One mistake in your home purchase can cost you thousands. Expert knowledge will save you from mistakes.
Nobody is an expert in everything. That’s why you need a team of professionals.
The single biggest mistake to avoid
Buying a home is a team effort. Your team will include a lender, escrow agent, various professional inspectors and many others.
Using the wrong team is probably the single biggest mistake you could make.
How to find the right team
This is not the time to try and save a fraction of a percent of interest by using a faceless online bank.
Your lender should be an actual human being who is an expert and focused on your needs. Your lender can make or break your deal.
Historic Homes require special attention. You will need local Vallejo inspectors such as building, roof, termite, foundation, and HVAC. If something is really wrong with the property, you need to know.
You can do better
Many people start their search by meeting an agent at an open house. They think, “Hey, we both skydive. He must be a talented real estate agent.”
You owe it to yourself to choose an agent based on their ability to lead your team from the first step to the last.
Like a quarterback with 10 minutes on the clock
Leading your team is detailed and time-sensitive. Like a quarterback calling out plays in the last quarter, we will direct and coordinate your team.
The right agent is your most important teammate. We don’t have many skydivers in Vallejo Historic Homes, but we are committed to your success in real estate.
When offers are close in price (they often are), factors other than price make a difference.
Don’t ignore the most important rule
The most important rule is, “make it easy for a seller to say yes.”
Sellers are people too. We take the time to ask about their needs, listen to their answers, and try to write an offer that helps them.
If we make it easy for a seller to say yes, it is far more likely that they will.
Sellers have problems we can solve.
By checking the confidential remarks in the listing and calling the agent to ask about the seller’s plans, we often find valuable clues for how to write a much more acceptable offer.
It is not just about price. When we show them we care, sellers tend to respond in a personable way.
Remove the seller’s pain point
We once made an offer to a seller who needed to quickly move back east. The home was a mess.
When we realized this was the seller’s pain point, we offered to take the home in any condition.
Our buyer won the deal. He had to make a dump run, but ended up with a garage full of gardening tools, a window AC and some patio furniture.
By focusing on the seller’s needs, we created a better deal for everyone.
The step you can’t ignore
Historic home sellers are proud of their homes. They usually prefer to sell their home to someone they trust to care for the home.
We recommend you write a personal letter to the sellers to introduce yourself, talk about what you love about the home and your hopes.
Simple as it is, a letter is one of the easiest things you can do to make yourself stand out to the seller.
How we present an offer to build the seller’s confidence
It is critical the seller trusts you. Once we have your letter to the sellers, we add other things to your offer.
We always include a pre-approval from your lender, demonstrating you are qualified.
We attach your proof of funds, demonstrating you have the money to close.
We ask the lender to personally call the listing agent to reaffirm that you are qualified and able to make the purchase.
How to get the seller’s agent on our side
Everyone loves a good story.
In addition to your personal letter to the sellers, we always reach out to the listing agent and tell them specifically why you want this home.
The listing agent wants to feel confident in the buyer, and the seller will often ask for advice.
Having a story about you helps the listing agent recommend you.
Get the Road Map
We have created a Buyer Road Map Infographic to help you get a sense of the home-buying journey.
This step-by-step infographic takes you through the process of finding a home, financing, and making an offer.
Start with “Just Looking” and follow the roadmap to the seller accepting your offer.
First impressions matter. Many buyers will drive by your home before they take the next step. You will not get a second chance at first impression.
Download this checklist to make the outside of your home looks as inviting as what’s inside.
Here are nine simple ways to easily boost your home’s curb appeal.
Open up the street view
You want buyers to be able to see your home from the curb. If you have trees blocking the view of your home, you might want to prune some of the lower branches.
Removing the dead parts of plants goes a long way to making the view from the street better.
Walk out to the street and take a look as if it was your first time looking at your home. Take note of anything that looks wrong and make a plan to fix it.
Remove trash and personal items
Our personal items mean a lot to us and it is often difficult to pack them up. But buyers are more attracted to yards that feel clear and spacious. If your yard is cluttered, it’s time to pick things up.
