SARAH HECK? Who is
REALTOR ®
Sarah Heck is an award-winning REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker West. She consistently performs in the top 5% of REALTORS® in San Diego County and within the Coldwell Banker Brand. She has been representing buyers and sellers in all areas of San Diego County and South Riverside County since 2007. Prior to that, she worked in the lending industry. Her knowledge of mortgage lending has proven to be a huge benefit to her clients as it allows them to strategically structure offers and apply for the best loans.
ADVOCATE
After the collapse of the Real Estate Market in 2007, Sarah made it her mission to help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure by working with their lenders to negotiate an approved short sale. She and her team successfully negotiated over 2,000 between 2007-2019. Her efforts saved homeowners from foreclosure and allowed new buyers access to properties they might not otherwise have been able to purchase. She also helped to pass legislation which protected homeowners from unfair taxation after the short sale. She has continued to advocate for homeowners rights at the local, state and national levels by volunteering her time as an expert witness and as a member for the Associations Government Affairs Committee.
LEADER
Sarah has served as the President of her local REALTOR® Association, Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS®, and has been a Director for the California Association of REALTORS®. She’s involved in the community and stays current on legislation that is going to affect Real Estate so she can advocate for her clients private property rights.
VOLUNTEER
Sarah strives to give back to the community she loves so dearly. Over the years she has contributed financially and served on the board of directors for the Coldwell Banker West Foundation. In addition, she has participated in events to raise money for the Habitat for Humanity Women Build Day, Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Day, and Just in Time for Foster Youth.
YOUR LOCAL Experts
2,757
1,000+ AGENTS $2.71
Coldwell Banker West was built on the principles of honesty, integrity and always putting clients first. We started in 2007 with one small office in Bonita. We now have over 1,000 agents and 12 offices across San Diego County, and we’re the fastestgrowing franchise within the Coldwell Banker brand nationwide. We are continually growing and expanding, and our reach is limitless.
Our full range of real estate services includes residential, commercial, mortgage, escrow and relocation. We are here to help you with all of your real estate needs.
ACCOLADES Company
Our incredible production in 2023 earned us the following recognitions:
TOP 5
TOP 7% #1 #6
TOP 500
Ranked among the top 5 real estate brokerages in San Diego County for units and sales volume*
Coldwell Banker Chairman’s Circle award, representing the top 7% of affiliates nationwide
The #1 Coldwell Banker affiliate company in California
The #6 Coldwell Banker affiliate company nationwide for GCI
Ranked among RealTrends 500 top brokerages nationwide for transaction sides and sales volume
*Source:
TO SUCCESS 5 Steps
1. Initial meeting with Sarah to figure out your monthly budget.
2. Talk about your future plans with Sarah (5 years, 10 years, 20 years) so she can help you create a financially secure plan.
3. Pre-qualify with a trusted lender.
4. Review your loan pre-qualification terms with Sarah so you can confirm a final price point.
5. Decide on a location or geographical area you want to buy in.
EXPECTATIONS Higher
EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE WHEN LISTING WITH SARAH HECK!
“My business is based on referrals. I don’t just sell homes, I build relationships. My clients become friends and my services extend far beyond the closing date.”
• Staging & Design Consultation
• Professional Photography Included
• Aerial Photography Available
• Full Color Property Brochures
• Direct Mail Advertising
• Structured Social Media Campaigns
• Using 3D Matterport Walk-Through Technology
• Multiple Listing Syndication
• Elevated Networking
• Strategic Open Houses
• Constant Communication
I strive to set realistic expectations and not only meet them, but exceed them on every level. Give me a chance to earn your business and I will give you the results you are looking for. “ ”
DO’S & DONT’S Homebuyer
DO
- Contact your insurance agent early in the process and inform them of your new home purchase.
- Promptly provide all documents (ALL PAGES) requested by your home officer and processor to speed up the closing.
- Make sure your employment, asset, & personal information are correct on your loan application.
- Be prepared to explain/account for all non-payroll deposits into each account you intend to use for your transaction.
- Respond to any requests for information from your loan officer as soon as possible.
- Continue to make all your payments ON TIME.
