Buyer's Guarantee

 

When I represent you as a buyer, I make this guarantee: I bet $1,000 that you will be happy with the service you receive from me and Santa Monica Homes.net. If you are not satisfied with the service I give you in buying your new property, I will credit you $1,000 at the close of escrow.

 

For Buyers: The Basics

 

Buying a Home - The Process

Unlike some agents who shove Buyers off onto assistants or junior agents, I enjoy working with Buyers ... approximately half my business is working with Buyers and half of them are first-time Buyers. I’m sympathetic with the anxieties and uncertainties that buying a home can produce.

I determine what you are looking for in a home, match those needs to what’s available in the marketplace, and then helping you cope with all the process from the very first showings to handing over the keys to your new home at the close of escrow.

Determining Your Needs

I like to talk to folks for a while before I start rushing out to show them property. I need to determine price range, the number of bedrooms you need, preferred area, etc. But I also need to understand your tastes and needs. I shouldn’t show you a modern architectural house if you prefer Spanish, Tudor, or Traditional; I shouldn’t show you a tri-level townhouse if an in-law with bad knees will be living with you.

I start with the computer system of the Multiple Listing Service to see what’s available.

You may drive by a house or see a listing on a website, an ad in the paper, or a sign in front of a home and the home doesn’t appear on the MLS list for you. Some of the possible reasons are:

• Website information is stale; home is in escrow or even already sold.
• Offer on house has been accepted and ad couldn’t be canceled in time.
• Agents or loan reps are running ads as come-ons for your business.
• House has sign in front, real estate agent doesn’t put up “SOLD” sign (very common).
• House is in wrong price range or has the wrong number of bedrooms.

I’m always happy to run down the details but the cold hard truth is this: if it’s not on the MLS as a currently active listing, it’s not available.

Finding A Home

Once I’ve run a computer list and eliminated the obvious mismatches, there are two basic ways to work. Many clients are more comfortable doing their initial surveys by driving around with the list by themselves at a time of their own choosing and convenience. Some clients prefer that the process be accelerated and that I start making appointments right away. In Santa Monica, most properties are seen By Appointment, unlike other areas, such as the San Fernando Valley, where many properties have keys in a Lock-Box that lets agents show a property at virtually any time.

Once a candidate or candidates have been located, I examine the home carefully. I tell you not only what I see as its pros but also its cons. And in comparing homes, I’m careful to give you information about how, based on various factors, one home might appreciate compared to another. You’re not just buying a home, you’re making a financial investment with implications for your future.

Negotiations and Escrow

The next step is writing and presenting an offer. In my presentation, I include a letter introducing you to the Sellers, explaining what you like about the home, and what you like about the neighborhood. I want the Sellers to understand you as people, not just numbers on the page…many Sellers want to feel good about the people they’re selling their home to. I then condense the 10 pages of the offer package into a list of highlights, explaining any unusual aspects, so that the Sellers (and their agents) can clearly see an overview of the offer without having to flip through all the pages.

Once a contract is agreed upon, I escort you through the maze of the escrow process. My job is to anticipate problems before they occur and prevent them or, when problems do arise, to deal with them in a way that minimizes their impact on you.

If you like what you’ve read about how I handle this process and if you like the rich detail offered by this website, please fill out the Buyer’s Form or e-mail me at: jimbrunet@santamonicahomes.net