Nice patio furniture and eclectic potted plants are fine. But anything that is highly personal needs to be removed.
When buyers see personal items such as a weight set, boating gear, or your latest project, they have a hard time picturing this as their yard (their home). They may not bother to make an appointment to view the inside.
You don’t have to throw your things away, but you need to get them out of sight.
If you have a lot of trash, consider hiring a hauler to take it away. Vallejo Recology will also do two bulk pickups per year.
Dust the outside of your house
Most yards could use a good brush down.
Dead leaves caught inside of shrubs or on fences look horrible. Cobwebs are a big turn off. The older they get, the dustier and more unappealing they look.
An exterior cobweb duster with extension pole can be easily purchased at a hardware store. The extension pole will help you reach 20 or 30 feet up. You can clean the cobwebs, leaves, and dirt off your windows, molding, trim, and gutters.
Dust your yard as well. Pay special attention to fences, trees and shrubs. Once you start dusting your yard, you will be amazed by how much better things look.
Give your yard a spray down
You know how fresh and clean everything feels after a rain. There is a reason. Before the rain everything was dirty.
Here in Vallejo it can easily be 6 months between good rains. If it has been a while since the last rain, then you should give your yard a good spray down. Washing all the plants and surfaces will help your curb appeal tremendously.
Fertilize
We want your yard to look its best.
Most yard plants are malnourished. If you have a few weeks before listing your home, you should fertilize. For faster results, use a fertilizer you can spray from your garden hose.
Plants will start to look better in a few short weeks.
Add some flowers
A pop of color can go a long way to boost curb appeal. The flowers could be planted in pots or in the ground. Make sure to choose flowers which will stay in bloom for months.
Impatiens come in many colors, and are very tolerant of shaded areas. They bloom most of the spring and summer. Many will stay in bloom until winter.
These versatile flowers are easy to plant and can also be bought in flats, which makes them more economical.
Repair visible defects
Buyers will judge your home by what they see from the street. A missing board doesn’t mean that your home has been neglected, but to a potential buyer standing on the curb, it can feel that way.
It is amazing that one broken board in your picket fence could lower your curb appeal, but it can.
Look around and pay attention to details. Make sure everything outside your home looks cared for.
Don’t forget the sidewalk
It is common to see homes for sale with trash and weeds on the sidewalk in front of the house. We recommend spraying weeds with vinegar. Once they’re dead, cut them out of the sidewalk with a carpet knife.
Just because your curb looks great that doesn’t mean buyers are not going to look at the whole block. You may need to do a street sweep or kill more weeds for other homes as well.
Your neighbors will think you’re crazy, but they’ll love you for it and you’ll raise the perceived value of everybody’s home—including yours.
Pressure wash your house and walkways
We have heard painters complain of jobs canceled after pressure washing. Sometimes a home just needs a scrub down.
Use a pressure washer with care. High pressure can strip away paint, especially if your paint is visibly loose. Windows on historic homes are not tightly sealed, and should be lightly washed.
Always start with the minimum pressure, and never use more pressure than you need. Just like when cleaning your car, you want to soap up your house and gently (very gently) scrub and rinse.
Don’t forget that you can probably hire a painter to do the pressure washing for you in a few hours.
If you have a one-story home, you might be able to simply clean your home with a car hose and soft car scrubber.
Don’t forget to use that pressure washer on your sidewalks and driveway too! Cement can clean up nicely.
Get the Road Map
See the entire listing process with the Seller Road Map Infographic.
This step-by-step infographic illustrates the sales process from prepping your house to accepting an offer.
We hope to find you a home that has been well cared for. But if there are issues, it’s important that you know what it will take to remedy them.
Does the property have a special story?
Vallejo is an old town, and it was the first capital of California. There are many buildings where famous people lived or where historic events took place.
Who built the home? What is the style? Did it have another use? These are a few of the fascinating questions historic home owners get to ask. You usually only get partial answers, but it’s still worth trying.
We can access old maps and directories. Neighbors often know the stories of nearby homes.
Sometimes part of a home is older, or (wild as it may seem) the home was in a different location. It was common to move homes around Historic Vallejo to make room for additional houses.
