Interest rates have slipped below 3% for the first time on record so your buying power has increased, we continue to be short on inventory so it is a great time to sell, and after Staying Home so much recently, you are ready for your next home!  All of this means it is a great time to make a move – the only problem is, you aren’t sure if you can buy a home without selling first.

Programs That May Work For You.

Here are a variety of loan options that may work for you, depending on your financial situation.

1. Cross Collateralization.  This program is designed for a buyer who has a strong equity position in their current home. As a buyer you are able to access this equity with a loan that collateralizes both your current home and new home. When you sell your current home you can pay down the loan to reach your desired payment. It allows for a higher debt to income ratio to assist with qualification.
2. Departing Residence Program. This program helps the seller that has the funds for the down payment on the next home, but not the income to qualify. It allows you to utilize the potential rental income you would have from your current house in your income calculation, without having to actually rent out your home.
3. Asset Depletion. This program helps the seller who doesn’t have a traditional income, but has assets such as stocks & mutual funds, to derive an asset depletion income to qualify for the loan. This is especially helpful for sellers who are retired.
4. Restricted Stock Units. This program helps executives and many in the high-tech industry that can show a 2-year history of receiving RSUs as part of their compensation to be included as reserves or income for qualifying purposes.
5. 40-year loan. This program allows you to qualify for a larger loan amount – it is available on all occupancy types, cash-out refinances are allowed, and it can be used in conjunction with one of the other loan programs listed above to provide you with more options.
6. Buy/Sell with a long close and/or rent back option. This is a non-financial solution to the problem. Negotiating to purchase or sell with a long closing timeline and/or potentially a rent-back option – you may need to look at an off-market purchase or sale for this option.
7. Buy Contingent upon the Sale of your home. Sellers prefer not to get these offers – but if you have your home ready to go – inspected, prepared for market, staged, photos taken, competitively priced – and you are just waiting to find a home and get into contract – some sellers are accepting contingent offers right now.

You can even save your cash on hand for a strong down payment by paying for any prep work your home needs using the Windermere Ready program.  Windermere Ready is a short-term loan program where no payments are due during the loan and the loan is paid off when your home is sold. And, unlike other brokerage programs, Windermere Ready lets you use the contractors you want so you can keep the cost down and control the quality of the work you have done.

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

Time to buy your dream property – where you can watch your horse(s) graze peacefully outside your family room window.  Make sure you work with an equestrian expert because there are many factors that should be considered and priority amenities that you should have or budget adding. A property with a large lot that is advertised as having “Equestrian Potential” may end up being much more expensive than the property that already has these key equestrian features.

Fencing.

Most equestrian properties will have some kind of fencing, primarily to safely contain your horses. Fencing is expensive, so make sure the property has the best kind of fencing based upon how you plan to use the property, or budget the cost to add or change out the fencing.

• Wood. Highly visible, strong and aesthetically pleasing. High initial cost and high maintenance due to horse chewing, weathering, etc. If a horse breaks through it when spooked – nails & splintering can present a hazard.
• PVC. Highly visible, strong and aesthetically pleasing. Higher initial cost, but ongoing maintenance cost much lower. Internally ribbed PBC boards resist breakage, but are designed to break away when pressure is applied.
• Steel Pipe. Exceptionally strong and long lasting, not as aesthetically pleasing. Planning must be exact and modifications difficult once the fence is completed. If a horse runs into the fence it can suffer damage since there is no give.
• Smooth Wire. Lower cost and typically coupled with electrical systems to create a deterrent effect. Visibility can be a problem – although you can get the wire wrapped in PVC coating in a variety of colors to help.

Barn.

Here are some features you should think about when looking at barns – existing or budgeting to build.

