The Cotter Group - 2024 Buyer Tools & Resources

We are your guides throughout your real estate experience and strive to make the process a pleasure rather than painful. We are with you every step of the way acting as your counselors and advocates leading your real estate charge with agility and grace. We’re experts at keeping our clients focused on the big picture while talking through all the tiny details and constantly matchmaking. 

Here's a fantastic overview of what you can expect during the buying process! We will also walk you through every step of the way, though this is a helpful resource! 

**An important note, there are MANY changes to Buyer Representation & Commission, and we are updating this file as many items contained here are now no longer correct, we will discuss this all in detail. **

If you're not already familiar with the intricate interplay of districts and neighborhoods in San Francisco, here is a fantastic an overview of these districts. We're happy to answer any questions you may have & to help you explore new neighborhoods!

Another good tool is the website www.walkscore.com, which provides info about the immediate area around the property, such as transportation & shopping options. When in doubt, just ask us!

Financing is an important step. You'll want to connect with a lender that is local and understands our market and who also offers competitive rates.

There are also different lenders who are a match for different scenarios, some are great for self employed borrowers, others stronger with Buy Down options....we will talk through suggestions for your specific situation as well! 

Data, data, data! In today's market is is critical to know exactly what is going on in the market right now so that you can make a strategic & informed decision....

We share monthly market reports to our clients so you're in the know on the latest trends & what is happening here. When it's time to prepare your offer, we'll dive into these metrics so that you can make an informed offer. 

There are several methods we use to find the right home for you. To start, we'll set you up with a property alert via 'RealScout' which will automatically email you when new prospects hit the market. If you have any feedback, questions, or showing requests, you can communicate them to us via this tool.  

Every week, we preview new and coming soon listings on your behalf, recommend open houses for you to attend, and arrange private showings for you. If you find a property on your own that looks interesting, send us the address so we can investigate.

Once you're clear on exactly what your target property looks like (and what it doesn't), we'll start prospecting additional inventory for you. We use predictive analytics software to discover potential sellers for our buyer clients and unlock even more off-market inventory. Digital marketing, handwritten notes, door-knocking & cold-calling are just a few of the methods we use to get in contact with these homeowners.

You may have heard about the recent news around commission structure in our industry & Buyer Representation.....we will go over all of this in more detail, but part of this shof that that there will now be a Buyer Broker Representation Form filled out. Here's a sample of the most current Form so you can familiarize yourself with it as we begin this process. These forms are subject to change & still a part of an evolving process in the industry! We will go over all of this in more detail ;) 

When submitting an offer, there are various contingencies to consider, we'll of course talk through these together but please take a moment to review these. We'll always discuss each contingency so that you can make an informed decision when submitting an offer!

What happens if you get your offer accepted and then discover something negative during your inspection period? Can you cancel the contract? What happens to your deposit? These types of questions are very common and important.  

Buyers should read and understand the "Liquidated Damages" and "Arbitration/Mediation" paragraphs in the Purchase Agreement.

You've found the perfect home - now what? The next step is contacting me for the disclosure package so you can begin due diligence.  

State and city laws require specific seller disclosures to be part of every property transfer. All of them are important to read, although many of them are generic advisories used state-wide for all types of listings. Sellers provide their knowledge of the property by filling out a Transfer Disclosure Statement and other supporting forms; they may also choose to provide various inspections, such as a pest/termite inspection or a home inspection. 

It's our job to help guide you through the seller disclosures and to advise you on how to do your due diligence.

If you're not already familiar with how the fiscal year works in terms of property taxes, here's a handy chart. Some lenders may require that the borrower/buyer set up "impound accounts" at the close of escrow, which means that a monthly amount is added to your mortgage payment to cover your yearly property tax bill. 

Some buyers like this arrangement because it breaks up the tax payments into monthly amounts and the lender sends the funds to the assessor; but if you choose to decline impound accounts, then your tax bill is mailed you directly, and it's due twice a year. Don't be late, because there are stiff penalties for delinquent payments.

Here's what people are saying about the Cotter Group, I can also provide you with client references as well! 

Buyer clients often ask me "how long will this take?" and my answer is that every deal is different. Some buyers shop for a few months while others find something right away.  

My best advice would be to shop around enough to feel confident about your decision; and then once you find something you want, write a compelling offer.