Time to ask Sacramento Realtor your question. Today, we have a reader on Sacramento Real Estate Voice who has been reading my articles and has a question.  Let’s get to it.

Dear Gena,

Why do you say I should have a Realtor represent me at a new home builder subdivision?

Future Home Buyer

Dear Future Home Buyer,

Glad you asked and your question is very revel ant today since I have been helping new home buyers, first time home buyers and seasoned home buyers purchase homes and lofts in new subdivisions this past month.

It is important that the home buyer contact a Realtor before going to a new home builder subdivision. Otherwise, the builder does not recognize that you have any representation. Frankly, they prefer it that way. But, savvy home buyers know that it is important to be represented and have a Realtor negotiate the best deal for you.

Recently, I took a Bay Area couple from San Jose to a new home builder and was able to negotiate the price of the home much lower than what the builder was asking and negotiated all of the furniture and decorating items for a tremendous savings. In fact, while we were signing the papers for this transaction the builder’s negotiator called back to say that they should have asked for more money for the furniture. These home buyers got a heck of a deal and are now happily moved into their new home in Elk Grove, CA.

Another home buyer from Chicago who has been transferred to the Sacramento area wanted to buy a loft. We l visited several new lofts for sale in Downtown Sacramento and settled on a new loft in West Sacramento just over the Tower Bridge.  Through the negotiations I was able to obtain a fantastic deal for this home buyer as well and just yesterday, we went together to the Design Center to pick out his flooring, tile, carpet and window coverings.

Had either of these two home buyers not had representation I can assure you that they would not have gotten what these two home buyers will enjoy.

I have written several articles about home builders and buying a new home from a home builder which will help those home buyers considering buying a new home. The key is to have the Realtor take you to the new home subdivision first, not later.

A key point to buying any home whether it is a new home or a resell, it is essential that the home buyer has a home inspection. No home, condo or loft is perfect.  When buying a new home from a builder the home buyer can either have the home inspection before moving in or before the one year anniversary of when they purchased. That way, the builder will have to fix any items found that should have been addressed before move-in. Don’t leave it up to the home builder to inspect the property, hire your own representative. It may cost the home buyer $350 but the savings far out way the cost.

f you have a real estate question that you would like an answer to, be sure to check out and read what other home buyers and home sellers have asked and feel free to ask your Real Estate question by email.   Perhaps, your question will be part of the next article featured on Sacramento REAL Estate Voice.

If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get the latest articles sent to your email.

Other Home Buyer and Home Seller Questions:

Sacramento Home Buyer Asks Real Estate Question

Home Seller Asks Real Estate Question

Burning Real Estate Questions, Answered

Ask Your Real Estate Question

Ask Gena Answers Homeowner Question

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Sacramento Real Estate Voice received an email question from a prospective home buyer and Gena has a tip for new home buyers and homeowners, below.

Home Buyer Asks Realtor:

Dear Gena,

I am a new home buyer in Sacramento and I have a question. What is the difference between going to the bank and going to a mortgage broker for a loan? Does it cost me more money? Which one is best? Who pays for the appraisal? Do I really need an appraisal? 

Thank you.

First Time home buyer

Dear Future Home Buyer,

Congratulations on being a First Time Home Buyer. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to buy low in this real estate market.

In my opinion there is a big difference between just getting a loan at a bank and having a Mortgage Broker look for the best loan for you. A Mortgage Loan Broker is licensed and continues their education. They have been checked for felonies and keep up with all the best loans and new loan requirements. A Mortgage Broker seeks the best loan program for you from all the banks and other sources, not just one place.  No one works for free so yes there are costs associated with any loan whether its a bank or a Mortgage Broker. However, the Mortgage Broker is typically paid by the source where the loan will derive from. Appraisals are paid for by the home buyer and are required anytime a home buyer obtains a loan.  The bank wants to make sure that the money they loan you for a mortgage loan is a safe bet just in case you should default.

Whereas, the person at the bank is not necessarily licensed but works under the license of a Broker at the bank. The bank personnel only deal with what their bank promotes in terms of loan programs. As you can see, it may be a great deal but then again it may not. The bank also charges one way or another for the appraisal.

Usually, when you are working with a professional full time Realtor, they will be able to recommend a good Mortgage Broker for you that they have worked with in the past. No, Realtor do not get kick-backs from Mortgage Brokers. What they do get is a happy home buyer who has an excellent mortgage loan tailored to their specific needs and a smooth transaction that closes. This is what we call a win, win for everyone.