• • Barn access & proximity – to the main road, the house, and onsite outbuildings. In general, you want to make sure the property location is easily accessible for deliveries and horse trailers via reliable and well-maintained roads.
• Structural Soundness & Safety.
  • Barn Age – while an older barn might look picturesque – you want to make sure it is safe and in good repair.
  • Lighting – electricity to the barn is important for day to day needs and safety, especially in the case of an emergency.
• Stalls.
  • Construction – solid wood or cement walls that go down to the floor with no gaps are the best bet. All stall floors should be non-slip and preferably matted.
  • Size – a 12×12 stall is optimal and more comfortable for large horses, however a 10×10 stall will accommodate standard horses & ponies or do you need a foaling stall?
  • Use – optimal size depends on use – will you have one or multiple horses, plan to breed or board horses.
  • Safety – make certain gates and stall doors are in working order and there isn’t a way for horses to escape, injure itself or another horse.
• Feed & Equipment Storage. Make sure there is enough storage for hay, grain and equipment to meet your needs in the barn or in an outbuilding close by.

Other Necessities.

Other things to consider depending on the type of riding you like to do and how you will use the property:  Arenas – outdoor, covered or indoor. Water – availability in the barn and the pasture. Pastures & Turn Outs – sufficient space for the maximum number of horses that will be there.  Access – are there riding trails nearby?

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

A title insurance policy is a contract that insures a buyer’s ownership/interest in a specific piece of real property (a home, land, etc). This insurance protects you from loss based upon an encumbrance, defective title, or adverse claims made against the Title for a long as you and/or your heirs own the property, and in some cases, even longer. Here are some additional things you should know.

Who Pays For It.

The custom in our area is for the seller to pay for the buyer’s title policy and the buyer to pay for the lender’s title policy. There are three different types of title policy that provide differing levels of coverage. The default policy is typically what you want, but there is a less expensive (with lower coverage) and a more expensive (with additional select coverage).  It really depends on the property you are purchasing – something to discuss with your real estate broker or the title officer.

Title Search & Exceptions.

The title company will do a detailed search of all historical records concerning the property – including deeds, court records, tax records, etc.  They will then verify the seller’s right to transfer ownership and attempt to discover any claims, defects, rights or burdens that affect that property and that information will be provided to you in the title report. Make sure you read all of this and ask the Title Officer to explain anything you don’t understand.

Marketable Title.

When you purchase a home, the default is for you to purchase the home with clear and marketable title. This means that any known or identified claims against the home’s title, shall be resolved and, if needed, paid prior to closing or out of the closing proceeds.

Title Contingency.

A title contingency in your purchase & sale agreement, provides you with the right to review the title report and if there is anything that you don’t like, you can get out of the contract. This is subjective, because you are determining if the rules, conditions, and/or easements impact the way you want to use the property. It may not be a problem for someone else.  For example, the community may not allow chickens which could be a deal breaker for you, but others might welcome that rule.

Title Insurance Policy Protection.

So if there is an extensive search done before and during the contract period, why do I need insurance? There are “hidden hazards” that even the most diligent title search may not reveal – and those claims are what you want to be protected from.
Here are 2 such examples:

1. A prior seller misrepresented their marital status, resulting in a possible claim by a legal spouse.
2. The seller might not have been mentally competent to sell the house and the heirs dispute it.

If there is a valid claim, and your policy covers the title problem, then the title company may defend you in court (at their expense) or indemnify you against monetary loss or damage due to the covered title defects.

It is important that you work with a Real Estate Broker who has the expertise and the team of experts that they can provide to you, to help you make fully informed, great decisions.  If you’d like to explore your buying or selling options, contact The Blue Team at  www.BlueRealEstateTeam.com.

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

If you are a seller you want to encourage multiple offers and if you are a buyer in a multiple offer situation – you want to win.  Here are some tips for both!

