Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Too busy to buy that second home in Myrtle Beach? No time to fly down and walk through multiple properties to find the one that's right for your family? No problem. You, too, can enjoy the dream of homeownership when you buy your next property remotely.
When you buy a home remotely, someone else takes care of the specifics. Your main responsibilities are communicating your wants and needs to an on-site real estate agent, paying for the home and being available to sign the finalizing documents digitally. Because of this, buying a home that's located one state or half-a-world away is entirely feasible in today's real estate market.
You'll work with a real estate agent when buying a home through remote means. This is similar to any other home-buying venture. In a remote transaction, however, it's vital to have an agent whom you trust completely and with whom you have excellent communication. Your agent should be local to the area where you're buying your new home, and they should be an expert on the neighborhood. You'll communicate via phone, email or internet with your agent and will likely use an e-sign process, followed up by signed hard copies, when it's time to finalize.
Typically, you'll pay for a home you've purchased remotely by wiring the amount needed to close. Most people can't afford to buy a home using cash, but you'll likely need at least a down payment and other costs up front.
The real estate agent with whom you're working will view the home, be present at inspections in your stead, and do their part to ensure that the home you're buying is viable. They will be able to advise you on comparable prices in the neighborhood to give you an idea of whether the price you're paying is reasonable.
Most people who buy homes remotely do so because they're too busy or live too far away to buy the home in a traditional way. There's little risk involved as long as you use a licensed real estate agent who's experienced in remote-home sales.
It's good to remember that once you own a remote property, there's no backing out. It's vital to make sure you're buying a home that's well suited to you and your family. This is where your choice of real estate agent becomes vital in helping you choose the location of your home, the size, layout and community in which it's located.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
