Buyer’s Guide
Why should you use Our Team to help you purchase a Lake Tahoe Home?
Our Team take pride in consistently providing excellent service for years after the close of escrow. They use their combined 50+ years of Lake Tahoe real estate experience in helping you buying a Lake Tahoe home, whether it will be your full time residence, a vacation home or an income property. They are well versed in all aspects of Lake Tahoe real estate and are licensed in both states, California and Nevada. The team members find great satisfaction in helping clients achieve their real estate goals. It’s not about the transactions, it’s about the people and what’s important to them.
Take a look at our Lake Tahoe Buyer’s Guide. This has a brief description of the buying process in Lake Tahoe, and an introduction to Team Paradise.
Some reasons to work with Our Team:
1. Research – We use the best tools available to dig deep on every property and analyzes every transaction to know what you can expect during your home buying experience. No stone will be left unturned.
2. Experience – We have been in the Lake Tahoe real estate market for over 50 years. We have also built homes, bought and sold our own homes, know the local regulations and can inform you on all local issues.
3. Negotiating Skills – You always want to have an agent of outstanding character and experience representing you at the bargaining table. We’ll take our deep knowledge of the real estate market and put it to use, getting you the most home for the best price.
4. We works for YOU – We are consultants and not salesmen. We will always have your best interest in mind during every step of the home buying process, after all, we works for you!
5. Good Reviews – Our #1 goal is to be referable. Check out our reviews. Did you know that whenever you look for an agent or broker you should always check for their referrals and reviews.
More reasons to work with Our Team were covered in a recent article.
Did you know?
That the quality of your Real Estate buying experience is determined by who you hired as your Realtor and has nothing to do with the Real Estate company he or she works for.
Listing Agent and Buyers Agent
Directly calling the listing agent on a property you are interested in is not to your advantage and could cost thousands of dollars. The listing agent already has the seller’s best interest in mind. When the listing agent represents you when making an offer, this puts them into a “Dual Agency” situation which can limit the agent during negotiations since they represent both parties in the transaction.
If you see a property that you want to make an offer on we suggest you hire an experienced Realtor to represent just you in the transaction. The misconception is that a buyer could save money going directly to the listing agent when it is exactly the opposite. The seller pays the commission for both the Listing agent and Buyers agent, which is traditionally split between both agents. When the listing agent represents both seller and buyer, this is referred to as “Double Ending” the transaction.
The Process of Buying a Lake Tahoe Home
We covered the Top 10 Ways to look for a home in Lake Tahoe in an article, but here is a list of what to expect from beginning to end. You can also check out his Top 6 Methods for finding your Lake Tahoe dream home.
1. Preparation – Wanting a home in Lake Tahoe is the easy part, now you have to figure out how to get the ideal home for you at the best price and with a smooth transaction! We created a helpful Your Home Search Worksheet to assist you with figuring out exactly what you are looking for. Since Lake Tahoe rests in two states and five counties, where do you want to buy a home, or does it matter? There are distinct differences in both states as well as in the northern or southern regions of the lake. We will help you decide on the best neighborhood based on what you’re looking for. If you plan on financing your home it’s very important to get pre-qualified from a mortgage broker in advance of your home search so that you are prepared to make an offer when you spot the ideal in buying a lake tahoe home.
2. Search – Now comes the fun part, looking at homes! Our state of the art website has up to the minute accuracy so the moment a home is listed (or sold), our website reflects the status. We make it easy by dividing the lake into four regions (North CA, North NV, South CA, South, NV). We have pages dedicated solely to lakefront homes for sale as well as luxury homes, foreclosures and short sales. You can search by price, size and neighborhood. Signing up for email notification is key, you will get listings matching your criteria on a daily basis, keeping you abreast of the market. You can even watch videos of Lake Front homes for sale.
3. Find – You’ve found the home that is right for you. After you’ve toured the home we will evaluate the market, the history, the house and help you come up with the price you should offer for the house. It takes an experienced broker to take the available data, market intuition and local knowledge to get you the best deal.
4. Make an offer – We will complete paperwork for you and present your offer. If you are financing you must present your pre-qualification letter with your offer. If you are paying cash a Proof of Funds document is necessary to include with the offer. Now it’s a waiting game. The seller has a defined amount of time to reply with either acceptance, counter or rejection of the offer. Depending on how the seller responds to your offer will determine what your response should be, and your real estate agent will consult you.
5. Escrow Your offer has been accepted and escrow is now opened and the time line to close date starts. You will be in charge as a Title officer to the transactions details. More details on this in another article.
6. The keys are yours! Close of escrow is now final and time for celebration, you now are the proud owner of your Lake Tahoe home! You pick up the keys and the house is yours!
We are Always Here for You
Our service doesn’t end when you get your keys. We have built a reputation around being your real estate agents for life. Our clients are our friends. Our circle of service providers is large and carefully screened, so if you need recommendations for local businesses and in buying a lake tahoe home, please don’t hesitate asking. Any questions arise, feel comfortable in calling at any time.