It is important to use someone local for your mortgage and the reason for that is that local Mortgage Brokers will make sure that all the costs associated with a house are included in the payment. I have seen where an outside Lender was used and when all was said and done, at the closing, suddenly the house payment went up considerably. This is something you want to avoid at all cost. Those types of surprises, no one needs.

Enjoy the process of your home buying and again, congratulations on taking that first step! 

Home Buyer Tip:  Be sure to ask for a “Good Faith Estimate” from the bank and or the Mortgage Broker. This will show you a breakdown of all the costs associated with your home loan.  You are entitled to this by law, so be sure and ask for it. You are also entitled to a copy of the home appraisal, so make sure you ask for that, too.

Homeowner Tip: Did you know that a smoke detector only has a life of 10 years? Yes, whether it is wired into your home or not. The fire department recommends that you replace your smoke detectors every 10 years. When purchasing a new home or condo make sure that you replace all the smoke detectors with new ones when you have your home or condo re-keyed.

If you have a real estate question that you would like an answer to, be sure to check out and read what other home buyers and home sellers have asked and feel free to ask your Real Estate question by email.   Perhaps, your question will be part of the next article featured on Sacramento REAL Estate Voice.

If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get the latest articles sent to your email.

Other Home Buyer and Home Seller Questions:

Home Seller Asks Real Estate Question

Sacramento Asks Real Estate Questions

Burning Real Estate Questions, Answered

Ask Your Real Estate Question

Ask Gena Answers Homeowner Question

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Sacramento Real Estate Voice received a question that many home sellers ask. Today, we will spend the time to address this question for every home seller that is selling their house or will sell their house and clear the air.  

Whether selling your house in the Sacramento area or across the nation, there are simple rules to follow and common courtesy that should come in to play.

Let’s take a look at this Home Seller question:

HOME SELLER:

We have had our house on the market for about 2 weeks and have been very lucky as have had traffic just about every day. We have made every effort to show, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes notice.

However, we have a dog and work schedules so it can sometimes be hectic to accommodate, but we make it work as we know how important it is. However, my husband is out of town on a business trip for 2 days and we have both our home AND my cell phone listed to contact us.

I came home at 4:30pm with a message on my home machine from an agent at 2:49 pm saying she would like to show my home between 3-4pm and if she did not hear from me she would assume it was fine and leave a card. ??!! She attempted to arrive at 3:05 pm and hearing my dog bark, did not enter.

When I called back, I was pleasant but said I did not think it was reasonable to leave such a message and enter my home with 10-15 minutes notice. She was rude & nasty and said this was perfectly appropriate and she did not need to reach me to show my home. I found this inappropriate as I have a large (but nice) dog as well as a laptop and other items out in my home as I had NO ONE call to schedule with me.

Out of curiosity, do you feel this is appropriate?

ANSWER:

First let me say that common courtesy should always be how every real estate agent approaches showing a home. As a Realtor, we know that selling a house and having to keep the house in showable condition is not as easy as it may seem.

In California, there is a section of the MLS listing with “showing instructions” and another that is for “agents only.”  In the showing instruction section, the listing agent writes “call first, lockbox,” “call and make an appointment with seller.”  In the agent remark section, there should be information about the dog. Whether a dog is friendly or not, does not matter. This information needs to be documented for the selling agent and buyer protection as well as your own.

If the showing instructions indicated that an appointment needs to be made with the seller prior to showing, then you are absolutely right, the agent should not have tried to show. However, is there is no indication that an appointment needs to be made, then the agent was correct in attempting to show your home.

Most selling agents will call 24 hours ahead to let home sellers know that they wish to show a house. However, home buyers sometimes do not give the agent enough notice and want to see a home for sale right away. Personally, I don’t operate my real estate business like that.  I don’t show homes for sale on the fly.

The proper procedure in showing homes for sale is to first and foremost have the home buyers approved by a qualified, licensed Lender, schedule appointments with home sellers and then show homes. This not only protects the home buyer and let’s them know what they can afford and what type of loan they will be obtaining but it also protects the real estate professional and the home seller from those home buyers who think they can afford a house, only to find that they do not qualify.

You never know which home buyer will end up buying your house. I always tell my home sellers that yes they don’t have to show their property if it is inconvenient but it might just be the one home buyer that would have bought your house had they been able to see it.  The one time you deny access to your house, may just be the one time you would have received an offer on your home. This is a chance that only you, the home seller can make.

