The real estate market in Portland may be different than let’s say, Florida or Hawaii. When some parts of the country go into their busy season, we slow down and fall and winter start to press down on us. But that doesn’t mean people stop buying and selling homes. If you relocate, have a family change, or just need a bigger or smaller house, it doesn’t matter what time of year it is.. you need to move on.
But what if you’re moving here from overseas or a different part of the country and you have to buy a home sight-unseen? How is that even possible? Do people do that? How do you really know what you’re getting?
Most people start their real estate search from the comfort of their own home online. If you come across a property you love while searching it may mean finding a trustworthy agent to help you jump in and buy the property sight unseen.
The key to buying a home without physically walking through it is to find a very reputable real estate agent with experience in helping clients buy properties without being physically present. Upon finding an agent don’t be afraid to ask right off the bat about their experience in these types of sales and describe the process and services they offer to buyers for a sight-unseen transaction.
A great agent will pay close much attention to detail.
They have the challenge of describing the property to someone who is not there. This can be a big benefit as the more details you know about the property the better prepared you are in making a decision to buy. You may end up getting more information on a home in a sight unseen transaction than a traditional one. Make sure your agent offers to take a video tour of the home and pictures of every room and things that may need fixing or updating as well as the surrounding land and views. Sometimes a real estate agent will be able to Skype or have a live video interaction with you as they tour the home and you can ask questions while they walk through the property for you.
Inspect the Home (Via a Home Inspector)
After showing you a video and pictures of the property you have fallen in love with have your realtor suggest a qualified home inspector in the area with attention to detail. Inspectors that have dealt in sight unseen real estate sales will take pictures of every area they inspect as well and report back everything in great detail because they are aware of the importance of finding every issue and making sure to communicate it clearly. Again this is a great benefit as you may end up with a more careful inspection than you would typically receive in a traditional sale.
Having the wealth of video and pictures will also allow you to look through the home several more times and really know that you do love the property. This isn’t an option with walking through the home physically because one look is what you get. What a benefit to be able to watch a video over and over again to make sure you didn’t miss anything and be sure you want to buy.
Buying a home in Portland or Vancouver without physically seeing it does seem a bit risky, but with a trustworthy agent and an inspector on top of their game, it doesn’t have to be. If you are looking at houses online don’t wait until you can visit a property you love because it may not be for sale when you get here.