If you are hunting for new housing, now may be a better time than you think to look for a new home in Northern California.
Fortunately, with resources available online, it’s easier than ever to shop for a new home without leaving your current one. The internet can be a real time-saver, allowing shoppers to bypass unnecessary meetings and calls, and get the info that they need at the click of a button.
Here are some tips on how to make your online hunt for a home safe, painless and efficient.
See what you can afford with a mortgage calculator
Even when starting your search for a home with a budget in mind, factors like property taxes and interest rates can cause the number to change. Thankfully, these factors can all be accounted for by an online mortgage calculator, which is customizable and allows you to calculate and review realistic monthly charges.
Secure your credit score
Whether you’re searching online or in person, knowing your credit score is an essential part of the search for a new home in California. Gauge your physical fitness by finding out if you have a score of 620 or higher, as well as assessing where you stand with your current debt and whether you’ve paid your housing costs on time for the last 12 months. The higher your score, the better interest rate you can secure from lenders. Use a tool like Credit Karma to obtain a free score and monitor your credit health.
Access school district information
Research on new areas is time-consuming enough. But finding information on school districts in prospective neighborhoods will send you down a search engine rabbit hole. Doing your due diligence on schooling is especially important when shopping for a home in Northern California, where highly competitive school lotteries come with the territory of living in more densely populated counties. A tool like GreatSchools.org is a great way to check if you dream home includes access to a quality education for your children.
Set up a virtual house tour
In March, Zillow said the number of its 3D home tours skyrocketed, surging 215% compared to the volume reported before the pandemic But current circumstances aside, a remote house tour is a great way to get acquainted with a potential new home without putting a dent in your schedule, especially if you’re looking to move outside of your immediate area. Also ask to see floor plans to make sure you understand the dimensions of the property you’re looking at.
Research demographic data
Amid stay-at-home orders, it’s likely less possible for you to get a sense of a neighborhood by walking around it. But thanks to online tools, you can do a deep dig on demographic data in the community you’re considering relocating to. Use a resource like city-data.com to research income, population information, age, family distribution, crime stats and other information to help you make your decision.
Consider a remote signing
As the mortgage process has been delayed by the inability to get signatures amid shelter-in-place order, there is a call around the country to permit remote signings. While California does not provide the authority for California Notaries Public to perform remote online notarizations, the state issued guidance declaring that remotely notarized documents would be honored if obtained from states where they are legal. In the statement, the California Secretary of State explained: “California citizens who wish to have their documents notarized remotely can obtain notarial services in another state that currently provides remote online notarization. California Civil Code 1189(b) provides that any certificate of acknowledgment taken in another place shall be sufficient in this state if it is taken in accordance with the law of the place where the acknowledgment is made.”