I have shown many houses and had many home sellers and always with those that have animals, I always request that either the animal be secured, a note placed that is easily read where the animal is located in the house and of course always make note of it in the “agent remarks” on the MLS listing.  No matter how friendly an animal is normally, this is their home and strangers are entering. This is a liability that should not be left to chance.

Be sure to read an article written by Mans Best Friend May Be Costly When Selling Your Home appearing in a newsletter by one of my favorite Realtors, Lucky Lang of Davenport, Iowa. 

In conclusion, in a perfect world, yes the agent should give you proper notice of 24 hours prior to showing  but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way most of the time. If your house is for sale, you need to leave the house each morning knowing that someone may show the house. If that is not acceptable, then have your agent reword the MLS listing on the showing instructions to read, “make appointment with the seller.”  Appointments will give you a better sense of when an agent will show but also limits who will show your house.

There are 3 things that effect whether or not a home will sell:

1. Price
2. Accessibility
3. Appearance

Ask your Realtor for a copy of the MLS printout sheet that other Realtors see and check out what it says. I always provide my home sellers with a copy and have them sign it so that each of us knows exactly what the selling Realtor reads.

It is difficult living under a microscope when selling a house and I know that the stress level is high, I wish you good luck with the sale of your home and hope you receive an offer shortly.

Here is a REAL example of one of my home sellers a few years ago:

I got a phone call early one Sunday morning from my Home Seller who told me that an agent from the Bay Area knocked on her door to show her house with no prior notice. She asked me if she had to show. I told her that “yes, it was rude on the part of the agent to show up announced and she didn’t have to show but that this might just be the Home Buyer that buys the house.”

The Home Seller decided to ask the Home Buyers to make themselves comfortable on her front porch while she prepared the family to leave the house.

These Home Buyers are now the proud homeowners of this house. Had the Home Seller refused to allow the home buyers entrance, they may not have bought the house and found another house where they could gain entrance.

You never know when you turn down a home buyer or make it difficult to show your house for sale who may have given you an offer you couldn’t refuse. It’s a chance you take.

If you have a real estate question that you would like an answer to, be sure to check out and read what other home buyers and home sellers have asked and feel free to ask your Real Estate question by email.   Perhaps, your question will be part of the next article featured on Sacramento REAL Estate Voice.

If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get the latest articles sent to your email.

Other Home Buyer and Home Seller Questions:

Sacramento Asks Real Estate Questions

Burning Real Estate Questions, Answered

Ask Your Real Estate Question

Ask Gena Answers Homeowner Question

Home Seller Articles You May Enjoy Reading:

Hmmm That Home Looks Good

Dress Your Home to Sell-Inside Home Seller Tips

Dress Your Home to Sell-Outside Home Seller Tips

How to Sell Your House

Tips In Preparing Your Home For Sale

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As always, you are invited to ask whatever Real Estate related question you may have.

All answers will be based on California Real Estate and  anonymity is always enforced.

One of today’s Real Estate Question is about Foreclosures in California.

What is the time line for a Foreclosure?

When a homeowner is late on paying their house payment this is the typical scenario of events.

• After 60 days of none payment the mortgage lender or service provider attempts to contact the homeowner to find out why their payment is late. The homeowner’s file is sent to the Collection Dept. and the service provider sends a “demand” or “breach” letter to the homeowner pointing out the terms of the mortgage that have been violated. The homeowner is given 30 days to bring the amount current by paying all penalties and late payments.

• After 90 days a Notice of Default is recorded in the county where the property is located. This is considered “constructive notice” to the public. Any junior lien holders are given proper notice of default. The homeowner has 90 days to bring their past due account current. This period is also referred to as the Reinstatement Period.

• Day 180–201 This is the time if the homeowner has not paid their past due amount current during the 90 day period that the lender will authorize the Trustee to record the Notice of Trustee Sale.  A foreclosure sale at public auction can take place 21 days after this recording.

I would like to buy a house but have no idea what my credit score means as opposed to a mortgage loan. Can you tell me what the numbers mean in plain English?

(...)
Read the rest of Sacramento Asks Real Estate Questions (293 words)

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Hope all you Mother’s had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday and did something special.

I know I did, I spent it with some long term clients who are friends and had a wonderful BBQ and shared some wine and conversation…then it was off to look at homes. Next, we will write an offer on a house they chose on Mother’s Day in Elk Grove, CA.

Now, let’s get to those burning real estate questions that have been coming in.

Today, our 1^st question  is from a home buyer who has a VA loan approval.

Hi Gena,

We are pre approved for a Veteran’s Home Loan and want to buy a house. We have been looking at some bank owned homes but want to know if what our realtor told us is true or not. She said, that we have to be careful when looking at bank owned homes because they might not approve them for a loan. Is that right?

