Did you ever think that you would be quarantined in your own house?
That your employer would figure out how to let you work from home? That you would be spending so much time on top of your family in your house because your significant other and kids are also home at the same time? Neither did I! However, what we have seen is that it has not stopped the Buyers from coming in and purchasing a property. Things have now just drastically changed as far as being able to purchase a home the normal way.
Can I Still See Homes In Person?
With COVID it is still possible to see homes in person, but now there are more regulations than there used to be. For example, you used to be able to schedule a showing and show up at a house and walk through the property to see if you wanted to buy this house. Now, you have to fill out a form (in CA) that states that you know the dangers of see a home given the current conditions and that you will follow the correct procedures when showing these homes. In Bakersfield, it is most common to do showings with all parties wearing masks and now even some people are requiring hand sanitizer. I have even seen some people scanning temperatures prior to home buyers being let into the property.
What About A Virtual Tour?
A virtual tour is definitely available. Although these were available beforehand, it was few and far between. People like the ability to touch, feel, and see their purchase, and real estate is a large purchase so it makes it even more important that the home buyers were able to get into their real estate. However, now we are seeing more people being more comfortable with not seeing the property in person because technology is able to help.
For example, in some properties, we do a video tour of the property and send that to our clients. In some properties, we are able to do virtual tours or 360 camera tours so that the buyers can have a nice walk through the property on their own. If you like the property, of course, it is best to schedule a showing and take the proper precautions before actually purchasing this property, however, there are still a lot of homebuyers that are not even doing that.
Can I Do All The Paperwork Virtually?
In most cases, the paperwork for purchasing a property can be done online and therefore you won’t have any issues with being able to close. On the real estate side, you can look at many different homes online, we can do virtual tours or video tours for you when you want to see a property, and all inspections can be done and the paperwork sent to you so you can see the results and see if you need to ask for any repairs.
On the lending and escrow side, there may be some different caveats where a notary is needed, however, even in those cases, given the times, it might still be possible to have everything signed online only. If you are looking to buy a home and want to work with someone who is up to date on current policies and technology please feel free to contact me using the information below.