So you are a buyer in a buyers market – what an excellent time to be in the market to purchase property! Inventory is available and sellers are looking for you, however there are still items you need to watch out for to protect yourself and to make the most of your home-buying investment.

We all know these terms. Eco-friendly. Carbon footprint. Global warming. Energy-efficient. These catch phrases have become part of our every day lexicon as we’ve become more aware of our impact and imprint on the environment and our role in protecting it.

In California we require disclosures for everything. And I do mean everything. Did someone die on the property within the last 3 years? Was there a Meth lab on the property? What about a CLUE report? Sewer Lateral report? Airport noise? Earthquake fault zone? Flood zone? If the sellers’ don’t know what disclosures are required today they can’t protect themselves from future litigation.

One of the first questions we hear when a property has been on the market for 30 days and has seen no offers is why isn’t my house selling. Why? Well, it might be a price issue, but then again, it might not. It might be a marketing issue. The most difficult thing to do when listing a property is to price it right. Especially in this kind of a market,

we must never ever forget that we live in earthquake country and one can strike at any instant. It’s up to you to take precautions for yourself, your family and your pets.