I mentioned in the A 10-Step Guide to Buying a House in the San Francisco Bay Area that by thinking about the key questions in advance, you and the agent will be on the same frequency, and the quality of the preliminary discussion will be good. What questions should you anticipate?

Question #1: WHAT’s YOUr IMAGINATION?

A respected mentor once taught me, as a broker, the most important thing to finding a solution is imagination. This also applies to customers – since you have to pay for a house, what do you imagine it can be?

describe the best-case scenario for the home you will love.

"I hope that children can run in the courtyard! On weekends, friends can have a place to barbecue and party."

"I hope to be close to my company, I am a workaholic!"

"I hope there is a Vaulted Ceiling."

Yes. This is what you imagine it can be like. It takes time to understand the complexities of the Bay Area real estate market. After meeting with your real estate agent, your image of what is possible will likely change - but it’s okay. Start with what is ideal in your mind and slowly layer in the realities of the current market.

Question #2: WHY?

Often the imagination of our new home is somewhat related to our motivation to buy a home. Simply put, what are the reasons you want to buy a house? (Why are you moving?)

"Children are going to school, but the original school district is not good enough!"

"I want to have a home that can live in for a long time."

"I don't want to bargain with the landlord for rent!"

Ask, what is the deepest reason? Can you solve it with a house? This is another question we should discuss when we meet.

Question #3: How is IMAGINATION consistent with REALITY?

There is a saying in the Bay Area real estate circle, “Buying a home is not a choice of selection, it's a process of elimination.” In the real estate market, there are always three restrictions: Location, Condition, and Price.

"Hey, I want to buy a house in Palo Alto!" (Location)

"So, what is your budget?" (Price)

"One million!" (Price)

"Okay, then we want two bedrooms and one bathroom or one bedroom and one bathroom Condo!" (Condition)

"No, no, I want a three-bedroom, two-bedroom bungalow SFH!!" (Condition)

"Well, then there you need some adjustments in the location. There may be some opportunities with San Jose" (Location)

"No! I must live in Palo Alto!" (Location)

This is a typical situation where imagination is inconsistent with reality, changing any of these restrictions: location, condition, or price, will make it possible to imagine again. These three restrictions make up the blueprint for decision making in the home purchase and can be used to make a clear decision.

(image from pixabay)

Prefer TEXT/CALL? (650) 739-9796

WHAT’S THIS BLOG FOR?

Before I started my career as a real estate agent, I found it quite difficult to find informative articles or websites that provided accurate information catered towards buying and selling houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yes, there are some out there on REDFIN or Zillow, but those are not catered specifically towards the San Francisco Bay Area. Sometimes, even tips and facts regarded as common knowledge aren’t applicable and outdated from a Bay Area perspective. My original intention of starting this blog, was to help shed some light on the seemingly inscrutable real estate market. As a real estate agent who has been practicing for Many years, I wanted to provide accurate and relevant information to those who might be interested in buying or selling a home.

If you’re curious and want to learn more about buying and selling in the San Francisco Bay Area, then this website might be a good starting point to gain some insight!

WHO AM I?

My name is Chiuho Lin. I first found my calling for real estate in 2015, while I was looking for a new home in the San Francisco Bay Area. I found myself inexplicably drawn to this profession and after meeting hundreds of real estate professionals, I made the decision to become a real estate agent myself. To me, being a real estate agent is rewarding not only because I love meeting new people, but also because I have the privilege of helping them find their new home. A home is an essential aspect of people’s lives where families make happy memories together. I am so glad that as a real estate agent, I can help make their vision a reality.

WHAT IS MY PROMISE?

If you are interested in buying a house, as an agent I can promise you that I will be present in all stages of the buying process. This includes everything from consultations to address all your concerns, investigating real estate to find a home that suits all your needs, visiting the houses, providing insights on the neighborhood, assessing the current conditions of the homes that may require additional attention, read various reports filled with technical jargon, to helping you understand contracts. I ensure quality care and commitment in the entire process from start to finish.

If you are interested in selling, then the process would start from an initial consultation, to price assessments, market analysis, repair advice, time-to-market recommendations, staging assessment, style selection, housing listings, posters, social media promotion, marketing media selection, follow-up on house delivery. Once again, I will be active and present in the entire process to make sure everything goes smoothly.

 As a professional, I take pride in my work ethic and ensure the utmost care and consideration while working with all my clients. I’d like to consider myself a trusted adviser to ensure a phenomenal experience throughout your buying/selling process. With that being said, if you ever need a professional consultation or assistance with anything - for example, gardening/landscaping, property manager property lawyer, paint master, decorator, roof repair master, loan broker, registration accountant - please feel free to reach out! I am genuinely passionate about what I do and hope that I can help share my knowledge with you all.

Chiuho Lin DRE#02007082
Keller Williams Thrive DRE#02177478