Sellers – You can Encourage Multiple Offers on your home by doing these 3 things

1. Make A Great 1^st Impression. Don’t come on the market until you are ready! Buyers who are willing to bid in multiple offers are much more likely to have made an emotional connection – Love at first sight is key if you want your highest price!
2. Have Your Home Inspected. Have your home inspected and make a copy of it available to all serious buyers. If there are multiple buyers interested in your home, often buyers will pay to pre-inspect your home, if you have already had it inspected, they can elect to use your inspection and still submit a competitive offer without having to pay for a pre-inspection to do it. This will increase the number of buyers willing to submit an offer, and ultimately your sale price.
3. Have Your Home Move-in Ready. Buyers are willing to pay more for a house that is done so they don’t have to do work right when they move in.

Buyers – You can Win in a Multiple Offer by doing these 3 things

1. Have your funding locked in. Whether you are paying cash, getting a loan, or doing something “creative” get it figured out before you submit the offer so everyone will feel comfortable that you will able to close on the home as soon as possible and when you commit to.
2. Pay attention to the little things. Go to the open house and introduce yourself to the listing broker and say nice things about the house, write a “dear seller” letter from the heart, include things in your offer that will make the sales process easier for the seller. When the offers are similar these things can make the difference as to who wins and who doesn’t.
3. Be educated and know how to minimize risk for everyone. Most sellers want the highest price with the least amount of risk. Get educated on what you can do to minimize risk for the seller without taking on unnecessary risk yourself.  For example, review the preliminary title so you can waive that contingency, do your neighborhood review so you can skip that contingency, etc.  Don’t just waive contingencies that are meant to protect you – do the work prior to making the offer so you protect yourself and make your offer as strong as possible!

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

Staging your home can make a big difference in how you feel about the spaces – it isn’t about spending money, it is about, paying attention to these key staging concepts. It also makes a big difference in how much you can sell your home for since less than 10% of buyers can visualize changes to a home so the stats show that staging can help a home sell quicker and on average, for 10% more.

Consider how you want to use the room and how many people will be in there at any point in time, to determine the type of furnishings and amount of seating you will need. When you stage for living, a “bedroom” can be a bedroom, office, TV room, playroom, etc. When staging for sale we typically stage a room for what it was designed to be so you get full marketing value for each room.

Focal Point

Identify the room or area’s focal point – a fireplace, view, TV – and arrange the furniture accordingly. The ideal distance between the TV and your seating is three times the size of the screen (measured diagonally).  So, if you have a 40-inch TV, your couch should be 120 inches (10 feet) away.

Start with the largest pieces of your furniture and position it to face the focal point. In family or living rooms, establish conversation areas where a couch and a loveseat or two chairs face each other over a coffee table, keeping the space intimate. When staging for sale, we want to maximize the key selling features of a home and create memory triggers with the wow kitchen, cozy family room, fun playroom, etc.

Symmetry and Space

Symmetry

This affects the feel of a space – the more symmetrical it is the more formal it feels and asymmetrical spaces feel casual. Having the same bookshelves on either side of a fireplace, two of the same chair, lamp, or couches versus a variety of furniture, lamps, tables.

Rule of thirds

You want to fill two-thirds of the space, so for a bookshelf, you want one-third books, one-third accessories, and one-third empty space to keep things from feeling cluttered.

Left to Right

People read left to right so to encourage the movement of the eyes and flow in a room, for decorative items you want to place tall items on the left and shorter on the right.

Traffic Flow

Create a flow through a room by having a 30-48-inch path for the door to door traffic and 24 inches for movement around a room.  If possible, do not place furniture along the walls. Optimally you want an 18-24-inch perimeter around your living/family room conversation groupings so traffic flows around not through it.

Area Rugs

A 5-by-8 rug is the smallest you should use An 8-by-10 is optimal if the room size supports it. Smaller rugs make the home look and feel smaller. In a living/family room, you should have two legs of your couch and chairs on the rug and two off if space permits.  Bedroom rugs should extend at least 18-24 inches on both sides so that when you get out of bed you are fully on the rug.

