Real Estate Frequently Asked Questions

We are experts in the Greater South Los Angeles and Orange County areas for home sales. Our knowledge and experience has been gained from having negotiated thousands of real estate transactions. We use our masterful negotiation skills to ensure every one of our clients gets the best deal possible and the most money in the shortest amount of time. Understanding our clients’ needs and delivering proven marketing strategies have catapulted us to the top of our field.

Our complete seller process includes:

• Helping you determine the best asking price
• Offer proven advice on how to prepare your property for showings
• Install an electronic lockbox at your property so all viewings can be tracked for feedback and security
• Provide feedback from all showings and open houses
• Update you on money market changes that could affect the sale of your property
• Pre-qualify motivated buyers
• Present and discuss each offer with you
• Negotiate the highest possible price and best terms for you
• Manage all contractual, title and transaction details and keep you completely informed
• Ensure your check is delivered promptly at closing

Our strategy for getting your property sold at top market value is a simple but effective one: We’ll maximize its market exposure so you attract as many qualified, motivated buyers as possible. We’ll also keep you fully informed of all our activities and any developments related to the listing.

For reference, here are the specific actions we’ll take to maximize your market exposure:

• Electronically submit the listing information to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for exposure to over 12,000 active real estate agents
• Capture wide angle photographs of your home taken by a Professional Photographer
• Retouch photos for esthetic enhancement
• Syndicate your listing to dozens of sites including Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo, Google Base & many more
• Create a virtual tour slide show and MLS compliant link to help entice buyers with visuals and details
• Promote your property to all the top Realtors in your area
• Notify all potential buyers in our database of your listing
• Provide open houses at seller’s request
• Maximize showing potential through professional signage.

Yes. One piece of our proven marketing strategy is to maximize web exposure. Your listing will be featured on dozens of real estate websites including Realtor.com, Redfin.com, Zillow and Trulia. According to the National Association of Realtors, over 90% of home buyers start their home search process on the internet.

All of our full-service listings have pictures taken by a professional photographer. Many sellers and agents fail to realize how important high quality marketing photos are to obtaining the highest offer possible. We know what sells and we help guide our clients on placement of décor, lighting and curb appeal.

We will review a complete market analysis of your home, examine the condition of the property and evaluate the supply and demand for your area. Once all these factors have been discussed, we’ll give you what we believe is the best range of pricing for your home.

Yes, absolutely! As a buyer’s agent, we can show you any property listing in our MLS system, and can contact FSBO sellers on your behalf. 

Call your agent! It’s best that you work with one real estate agent throughout your search because that person learns what you like and dislike and will invest a lot of time vetting properties for you. That person also represents your best interests only. When you call the agent advertising the home, you are dealing with the seller’s agent, so, while they can assist you, they are also trying to get the best price for the seller. 

When you find the a home you want to make an offer on, we will run a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to help you determine a fair offer amount. We will also guide you through the additional terms of the contract, such as the escrow amount, closing date, and any additional terms you want to be added to the offer. We will then write the offer on a contract form and submit it to the seller’s agent.

You always have the right to back out of the purchase, but you may lose your escrow deposit. If the contract is contingent on a property inspection, you usually have the right to cancel for any reason during the inspection period. Once the inspection period has passed, you cannot back out and keep your deposit unless the seller agrees, or an additional term has not been met.

If a seller receives multiple offers on their home, usually their agent will inform the buyers that multiple offers have been received and the buyers have another opportunity to alter their original offer to present their “highest and best” offer. Keep in mind that many factors may influence the seller in addition to the offer price, such as the down payment amount, closing date, and inspection terms.

Once both parties have agreed on all terms and signed the contract, your escrow deposit must be made and you should schedule the home inspection. Your lender will receive a copy of the contract and will begin processing your mortgage application.

Under contract means that all parties have agreed on terms, have signed the contract, and the signed contract has been delivered to both buyer and seller. Payment of the escrow deposit is expected but is not a requirement to make a binding contract.

The escrow deposit, escrow money, or good faith deposit is money that is included with an offer, or as soon as an offer is accepted, to show the seller that you are serious about moving forward with the purchase of the home. Because you forfeit this deposit if you back out of the purchase for any reason not allowed for in the contract, the larger the escrow deposit, the more seriously your offer is taken.

We always recommend that you have a home inspection done. Overall, paying a few hundred dollars to a professional inspector can give you peace of mind that there are no hidden dangers or problems and is well worth the money.

The cost of your home inspection depends on the size of the house and additional inspections requested, such as if you have a swimming pool, septic tank, termites, etc. An inspector will review your home’s insurance four-points (HVAC, plumbing, roof, and electrical,) wind mitigation, and radon. An average home inspection, without additional inspections, is usually about $300.

If you are financing your new home, it takes 4-6 weeks for your loan to be processed. Once the lender gives the thumbs up, closing is scheduled. You will sign your loan documents and both parties will sign documents transferring ownership to you. Unless other arrangements have been agreed upon by both parties, the sellers should have completely vacated the home when they sign the closing papers. You can have your belongings ready to move, and a moving company scheduled before you go to closing. At closing, you will receive the documentation you need to provide utility companies with proof of your new residence.

The real estate market can vary from year to year, so there is not a single, correct answer to this question. However, trends from year to year can help to guide your decision. In most circumstances, spring is the best time to sell your home because this is often when the market receives the most attention from buyers. This period often extends into the summer and tapers off when school begins again in the fall. Specific peak selling months can vary from year to year, depending on the weather and the state of the economy. 

The list price is the cost of the home as it is currently set for sale. The sale price is the price that the seller and buyer ultimately agree upon. Typically for sellers, it is best to set a list price close to what they realistically expect the sale price to be. This way the buyer’s expectations are appropriately set and the leads are more likely to result in a sale.

The internet is filled with tools that can give you a rough estimate of your home’s value, however, these tools can be unreliable. The best way to assess your home's value is to meet with a real estate agent to discuss the local market and your personal goals. We can help you sell your home.