It’s not critical to know the history of your home. But it’s a lot of fun, and looks good on Instagram.
Most historic homes in Vallejo don’t have “historic” status. If you are interested in knowing how historic status works please read our disclosure. If you are interested in purchasing a historic home you should find out if it has a legal status.
Historic homes might be listed on National, State or local registries. In Vallejo, there are two local historic districts. Here is a map of the Vallejo historic districts.
Some historic homes also have contractual obligations.
For example, the Mills Act makes it possible to receive tax benefits for renovating your historic home through a contract with the city. If you want to know about the Mills Act, we interviewed a local expert in this video.
There are many benefits to owning a historic home. As the local historic home experts, we are here to help you understand the legal conditions that may transfer with a home.
If you have questions about the benefits of purchasing a historic home please reach out.
How has the original structure been changed?
Sometimes a fire or other damage caused a property to be rebuilt. Many historic homes in Vallejo were split into multi units to provide housing for the Navy.
Changes happen over the years. Many historic homes have additions.
An inspection may reveal two or more foundation systems, a sign that the home may have been added to or rebuilt.
We use old insurance maps to get a sense of how the size and shape of your home changed over the years and we are happy to show you how to do it as well.
The original moldings and trim have been damaged or removed from many historic homes, obscuring the original architectural style.
It is fun to ask questions and look for answers. As you understand certain issues with the property, you may uncover benefits that work to your advantage.
Could renovation make this home more valuable?
If you want to purchase a home and make it worth more as you live there, a historic home could be well suited for this.
It’s possible to add a tremendous amount of value, both perceived and actual, and “trade up” to a nicer home after a few years.
For example, many historic homes have one-color paint jobs on the inside and outside. Simply painting in a way that accentuates the moldings and trim could make a huge difference in the resale price.
Restoring wood floors, and adding historic flair to kitchens and especially bathrooms are also ways to do this. If you want more information about historic renovation in Vallejo, check out My Old House.
We have created a Buyer Road Map Infographic to help you get a sense of the next steps.
This step-by-step infographic takes you through the process of finding a home, financing, and making an offer.
Start with “Just Looking” and follow the roadmap to the seller accepting your offer.
It’s also necessary to know how much you can borrow, and how much you will have to pay per month. You can get an accurate and reliable number by getting pre-approved. Click here to start the process. This number will give you exceptional clarity about your target.
Here are three DIY projects for a great return on your investment.
Pressure wash your Historic Home
Would you sell a car without washing it? The same is true for a house. Sometimes a home’s exterior needs a good cleaning.
We’ve heard painters complain of jobs canceled after pressure washing. It can make that big of a difference.
Your home may not need a paint job, but we’ve found it will always benefit from being clean.
You can buy an inexpensive pressure washer for less than $100, or rent a higher-quality pressure washer for about $100 a day at Vallejo All Star Rents.
Be as gentle as you can!
Using full pressure on a wooden deck or house paint could easily peel the paint. Start with the misting setting, then add more pressure as needed.
Just like with a car wash, you will want to use some suds and a gentle (GENTLE!!) scrub brush (really soft) if you can reach.
Many people don’t realize that Historic doors and windows are usually not sealed. Be careful. Leaking water could cause damage.
If you’re concerned about damage, you can hire a painter to pressure wash your home for you.
If a pressure wash seems like too much work, try a spray down with a garden hose. Just washing off the dust and cobwebs can make a real difference!
If your home has paint that is ready to peel off, don’t use a pressure washer. It is likely to make the problem worse.
Total yard clean up
Getting the outside of your home prepped for a sale can be easy and fun.
You don’t want to take a portrait right after getting a haircut, and it is the same with pruning. It should be one of your first tasks.
If your photo day is coming in the next few weeks, take it easy on the plants. You want them looking healthy and full.
Get the junk out, even if it takes a trip to the dump. Don’t forget to clean in front of your home too.
Vallejo Recology will do a pick up twice per year for all customers at no extra charge. If you need an additional pick up, they will do it for a fee. There are restrictions. You can call them directly at this number (707) 552-3110.