Wall Art

In rooms where you are standing (like the foyer or hallway) you generally want to hang wall art at 60 inches. In rooms where you are generally sitting (like the dining or family rooms) you want to hang art at 54 inches.  Another good rule of thumb is to hang art 6-9 inches over an anchor – which might be a couch or console table – and the optimal width of the art is two-thirds of the anchor piece.

Variety and Contrast

A room is more visually pleasing if you have some variety and contrast. Having furniture pieces of different sizes throughout the room causes your eyes to move up and down as you scan the room and make it more interesting.  Avoid having two tall pieces next to each other. Another way to add variety is to combine straight and curved lines – whether it is the fabric pattern on a rug, upholstery or wallpaper – or the shape of each piece of furniture (curvy or angular).

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

We are often asked by buyers whether it is good to purchase a home in a planned neighborhood that has an active Home Owners Association (HOA) with Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs). The answer is really dependent on your lifestyle and preferences.  Here are some of the common advantages and disadvantages that you should consider as you decide whether you want to purchase a home with or without an active HOA.

Advantages:

• Consistent Quality & Appearance of Homes – often there are requirements for the allowed home style, size, finishes, color of paint, type of fence allowed, etc. This can help establish a consistent look and price range for the entire neighborhood.
• Convenience of Shared Community Services –depending on the neighborhood, there might be shared septic management & septic drain fields; shared neighborhood only common areas like walking trails, playgrounds, clubhouses, golf courses, pools, and waterfront parks; shared maintenance of neighborhood signage, fencing, and landscaping.
• Access to Community Social Events – some neighborhoods have annual holiday events, block parties, social events like bunko nights or book clubs and websites for sharing information. This can be a nice way to get to know neighbors and build relationships that last a lifetime.
• Safety – planned neighborhoods are more likely to have shared/locking mailbox areas, neighborhood crime watches (official or unofficial), neighborhood lighting standards, and even sidewalks.

Disadvantages:

• Architectural Committee Rules – If you want to paint your home a color not allowed, have a fence where one isn’t allowed, make landscaping changes that aren’t consistent with the neighborhood, or even select the type of roofing that you want for your home. You might be frustrated with the restrictions.  Make sure the neighborhood reflects your personal preferences and lifestyle choices.
• Community Expenses – There is an expense to community services and the timing & amount is controlled by the community. Make sure the cost is worth it to you based upon your lifestyle and values.
• Recreational Vehicles – RVs, boats, cars that you are working on – may not be allowed in your driveway and/or in a visible location on your property.
• Pets – if you want certain breeds of dogs, chickens, horses, etc…. you might not be allowed.

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

There is information overload as we all hunker down and observe the Washington State Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order (SHSHO) and the Federal Social Distancing Guidelines.  We thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the information related to the CARES Act and Staying in your Home and the latest rules related to Buying/Selling Real Estate during the SHSHO.

STAYING HOME
As in, you want to stay in the home you have but are worried about the financial consequences of this Pandemic.  Here are some of the relevant components of the CARES Act signed by the President on 3/27/2020.

• Mortgage Forbearance – an agreement with your lender to hold back from foreclosure activities when you can’t meet your repayment obligations. If you can pay your mortgage, you should continue to do so. If you can’t make your payment due to a decline in income resulting from the impact of Covid-19, you should call your lender/mortgage servicer.
  • Borrowers of government-backed mortgages can request up to 360-day payment forbearance.
  • Applies to single family homes and condominiums, independent of whether they are owner occupied, a second home, or an investment property.
  • Proof of hardship isn’t necessary
  • No additional fees, interest, or penalties can be assessed for the forbearance.
  • Except for abandoned or vacant property, no foreclosure actions can be initiated for 60 days from 3/18/2020.

