Rancho Santa Fe Homes / A Guide for Buyers and Sellers

Rancho Santa Fe FAIR MARKET VALUE

When you buy Rancho Santa Fe real estate or refinance your present home, your lender will ask you to pay for an appraisal to help ensure that the sales price and mortgage amount is consistent with the property's market value. The appraiser uses the Rule of Three. What that means is the lender wants to evaluate three "comparables"—recent sales of nearby homes that are very similar to the one you are buying. Based on this information, the lender will make adjustments to reflect the differences between the properties and arrive at a fair price for your home.

Rancho Santa Fe Disclosure Rule

Tell All is definitely the rule for anyone who is selling Rancho Santa Fe real estate in today’s market. Let the Buyer Beware can easily come back and bite you in a delicate spot—your pocketbook.

Today, those selling a home or any Rancho Santa Fe are expected to disclose all known material defects that are not readily apparent to the buyer. A Material Defect is usually a physical condition that would affect a buyer’s decision to purchase the home or what price to pay for the home. A leaky roof is definitely a Material Defect. If a Rancho Santa Fe seller tries to disguise the leak by painting the interior ceiling and walls without fixing the leak, the truth will come out the next time it rains. Chances are the first call the buyer makes will be to his attorney.

Rancho Santa Fe Homebuyers Quandry

Armed with the Comparative Marketing Analysis, it is time to approach your lender to see if you can get financing without selling your current Rancho Santa Fe. In most cases, financing will be contingent upon selling your home but you may be able to obtain interim financing sometimes known as a Bridge Loan.

Green Remodeling Your Rancho Santa Fe

If you are planning to remodel your Rancho Santa Fe, keep home resale in mind and consider going green. Green remodeling is becoming more popular as homeowners consider health issues, skyrocketing energy costs and Earth’s natural resources. And, when it comes time to sell your home, your energy efficient and Earth saving remodeling may help you sell your Rancho Santa Fe quickly and for top dollar.

Taking Title to Your Rancho Santa Fe

There are so many details to consider when purchasing your Rancho Santa Fe and mounds of legal paperwork to read that sometimes it seems overwhelming. Some important decision can be made ahead of time so you know what is in your best interests when the time comes. For example, right at the end when the paperwork is being signed you may be asked how you want to take title. This is an important decision that should not be rushed but often is. Knowing some of the common forms of Rancho Santa Fe ownership ahead of time is one way to protect yourself.

A single Rancho Santa Fe buyer will usually want to take title in his/her name alone. Husbands and wives usually own property through a form of joint ownership such as joint tenancy. Unrelated individuals can take title in a limited partnership arrangement.

The Benefits of Selling Rancho Santa Fe

As you know, you are allowed to sell your Rancho Santa Fe principal residence once every two years and exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) of the gain of the sale on your Federal income tax. Please note: This is not a once in a lifetime tax savings and you don’t have to be any certain age or buy a more expensive property. If you meet the two-year residence test you can sell your principal residence every two years if you are so inclined and the market cooperates. But this tax saving does not affect rental property unless you convert the rental to your personal residence, live in it for two years and then sell it.