Ryan Oda

If you are a seller, the goal is to sell. If you are a buyer, the goal is to buy. Being in escrow can be an emotional process. Sellers want top dollar and buyers want a deal. Regardless if you are a buyer or seller, both parties have to finish the transaction at the same time. Every transaction is different — you might have to give or take. However, here are few things that can ruin a deal... Being Unrealistic If you are a seller, you have to price your home accordingly. It’

When you purchase a home, you will have closing costs. Closing costs are fees that are associated with your home purchase. These fees can vary based on the type of property you are purchasing. Some first-time homebuyers forget about closing costs; don’t let them sneak up on you. If you are first time homebuyer, your closing costs are broken down into two main categories: (1) mortgage; (2) escrow and title. Your mortgage closing costs can be: - The balance of your down payment

Buying a home can be an overwhelming process. There’s so much to learn and it can be hard to keep track on what’s important. Here are three things most first-time homebuyers overlook. Principal, interest, and… Your mortgage payment is commonly broken down to principal and interest. However, don’t forget to factor in other monthly costs like, your maintenance fee, property taxes, and your homeowner’s insurance. In addition, don’t forget utilities too. Factoring in these costs

Beware. More and more homebuyers are being scammed by hackers in a wire fraud scheme. According to the FBI, homebuyers are being targeted in an email phishing scam. A hacker will send an email that mimics your escrow officer, real estate agent, or your mortgage lender, and instruct you to wire your money. Once you wire your money to this fraudulent account, there’s very little you can do to get your funds back. What can you do to protect yourself? The simplest way to avoid th

The closing process can be broken down into three parts... Escrow Signing A week or two before closing, your real estate agent will coordinate your escrowing signing. Make sure you bring a valid picture ID to your escrow signing. In addition, you'll have to bring your final deposit check too. You'll be signing a handful of mortgage and escrow-related documents. Make sure you understand the documents you are signing. You are the client. Don't be afraid to ask a question. As yo

If you are currently in escrow, here are four things you need to prep for: 1. Escrow signings usually take place at an escrow office a week or two prior to closing. If you go on a trip during the escrow process, it's important you inform your agent well in advance. If you are traveling domestically, there's a chance you can sign your closing documents at a "sister" office or via a mobile notary. However, if you are in an area that doesn't have an escrow office and a mobile no

If you are buying or selling a home, you could be scammed. One type of cybercrime targets Buyers and Sellers. Unbelievable, right? Scammers hack into your email, your Realtor's email, and or your escrow officer's email. The scammer sees you are going to close on your property. The scammer then creates a fake email, possibly posing as an employee of the escrow company, and asks you to wire your closing funds to a fraudulent account. Once you hit "send", your money could disapp

We recently opened escrow on a single-family home. Our Buyers were thrilled to hear their offer was selected. According to the Listing Agent, the Seller received over 10 offers on the property. Emotions can be high when one opens escrow. In our situation, the excitement began when we were in negotiations with the Seller. The Seller wanted to accept our Buyer’s offer, but the Seller wanted to counter us on a few contingencies. The pressure was because the Seller gave our Buyer