   

• Government-Backed Mortgages – this includes loan products from the Veteran’s Administration, USDA, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Conventional Loans that are backed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. Don’t know if your loan qualifies?
  • Freddie Mac https://ww3.freddiemac.com/loanlookup/
  • Fannie Mae https://www.knowyouroptions.com/loanlookup

   

• Non-Government Backed Mortgages – call your lender/mortgage servicer if this is a temporary problem related to Covid19. Many companies are providing assistance and putting plans in place.  Many are willing to provide zero interest & late fee deferral options and have paused in process foreclosure sales, evictions and repossessions. No one wants a repeat of the subprime 2008 mortgage crisis!

 

• Assistance for Renters – There is a 120-day suspension on evictions for renters unable to pay in Federally-assisted properties (single family & multifamily properties) with loans owned or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

 

BUYING & SELLING
Real Estate is not considered an essential services, but given the impact on the economy of real estate, real estate brokers have been given very specific guidelines as to what we can and can’t do to balance the need for housing sales and purchases to continue and to keep people safe.

• As of April 2^nd, we CAN do the following: We are getting daily updates as to what we can and can’t do. Currently we can list homes on the market, stage homes, have professional photography, show homes, facilitate essential services like (lending, title, escrow and county recording) and other limited essential services like moving assistance, home inspections, emergency or structural integrity home repairs, and all of this activity must be by appointment only and observing Covid19 guidelines. We CANNOT hold open houses or brokers opens. However, things might have changed by the time you read this article – so check with your Real Estate Broker for the latest details.

 

• Homes are Selling & Closing: Interest rates are low, there continues to be a demand for housing, and as we navigate the what we can and can’t do, the housing supply is there also. Last week as the SHSHO was in place – we weren’t allowed to do a lot of what we can do today, so the numbers took a slight dip. We expect that to improve in the next few weeks as we carefully and respectfully keep guiding our clients who are selling & buying and closing on their sales. The market is becoming more balanced generally if you have a 3-6 month supply of homes, you have a balanced market and as of April 1^st we had 2.3 months of supply on the Eastside.

 

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

Condos are a great alternative to a residential home purchase, but there are some key differences that you should be aware of when purchasing one. Here are the 3 things you need to know before you purchase a condo:

1.  How Healthy is the HOA?
   The seller is obligated to provide you with a Resale Certificate which includes a variety of information that will allow you to determine if it will be a good fit for you.
   • Financials.
     How much do you pay for monthly dues and what is included? What is the delinquent rate for dues? Is the complex managing its money wisely? Do they rely on just HOA dues or are special assessments a common practice?
   • Reserve Study.
     Most larger complexes have an independent report done by a consultant that forecasts future expenses and cash flows. This is a key indicator of financial health and the risk of having to pay a Special Assessment in the future.
   • Litigation.
     In years past, many complexes had ongoing litigation against the builders for defects – this isn’t as common now – but it is a key piece of information as it can impact your financing, your ability to resell your unit, and can result potentially special assessments.

2. What are the Community Rules?
   Make sure you can do what you want in the unit!
   • Rules for remodeling and decks/patios: These can control the types of flooring and types & colors of window covering allowed, and what is allowed on decks/patios, etc.
   • Rules for how you use/what you can do in the condo & common areas: Smoking – can you smoke tobacco or marijuana? Rentals – is there a cap on the number of units that can be rented in the complex, is there a requirement that you live there for 1 year before renting it out, can you do Air B&B rentals or is there a minimum lease period?   Parking – what is deeded to your unit and/or otherwise available for you and your guests (reserved spaces, carports, garages, etc. ? Noise –  are you restricted from running your dishwasher or washer/dryer during certain hours?
   • Is the complex “pet free” or can you have a pet – if you can have a pet, what types, is there a weight limit, are any breeds restricted, how many can you have, is there an off-leash area, etc.

3. Available Financing Options.
   If you are purchasing the condo with cash or conventional financing you can purchase almost any condo- but if you are using a FHA or VA program – you need to know if the complex is approved or if you can get a spot approval.

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate

Love your home and it will love you! Here are some things you should do in the winter to keep your home (and you) healthy and happy.

