We begin with your image of the Perfect Property then explore available possibilities with you. We'll begin by taking into consideration your budget and the logistics of commuting to the locations that are most important to you, such as work, shopping, school, friends, family, medical and recreational facilities. Then, once we’ve focused in on price and location, we’ll begin to evaluate what amenities are most important and where you might be willing to compromise if needed. The purpose of this exercise is to create a touchstone, to serve as the balance point when weighing the pluses and minuses of particular properties., to empower your decision-making. Typically we begin by first reviewing properties online to see what's available at the price you’re considering and so you can participate fully in selecting possibilities before we venture out to take a look in person.

We can go about the logistics of shopping in whatever way you choose. We can supply you with information on anything and everything that remotely meets your criteria for you to first evaluate entirely on your own (perhaps including driving by to see if you like the setting) or we can create a more highly refined search criteria and preview the promising possibilities on your behalf before scheduling appointments to look with you. We can use whichever approach you prefer and whatever communication method works best for you -- phone, fax, email, snail mail, or in person.

It’s important to begin the loan application process right away to be certain that you qualify for the price range you’re considering. It is very disheartening to find a perfect home and then not be able to make an attractive offer because you don’t have documentation in hand to show that you’ll have the funds required to complete the purchase. Most sellers will not even consider an offer unless a lender’s preapproval letter accompanies it. Preapprovals are always essential when making an offer on a short sale (a transaction in which the property is to be sold for less than is owed on it — so its lender must agree to the offer terms) or for a property that’s been foreclosed on. A preapproval can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks depending upon the complexity of your finances and your speed at delivering the supporting documentation required to the lender for review.

We can refer you to local lending sources suited to your circumstances and to the area and type of property you’re seeking, if needed. We will support you during the application process with whatever lender you chose. If you’ve already established a relationship with a lender, we will want to confer with them early on and begin building the teamwork relationship needed — to assure that all goes smoothly and that you'll be able to deliver on the loan details as outlined in any offer you might make.

Our mission, as your Buyer’s Agent, is to get your offer accepted on terms that meet your needs. When you find a property that appeals to you we’ll assist you in making a generalized preliminary assessment of the home’s condition and perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) -- evaluating the property in comparison to others that have recently sold or that are currently available. Keeping in mind that price may not be the single most important factor — timing or other terms may also be of great importance — we contact the seller’s agent to learn as much as possible about the seller’s wants and needs, so that we structure your offer to be as attractive as possible in every way. For instance, lenders who’ve just foreclosed on a property are typically anxious to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Owners who are under no duress or who don't need to move right away may appreciate time to find a replacement home. We’ll review all this information with you, keeping in mind your touchstone concerns, to arrive at an agreeable price and terms to offer.

Promoting your offer to the seller is our next responsibility. We typically compose a letter to the seller highlighting the strengths of our client’s offer and a letter to the seller’s agent explaining any unusual requests and advocating for the price you’ve offered. If the seller hasn’t offered to pay for a home warranty, as your agent, we may indicate a willingness to do so. Doing all this not only serves to support the specific terms of your offer but also lets the seller and their agent know that if they accept your offer they can look forward to working with true professionals who are dedicated to making the extra effort required for a smooth transaction.

Advocating for a buyer in this way has become rather unusual, but is vital in ASK broker, Sharon Hawthorne’s, opinion: “In the 1990’s, when I first became an agent, offers were almost always presented in person and the art of presentation was considered a crucial skill and an essential service. At that time a buyer’s agent made an appointment with the seller via the listing agent and we all sat down together -- providing an opportunity for the buyer’s agent to make a positive impression on the seller, for the seller to ask questions, and for each side to learn more about the objectives of the other. But now, since faxing and email have become a commonly accepted way of communicating, personal presentations are seldom encouraged or even possible in many cases -- such as with ‘short sales’ or REO’s (properties that have been foreclosed on) -- where the decision maker is actually the property’s lender. Unfortunately many agents who now claim to be buyers’ representatives simply slip the offer into a fax machine or send it off by email and rely on the listing agent to interpret the offer’s virtues for the seller, making no attempt to advocate for their client’s offer or to even establish rapport with the other side -- even though it is the seller’s agent’s job to look for an offer’s weakness, not its strengths!”

“In my experience, effective communication is at the heart of a win-win transaction, and, based on my success rate, I am confident that presentation skills, both written and in person, make a crucial difference when an offer is in competition with others.” Sharon and associate, Michele, are committed to demonstrating their dedication to clear communication and professional excellence from their first contact with a seller’s representative and throughout the transaction -- remembering that successful communication begins with inquiry and listening.

Once your offer is accepted our job is to keep the transaction on track. We’ll make sure that your inspections are scheduled and performed in a timely manner ― so you’re assured of having the time needed to make truly informed decisions within the time frames specified in your offer. For concerns about issues such as building permits, land use, zoning, neighborhood activities and school availability, we’ll direct you to the appropriate government office or other resource, go along if you’d like, and assist you in articulating appropriate questions to get the information you’re seeking if needed. We’ll also assist you with reviewing the preliminary title and inspection reports, disclosure documents and any other information provided.

If any report, inspection or investigation yields less than favorable results we’ll assist you in determining the most appropriate course of action ― a request for more information from the seller, an extension of time if needed to perform further investigations, a request for a price reduction or some other form of seller compensation, or perhaps a complete cancellation of the transaction. Whatever course of action you desire, we’ll work with you to compose the formal written request to be presented to the seller and will advocate for the seller’s acceptance by presenting a well-thought through rationale to the seller’s agent along with the formal request.

Once all contingencies are removed our focus shifts to shepherding the efforts of the lender, the title and escrow company, and the seller’s agent towards concluding the transaction according to the contract and in a timely manner. We’ll assure that you receive an estimate of closing costs in advance so that you have an opportunity to review it and ask questions and to make any needed adjustment before sitting down to sign the final papers. We'll also accompany you to the escrow company to assure you’re offered the opportunity to verify that the documents you’re signing correspond to what you agreed to with your lender and the seller, and that any credits, home warranty coverage, or rebate agreed to are properly itemized.

When all is done we hand deliver the keys to you. The end of a perfect day for us. Day 1 of a new life adventure for you.

Questions? Send an email via Contact Us

Call: 707 823-8329 or Toll free 877 823-8329

Monday – Saturday 10:30 – 6:30
Sundays 2:30 - 5:30


Department of Real Estate License # 01169237