Sincerely,

Excited Home Buyer

Dear Excited Home Buyer,

First let me say, congratulations on getting your loan approval.  So many home buyers forget that vital step and have no idea that it is essential at the very beginning. So, give yourself a pat on the back.

Your Realtor is correct. If the property has any health and safety issues as well as hazards then VA won’t approve the loan. Most bank owned properties are sold as-is which makes it difficult for you to make an offer. However, there are some out there that are very clean and in my opinion would meet the VA standards but you have to sift through them to find one that would be suitable.

Good luck to you and hope you find a clean one.

Gena

Dear Gena,

As a home seller I want to know if I should be present during the home inspection of my house or if my agent should be present. I don’t feel comfortable having strange people in my house. What is your opinion?

Reluctant Home Seller

Dear Reluctant Home Seller,

If you put your house up for sale and you accepted an offer from a home buyer, it is your duty according to the contract to make the house available to the home buyers, the home inspector and the home buyer’s agent.

It sounds as though you may be going through some separation anxiety about leaving your house. Try packing a few items and thinking about the home that you will be moving to. You need to focus on leaving and beginning a whole new life in a different house. It’s time to let go of this one.

Making sure that the home buyers feel comfortable in the house is essential. As a listing agent, I always instruct my home sellers to leave the house when buyers are looking and certainly for a home inspection. This is not the time to be in the house. The home buyers agent will make sure that everything is left as it was before you left.  Don’t worry.

Now pack and get moving…

Gena

Dear Gena,

I would love to buy a house now with prices so low but I don’t want to sell my house for nothing. The bank owned homes are bringing the value down of my house. What do you suggest I do?

Scared  to Sell

Hi Scared to Sell,

My suggestion is don’t sell. Simply rent out your house and buy another house. Make sure that you check the renters credit and call for references before signing a rental agreement and get the 1^st and last month’s rent as a deposit.

Then when the real estate market returns, think about selling your rental or maybe by that time you will like being a landlord and be ready to buy another house to rent out.

Hope that helps.

Gena

Those are our real estate questions for this week. If you have a burning real estate question that you would like to ask the Real Estate Broker, Gena Riede simply email your question and it may be featured. All identifying information is removed so that no one will know who you are so feel free to ask your question.

If you have a Real Estate question, check out and read what other home buyers and home sellers have asked.

If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get the latest articles sent to your email.

Other Real Estate Questions:

Ask Your Real Estate Question

Ask Gena Answers Homeowner Question

Ask Real Estate Question

Ask Your Real Estate Question

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Todays Real Estate Question is asked by a First Time Home Buyer living in Virginia not Sacramento.

I am posting the home buyer comment here in Ask Gena your Real Estate question since there might be other home buyers here in California that may have the same real estate question.

My answers will be accordance with CA Real Estate.

I will answer the home buyers question in red. So, lets get straight to the question.

First Time Home Buyer Real Estate Question:

In a short sale will the property be in the condition of say a foreclosed or as is where is sale? Every foreclosure house for sale (referred to as a REO or Bank Owned), is different. Some are as is and some homes the bank is willing to fork over the cost of a few repairs. However, when you are dealing with a home for sale that is a short sale, the home buyer is already in trouble and typically cannot afford any additional costs for repair. Thats why the seller is in short sale.

For example, from watching shows like flip this house, some flippers purchase homes sight unseen from banks and when they get there they find either huge messes or a stripped home (copper wiring etc missing). That is NOT the way to buy a house or an investment property. My suggestion is to not believe everything you see on flip this house. That is one of the many reasons we have the problems in todays real estate foreclosures.

Not to say this is a big problem but I will be purchasing my first home here in the very near future and dont want to end up with a $500k Hunk-o-Junk. Congratulations, you are making wise decision as long as you get pre-approved, ask for a good faith estimate from the Lender and get an experienced Realtor to help you. In fact, Lenn is the best in VA that I know. Just give me a call or email and Ill hook you up so that you dont make any mistakes and end up with a hunk-o-Junk.

Does one run the risk of this type of problem on a short sale? Not if you pay for a home inspection. You should know what you are getting within the disclosure period. This is the time line according to the agreed upon purchase contract where all disclosures are obtained and as the home buyer you perform any inspections that you decide necessary. However, if you are purchasing a Foreclosure, the seller is the BANK and the bank is not obligated to disclose anything. Remember, the bank never lived at the house. Only homeowners, that are sellers are obligated in CA under the law to disclose IF they lived on the property.