DON’T
- Apply for new credit of ANY KIND. Do not finance anything!
- Make large deposits into your bank account. Your down payment should be seasoned (sitting in your account for 2 months).
- Make inquiries into your credit report or have anyone else make inquiries.
- Raise red flags to the Underwriters, co-sign for another persons loan, or change your name or address.
- Make changes with your employment or income. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB!
- Spend your down payment!
PAYS WHAT? Who
ALLOCATION OF BUYER & SELLER CLOSING COSTS
The cost of investing, when chosen carefully, can yield a solid financial return. Below is a chart that indicates who customarily pays what costs in a residential resale transaction. However, this is just a suggested disbursement of fees. It is important to remember the golden rule of real estate... “everything is negotiable!”
THE COST OF MOVING No Surprises!
*A preferred vendor list is available upon request.
THE BASICS FOR MOVING DAY
Boxes & Tape
Bubble Wrap
Newspaper and/or Tissue
Thick Black Marker
Speciality Containers
Professional Movers
Moving Van
Babysitter
Cleaning Supplies
Yours or Theirs?
The distinction between personal property & real property can be the source of confusion in a real estate transaction. The purchase contract is normally written to include all real property: that is, all aspects of the property that are NOT fastened down, or are NOT an integral part of the structure. For example, it does not include things such as potted plants, freestanding refrigerators, washers and dryers, countertop microwaves, unattached bookcases, etc. If there is any uncertainty whether or not an item is included in the sale, it is best to be sure that the particular item is decided upon in the purchase agreement.
DID YOU Know?
Title Insurance
Escrow Companies
Title companies play a critical role in both the initial and final stages of the selling process. Using a reputable company with a long history is vital to ensuring a smooth transaction.
Fees & services provided can differ among escrow companies. Some are broker owned & others are independent. Making sure you work with a company that has superior service and fair pricing is critical for your successful sale.
Buyer Financing
Home Warranties
Not all lenders perform equally. Having closed over 2,000 transactions since 2008, my unique expertise will navigate you smoothly through a multiple offer situation by looking at buyer compensating factors such as their lender/loan scenario.
Some home warranty companies actually work to protect the seller as well by providing a complimentary Errors and Omission Insurance policy for the seller.
BUYER CONTINGENCY TO SELL A PROPERTY
If you are buying a new home but first need to sell your current property, in order to purchase that new home, you must disclose that in your offer to the seller. You will do it with the “contingency” that your current home must sell in order for you to buy the new home.
Q: A: How long is the contingency time frame? 17 days unless otherwise negotiated.
Q: A: What happens if I don’t sell my current home by the time my contingency is up?
At that point, you will have 3 options:
• Remove your contingency and buy no matter what (if you qualify to buy without selling your current home)
• Ask for an extension to the contingency and if the seller agrees, you can continue to try and sell your current property.
• Cancel escrow with no penalty to you.
SELLER CONTINGENCY TO FIND A REPLACEMENT
PROPERTY
If a seller is selling their home, but needs to find a replacement property in order to move, then they may sell “contingent on finding a suitable replacement property.” This means that when they accept an offer, they will do it with a “contingency” giving them a certain time frame to find a replacement home.
Q:
A: How long is the contingency time frame?
There is no mandatory time frame. It is negotiated in the contract and agreed upon by all parties.
Q:
A: What happens if they don’t find a replacement property by the time the contingency is up?
At that point, you will have 3 options:
• Remove the contingency and sell no matter what.
• Ask for an extension to the contingency and if the buyer agrees, they can continue looking for a replacement property.
• Cancel escrow with no penalty.
EXAMPLE COVER LETTER FROM BUYER TO SELLER
Dear Sellers,
Good Morning! My name is John, my wife’s name is Jane, and we just wanted to thank you for considering our offer to purchase your beautiful home! We’ve been hunting for a few months now, but once we saw your home, we knew the hunt was over.
