Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Copy Link
Selling Your Condo? Here’s Why the Condo Resale Certificate is Important
What is a Resale Certificate?
The condominium resale certificate is a critical part of every condo sale. Condos and homeowner associations are governed by documents that outline the duties and responsibilities of the homeowner and the community. When a buyer purchases a condo they are entitled to review those documents. The “resale certificate” is a 5-6 page summary supported by many other documents that contain information and disclosures that include the HOA’s governing documents (Declarations, ByLaws and Articles of Incorporation), budget and financial reports, assessments, reserves, reserve study, rules and regulations, pet and rental restrictions, meeting minutes, etc.
Why is a Resale Certificate Needed?
In Washington State the seller is required by law to deliver a current resale certificate to a buyer for review and approval. If not approved, the buyer may terminate the sale. The buyer’s lender will also review sections of the resale certificate as part of the buyer’s loan approval.
Who Prepares the Resale Certificate?
The documents are prepared by the HOA’s association manager (or a board member if the community is self-managed). The resale certificate is ordered by and paid for by the seller. Anticipate a fee of $275+.
In Washington State the seller is required to deliver the HOA resale certificate to the buyer per the terms of the Purchase and Sale contract (within 10 days unless otherwise specified). The buyer, once the package has been received, has five days to review the information and either approve or disapprove the resale certificate. If the buyer does not terminate within 5 days the resale certificate contingency is automatically waived.
I frequently review resale certificates and understand the importance these documents have for sellers, buyers and the successful sale of a condominium residence. If you have questions or need additional information, feel free to contact me.
How’s the Real Estate Market?
This is a question I hear a lot. Real estate was dormant this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since mid-May the housing market has made a robust and positive rebound.
The number of buyers currently in the market far exceeds the available inventory of homes for sale. Why are so many buyers searching for homes? Record low interest rates give buyers more purchasing power. They’re taking advantage of those low interest rates to purchase a first home, move up to a larger home or, since we’ll be working from home/learning from home for many months to come, find a home that is a better fit for changing live/work/learn lifestyles. We are fortunate to live in an area with a strong economy. Local and national companies continue to grow and recruit employees, but that growth is bringing more home buyers to the area who want to purchase a home.
Lifestyle needs change . . . job and workspace needs change . . . housing needs change. Right now housing inventory is the biggest challenge for buyers looking to purchase a home. It’s a competitive market. The shortage of homes is definitely tipping the scale in favor of sellers, and that trend is expected to continue through the end of the year.
If there’s a change or a move in your future . . . how can I help?
Summertime – Must Be Time to Go “Phishing”
photo courtesy flickr/gotcredit.com
Over the past week I’ve suddenly received several phone and email “phishing” solicitations. I’d like to blame it on a full moon, but that was nearly three weeks ago.
I’ve been contacted twice and advised my Amazon account had been locked due to suspicious activity. Two different people have called to tell me a credit card was being used in another state, that the police had been contacted, and they would need additional personal information to verify they were really talking to the cardholder so that they could assist me. I reached out to both credit card companies – no suspicious activity or security breach reported on my accounts. I also had a call trying to sell me new windows for my home. Told that caller my home has no windows. (You have to have some fun with these calls.) The best calls have been the three from people representing “investors” who are ready to purchase my house immediately – for cash. I had to play along with these calls too. Turns out the caller didn’t know anything about my home including where it was located, when it was built, the number of bedrooms, baths or square footage. After no doubt frustrating the caller for a few minutes, I let them know I was a Realtor® and that when it came to sell my home I had that covered.
Maybe with everything going on in the world scammers think this is an easy time to take advantage of people who might be feeling stressed or vulnerable. In my business escrow and title companies, banks and lenders continually deal with wire fraud. Bad people have figured out how to hack into emails, secure bank and corporate websites and anywhere else they think there might be a quick and dirty way to make money and defraud innocent people.
Be very careful. Be suspicious of phone calls and emails you don’t recognize or can’t verify. Caution and educate your children, parents and friends. If you question something, whether it’s from a friend, relative, business associate, bank real estate broker, escrow or title, and especially if you’re involved in a real estate transaction . . . verify the sender. It only takes a few minutes to protect yourself. It also only takes a few minutes for a wire transfer sent to a criminal recipient to empty a bank account, and those funds can be impossible to retrieve.
We have enough to worry about these days. Be safe. Verify. Verify. Verify. And while you’re at it, wear a mask. Take care of yourself, your family and friends.
Available Homes for Sale Significantly Below Last Year
The number of homes available for sale declined in April and May for obvious reasons – there were health and economic concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since late May local home sales have been ahead of the same period last year. Buyer demand remains high but what is different about this year compared to last year is there are fewer homes for sale. The graph below, provided by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service for the Seattle Times, shows that new pending sales are well above the same period last year but new listings of homes for sale are 20% below the same period last year.
