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- Why Buyers Choose Us
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- Avoiding Mistakes
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Each Buyer has different needs and desires. At Cabrey Lane Properties, our experienced real estate professionals are interested in one thing: surpassing your expectations. With technology today, many homes for sale are available online and can readily be accessed by anyone with a computer or smart phone. However, keep in mind that finding a home is simply the tip of the iceberg in the process of buying.
A Real Estate transaction is filled with hundreds of pages of contracts, disclosures, addendums, inspection reports, city and government policies, and much more. The average home buyer is not able to navigate this process alone. Your Real Estate Agent should be well versed in all facets of the transaction.
The bottom line: You need an agent who is going to look out for your interests. You need an agent who is professional and knowledgeable. An agent you can trust in the biggest investment of your life. You need an agent from Cabrey Lane Properties.
Buyers pay ZERO! Cabrey Lane Agents represent buyers at NO COST to buyers.
Please call us at 800.869.6095 or complete our home buying consultation request here for more information.
Cabrey Lane’s innovative buying system was developed to provide our clients with a consistent and proven method to prepare them for the purchase of their dream home. Cabrey Lane never charges a fee for buyer services as our fees are covered by the seller. Your chosen Cabrey Lane agent will sit down and implement an in depth strategy to start you on the path of home ownership. Cabrey Lane represents you, the buyer, and our goal is to show and close escrow on a home that fits your personal time frame, wants and needs.
At Cabrey Lane we are in business to build long lasting relationships and deliver services that help you achieve your dreams. We know that relationships and reputation are the most important aspects of our company. We have built our company on reputation, integrity, and a new level of service offered in the industry. We are experts in Real Estate and Lending and we'll leverage that experience to get you the best deal possible on your purchase. We're confident you'll soon agree that Cabrey Lane is the premiere Boutique Real Estate Company in Southern California.
We consider our program to be a competitive advantage.
Please call us at 800.869.6095 or complete our home buying consultation request here for more information.
The next step is finding an Agent to represent you from the beginning of your search to the closing of your transaction. There are many mistakes buyers often make when purchasing homes. With today's economic climate and the increase of government regulation and vastly changing landscape in mortgage lending, it's important that you are either aware of these changes yourself or have an agent that is. Whether it's your 1st home or your 100th, Cabrey Lane Properties can help you avoid mistakes and will help guide you into the right home at the right price.
Do I really need to get prequalified right now?
If you're thinking of buying a home, the answer is yes. It’s a good idea to get prequalified for your mortgage before shopping for a home. Prequalification involves supplying a lender with basic information regarding your debt, income and assets. From this information, we can get an accurate idea of the mortgage amount for which you qualify, and it can usually be done at no cost. Being prequalified can also help you narrow the range of homes in which you are interested, as it’s another way of knowing what you can afford. It can also help you act fast if the home of your dreams is becomes available.
Can I make an offer on a house without getting Pre Qualified? Prequalification shows you are a serious shopper, and your offer will be taken more seriously than an offer from someone who has not spoken with a lender. In fact, many sellers agents and sellers won't even entertain your offer unless it is accompanied by a letter from your mortgage broker stating that you've been Pre Qualified.
The initial pre-qualification stage also allows you to discuss with your lender any goals or needs you may have regarding your mortgage. He or she can then explain your mortgage options and recommend the type that might be best suited to your particular requirements.
Cabrey Lane Financial offers free Pre Qualifications to all clients. Though we never require you to use our mortgage services in a real estate transaction, most our clients find it much easier to deal with one party for the whole transaction rather than calling separate entities each time a question arises. Cabrey Lane Financial is a licensed Mortgage Broker and we shop multiple banks to get you the best rate at the best price.
Contact us today or fill out the Pre Qualification Request Form Here.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying A Home:
1. Not knowing how much house you can afford.
Many novice home buyers spend a lot of time researching homes – comparing kitchen layouts and backyard square footage – but very little time researching their financing options. One of the first things buyers should do is talk to a qualified mortgage broker and get pre qualified for a mortgage. Get pre qualified at No Cost here at Cabrey Lane Mortgage Division.
2. Assuming foreclosures are great deals.
Just because the previous owner owed $450,000 on a house prior to the bank taking it over doesn’t mean the market value is still $450,000. Home prices have slipped significantly, so you may not be getting the "basement bargain price" you think with a foreclosure. Also, most homes owned by lenders have been sitting vacant for months, sometimes years, and may have been vandalized. This situation often requires extensive renovation or repairs. Therefore, weigh the costs of fixing up the property versus the savings of buying a lower-priced foreclosed home. If you save $50,000 on the purchase but now must spend $80,000 to rehab the home, it most likely is not a wise investment. A Cabrey Lane Properties Agent can help you find and negotiate foreclosures throughout Southern California.
