Information to answer your questions:
For Buyers
For Sellers
Free CMA
Agency
1031 Exchange
Title & Title Insurance
Escrow
Utilities - Who To Call
Learn about the Loan Process
Review your County Records - information is found on the assessors page.
Naval Air Station Whidbey
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For answers to all of your real estate questions, contact me!

1. Find an agent! With the many changes in the market, you need someone who is looking after your interests. If you want the best home, for the least price, in the shortest amount of time, an agent will be committed to these goals. It is also in your best interest to have an agent represent you since it generally costs you nothing. More specifically, it is common for the listing agreement that a seller has with a broker that determines how commissions to agents will be paid. It is quite typical that from these commissions the buyer's agent is paid. Remember that this is typical, but commissions paid to agents are always negotiable. And lastly, finding an agent you like can start a relationship of future investment and even friendship.
2. Find a lender! Generally, especially with first-time buyers, a loan is borrowed to pay for a home and this loan is called a mortgage. Have your agent recommend a few lenders in the area. As when buying a car, “test drive” several of them. You do this by talking with them about your finances, getting a credit report, and having them give to you a “pre-approval” (not pre-qual) and “good faith estimate.” The pre-approval says that they have reviewed enough of your financial standing to agree to give you a loan for a certain amount. The estimate will cover all the charges associated with taking out a loan for the specified loan amount. Also, these documents will enable you to determine a baseline monthly payment. Your lender, like your agent, should be someone you can talk to and someone you can come back to in the event of problems or your desires for future transactions.
3. Know the market! Use your agent, the internet (AnacortesHomeBuyer.com) and simply the “drive-around” method to get to know the greater area and the unique neighborhoods within it. In any area there are always more desirable places within it that command higher prices due to the ability to walk everywhere, proximity to parks and beaches, or the overall size of the land on which each home is built. Also, realize that new construction tends to increase in value as the inventory in the subdivision decreases. Find out about new construction in the area; though you may not want to wait for a home to be built, often builders have a few properties available within a month or two.

The Law of Agency Pamphlet - Who represents your interests in the transaction?

1. Find an agent! In any market, having someone dedicated to looking after your interest of selling your home for the most money in the least amount of time is a must. A listing agent can do this. Your agent can provide a market analysis which will compare your home to the homes that have recently sold and ones that are currently listed. You can determine the best price range at which to list your property to generate the most interest and the most offers. Your agent will enlist your home to the MLS (multiple listing system) to give it the most publicity and will also network with the numerous other agents on your behalf. Agents can organize open houses, aid with inspections and appraisals and help with the staging of your home for showing. And most importantly, a skillful and knowledgeable agent will ensure that your interests are represented and your goals are achieved throughout negotiations with potential buyers. Commissions paid to your agent's broker, and later disbursed to your agent, are determined by the listing contract agreement and are always negotiable. Actual percentages should be discussed with your agent.
2. Prepare your home! Preparing your home for sale requires looking at it from the perspective of a buyer. Make it as easy as possible for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your house. “Stage” your home. Even beyond cleaning, this means removing clutter, repairing long-time fixables - even providing pleasant aromas through the use of unlit candles, potpourri and even cookie baking. Appeal to as many senses as possible and the results will be money in your pocket and a sense of security by selling earlier rather than later.
3. Prepare for obstacles! Everything in real estate is negotiable. Buyers can come to the offering table with cash and no contingencies. They can also come with excessive requests. Talk with your agent about the potential obstacles that each contract could contain down the road. If you are knowledgeable on the different avenues each contract can take, you will better prepared to make counteroffers. Negotiations, deadlines, and contingencies can all be frustrating, but having a knowledgeable, professional agent handle the twists and turns is the best kind of stress management.

• A 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange is a transaction whereby one investment property is sold and another ‘like-kind’ investment property is bought. All monetary gains from the sale of the original property are used in the purchase of the new property without any capital gains taxes being paid at the time of the transaction. In other words, the sales proceeds are reinvested into another property allowing you to use the full value of your property and equity. Capital gains will only be paid when the property is sold and all proceeds are kept as cash. A 1031 is a powerful tool that can help your investment goals. More...

Title and Title Insurance

• Title is ultimately your claim of ownership of real property. Documents that show ownership, for example deeds, are held as public records with the county and can be accessed and researched. The documents show the names of the owners of specific properties, the history of ownership on the property, and if some other entity has a claim to a piece of property. When you purchase a home, you want title that is free and clear of any outstanding claims by others and to insure you get this, there exists title insurance. The title company researches all records and determines if there are any other legal claims to the property other than the seller from whom you are purchasing it. If there are other claims, these are publicized and corrected before you purchase the home. The seller is responsible for correcting these additional claims, and generally pays for the title search for the purchaser. When you purchase the home, the seller is signing over the free and clear title to you….the new owner.
• Additionally, if the purchaser is getting a mortgage for the property, the lending institution will want their own title policy for the property and it is generally the responsibility of the purchaser to pay for the lender’s title fee.

Escrow ... it doesn't have to be a foreign term

• Basically, escrow is merely a method whereby a buyer and a seller use a third party to insure all their interests are met. Some people use a lawyer to do this, but most use an escrow company…often the title company. These interests include the delivery of all monetary funds to the seller for the sale of their home and subsequently, the recording of the property deed (document of ownership) in favor of the purchaser. The escrow company receives all the paperwork concerning the transaction and makes sure that all the necessary requirements per the purchase and sale contract are met, along with the county rules for property transfer.
• Escrow also can be used by the buyer if they have a mortgage on the property by serving as a depository for future tax and insurance payments.

Utilities - Who To Call

• City 0f Anacortes - 360-293-1909 (water, sewer, garbage)
• Puget Sound Energy - 888-225-5773 (electric)
• Cascade Natural Gas - 888-522-1130
• Comcast Cable - 877-824-2288