Be cautious of buying a home with sight

BE CAUTIOUS OF BUYING A HOME WITH SIGHT UNSEEN HERE IS WHY

Briana Frazier

There comes a time when the market heats up, and the bidding wars start, the potential buyers sometimes are tempted to make their investment on the home with the site unseen. Today, with the Coronavirus pandemic, and the stay at home orders, buyers are tempted to also make their first purchase without assessing the property themselves. Additionally, in a very competitive scenario where a home is listed and goes under contract in just a matter of hours, buying with the sight-unseen may be necessary. Another case is where maybe you have been forced to move across the country due to work, and you do not have time to tour the area before making a decision. All these are probable scenarios that might force a buyer’s hand to buy with sight unseen.

Whatever the reason, some risks are associated with buying a property without first seen it. Be that as it may, over the years, I have seen most buyers willing to take and overlook these risks. As a matter of fact, in a 2017 survey conducted by Redfin, at least 33% of people who bought or sold a home, or planned to do so made an offer without first seeing the property. Going by the trends from earlier years, this is true; people are willing to stake their bets on a property without first assessing it. With technology, photos, virtual tours and video conferencing, millennials are feeling much more comfortable making these decisions.

Can a remote buying process go smoothly? Buying with the sight unseen reduces the emotional impact that is usually associated with the purchase of a home. That can be a good thing. Today, international buyers are much more inclined to buy the property with the sight unseen, and it is now becoming a trendy thing to do. For instance, there are plenty of properties that are relatively well priced in the blue-chip inner cities, and therefore, if a person is interstate, overseas or just does not have the time to tour the property, this might be the only way to buy.

It may seem risky, but there is no reason to worry, a remote buying process can still go very smoothly as it would if a buyer is buying in person. However, there are some red flags you need to watch out for. Read on to find out more;

NOT ALL AGENTS CAN BE TRUSTED For the first time home buyers, you might be in a time crunch and the property you want to buy a competitive offer, as such you are forced to pick just any agent you find, that is a mistake! You should take your time to find out more about the agent. They will be your eyes and ears during the property touring, therefore, find someone you can trust. If you are looking to buy in the beautiful Los Angeles area, get in touch with me through this link https://thepowerisnow.com/brianafrazier/. Additionally, if you want to buy from other areas in California, find agents you can trust from the Power Is Now Media through this link https://thepowerisnow.com/vipagent/. These are industry certified agents who are committed to helping you in the journey to homeownership. The agent that you choose should be knowledgeable about the market. The first good place to start is reading the agent’s reviews and after you have a shortlist of your agents, interview them. Make sure also to ask the right questions to determine if they are a good fit for you.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE LISTING PICTURES Some sellers are legitimate, but most are not. With the advancement of technology and photo editing software, home photos can be accentuated to give a good appeal of the home for the home buyer, thus trapping their interest. Do not be fooled. With a virtual tour of the property, you can be able to see some more of the property to make sure that it is a good fit for you. Also, you must note that sellers will select some parts of the home, leaving most parts out, and these usually are the parts that they do not want you to see.

3. DO NOT SKIP YOUR TOUR Speaking of virtual tours, anytime the agents visit the property, do not skip the event. Seeing is believing. When you believe you buy and as such, you need not make an offer based on the photos that you are seeing. You need to tour the whole property before committing to it.

If the agent can be able to provide you with 3D virtual tours, the better, these will help you see every nook of the home as if you were touring it in person. However, what works best is a live tour that ensures that you are not submitting an offer unaware of the creaky floors or any off features you might notice.

4. VET A QUALITY HOME INSPECTOR This should apply whether you are buying a home on sight or off the sight. A home inspector is a crucial step, and they come very much in handy in the home buying process. They add to what the real estate agent could not spot. Just as you chose your real estate agent, you need to emphasize the same when it comes to choosing your home inspector. You should never make a mistake of hiring just any person you first meet, take some time, review them and choose only the best.

These are just some things you need to be looking for if you are buying a home with the sight unseen. If you would like to see properties in Los Angeles or Riverside, get in touch with me today through the following link, https:// thepowerisnow.com/briana-frazier/ and let us get you into your home.

Sources;

https://www.redfin.com/blog/buying-a-house-sight-unseenmistakes/ https://wtop.com/news/2016/12/the-dos-and-donts-ofbuying-a-home-sight-unseen/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/investopedia/2013/12/03/ buying-a-house-sight-unseen-good-deal-or-badmistake/#5bb1d8c504cd https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/10/03/whyyou-need-to-be-careful-about-buying-property-sightunseen_a_23230441/