Winter home maintenance tips.

• Maximize Your Winter Heating.
  Reverse ceiling fans to run clockwise and push the heated air down. Wrap your hot water tank with an insulating blanket. Have your furnace inspected and serviced (if you haven’t already). Remove window screens – that will boost natural light and improves solar heat gain. Keep your fireplace flue closed when you are not using it.

 

• Think About Safety.
  Check & replace batteries in smoke & carbon monoxide detectors – especially important as windows are closed tight, fireplaces are used and sometimes generators. Check your emergency supplies – not only do you want to be prepared if “the Big One/Earthquake” happens, but this will help you for winter storms & power outages.

 

• Prepare Your Landscaping.
  It is a great time to clean up your garden beds & landscaping by trimming any dead tree limbs, removing debris, dead plants and weeds (make sure to get the roots) and filling up those empty yard recycling bids that aren’t filled with grass clippings. Add compost or manure to areas that need more moisture, replace/add mulch (1-3 inches) to help prevent Spring weeds & diseases.

 

• Prepare for Remodeling Projects.
  Now is the time to think about remodeling projects for the summer or fall. By starting in the winter you can determine your budget, select a contractor, arrange for financing if needed, and make all of the component & color decisions you need to make in advance of the project start date. That will help keep your project on time, on budget, and you will have a better selection of contractors.

 

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.

Everything can and should go smoothly with your real estate purchase or sale but sometimes it doesn’t.  If you are planning to buy or sell your home and you don’t think it matters who, if anyone, helps you – think again.

The trends, rules and laws having to do with real estate change frequently which is why the best Brokers stay on top of their continuing education and regularly attend their brokerage office meetings to stay current.  Here are just a couple of examples where the right information can make or break your real estate experience.

1. Home Security Cameras & Sound Recordings.
   While video recording without sound is generally permitted under WA law, audio recordings of private conversations without consent of the persons engaged in the conversations is prohibited. While providing a conspicuous notice to potential Buyers might protect a Seller, it is safer to just turn off the recording function.  Buyers – you should always be aware that your actions and potentially comments might be overheard by the sellers.

 

2. Wire Fraud.
   According to the FBI, cyber criminals stole or attempted to steal almost $1 billion from real estate transactions.  Buyers make sure you know how to protect yourself from wire fraud by always verifying the wire instructions with a trusted source or using a cashier’s check.  Sellers make sure your Buyer has a reputable Broker advising them so this doesn’t happen on your sale.

 

3. Pollution Liability Insurance Agency.
   Does the home you are selling/buying have a heating oil tank on it and has the Seller registered for PLIA insurance? PLIA Insurance is free of charge to the property owner and if there is contamination as a result of a leak that starts after the tank is registered then PLIA will pay up to $60,000 to clean up the contamination. Buyers should know that if they register within 180 days from the date of closing, then there will be no coverage lapse from when the seller registered.

 

4. Fair Housing.
   Make sure you know all of the applicable rules in each stage of the transaction. The specific words that are not allowed in Advertising; the rules with respect to service animals during showings & open house touring; and the offer review process that can help ensure Sellers make decisions about offers appropriately. Careful attention to the Fair Housing rules throughout the sales process will protect both Sellers and Buyers.

 

5. Advertising Bedrooms based upon the Septic System.
   Both Sellers and their Brokers can be held liable for damages by Buyers in the future if they advertise the home as having more bedrooms then the septic system rating. There are ways to communicate room flexibility without putting Buyers or Sellers at risk for unexpected costs in the future.

 

Article Published in the Woodinville Weekly Real Estate Section. Since 2017 The Blue Team has written the bi-monthly Real Estate Column sharing their expertise in this community publications. Sharing their Tips for Home Buying, Tips for Home Selling, Tips for Investors, Buying & Selling Luxury Homes, Real Estate Transitions (Including Relocation & Senior Real Estate Tips), and Equestrian Real Estate.