lunch is included.... :-)  Don't forget to stop by and see us at the Clark County Fair 8/3 - 8/12.... we have prizes to give away...  :-D



Please call, email, text, or even facebook me (at Tracie DeMars Real Estate Q&A) anytime with any questions, or if there is anything I can do to assist you with your home buying adventure! As your buyers agent, I am, as always, here to help!! :-D




Thank you again for your business and for your referrals!


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



Thank you again for attending the home buyer education classes, and I hope that you will continue to refer the classes out to your friends, family, and co-workers. Upcoming class dates and times are located at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com. Just click on the link on the left hand side. Or you can go to www.learningtobuyahome.com and click the links.

We appreciate your referrals and word of mouth! Also, if you have somewhere that we can place the flyers at, please let me know....
:-D




Next Week: Home Loans Pros/Cons  (he has been busy with pre-approvals, but is working on it. Please call and/or email and I can give you what I currently have)
Last Week: Pre-approvals...the ins and outs of one...

Remember that you can always go to 'Free Home Buyer Education' on Facebook for all of my weeklyblogs and upcoming class dates/times/locations. I post the weekly blogs on there as well. 


Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, 
;-D 
Tracie DeMars
Buyer's Agent
Re/Max - Van Mall 
360/ 903-3504 cell 
360/ 882-3600 fax 
www.traciedemars.com 
find me on LinkedIn
traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home buyer classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.comor www.learningtobuyahome.com for local upcoming classes, or facebook: free home buyer education.”

*****Remember that if you are interested I can, and will be happy to, set you up on an email that will automatically email you with new home listings in your area and price range as they come up on the market. This email will include all bank owned homes and anything with price changes. Just send me what you are hoping to find, your top 3 things in a home, and what is the best email to send it to. This is with no obligation, and is a good way to 'window shop'. :-)