Frequently Asked Questions

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I am BOTH a Buyer's Agent and a Seller's Agent! I am equally strong on both sides of real estate transactions. My experience is roughly 40% on the Buyer's side and 60% on the Seller's side. I love helping Buyers find their new homes  - I find it very rewarding. I also love helping Sellers prepare their homes to sell for top dollar. When they are in shock of what their home sold for, I feel like I've done my job well! :)

I am not just a REALTOR (which is basically anyone who passed the CA Dept. of Real Estate Salesperson exam), I am a Broker Associate which means I had sufficient experience and took the CA Dept. of Real Estate Broker's exam (which is the highest level of certification through the state).

Obtaining my Broker's License in 2021 (after only 3 years in the business) was a demonstration of my level of commitment to this career. By advancing my knowledge of the business practices, laws and regulations, I am able to better serve my clients. 

Only 12% of California agents have their Broker's License which requires sufficient hands-on transactional experience,  additional educational courses and a passing score of 75% or higher on the 4-hour California DRE exam. With my Broker's license, I have the ability to start my own brokerage or to work as a Broker Associate at an established brokerage. Compass has become my home for many reasons (happy to discuss!) and I plan to work under this brand for a very long time!

I do not have a team of agents - I like to be the single point of contact for my clients. You will never have to guess who you should reach out to with questions! I'm your single point of contact from start to finish! I am ALWAYS available for my clients and I respond quickly to their texts, calls and emails. When you hire me, you'll feel like you're my only client because I make you a top priority.

Some people think that working with a solo agent might not be as good as working with an agent who is part of a team, but at the end of the day - you end up working mostly when one person so it's not much different! 

However, I do have a team of experts I partner with to make your experience top-notch: 

• an amazing Transaction Coordinator who makes sure that all of our documents are properly signed, collected and organized which protects you as a Seller
• marketing specialists to assist with advertising your home!
• a fabulous, well-trusted escrow team who will take care of your mortgage pay off, property taxes and other selling costs, deed recording and net proceeds.
• a 1031 exchange expert for those who are looking to move around their assets.
• a whole network of trusted subcontractors I partner with for all things home-related.
• an on-call attorney for any legal questions or issues.
• a whole network of partner-agents in my office for advice when needed
• AND my office is managed by Dave Walsh, former President of the California Association of Realtors! 

Finding the agent who you trust and feel confident in is what's most important! Read my reviews - my clients LOVE me. Look at my past projects - you will see I can perform and accomplish lofty goals. Look at my sales - you will see I get my clients top dollar for their homes! 

I have helped clients buy and sell throughout the Bay Area! I generally go as far south as Gilroy and as far north as Woodside but the bulk of my transactions are in the San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara areas. 

I can also assist you with finding an amazing agent beyond my areas of service and even out-of-state agents! I have  partners I have referred several clients to in Washington, Idaho, Texas and Arizona.

Nope! The Seller pays for the services of the buyer's agent! It's your lucky day!

If your home is properly prepared for the market and properly priced, it should receive an offer within 14 days. Many of the homes I have listed go pending within 7 days because they are presented nicely and priced to drive interest! However, the 2022 market is ever changing and each home/neighborhood is different. 

Closing time frames vary depending  on the Buyer's offer. All cash offers can close between 7-15 days and financed offers generally close between 21-30 days.

This is a great question to discuss further when we meet!

Although going shopping is super fun, it's NOT the first step to buying a home. It's hard to start shopping when you have no idea what your budget is. The first step is to speak with a lender who can do a brief analysis of your income, savings and debt to give you an idea of what your budget would be. Once you receive a pre-approval letter from your lender, you can begin touring homes. Don't have a lender? NO PROBLEM! I have a couple I can refer to you and you can choose which one will be best for you!

Yes, it would be my pleasure. Please send me a message on my Contact page and I will get back to you promptly with additional information regarding your home's value.

There are several costs associated with selling a home including title and escrow fees, city/county transfer taxes, point of sell ordinances, and possibly HOA costs. There are also prorated property taxes and insurance costs and of course, REALTOR commissions (paid for by the Seller for both the Seller and Buyer's agents). All of these costs can vary, and I'd love to provide you with a personalized breakdown and an estimate net proceeds sheet when we meet!

YES! The evidence is overwhelming and the National Association of REALTORS agrees: staged homes sell faster and for more! According to Realtor.com, On average, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than homes that are NOT staged which is nothing to sneeze at! Staging a home is one of the quickest ways to increase the price of the offers your recieve on your home. Unfortunately, some sellers choose not to have this done because it's inconvenient and expensive, but I am happy to discuss ways that staging can work for you (yes, you can live in your home while it's staged). I believe in staging so much so that I will even pay for it for you!

The old adage “never judge a book by its cover” is an important one. But the truth is, first impressions are hard to recreate – especially when it comes to house hunting which is why your house should look good (if not GREAT!) when you go to list it! 

Little things like paint or landscaping can make a HUGE difference in the curb appeal! If you have more money to work with, investing in your kitchen and bathrooms will make a huge impact. These are personal spaces that are highly utilized everyday and they should feel clean, bright and inviting. 

Great decision! Turn-key homes sell quicker, and for more! When we meet, I will tour your home to provide suggestions on what updates might make a big impact. I can also provide you with a rough idea on costs for those updates and if you'd like to proceed, I can help secure you an interest free loan from Compass and I'll bring in the contractors to execute on our vision! No effort or stress on your end!

Of course not! I understand that every Seller is selling for different reasons and has different circumstances - so not everyone wants to do updates to their home before selling it! NO PROBLEM!

Nope! While having a home vacant makes it easier to clean, stage and show, it is by NO MEANS necessary! I have sold several homes while the Seller is still occupying them. And in fact, several of the homes were even staged while the Seller was still occupying them! I will work with your particular circumstances to meet your needs and make the process as easy as possible.