You may want to give the block a quick clean up. We recommend spraying weeds with pure vinegar rather than poison (it is always nice to avoid poison).
Cobwebs on fences, trees and shrubs make the yard look messy and unkempt. Remove them.
A cobweb duster on an extension pole is an inexpensive tool that will come in very handy.
Here in Vallejo, we can easily go 6 months without rain. Most yards are dustier than you think. A good spray down will go a long way to spruce up your yard.
Depending on the season, it may be time to plant some flowers. If you have a few weeks before you list, use water soluble fertilizer to help your plants look their best.
Operation Declutter
Imagine what it feels like in a total stranger’s home. That’s how buyers feel. It’s very hard for a buyer to relax and feel “at home” in someone else’s space.
Buyers may not feel there is room for them if there is too much of the owner’s stuff in the way.
You are going to pack and move anyway. One of the highest leverage tasks you can do is to pack early.
It seems far-fetched, but we’ve seen buyers looking at walk-in closets full of clothes and saying, “There is no room for my stuff!” as if the sellers were leaving their clothes behind.
Buyers understand your basement, extra bedroom, or garage is filled with boxes. They know you’re moving.
But for reasons known only to buyers, they won’t understand a full closet. Don’t traumatize them.
Pack at least half your clothes. Doing this makes closets look spacious.
Remove magnets from your refrigerator, along with the things they are holding up. Clear your counters and shelves of knick-knacks.
It is important to pack your family photos. If buyers see these photos, it is hard for them to imagine they’re standing in their new home.
Decluttering can be difficult and emotional. It’s not easy to pack up years of memories or figure out what to throw away.
But a clean, mostly empty home creates space for buyers to dream and hope for the future. Their dreams lead to your sale.
Get the Road Map
Now you can see the entire listing process with the Seller Road Map Infographic.
This step-by-step infographic illustrates the sales process from prepping your house to accepting an offer.
We also want you to use the targeting worksheet to help you recognize the right home. Targeting is simple but powerful.
Using these two tools will help you develop a list of qualities your ideal home should have.
You feel good
When we get the sense that you feel good in a home, we usually ask you to sit down in the living room or kitchen. Take a few deep breaths, relax, and say, “I feel good here.”
If it feels right to say this, you will know. This may seem like a small thing, but it is critical to get right.
Buying a home means buying a place where you feel good.
You overlook the obvious flaws
Every home has something wrong with it. When you completely don’t care about these things, or even defend the home against our statements like, “the floor is a bit damaged over here,” then we know this could be the one.
When you no longer care about what is wrong, you are obviously looking at what is right. This happens when the home is right. It is as simple as that.
You’re already decorating and planning for gatherings
When you hear yourself say, “my dad will have to sit here for Christmas because he always plays Santa,” you are probably standing in your dream home.
We have seen clients decorating and arranging furniture in their imagination. These are signs that you have moved on from the question of “is the home right for me?” to the question, “How is the home right for me?”
One of the things that makes us feel great is handing our clients the keys to their dream home.
To help you find your dream home, we created a Buyer Road Map Infographic.
This step-by-step infographic takes you through the process of finding a home, financing, and making an offer.
Start with “Just Looking” and follow the roadmap to the seller accepting your offer.
Video has overtaken all forms of real estate marketing
Buyers are now online. They chat with friends and family online. They mostly hang out on social media.
Marketing that works targets buyers where they are.
Scripted videos used as social media ads are the most successful marketing tool we’ve ever created.
Facebook and Instagram currently provide the best dollar for dollar return on ad money, far eclipsing anything by print ads, but most users just scroll right past.
Make them stop scrolling and click
Average real estate videos are just a bunch of photos strung together. While normal on the MLS, this won’t work with social media marketing.
Attention-grabbing video makes them stop scrolling. But photos still tell the story. That is why we put high quality images in our scripted video.
Our Historic Home Marketing Plan includes a specific process to get users to stop scrolling, watch and share! The secret sauce is having something the viewer wants.
