Settling down with peace of mind

  • Kathy’s team is at your service:

  • Comprehensive analysis of humanities and geographical environment, unlocking school districts, commuting, population composition, surrounding businesses, living environment, etc. in different regions for you

  • Based on your needs, analyze and recommend cities or regions that suit you

  • Comprehensively introduce to you the advantages and disadvantages of the house, and comprehensively check for your peace of mind

  • Interpret various disclosure reports for you in detail and professionally, so that you can buy a house clearly

  • Provide you with well-founded bid references and act as your representative to communicate and negotiate with the other party

  • We will provide you with continuous and comprehensive support and services before, during and after the transaction

  • For more services, your consultation is welcome

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买房无小事

买房坑很多，在这里，我们为您分享最常见的一些买房问题，帮助您成功避坑！如果有您关心而我们没有列出的问题，欢迎Free Consultation！

Navigating the Pitfalls of Buying Fixer-Uppers vs. Renovated Homes
Navigating the Pitfalls of Buying Fixer-Uppers vs. Renovated Homes

In this article, we'll analyze three major pitfalls to avoid when considering either type of property.

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Essential Protections for Your Bay Area Home: Home Warranty and Homeowners Insurance
Essential Protections for Your Bay Area Home: Home Warranty and Homeowners Insurance

Buying a house in the Bay Area nowadays requires at least a down payment of 200,000 to 300,000 dollars, along with a 15 or 30-year mortgage. A house is more than just a place to live; it's our home. So, how can we better protect it?

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Tips for Attending Open Houses Without Your Agent: What to Look For and Questions to Ask
Tips for Attending Open Houses Without Your Agent: What to Look For and Questions to Ask

Many people enjoy attending Open Houses on weekends before buying a home. This article will discuss what you need to be aware of when visiting an Open House without your own agent.

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Why a $1.45 Million San Francisco Home's Condition Changed Drastically in One Year: Key Lessons for Buyers
Why a $1.45 Million San Francisco Home's Condition Changed Drastically in One Year: Key Lessons for Buyers

A $1.45 million house in San Francisco saw significant changes in just one year due to unexpected issues.

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Understanding Superfund Sites: What Bay Area Homebuyers Need to Know
Understanding Superfund Sites: What Bay Area Homebuyers Need to Know

Many friends planning to buy a house in the Bay Area are concerned about Superfund sites, while many others are completely unfamiliar with what a Superfund is. This article will explain the essentials about Superfund sites for prospective homebuyers.

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Three Crucial Questions to Consider Before Buying Your First Home
Three Crucial Questions to Consider Before Buying Your First Home

The home buying process is not simple, especially for first-time buyers, so it's essential to do your homework in advance. This article will introduce three crucial questions you need to consider before buying a home.”

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Home in the Bay Area
A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Home in the Bay Area

Want to buy a home in the Bay Area but don't know where to start? This article will guide you through the Bay Area home-buying process.

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Credit Pull
It is almost inevitable to do inquiries against credit history when applying for a mortgage. And credit score will be hurt for each inquiry. What to do? First, you should know soft pulls won't hurt credit score. There are 2 types of soft pulls: personal inquiry and non-credit inquiry. Personal inquiry is that you see in your credit card website (if they provide credit score) or from platforms like credit karma. But there are rare cases where bank/lender would like to provide it for Prequalification or Preapproval. Second, when applying for a mortgage, no matter how many hard pulls you have, as long as all of them falls in a short term (for example 1 week), they shall be counted as one inquiry. So, when doing real application, better quote several at the same time to get the best rate.
Pre-Qualification might be adequate for most areas, but not the SF Bay Area! In the Bay Area, there are lots of cash buyers, if you are not sure to close, why seller would boarder to consider you? When applying for Pre-Approval, make sure how long the lender could close, more than 30 days will result in no consideration from sellers. The shorter, the better. Most Bay Area lenders could make it within 2 weeks. The big four (Chase, Wells Fargo, Pre-Approval, and Bank of America) approval letter are the best, because of their reliability. Of course the requirements would be higher. A Pre-Approval letter usually good for half a year. Not like Pre Qualification，Pre-Approval need underwriting, so give it at least 3 business days.
In the Bay Area, there are 3 most seen inspections: general inspection, roof inspection, and termite inspection. And sellers usually having them done before listing. But unless there are problems that need prolonged repairing or severe structural problem, the cost is not so expensive as compared to what buyer usually add on asking price (which is usually $200k+ now). Obviously, seller would prefer to choose those who does not require inspections if seller has 2 offers at the same price. So, lots of buyers are making no-contingency offers. Some sellers do not provide inspections. Buyer needs to consider whether to do inspections. The suggestion is if there are more options, just do it. But if there are limited choice(s), go for it. Anyway, the cost of repairing is not so expensive, but a good home is not so easy to see. If buyer ever does inspections, the suggestions is by doing a general inspection first, and depends on the report decide whether further inspections needed.