3. Letting your true feelings show.
No matter how much you've fallen in love with a house, don’t let the seller’s agent or home owners in on it. Otherwise, they will gain the upper hand in negotiations. Think of the negotiating process as a game of poker. Try to maintain your best "Poker Face" until the purchase price is negotiated, escrow has been opened, all inspections have been performed, and all contingencies have been removed.
4. Failing to find a good buyer's agent.
Obtaining a mortgage can be complicated these days. So buyers should rely heavily on knowledgeable agents to help them get their finances in order. After all, buyer’s agents have a fiduciary responsibility to the buyer exclusively -- and should be looking out for their best interests. Find an agent now with Cabrey Lane Properties to give you the personal service you need.
5. Underestimating the costs of owning a home.
Whether it’s a rusty pipe or a leaky roof, things go wrong and need to be fixed. Many home buyers don't anticipate the additional costs for repair and maintenance. Consider the age of your new home and how well it’s been treated by the previous owners in your budget. Be prepared to set aside a small percentage of the home’s purchase price annually for repairs and upkeep.
6. Failing to budget for property taxes.
Property taxes – and the likelihood that they’ll climb over the course of your time in the house – should be factored into any home-buying budget. To get an idea of how much you’ll be paying, ask your Cabrey Lane Properties agent for a tax base estimate.
7. Assuming your first offer will get accepted.
As home prices get even more affordable, competition is bound to heat up. Do not assume you will walk into a negotiation, make the offer, and get it on your 1st try. Do not be discouraged if you lose out on the first or second house you make an offer on. In today's market, it is fairly common to make several offers on different homes before an offer is accepted on a particular property.
8. Skipping the inspection.
Though sellers are told by law to disclose any known issues about the home, it is never a good idea to forego performing your own inspection on the property. Sometimes sellers aren't aware, or simply don't disclose, all possible flaws a home may have. Typical real estate contracts allow for a specific time period in which inspections are allowed and the buyer typically has the right to back out of the transaction if a major flaw is found during the inspection and a remedy with the seller is not worked out.
9. Doing too much too fast.
Some buyers want to make the house their own right away. They overextend themselves on credit to do so, and assume the improvement will pay for itself by increasing the home's value. But that’s not always the case – especially in today's market. Instead, buyers need to exhibit patience and make changes over time.
10. Failing to include a contingency clause in the contract.
A mortgage financing contingency clause protects you if, say, you lose your job and the loan falls through or the appraisal price comes in under the purchase price. Should one of these events occur, the buyer is refunded the deposit used to secure the property. Without a contingency clause, the buyer can lose the deposit money and still be obligated to buy the house. This is just one more reason why it's important for you to have a Cabrey Lane Properties Agent represent you in the purchase of your home.1. Representation
Unless you are buying a property that is for sale by owner, the seller has professional representation on their side. By negotiating directly with the sellers agent you are putting yourself at a severe disadvantage since their agent is legally bound to share everything you tell them in order to get the best deal for their client. You wouldn't go into a courtroom without a lawyer, so why risk the biggest purchase in your life in buying a home without a Cabrey Lane Properties Agent.
2. Information
The only way to determine the correct price of a home is to analyze the prices at which similar homes recently sold in the same neighborhood. While there are a variety of online resources for finding homes for sale, there are no consumer websites that provide extensive home sales data in the Southern California area. This information is only available to REALTORS through their membership with the local Multiple Listing Service. While many consumers look to Zillow for this information in other areas, Zillow does not have the actual prices of homes that sold.
When you have an experienced Buyer's Agent working for you their primary job is to keep you from making a mistake. The knowledge they gain from working with so many clients throughout their career is invaluable when it comes to helping you pick the right house, on the right street, in the right neighborhood. This experience also comes into play when they are negotiating on your behalf as they often have intimate knowledge of the pros and cons of similar homes that recently sold. Once you are under contract to purchase a home, your buyer's agent will help you locate a great inspector, negotiate repairs with the seller, get estimates from trustworthy contractors and obtain financing from the most reputable lenders.
Moving to a new area can be an exciting experience. It can also be incredibly overwhelming. There is no doubt you will have many questions about your new city. One of the first things you will want to do is get in contact with a licensed real estate agent who can help determine the best housing options for you.
Cabrey Lane Properties host of agents are fully capable of assisting your big move. Our agents area experts and will work with you side by side until you locate the home of your dreams. We provide both real estate sales assistance and tenant services to our relocation clientele.