buying a home » The Wilkas Group

Why Isn’t My House Selling – Part Two: Burlingame, CA

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.

In Burlingame, CA, Why A Good Realtor in Your Life Can Save You Time and Money

In California, there are as many people with real estate licenses as there are people with law degrees. Just because you have a real estate license doesn’t make you a Realtor. Same for a law degree. It’s too easy to get a real estate license or a law degree.

Are You New to Buying a Home in the San Mateo Area? It Might Be Different Than What You’ve Done Before.

We had a signing last week. Our client moved here from the east and was surprised by the way things were done and although I had explained the differences to her, they just seemed, well, abnormal to her. It got me to thinking that the way we do real estate in Northern California (as apposed…Read More »

Burlingame Homes and Asbestos. Be Careful. It’s Probably There.

The homes in the Burlingame area are generally older and one of the real estate forms we are required to have buyers and sellers sign has to do with the likely use of asbestos in these homes. This form is part of the Disclosure Package. This natural product was considered to be somewhat safe…Read More »

Foster City Home Owners or Buyers, Your Credit Score Isn’t the ONLY Thing to Worry About!

I am always looking for tips to help you in your real estate transactions be it buying, selling or refinancing. This commentary, written by Edward Jamison, ESQ, comes to me from Lilyette Uriate and is filled with tips to help you now, and especially in the future, when you have all but forgotten where you…Read More »

Before Setting Out to Buy Your Future Home Get Pre-Approved For Your Loan. It Saves Everyone Time and Effort When You Do!

When you first think about buying your own home you may think that you already know how much you can afford each month for a mortgage, but there is only one way to really know of how much house you can afford and this is driven by how much a lender calculates you can afford.…Read More »

If Pictures are Missing, Do You Care?

Okay, I know I am prejudiced about this but I just don’t understand why while searching for properties online that I see listings with no photo available by the listing agent. If it bugs me does it bug you? Do you even want to go see a property in person if you can’t inspect in…Read More »

Guess Who Now Offers Anonymonus Mortgage Quotes To See What You Can Afford?

The past couple of days I’ve been in Phoenix attending a conference called Bloodhound Unchained. Today, the final day, David Gibbons, Director of Community Relations for Zillow demonstrated what I think is a neat tool for anyone thinking of buying a home but isn’t quite ready to get Pre-Approved by a lender. It’s the first…Read More »

Determining How To Take Title at Your Signing Isn’t Easy

If you are buying a new home in the San Mateo area, determining how to take title of your property is a major decision for you when it comes time to sign your loan documents at an Escrow company. ˜How do you want to hold title?” is the question you will be asked and the…Read More »

First Time Buyer How-To Primer

The thought of buying a home can be overwhelming if this is your fist time. Its a complex event during which there is much to learn and to consider. How much can I afford? Where will the down payment come from? How much will I need and where can I find the best loan? How…Read More »