With barely a one month supply of inventory in many areas, homes are selling quickly. Multiple offers are more common, and many homes are selling above the list price. Buyers are finding more competition for the weekly supply of newly listed houses and condominiums coming on the market.
What’s driving this demand? Interest rates are at record lows making mortgages more affordable. Potential buyers can afford a larger home. And, after three months of quarantine, owners and renters whose homes offered adequate space when working off-site are seeking larger homes with more indoor space, a dedicated home office area and more outdoor live/play space. Buyers are ready to buy, but sellers don’t appear to be as motivated right now.
What Does King County’s Phase 1.5 Mean for Real Estate?
flickr/Rain Rabbit
King County has progressed to Phase 1.5 of the Governor’s “Safe Start Proclamation”. How does that impact buyers and sellers as they search for homes or list their homes for sale?
- Real estate firms may open their offices again. In compliance with State guidelines, staff, brokers and guests will be required to wear face masks when in the office. Common areas and conference space will have restricted access. The number of staff and brokers permitted to be in the office will need to follow State guidelines.
- The most significant change is that now three people (vs. two) are permitted at a property for real estate activities. This permits a husband and wife or partners to view the property together along with their broker. A buyer may now attend an inspection along with the broker and inspector.
- Sign installation companies are again permitted to install/remove real estate signs.
As we begin to move about more freely, an abundance of caution will continue in an effort to keep everyone healthy. Showing homes will continue to be by appointment only with sufficient time between appointments. Buyers and brokers will be required to wear face masks while inside a home and observe all health protocols required by the State along with any additional guidelines requested by the homeowner. Public open houses are still prohibited. Brokers, in an effort to maintain social distancing guidelines, will not transport clients in their car but continue to meet them at properties.
These guidelines are in place to continue to keep everyone safe and healthy as we begin to resume our normal lives. Brokers have become more comfortable working within these guidelines and assuring buyers and sellers that they can safely search for or sell their homes. This is the new normal and we aren’t likely to see the “old normal” for a while.
Real Estate – What to Expect as We Return to “Normal”
flickr/Mark Moz
It’s not surprising to know home sales declined in mid-March as we sheltered at home. Moving into mid-April both buyer activity and pending sales began increasing, all while home prices remained strong. Nationally median home prices rose in every region of the US in April.
Locally buyer activity and home values also gained momentum. Short market times and multiple offers were more common by late April, especially in affordable price ranges. Even the high end market, hit harder by the health crisis and volatile stock market, began to recover with more expensive homes coming back into the market.
What can we expect for the local condo market this summer? Over the last 30 days 131 condos in the Eastside marketplace have sold. The average time on market was just 15 days with an average sales price of $620,420. The average sale price vs. list price was 100.08% with 78 of those 131 homes selling at or over the list price. Condos currently under contract with sales pending have been on the market an average of just 14 days. As reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors®, buyer mortgage loan applications are up for the fourth consecutive week – a strong indication buyers are back in the market and ready to take advantage of record low interest rates.
Recovery of the local economy will have an impact on the real estate market as we move toward summer. Based on buyer activity and mortgage applications, as we find our “new normal” it’s clear buyers are ready to step into home ownership. Available housing inventory is still lagging behind compared to the same time last year. It remains to be seen if there will be enough housing inventory to meet buyer demand this summer. Low inventory will certainly keep pressure on prices resulting in fewer discounts in the marketplace.
Uncharted Waters
The early spring real estate market was crazy with buyer demand outpacing available housing inventory. With growing concern and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, a few homes are being listed for sale (though far fewer than normal for this time of year) and homes sold last week.
There will always be people who have to move, have to sell or have to buy. Those people that accepted new jobs in February likely already sold the home where they lived and had started their new home search. With so few homes on the market, and seller’s hesitant to list their homes for sale in this environment, inventory will remain low. We may see buyers opt for a temporary rental and resume their plans to buy this summer when there’s more to choose from.
I’ve received many questions from clients, but with things changing on a daily, if not hourly basis, advice I may have given last week isn’t the same this week. Buying or selling a home is a major decision. Should you buy or sell now, or should you wait? It’s a very personal decision and I honestly can’t answer that question for anyone else right now.
Probably the best thing to do is take a deep breath and wait until we know more about how long we’ll need to observe appropriate social distancing, or shelter in place, or when things will get back to “normal”. Life is anything but normal right now and I don’t know anyone who isn’t stressed about their health, job, children, parents, friends, finances, etc. Stay healthy, stay happy, and stay connected. Schedule virtual coffee or happy hour with friends (Facetime is great). Call and check on family and friends. (A personal call and the sound of someone’s voice means so much more than a text or email.) Walk the dog. Read a book. Catch up on movies you missed. Play games. Complete a puzzle. Make cookies and let a neighbor know you’ll leave some on their porch. Life will return to normal, I wish I could say when, but that’s when we’ll have more information and confidence and be better equipped to make life’s important decisions.
