As we move through COVID-19 together as a community, I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. My client’s well-being has always been important to me and as a result, I am working hard to ensure their safety is priority number 1 while pursuing their Lake Tahoe Real Estate goals. As listing and buying homes for sale in Lake Tahoe is continuing on and considered an essential service, things are operating a little differently in the present moment.
Thanks to the latest technology tools available, listing and buying homes for sale in Lake Tahoe is able to go virtual and happen from afar (for the most part) for both parties. This comes with a few benefits: Most importantly, it keeps sellers and buyers safe from contracting COVID-19 as it allows them to continue sheltering in place. It also keeps non serious buyers from touring homes they have no intention of purchasing while most of the sellers who have kept their homes on the market are not just testing the market. This means that those out there truly want to sell or buy.
Home Tours
Most buyers want to actually see the property before they sign on the dotted line, understandably so. As a result, most initial tours have gone virtual. From FaceTime tours to 3D Matterports, you can now get an idea of a home’s layout, design details, location and overall exterior and interior details without having to leave your house. Once you have decided that you really are serious about a specific property and have gone through the virtual process, a private showing can be set up by your Lake Tahoe Realtor. This will likely require a limit on those able to tour, wearing booties, not touching anything, wearing masks and sanitizing before and after. Safety measures are crucial for both buyers and sellers, so precaution is being taken by everyone in this present moment.
Documentation
It is no surprise that selling and buying Lake Tahoe real estate requires lots of paperwork and signatures. While most of us have been using platforms such as E-Docs, Docusign or Authentisign for some time, this has been a saving grace during a time that in office meetings are not happening. You can sign from ANYWHERE and you shorten the turnaround time on getting signatures and things finalized.
Appraisals, Inspections and Closing Escrow
The guidelines for these are changing every day. Currently, some appraisers are limiting their services to one or two houses per day, causing a bit of a wait on scheduling. Some are doing drive by appraisals. Inspections are also limiting the amount of houses they go through each day, so expect a bit of a wait and for things to take longer than usual. The closing of escrow process has also gone as virtual and spaced out as possible, with services varying from office to office. Some offices are doing drive up signings, some are having both parties in separate rooms, some are spacing out the signing process so that the buyers sign at one time while the sellers sign at another. Some are even sending everyone the paperwork ahead of time and doing everything virtually. Your Lake Tahoe Realtor will walk you through how this will work as everyone’s needs are different.
Right now is a great time to practice patience and understanding as we work together to help everyone achieve their goals. If you have questions on how this would look for you and your personal circumstances, feel free to reach out. I would be happy to help.
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