Real Estate
by Karina Ballantyne, DRE # 02102603
Browsing homes for sale on Zillow is nothing new.
Until Covid-19 changed our lives, it was akin to window shopping (or daydreaming) for many buyers. The evolution of our SiP lifestyles has brought marked changes in the process of investigating potential properties. Weekend open houses may turn out to be a thing of the past (strangers waltzing around for a few hours, breathing and touching things? Not happening right now – which may be a relief for many sellers). In case you missed it, homes are currently shown by appointment only with your realtor, release forms are signed, and attendees are limited. These modifications to how business is done has not stopped or even slowed down the local real estate market (quite the contrary actually), and my hunch is that the new MO might just be serving time-crunched buyers even better than the old ways. While there is no replacement for actually stepping foot inside of a property, here are the techniques that may continue to benefit buyers by saving them time and energy in the post-Covid years to come (and they can’t come soon enough!).
No property is perfect on paper or in person, and every home requires regular TLC to remain a sanctuary. Reviewing inspections with a trained eye, modern day technology, and trusting your gut can prepare you for the life-changing decision of purchasing a home. Given the circumstances of our current safety process and our fast paced market, doing your homework can bring you confidence and save you time (and perhaps sanity) when scoring your dream abode – no pants necessary.
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