Resources for Homebuyers and Sellers

Posted by Christian Stubbs on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 12:53:29 PM By Christian Stubbs / November 17, 2023 Comment

If you're thinking about making a move in 2024, here are some actions for you to take.

I have something if you are...

Buying your first home
Selling your home
Buying & Selling at the same time

The real estate market hasn't been the same since 2020. There are so many factors going on with the market, on top of a lot of new strategies. If you're thinking of real estate the way it was done 20 years ago, you're hurting yourself.

I'll dive into each of the three categories. If you want to skip ahead to the one I wrote just for you, I'll put the sections in bold.

We aim to give you the resources for homebuyers and selling your home to help you make the best decision.

Buying Your First Home

If you're in this boat, you've probably decided that it's better for you to buy a home vs. continue renting. I made an entire guide that goes over all the things you should be considering. I spent a ton of time making this guide because we get so many of the same questions from our clients like you.

Resource: Rent vs. Own Guide - click here

Affordability is the #1 question for homebuyers in the market right now. We wrote an article on that topic, and we have two tools that you'll want to check out.

The first tool is a simple mortgage calculator. This will allow you to play around with your numbers on your payment without talking to a lender. Obviously, talking to a lender will get you a more accurate number, but this is a good starting point.

I say that this is a simple mortgage calculator because it'll start you with the basics. If you're more advanced with numbers, hit the 'advanced' button to make it a more complex calculator.

Resource: Mortgage Calculator - click here

The second tool is an affordability calculator. We invested in this because we know you may not be ready to talk to a lender and get a pre-approval yet. That shouldn't stop you from getting a good idea of what you can qualify for. By inputting some info you should already know, it will give you a starting point for your budget.

Resource: Affordability Calculator - click here

First, if you haven't set up your home search on SoCalHomesForSale.com, do that first. The next step would be to connect with an Onyx Agent and local expert for a Strategy Session. From there, you'll have the knowledge and tools to put a game plan in place.

Resource: Strategy Session - click here

Selling Your Home

Unless you just recently purchased your home, you're likely sitting on a lot of equity. You might remember our blog about homeowners and their 'Golden Handcuffs'. Homeowners right now are sitting on a tremendous amount of equity. Great position to be in, but if you're looking to sell your home this year, you want to be aware of a ton of changes.

You might also remember a recent post about Zestimates and online home values. The biggest mistake I see people making is waiting until the last second. You're about to sell the most expensive thing you've ever sold (most likely). You should be treating it that way.

Assuming you want to sell your home for as much as possible, this is not the time to think of your home... as a home. It is the time to start thinking of it as an asset. You should make your home look as appealing as possible to prospective buyers.

The earlier you get your agent involved in the process, the more money you'll likely walk away with. Here's what I mean... So many homeowners do unnecessary upgrades to their homes. They think they're raising the value and price of the home, but they're not.

The easiest way to start this process is to request a free market analysis. Once you fill out the form, you'll receive an estimated home value. After that, our local expert will look at the info provided and make a custom market analysis for you. This will give you a much better idea of what the home is worth. Last step, we would do a walkthrough of your home to determine what (if anything) could do to maximize the value.

Resource: Free Market Analysis - click here

Buying & Selling at the Same Time

Buying or selling by themselves are already a lot of work; we don't sugarcoat that. Doing both at the same time is even more complicated. We always try to simplify the process for our clients to make their lives easier. You can start by following the same processes listed above.

I cannot recommend enough to get your agent involved in the process much sooner than you think you should. There are so many benefits... selling the home off-market, walking through upgrades, and so much more.

The best resource on the market for people in this position is our Buy Before You Sell program. It works just like it sounds. Once approved for the program, you can buy and move into your new home and then list your home for sale. This allows you to write non-contingent offers so you can get a better deal on the buy side. It also has you moved out of your home before listing it, so repairs, upgrades, and staging are much easier.

Our clients who take advantage of this program have typically saved money on the buy side, sold their home for more, and simplified the process. If you want to learn more about the program, click the link below.

Resource: Buy Before You Sell - click here

Summary

There is a ton of information in this. Honestly, it may be one to bookmark. You can also reach out to your agent, who would be happy to walk you through the process.

You're not alone through this! We work on your timeline. Whether you want to move in 2 weeks or in 2 years, reach out to us.

PS - I listed a lot of our resources in this email; I'll list them all again here so they're easy to get to...