Buying Beach Cities Properties In 8 Easy Steps

Not sure where to start your home buying process? This article lays out 8 easy steps once you've picked your agent. The 8 steps work for any agent, but if you work with me and my team, "easy" is a huge part of our formula. Everything we do is with our clients' goals in mind, not ours.

1. Let's Talk Strategy!

We are all about your successful outcome, but first we need to know how you define success. Come tell us what your goals and challenges are so we can help define the right path. Grab time on our calendar here.

2. Button Up With A Lender

If you need a loan to buy your Silicon Beach property, we can’t start making offers until we have you pre-qualified with a lender. Not all lenders are created equal. Depending on what your goals and needs are, we will make suggestions about what to look for in your Silicon Beach lender.

PRO TIP #1: some lenders are really good with short escrows and can make you almost as competitive as a cash buyer. Some lenders have attractive programs with smaller down payment requirements. If you already have a lender relationship for your Silicon Beach property purchase, we’ll talk to you about how they can support your objectives.

PRO TIP #2: Getting prequalified with a lender will crystallize how much you can afford to spend. You might think you know, but lenders are experts and analyze incomes daily.

Don’t worry if you don’t yet have a lender relationship! We know lots and are happy to make introductions.

3. Start Shopping

We will start sending you listings that support the objectives we talked about in our first meeting. We will collaborate to identify properties that meet your needs, and along the way, we will tweak your criteria as needed.

For instance, if we're not finding enough properties in your target neighborhood, we'll make suggestions for similar neighborhoods, based on what you've told us is important to you.

We will also be busy uncovering hidden inventory for your consideration.

4. Tour Properties

We love introducing clients to the varied beach cities communities - Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, as well as the commutable adjacent communities of Culver City, Mar Vista, Westchester, Inglewood and NW Hawthorne.

We’ll set up tours at your convenience, or we will preview properties for you and report back at your request. If you’re not local or it works better for your busy schedule, let us take you on a Facetime tour!

5. Get Your Offer Accepted

Lots goes into picking the right property and coming up with the right offer price and we'll be there to guide you every step of the way.

6. Escrow In The Beach Cities

Once your offer gets accepted, escrow opens and the paperwork starts to fly! It’s also time to get the property appraised and inspected. Your lender will hire the appraiser, but I or another team member will meet the appraiser at the property and will not hesitate to produce better comps and other evidence of value if the appraisal comes back too low.

A physical inspection of the property is very important, too. A good general inspector will come out right away and produce a report in a day or two that lets you know whether you need additional specialty reports, such as for wood destroying pests, foundation, soils or chimneys, to name a few.

Depending on what your inspection reports turn up, asking the seller for a credit to remediate an issue might be in order. We will explain the in’s and out’s of various strategies and negotiate the most beneficial outcome for you possible.

Don't forget to inspect HOA documents and talk to an insurance agent to make sure your homeowners premium will not be a deal breaker.

Once your contingencies expire, you can't walk away and expect to keep your 3% deposit you wired into escrow when it opened. This is why we move into overdrive once escrow opens to make sure you're putting each of your contingencies to their highest and best use.

6. Congratulations Homeowner!!

Once all the details of escrow are resolved (and there are lots!), it’s time to get your keys and meet your new home. We will have toured the property with you just prior to the close of escrow, but once it’s yours, you’ll look at it with new eyes. You need to get utilities set up and we highly recommend changing the locks.

7. Your First Dinner Party

The boxes are unpacked and the furniture is arranged. It’s time to have your friends and family over to toast your new Silicon Beach home. Just let us know when to send the champagne! 🥂🍾