| So, now you're really interested in Sonora Ca Real Estate. You've done lots of online home work and maybe even taken a trip up here to check things out. You don't have an agent and your ready to get more serious. At this point, if you haven't already, you will want to contact a lender or 2 and get prequalified. The most important reason for this is, if you see something you like and want to write a offer, a prequal letter is most helpful to the seller in making an intelligent decision. Here's an example. The term REO means, Real Estate Owned by a Bank or other financial institution. There are now many REO homes on the market and these sellers expect you to supply them with a letter of credit with your offer. Here's another one, You have been looking and looking for just the right place. Your agent calls or email's you with just the home you have been looking for. You come up take a look and make your offer without this information. While you're waiting for a response another offer comes in with this information. Wouldn't you feel better knowing that you have given the seller everything he needs to make an informed decision? And finally if you don't, you may be wasting a lot of time looking at homes out of your reach. Before a responsible Realtor is willing to invest their time with you, they will want to know where you stand financially in comparison with your investment goals. So, if you're like me, what I really want to know is, "How much a month is it going to cost me?" If you follow this link it will open a mortgage calculator for you to figure what your monthly investment will be. Ok, your ducks are in a row, you're ready to do some serious shopping right?, good. Unless you are willing to spend hours and hours driving through the county looking at for sale by owner homes or you have lots of cash and are willing to take a chance on buying a foreclosed property on the court house steps you will need to contact a local Real Estate Professional. Why local you might ask? Well I'll tell you, Sonora CA and the surrounding area is unique from most other parts of the state in the way that subdivisions were developed. Nearly every home in this county is custom built unlike other areas where track houses dominate the landscape. Terrain is another part of the equation. With each lot being unique, knowing how you will be effected by the seasons is important. If your going to use a Realtor that is not a part of our association you will need to have them contact each and every listing agent of the properties you wish to see. It is hard to believe but there are those who have stolen hours and hours of a local agents time and money by using them as a free tour guide. (Not that you would even think of doing this.) If your Realtor is not familiar with this area they are operating out of their area of expertize and not doing you any favors. So, my suggestion would be for you to find a local Realtor. It will save you time and energy. Now, that you've got yourself a Realtor, what then? If you have every intention of making a decision to invest within the next 6 months here is what I would suggest you do. #1 Relax, your new home is waiting for you. #2 Be as up front with me as possible. One of the greatest services I provide is to narrow down the inventory to about 5 to 7 homes that will meet your needs. You may think you need to see every house on the market but statistics show that after seeing between 5 and 7 homes in a row, one house will begin to blend in to another. I can testify to this fact. It will take time to assimilate all of what you have seen. If you feel you want to exhaust the MLS, I will be happy to provide you with route maps and listing sheets to your hearts content. #3 Take the time to become as familiar as possible with the area. Sonora is spread out and filled with little nooks and crannies. It takes a while to become oriented. Map of Sonora CA Real Estate What is considered the " East Sonora" includes most for Northern Tuolumne County. Map of East Sonora, Map of Phoenix Lake, Map of Mono Vista, and Map of Cedar Ridge for the most part share the same Sonora zip code. #4 Be realistic in your expectations Our market has changed but not as drastically as in other areas. If your looking to offer a seller 70% of their asking price there is a 99% chance you will do nothing but piss them off. Yeah, I said piss them off. Listing agents have a pretty good idea of how low their sellers are willing to go. Before I attempt an offer I always try and get a hold of the Sellers agent to see where they are at. If you are truly interested in the home and it is priced well, you will need to make the seller a reasonable offer. Whats a reasonable offer? Well, 90% of asking price seems to be acceptable or at least that is what the sold price statistics would indicated. You might say, "so what if I do upset them?" There is a real good chance that the seller will refuse to negotiate further or if they do it will be at a higher price that you might have paid had you been reasonable. Negotiating is an art, not a contact sport. Emotional climate is crucial. Feeling like you missed out on what might have been the perfect house over a few dollars a month will be painful. Now this advise goes right out the window if you are interested in an REO listing. If you are "just looking around" or maybe you're thinking of "retiring here some day", that's OK. I will still want to know what your needs and wants are and what you can afford. Fortunately, you are in a position to take your time in getting to know the area. There is no need for us to spend an entire day driving from home to home because the chances of that particular home still being on the market 4 months from now are slim to none and not to mention, prices will have adjusted by then. What I have found to be more productive is to spend an hour or so getting to know the area, your new agent and maybe popping by a couple of houses in areas that fit you needs. Most people who are a ways off from making a purchase find this a convenient way of beginning the process and taking in the local Sonora atmosphere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course looking at Real Estate in good weather is always a plus. You can use this like to check on local conditions. Current Sonora California Weather Forecast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If your planning a trip to the area besides knowing the weather you may want to know the what, where and when, use this link to access the Weekender and other publications offered buy The Union Democrat Sonora CA If you live any distance from Sonora you will probably want a place to stay. The Sonora Oaks Best Western might be your choice. It is centrally located and has a restaurant. Sonora CA Hotels When I look at Real Estate I want to see as much of the total picture as possible. Things like schools, medical facilities, transportation, dining, entertainment and maybe a little history. Below is a link that will help you. Neighborhood information on local schools, medical facilities and more......... Sonora California Community Profile Contact Broker Tony Krieg Search Homes for Sale, Local Government and Business Links |
| Buying a Home in Sonora California |