A little bit about ourselves: Jane and I are newlyweds, having gotten married in September of 2014. We are first time home buyers looking to start this new chapter of our lives in North Park. WE have a dog named Fido, who is a 2 year old black lab mix that we adopted from Lab Rescues San Diego. Jane works as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant in a pediatric clinic, assisting children diagnosed with various developmental delays and other speech and language impairments. I am a Capitan in the United States Marine Corps, where I have been serving for the past 6 years. We both received our undergraduate degrees from San Diego State University in 2004 and 2005 respectively. I am pursuing a graduate degree from Marshall University and Jane is pursuing hers from Utah State University. I will be deploying back to Afghanistan for my third deployment later this year, and having a home in a safe area for my wife while I’M gone is very important to me.
A little bit about your house: IN short, we love it. Immediately after we walking into the home, Jane fell in love with the openness of the kitchen, living and dining areas. The warmth and welcome atmosphere the house offers is a quality that was a priority for us as we’ve been searching for your our perfect home. The updated appliances and fixtures made an impression on Jane as well, as she loves to cook and entertain with friends and family. With me being gone for 7 months later this year, I want Jane to be able to entertain and have friend and family over to support us in this journey. Your home is perfect for that. That backyard is the perfect place for our dog and we know he will be ecstatic to have all that open spaced to explore and play. We are hoping to expand our family in the next couple of years, so living on s safe, family friendly street is very important.
While it is still early in the process, I can assure you (and wish to convey), that we are the type of family who will take care of the home you pass on. We will do our best to be a positive addition to the neighborhood.
Thank you in advance for considering our offer. We would be honored to have the opportunity to purchase your house and make it our home.
Sincerely, John and Jane Doe
YOU SHOULD TOO! WE SAID Heck Yes,
Well, where do I start? I don’t normally write reviews unless I’ve received extremely poor service, however, in this case, Sarah deserves a spectacular review.
Sarah is by far the best person for the job! She honestly exceeded our expectations. Sarah is knowledgeable, responsive, and resourceful as hell. Buying a home is pretty stressful, especially in Southern California where the prices are sky high! I really appreciated how extremely detailed she was and how she kept us informed every step of the way. There are a lot of real estate agents out there... I can’t imagine getting better service. I highly recommend Sarah Heck & would use her again and again!
- Chris J.
Nobody does it better than Sarah Heck! She was able to sell & buy our home in such a short period of time. She will do whatever it takes to make sure you get what you want. Best agent you will ever have.
- Kellie S.
Sarah was recommended by a friend and she responded quickly with a marketing plan that we thought was very workable. She suggested movers, painters and others who were essential to making the place ready for sale. She worked through all of the large and small details to ensure all took place in a timely manner. We received a very credible offer within days of the first Open House. Her attentiveness and efficiency ensured that all aspects of the sale moved in a timely manner. We were very pleased with her professional services.
- James L.
HECK YES! We were so thrilled with Sarah Heck! We were about to leave town on a 2 week vacation & got orders to move from my husband’s job. Panicked doesn’t even begin to describe our state of mind! Sarah took care of EVERYTHING. We literally handed her keys to our home and got on a plane. I know she worked tirelessly (photos, open houses, private showings, answering a million questions), and somehow she managed to make it look effortless with a smile that I could feel through the phone. IN ONE WEEK we accepted a full price offer & were in escrow! She even made it easy for us to do paperwork from across the country. Inspections, appraisals, you name it, it was done by the time we arrived home. Thanks to Sarah we were able to simply come home and move on! We’ll never forget our experience and future agents we use will have a tough time filling her shoes.
- Lynn C.
Sarah Heck helped us find our first home and we couldn’t have asked for a more caring, trustworthy, respectful, professional, helpful & extremely knowledgeable REALTOR®. This is a REALTOR® that doesn’t back down from no one or anything. She’s persistent and positive regardless of the circumstances. Not to mention that we commend her in being so receptive and consistent when it came to our particularity. Anybody can be a REALTOR® and show people homes, but not everyone can be a good REALTOR® and not all good REALTORS® can be a “Heck” of a REALTOR® like Sarah! My wife and I learned so much from Sarah. She is the aficionado of realty! We entrusted Sarah with our first home and she couldn’t have done better by providing us with the highest level of service and care. We’re so thankful and blessed we were able to find her front all of the REALTORS® out there.
- Liron S.