Also, are they allowed to have their own inspector (paid for by the prospective buyer) to come by and check the home out before signing papers? In CA the home inspection is performed within the agreed upon disclosure period, typically within the first 17 days and is usually paid for by the home buyer. The seller has 7 days to provide all of the disclosures. No one should ever sign any papers before thoroughly and completely satisfying all details of the home for sale under contract.

If there is some measure of accountability there, then Ill include short sale homes in my search (currently I am looking for new construction within the past 8 years). You should frankly ask the experienced Realtor that you have about new construction and short sales. Realtors in the areas know if banks are even accepting short sales and if builders are going out of business in a new area being built leaving the home buyer high and dry with half finished neighborhoods and possible liens if going bankrupt. As you can see, it is essential that you have someone working with you that has the experience, the expertise and knowledge so that you are not caught unaware.

Also, if asked, are realtors obligated to disclose deaths (and the nature of the death if asked) in a home? The Seller in CA fills out what is called the Supplemental Statutory and Contractual Disclosure. The Seller is obligated to disclose if there has been a death upon the property within the last 3 years and if so, asked to explain. Frankly, I always instruct my home sellers to disclose even if a death occurred more than 3 years previous. The more a house seller discloses the better for everyone. However, I dont know VA law so that is something that your experienced Realtor can answer. Again, this does NOT apply if you are dealing with a foreclosure.

I dont care how a person passed, I prefer not to live in a home someone died in.

As a side-note, as the years go by, home buyers will find that more people will be dying in their homes. Hospitals are sending folks home to die so it is not unusual and wont be unusual in the years ahead.

I am sure it varies by state and as I live in VA I expect you may not have an exact answer but a ball-park answer is sufficient. Thanks!

Yes, laws are local and VA will have its own laws that govern Real Estate. I believe that in VA if Im not mistaken, atttorneys get involved with all real estate transactions.

Good luck and give me a jingle if you want the best Realtor in VA. Hope my answers helped you as well as other home buyers and First home buyers in CA and other States, as well.

If you have a Real Estate question, check out and read what other home buyers and home sellers have asked.

Feel free to ask your Real Estate question by email.

If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get the latest articles sent to your email.

Other Ask Real Estate Questions:

Ask Gena Answers Homeowner Question

Ask Real Estate Question

Ask Your Real Estate Question

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Its Ask Gena, the Realtor a question time!

As always, names are never given nor specific addresses or areas.

You can rest assured that this is a place where your question can be posed with anonymity.

Now, lets get to our home owner question for this week.

Dear Gena,

After the recent weather that we had tree limbs fell on my roof and part of the fence is on the ground. I have had several people come and to look at the damage and give me bids. I have a couple of questions. How many bids should I get and is it really important to have a licensed person do the job?

Dear Unfortunate Homeowner,

Technically, you should get 3 bids and that way you will have a good idea as to how much it will cost plus the people giving bids should definitely be licensed. Remember, that when you hire someone to fix anything they can tell you they know how but if they have a license, then there is a better chance that they REALLY know how to fix what you need done.

More importantly, they need to be insured. What happens if they get hurt on the job at your house? Hiring a licensed contractor is in your best interest and will save you money in the long run.

Remember, that you should NEVER give more than 10% as a down payment. There should be a schedule of payments and no payments made until each portion of the work is completed.

Some of the things you need to be very careful about are liens. Liens can be placed on your home by people that were not paid by the contractor and by the supplier of the materials if they were not paid for. The contractor should be giving you, Notice to Owner. Remember that all changes or additions to your contract must be in writing. The contractor is required to let you know if they are insured and provide you with that information.

Things to Know When Hiring a Contractor:

• Check out the License with the State License Board
• Get 3 Bids
• Building Permits
• Read and understand the contract
• Do you have a 3 day right to cancel
• Contract should give start date and end date
• Contract should give detailed description of work and materials used
• If asked for down payment it should never be more than 10% or $1000 whichever is less
• There should be a schedule of payments upon work completed
• Notice to Owner should be given informing you about liens
• All changes or additions should be in writing

Here is a website where you can check to see if the license is valid at the California Contractors State License Board

If you have a Real Estate question, check out and read what other home buyers and home sellers have asked.

Feel free to ask your Real Estate question by email.

If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get the latest articles sent to your email.

Other Ask Gena Questions:

Sacramento Home Buyers, Sellers and Homeowners Ask Realtor

Ask Real Estate Question

Ask Your Real Estate Question

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