Samantha Higgins http://www.robinsweeney.com 3m 711 #covid19
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
The COVID-19 epidemic has made many things challenging, including looking for a new place to live. However, if you must move, there are steps you can take to stay safe. If you’re looking to buy, you can do many things online, such as getting pre-approved for financing and taking virtual tours. For renters, applying with a reputable property management company to help you find a home is a good option.
Pros of Buying During Quarantine
If your income is solid and you can get pre-qualified, now is a great time to look for bargains. Many people trying to sell the home they’re currently living in have pulled their homes from the market and plan to try to sell again when we come out of quarantine. For those who really need to sell the house, buyers are scarce. Carefully review the areas you want to live in, study the virtual tour and be ready to look in a higher sale bracket. You may be able to get a great buy.
Cons of Buying During Quarantine
Fixer-uppers may be hard to find at this time. Due to the crisis, there are many real estate investors with easy access to cash at a great rate that are ready to buy. If you were looking for a home to take apart and remodel to your specification, now may not be the time. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking. Take precautions to stay safe. Glove up, wear a mask, cover your shoes, and touch nothing. Let the listing agent open doors and turn on lights.
Can You Stay In Place?
If you own your own home and need more space, now may be a great time to renovate. If you can refinance your current home and extract the equity to update the space to what you need, you can reduce the hassle of moving and the risk of viewing new homes. Putting your own equity to use to improve the home you’re in right now will also create work for local contractors. Recent contractions in the housing market have slowed home construction, so you have a good chance of finding highly skilled builders to help on your project.
If You Must Move
If you have to relocate for work, there are several steps that you can take to lighten your burden. Carefully study virtual showings and determine the neighborhood you want to live in. Study property tax rates and check out the schools. Contact a real estate agent in our area once you have houses you would like to view in person. For instance, if you are living in Arizona you might search for a real estate agent in Scottsdale AZ. If you find the right house and want to sign a, make any purchase contingent on getting the property inspected by a contractor of your choosing. Get the house checked out by someone who knows construction, even if you have to pay them out of pocket.
Renting
To rent a new house during quarantine, be ready to do your own cleaning. Be aware that, at this point in our understanding, Coronavirus can live for up to five days, depending on the surface. If the house has been empty for that long, most surfaces will probably be safe. However, if you can’t guarantee that, go to the trouble to disinfect all flat surfaces, door handles, and light switches.
Pack Your Own House
The mechanics of moving will be much safer if you can manage to pack up your own house. Buy quality boxes of a uniform size so stacking them in the truck will be simpler. Make sure to put your suitcases and duffel bags to use. Each family member will need
- pajamas
- toiletries
- towels
- clothing for a few days
- sheets, and
- their pillow
These suitcases or duffel bags should only be handled by family members. You can increase the safety of these containers by wrapping them in large trash bags.
Sheltering in place is the best idea at this time, but if you must move due to job circumstances or because your current house simply isn’t working for you anymore, there are ways to move safely. Current conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets also mean you can get a great deal.
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