Marketing that works shatters the buyer’s concentration. It wakes them up from their everyday life and makes them ask, “how can I learn more?”
Most people have strong reactions to images. That’s why we use high-dynamic-range photography (HDR) to make your home jump off the page.
A high-dynamic-range photo is composed of 5 identical photos taken with different exposures, to correctly expose for every part of the image. Then all 5 photos are digitally assembled into one.
The end result is a stunning improvement over regular professional photography. More importantly, we shoot these photos with a plan.
The whole purpose of photos is to show off the special value of your home and the benefits of living there.
Marketing that works tells a story. It addresses the needs of the buyer and inspires their emotions.
Engage the buyer before they click away
We need to convince the buyer to make the drive to your home before they click away. Once they are gone they may not come back.
One of the reasons for the listing is to get buyers to commit to visiting your home. If they live outside Vallejo, they may be even more reluctant to make the drive.
Buyers need answers before they commit. A 3D tour will let a buyer immediately take a virtual “walk through.”
Marketing that works is immediate. It works before doubt has a chance to stop the conversion.
Show your home at a glance
Some buyers are old fashioned. They don’t know how to use the 3D tour. Drawings of the floor plan are great for buyers like these.
They also allow for a quick and simple understanding of how your home is laid out. You can understand in a glance.
Give your buyer multiple opportunities to say, “I’ve got to see this place!”
Everyone has their own preferences for how they gather information. This is why we include scripted video, HDR photos, a 3D tour, a floor plan, and detailed downloads like this one.
Marketing that works is all about reaching the buyer with the media they want.
Get the most out of marketing
Buyers are already responding to video in much greater numbers, and they are far more likely to visit a home if it has a video.
Video ads drive traffic, but we need a place to send your traffic. This is why we build your home its own website.
The MLS and syndicates like Zillow and Realtor have rules. On your website we make the rules, so we can do what is best for you.
Using our unique marketing process, we have had over 10,000 users visit one listing. That is the power of linking a scripted video ad to a stand alone web page.
When you are pre-approved, you will know how much you can spend on a house. This lets you pick a budget and a price range for homes to look at.
If you’re serious about buying a home, get pre-approved as soon as possible. It takes about 40 minutes and it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Once you’re in contract, you’ll be expected to deposit “earnest money,” usually around 2% of the contract price. A neutral escrow company holds your earnest money and manages the technical details of the sale.
There will be timelines. Each ends with a contingency. These contingencies are your way to exit the contract without penalty. As you release these contingencies you become more committed to the sale.
We’ve created a Steps to EscrowInfographic to help you understand the process.
From the moment the seller accepts your offer to the day we hand you your keys, this one-page visual guide gives you everything you need to know about escrow at a glance.
If any of these investigations uncover an issue, the deal could fall through. As long as you’ve followed the contract, you can get your deposit back. However, it’s often better to negotiate.
If the home inspection doesn’t reveal any serious problems (or if you and the seller agree to a remedy for a problem), we release the inspection contingency, ending your right to inspect the property.
Step Eight: Appraisal and underwriting
The underwriter will review all the paperwork and approve your loan. An appraiser will confirm the home is worth at least as much as you offered.
If you fail to get the loan or the appraisal value comes in low, you can use your contingencies to exit the contract without penalty.
You’re almost ready to close.
Step Nine: Closing the deal
Closing is the formal end to the home-buying process.
At the closing, you pay any balance that is due on the down payment and closing costs. You and the seller sign all the necessary documents to transfer money and title for the property.
More importantly, the listing must be unique and stand out so buyers remember it.
Buyers are the experts
Very few sellers look at more than one or two homes for sale. They will probably look at listings and they may visit an open house. This isn’t true for buyers.
The buyers have been looking at many homes over the last few months. Based on how those homes have sold, they can accurately judge the value of your home.
Buyers are the real market experts when it comes to price vs. value. If we put forward a quality listing they will know.
We can’t fool the buyers, we need to wow them!
We organize the information buyers want in a marketing packet that is easy to review (buyers don’t have a lot of time).
One mistake in your home purchase can cost you thousands. Expert knowledge will save you from mistakes.
