Area Tours
If you are not familiar with the Boise area then a tour of the different parts of
town might be just what you need. Boise, Meridian and Eagle make up the main Boise
area market with Star and Kuna comprising the outlying areas of Ada County. Within
Boise are several distinct areas including the North End, the Bench, the Highlands
and others. To Boise's west is Nampa and Caldwell with Wilder, Homedale, Melba,
Marsing and others comprising the outlying areas of Canyon County. What part of
town is best for you? Spend an afternoon taking our free agent guided tour and we'll
be happy to show you around. Please click here to request a tour.
Property Identification
The internet has changed everything. IdahoRealEstate.com and other websites now
enable you to search the entire Multiple Listing Service. This means that by the
time you contact an agent you may already have a list of Boise area homes that you
are interested in. However, as professionals in our market we will also help you
find properties that you may have missed. Off market listings, bank owned properties,
contingent sales, pocket listings and other sources of information will be utilized
to ensure that you don't miss the perfect home. Tell us about your specifications
and preferences such as general price range, size, age, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.
and we will be happy to send you a complete list of homes that match your specified
criteria.
Property Tours
Some buyers only want to see a few properties before choosing a home. Other buyers
want to view every option before making a decision. Whether you want to see seven
homes or seventy homes we are here to help. There is no hurry and no pressure. When
you find the right home you will know it. Until then we are on a mission together.
With the right agent the property tour can be both a fun and exciting experience.
Simply let us know what days and hours you want to view homes and your agent will
reserve those times on their calendar to provide you with their undivided attention.
In a typical tour of Boise homes and the surrounding area you can expect to see
twelve to fifteen homes in an eight hour period.
Market Value Estimates
Once you have found the perfect home it is important to assess the property's value
before writing your offer. Many buyers mistakenly use the difference between the
asking price and the purchase price to evaluate the success of their negotiations.
In reality it is the difference between the home's actual market value and the purchase
price that matters. Once we have prepared the market value estimate you will be
better positioned to determine an offer price that complements your equity goals.
Purchase Contracts
A home purchase is a large dollar transaction. Substantial risk is created if contracts
are not properly completed and processed. One omission or misplaced word can mean
the difference between getting what you want and getting short changed. Our agents
have received advanced purchase contract training and are equipped to ensure that
your best interests are protected and that your risks are minimized.
Price Negotiation
Are you looking for a great deal? Then you should start with a great agent. Our
agents use time tested negotiating strategies and we will help you get the best
deal possible. Whether you are dealing with a seller in a traditional transaction,
a bank in an REO transaction or the seller's lender in a short sale transaction
our negotiating methods work time and again. Comparable sales information, supply
and demand data, advanced deal structuring, leveraging contract strengths and other
negotiating methods will be brought to bear to help you get the deal you have been
looking for.
Arranging Property Inspections
Homes in the Boise real estate market and surrounding areas are generally of good
solid construction. However, given the nature of real estate a home inspection is
always strongly suggested. We can refer you to a professional inspector or you are
welcome to choose an inspector of your own. We will coordinate the inspection time
with the seller, the inspector and yourself should you choose to be on site for
the inspection. We will meet the inspector at the home to provide them with access
to the property.
Negotiating Repairs
Once the inspection is complete your agent will draft the repair requests per your
instructions. An effective strategy is to limit your repair requests to substantial
items. If you make repair requests that include both substantial and smaller items
sellers will often agree to "compromise" by agreeing to the smaller items while
rejecting the more substantial concerns. By requesting only the substantial items
you limit the seller's ability to negotiate. In some instances sellers may prefer
a purchase price adjustment in lieu of repairs. This is a good way to get sellers
to cover the cost of repairs while enabling you to get the repairs done under your
control and to your satisfaction.
Managing Title and Escrow
The title and escrow process in Idaho are typically handled by the same firm. Your
real estate agent will open escrow at a local title company as soon as your purchase
contract has been accepted by the seller. Once escrow is opened the title search
will begin and the escrow officer will begin coordinating with your lender. Your
agent will carefully track the progress of title and escrow and will verify that
the appropriate milestones are being met to ensure an on time closing. Your agent
will contact you approximately one week before close to arrange your signing appointment.
Title insurance for your home will be issued at close.
Coordinating Financing
Your agent will maintain close contact with your lender throughout the escrow process.
A typical lender will have several responsible parties that are involved in generating
your loan. The main contacts consist of the loan originator, the processor and the
underwriter. Your agent will respectfully ensure that each of these parties is doing
their job and that your loan is being efficiently processed. As the close date approaches
your agent will coordinate the delivery of the loan documents from the lender to
the title and escrow company. You are welcome to use any lender of your choosing
or we can refer you to a proven lender in the local market. Please note that we
never have any financial incentive in our vendor referrals. We would view this as
a conflict of interest.
Facilitating Appraisal
The appraisal is a critical part of the home buying process. Without an adequate
appraisal or loan to value ratios the lender will not loan against the property.
In a typical real estate transaction your lender will order the appraisal. Our role
in this process is to ensure that the appraisal is ordered in a timely fashion and,
if necessary, provide the appraiser with comparable sales data. As there is a substantial
cost involved in appraisal lenders will often wait until mid-escrow before ordering
the appraisal to ensure that the inspection process has been completed successfully
and the transaction will be proceeding to close. While this practice helps protect
the lender from wasted appraisal costs can also cause closing delays. We will oversee
the appraisal process to ensure that the appraisal is completed in a timely fashion.
Relocation Services
If you are relocating to the Boise area we will help make your move much easier.
The logistics of relocating to another area are often much more complicated than
a simple move across town. We will help you coordinate your relocation and ensure
that the entire process runs smoothly. Our relocation services include aligning
move-out and move-in dates with the close, coordinating with movers and providing
them with access to the property, assistance in arranging utility turn-ons, gathering
school information, securing temporary housing, providing storage solutions, obtaining
and sending local information to your location and other concierge level activities.
Bank Owned Property
When shopping for a home most buyers have two goals: Find the perfect home and get
a great deal. Sometimes bank owned properties can be a great way to accomplish both.
Bank Owned Properties (also known as REO, Real Estate Owned or post-foreclosure
property) are commonly thought to be in various stages of disrepair. However, in
the Boise market many REO properties are in quite good condition. In fact, even
new construction Boise homes are sometimes available as REOs. Our agents have access
to carefully prepared and diligently gathered off-market REO lists. If you are interested
in looking at Idaho bank owned properties please contact us today to request our
current bank owned property list.
Short Sales
Another way to get a great deal is to purchase a short sale property. Short Sales
are properties that are still owned by the homeowner but where the homeowner owes
more than the property is worth. In many instances lenders prefer to accept a less
than full payoff for the loan rather than incur the risk of having to take the home
back via foreclosure. Typical short sale prices range from 75% to 90% of the property's
fair market value with even greater discounts at higher price levels. Negotiating
short sales is a lengthy and complicated process and you should plan on your escrow
lasting 60 to 90 days. As not all short sales are approved you should consider looking
at other properties and writing multiple offers. Our agents will manage the multiple
offer process properly. Careful management of the overall short sale process will
maximize the probability of success. Our agents are trained in advanced short sale
management. If it can be done, our agents will get it done.
Personal Service
Our approach to mananaging the home buying process is system driven. No detail will
be overlooked. However, it is not our attention to detail that sets us apart. It
is our personal service. At any time during the home buying process please let us
know how we can make your move easier. We are here to help.
Atova, real estate done right. Thank you in advance for your business.