Lodi / Stockton CA Homes For Sale & Real Estate Information

This will conclude my four part series on what you should know before buying a home in the Lodi, Stockton and surrounding CA areas.  I hope you were able to pick up a good tip or two and put them to go use.  Now for Tip Number 4…

4. Stop Calling Ads!

A word of caution – agents create ads solely to make the phone ring!  Many of the homes may have some drawbacks not mentioned in the ad, such as traffic noise, power lines or litigation in the community.  What’s not mentioned in the ad is usually more important than what is.

For this reason, be very careful when reading ads.  Remember, the person writing the ad is representing the seller, not you!   The most important thing you can do is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests.  Your own Buyer’s Agent will critique the property with an eye toward how well it meets your needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about.

So, whether you decide to work with us or not, pick an agent you feel comfortable with and enlist the services of that agent as a Buyer’s Agent.  Then you become a client with all the rights, benefits and privileges created by this agency relationship, and you’re no longer just a shopper.  Did you know many homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE PAPER?  These “great deals” go to those people who are committed to working with one agent.  When an agent hears of a great buy, who do you think they’re going to call?  Their client, for whom they have a legal obligation to work hard, or someone who just called and said “keep your eyes open for me”?  To get the best buy on a property, we always recommend you hire your own agent and stick with him or her.  As always, we do this at NO CHARGE to you, the client.

Well there you have it…my Most Important 4 Things Every Renter (Home Buyer) Should Know Before Purchasing Any Home.

Make it a GREAT DAY and HAPPY HOUSE HUNTING!

Randy

Well, so far we’ve touched on the importance of getting pre-approved as well as how to ‘score’ the homes once you start house hunting in the Lodi, Stockton, and surround CA areas.  Let’s see what the tip is today…

3. Don’t Be Pushed Into Just Any House

Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements.  Don’t make a decision on a house until you feel you’ve seen enough to pick the best one.  Go to the Multiple Listing Web site with your agent to make sure you are getting a COMPLETE list of homes for sale and not just the home that the agent wants to show you.  YOU be the ultimate judge.

In the late 1980’s, and as recently as 4-5 years ago, homes were selling quickly, usually a few days after listing.  In that kind of market, agents advised their clients to make an offer ON THE SPOT if they liked the house.  That was good advice at the time.  Today, there usually isn’t this urgency unless a home is drastically under priced, and you’ll know if it is.  But keep in mind, if you wait too long, there is always a chance of the house selling before your offer is submitted to the seller.  If you really like a house, get an offer written and make sure your agent includes the appropriate clauses to get you out of the offer, should the need arise.

Don’t forget to check the SCHOOL DISTRICTS of the area you’re considering if this is important to you.  Information is available on every school: class sizes, % of students that go on to college, SAT scores, etc.  You can get this information from your agent or directly from the school.

Ok, three tips down and one to go.  Stay tuned for Tip Number 4.  This one might surprise you…

Yesterday’s topic was about getting pre-approved and not just pre-qualified to purchase a home in the Lodi, Stockton, and surrounding CA areas.  Today I’d like to mention what I feel would be helpful once you have been pre-approved and you start looking at homes with your own Buyer’s Realtor®.

2. Play the Game of Nines

Before house hunting, make a list of nine things you want in the new place.   Then make a list of the nine things you don’t want. I call this “NINE OF THIS AND NONE OF THAT”.  You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each property you see.  The one with the biggest score wins!  This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you’re comparing dozens of homes.

When house hunting, keep in mind the difference between “SKIN AND BONES”.   The BONES are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise in the area, school district and floor plan.  The SKIN represents easily changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color and window coverings.  Buy the house with good BONES, because the SKIN can always be changed to match your tastes.  Consider each house on its underlying merits, not the seller’s decorating skills.  That is, if it’s occupied.

I hope you are finding this information helpful.  Stay tuned for Tip Number 3…

Make it a great day!

2. Play the Game of Nines

Before house hunting, make a list of nine things you want in your new home. Then make a list of the nine things you don’t want. I call this “NINE OF THIS AND NONE OF THAT”. You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each property you see. The one with the biggest score wins! This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you’re comparing dozens of homes.

When house hunting, keep in mind the difference between “SKIN AND BONES”. The BONES are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise in the area, school district and floor plan. The SKIN represents easily changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color and window coverings. Buy the house with good BONES, because the SKIN can always be changed to match your tastes. We always recommend that you imagine each house as if it were vacant. Consider each house on its underlying merits, not the seller’s decorating skills.