Palms to Pines REALTOR® 02202075

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Home Buying

Guidance for your home purchase journey

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"Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, do ye even so to them"

-NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) Code of Ethics Golden Rule

The first step on your journey is yours to take:

  • check your credit rating

  • calculate your monthly budget

  • get documents ready for loan approval, such as, yet not limited to:

    • 2 years of federal tax returns

    • last 2 years of W2s with names and address(es) of employer(s)

    • paycheck stubs - previous 30-90 days

    • any & all asset account statements

    • all addresses lived at in past 2 years

    • Gov't ID & SSN or RAC (Form I-551) or EAD (Form I-766)

    • if applicable: divorce, child-support, bankruptcy filing papers

    • any letters of explanation regarding derogatory credit marks.

  • shop lenders and loans

  • get pre-qualified/pre-approved

  • consider closing cost assistance: explore grants, loans, or rolling your closing costs into your mortgage loan

  • determine which neighborhoods fit your needs

  • identify which features are most important

  • call me; let's talk

* the following online buyer calculators help estimate mortgage payments, affordability, closing costs, and potential homes sales proceeds - as your REALTOR®, we can tackle this together

Considerations for the next step on your journey:

  • purchase price

  • down payment

  • interest rate

  • points charged - origination fees & discount points (prepaid interest paid to lender to lower the interest rate) that can impact closing costs

  • loan type: FHA, VA, conventional, etc.

  • other settlement services: appraisal, credit report, flood certificate, title services, recording fees, etc.

  • property taxes

  • homeowners insurance

The third step of your journey is the charm:

  • Find your dream home, cabin in the woods, or investment property, and start building your equity

Anticipated fees finalizing your journey:

  • closing costs range btw 2%-5% of the total purchase price

  • appraisal fees required by the lender determining the property's value

  • property survey fee, if required or needed

  • HOA fees or reserve contribute, if applicable

  • lender fees: loan processing, underwriting, preparation of and establishing escrow account

  • third-party fees: title search, various inspections (such as termite - WDO: Wood Destroying Organism), insurance

  • government fees: state & local mortgage taxes, deed recording

  • escrow & interest fees: homeowners' insurance, loan interest, real estate taxes, private mortgage insurance

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Home Selling

Guidance for maximizing your home's value

Seller concessions range from 7%-10% of the final sale price, including, but not limited to: escrow, title insurance, transfer tax, prorated property tax, and brokerage fees

The home selling journey begins with:

  • call me; let's talk

  • home inspection / preparation of the property for sale: includes necessary (if any) repairs, cleaning, landscaping, and painting, for staging and curb appeal

  • a comparative market analysis

  • getting the appraisal

  • a marketing plan for property promotion

  • guidance on required disclosures: federal, state, and local

Next, we:

  • list & show your property

  • check for contingencies & negotiate

  • prepare for appraisal & any potential inspections

  • close the sale & finalize the deal

Projected sellers fees @ closing:

  • escrow

  • title insurance

  • transfer (of ownership) taxes (city/county)

  • prorated property taxes - paid by seller until date of transfer

  • mortgage payoff, if applicable

  • HOA fees, if applicable

  • wire transfer fee

  • Reconveyance recording fee

  • commissions

  • misc. fees: recording, survey, corrected issues from home inspection, and the like

Seller closing cost calculator: https://listwithclever.com/seller-closing-costs-calculator/california/

C.A.R. (CA Assoc. of REALTORS®) releases its 2025 CA Housing Market Forecast:
CA home sales and price are projected to increase as buyers and sellers return to the market, enticed by lower interest rates and better housing supply conditions.

  • Existing, single-family home sales are forecast to total 304,400 units in 2025, an increase of 10.5 percent from 2024’s projected pace of 275,400.

  • California’s median home price is forecast to climb 4.6 percent to $909,400 in 2025, following a projected 6.8 percent increase to $869,500 in 2024 from 2023’s $814,000.

  • Housing affordability* is expected to remain stable at 16 percent next year after slipping to a projected 16 percent in 2024 from 17 percent in 2023.

Proactively inquire about real estate trends and prices regarding: the local housing market, inventory levels, days on the market, interest rate trends, and economic factors impacting the area, along with CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) and neighborhood-specific trends.

Market Insights
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The MBA (Mortgage Bankers Association) and Fannie Mae anticipate 30-year fixed rates to remain in the mid-to-high 6% range, 6.9% and 6.3% respectively, for much of 2025.

*2024 30-year fixed rate averaged @ 6.7%

*2026 estimated 30-year fixed rate @ 6.2%