COVID-19 Safety Precautions: Home Buyers & Home Sellers Edition

 Tanya LaRose  0comments  01.05.2020

HOME BUYERS

Home Buyer Strategizing – It is more important that now than ever to be strategic with your real estate goals and going about them any way less is foolish. Take the right first step and begin your home buying journey with a Home Buying Counseling session with Tanya LaRose, REALTOR®. You will find out exactly what you are looking for, how to get it, and what to expect along the way.   

Efficient Showing Selection – It is a very dangerous time to be the looky loo so if you have a tendency to do this, please share it with your REALTOR® and they can help you remain focused. Many more media mediums are being incorporated into listings now so you can view much of the home virtually. When you have selected homes that require a closer look, ensure they have much of the criteria you are looking for and therefore are genuinely attractive before you ask your REALTOR® to schedule the showing.

Perfect Your Finances – The Bank of Canada is taking strides to strengthen the economy by dropping mortgage rate substantially. Take advantage of this by asking your mortgage specialist to lock in a rate so your monthly payments are as low as possible. A mortgage rate can be locked in for up to three months! Many lenders are also extra meticulous with each files completion so make sure you have all of your ducks in a row when preparing with your mortgage broker.    

Protect Yourself During Showings – Gloves, mask, and hand sanitizer are all tools that you can use to protect yourself and others during showings. You will also want to avoid touching anything in the home that you do not need to during the showing. Many homeowners will leave the lights on and interior doors open for you before they leave and close everything back down when they return so you do not have to touch anything.

Buyer Client Waiver – The Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association has taken the initiative to compose a COVID-19 Buyer Client Waiver to do our part in reducing the spread of the virus. It is a short document that will make up part of the precautions being practiced by your local real estate industry as an essential service, in addition to our basic responsibility to humanity.

HOME SELLERS

No Open Houses – The Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association set national precedent by banning all open houses, therefore it is not optional to host any open houses for the public or REALTORS®.

Leased Revenue Properties – Remember that currently the Office of Residential Tenancies (Rentalsman) is not issuing eviction notices so if you accept an offer outlining possession of a vacant home, you are accepting a very risky liability.

Tenants During Showings – If you do have a trusted relationship with your tenants and you proceed with putting your property on the market, specify with your tenant that they will need to vacate the home during all showings. Tenants staying home during showings was always frowned upon but is now unacceptable with the current health concerns as a potential buyer may refuse to enter the home at all with a tenant present.

Preparing Your Home Before Showings – Before you leave your home for a scheduled showing, be sure to leave all the lights on, with all interior doors open, so the contact required by the potential buyer is minimal. If possible, but not mandatory, you will also want to leave the home for a extended time period beyond what was scheduled.

Seller Client Waiver – The Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association has taken the initiative to compose a COVID-19 Seller Client Waiver to do our part in reducing the spread of the virus. It is a short document that will make up part of the precautions being practiced by your local real estate industry as an essential service, in addition to our basic responsibility to humanity.

For more safety precautions and best practices, please contact Tanya LaRose at 306-380-7325 to further discuss details on how you can safely and successfully proceed with your 2020 real estate goals.