They say buying a house can be very stressful. I guess they haven't worked with Rita yet.
As a first-time home buyer, I was worried about entering a tough real estate market in Southern California, not sure what expect. But with Rita's guidance and hard work, I was able to close the first property I put an offer in!
I believe the key to a successful real estate transaction is to 1) find a professional realtor you can trust and 2) let them do their job. This second point is critical! Listen to their advice and let the professionals do their work. For me, this was Rita, and I cannot recommend her enough.
Here is what to expect as a first-time home buyer with little to no experience. First, meet with your agent to discuss what home buying entails. A good agent will tell you all the major steps involved, what kind of documentation is needed, and what the current market is like. You'll also discuss what type of property you're looking for, what your wish list is, and of course, location. Next, submit your paperwork to your lender (I went with a broker recommended by Rita - no regrets! - although you're of course free to pick any lender you want) and get your pre-qualification letter.
Then it's time to house-hunt! Rita will send you listings based on your preferences and she'll take care of scheduling appointments for any of the properties you'd want to visit. Once you've found a place, put in an offer! Time is of the essence here and Rita will work around the clock to make sure your offer goes in fast.
The condo I was interested in was only on the market for a couple of days and the selling agent indicated that they were looking for a quick sell. To put in a strong offer, Rita suggested several tactics, including shortening various contingencies. And this meant working fast by lining up all the correct paperwork needed to file and getting signatures (most are done online through DocuSign).
It took a couple of days for them to accept since they had 8 offers to consider but I lucked out a bit because the selling agent, like Rita, was a professional and immediately recognized her as such and knew she would be very easy to work with. Later, he remarked that he was pushing for our offer mainly because of Rita and how well she came across at the open house. One cannot get a better endorsement than that! My agent was literally the difference maker and without her, I would still be out there looking at properties.
Here is what Rita excels in:
1) professionalism (more important that you'd expect - see above)
2) excellent communication skills - not just with her client (me) but also with all other contacts (seller's agent, lending officer, escrow agents, etc.)
3) patience - she answered all my questions, even the silly ones, without making me feel silly :)
4) availability - she worked around my busy schedule for setting up appointments and always got back to me very promptly through phone and email
5) excellent industry contacts - I used her recommended lending officer and home inspector without any regrets
Buying a home can be stressful, especially if you're not working with a realtor you can trust.
If I've learned one thing in my professional career, it's that you should let professionals do their work, and real estate is no different. Find an agent that you trust and let them do their work. Listen to their guidance and good things will happen to you, too. If you don't already have an agent, look no further than Rita Basso - she's great at what she does and she'll take care of you like no one else. read more
