Thinking Of Buying A Home?

Margaret Clift, through Frank Howard Allen Realtors, provides first class service to home buyers in Sonoma County that is simply unparalleled in the industry. Margaret is knowledgeable of the local market and provides you with a thorough exposure to the maximum number of potential properties in the area. tools for sonoma county home buyers Margaret knows current real estate values throughout Sonoma County and can help you set a realistic goal for your new property. Margaret and her team keep you up to date on all available properties that match your criteria and help expedite showings and negotiations to ensure a successful residential search.

Margaret is a full-time TOP PRODUCER at Frank Howard Allen Realtors in Santa Rosa, California where she has consistently won the top awards for dollar volume, number of closed escrows and client satisfaction. She accomplishes this while working within a sophisticated network of over 500 agents in 21 offices. Frank Howard Allen Realtors has been in business for nearly 100 years, maintains a dominant position in the market as the North Bay's largest independently owned brokerage, and through Margaret offers a broad array of sophisticated, cutting edge services and support.

Margaret's 20 point program for Home Buying Success:

1. Needs/Benefits Assessment We realize that individuals buying a home have their own unique set of circumstances which are of concern and often exclusive of their budget. Margaret takes time at the beginning to truly understand all of your needs in order to ensure each one is prioritized and met during the home buying process.


2. Buyer Representation We will discuss all particulars concerning the buyer-agent relationship. Margaret will explain to you the representation agreement and the unique services and benefits that result from working with her team in finding the special property.


3. Home Buying Information We will present you with a complimentary copy of Buying, Selling & Owning Your Home guide to use in conjunction with Margaret's expertise. This guide can help to further inform you of what to expect by providing specific characterizations within the framework of the local Sonoma County real estate marketplace.


4. Financing Pre-Qualification We will discuss various options for pre-qualifying with a lender to determine your affordability range, making appointments with lenders and arrange for a letter of pre-qualification to increase your negotiating strength.


5. Networking Resources We will present you as a pre-qualified buyer to the Frank Howard Allen Realtors agent base to take advantage of any pre-released homes. Margaret will also rely on her personal network developed over 22 years in the business to bring your buying request to the attention of numerous other potential parties.


6. Showing Properties We will show you any properties that the team determines meet your criteria and any properties that you have selected or discovered through your own efforts.


7. Property Evaluation We will evaluate each property of interest as to its potential and discuss both the positive and negative features of a property that may affect its actual value, selling price, and future resale.


8. Negotiating A Buying Strategy We will prepare a negotiation strategy for any property you have selected to purchase, including a written Competitive Market Analysis and Margaret will offer advice on the initial offering price and any other terms and conditions of sale you wish to include.


9. Offer Presentation We will apply the strategy to your chosen property and Margaret will present your purchase offer directly to the seller in the presence of the listing associate and negotiate on your behalf for the best possible outcome matching your requirements.


10. Funding Requirement Estimates We will provide you with a preliminary estimate of closing costs and down payment requirement that you can expect given the specific transaction you are considering.


11. Review of Seller Disclosures We will thoroughly review with you the seller's written disclosure statement and Margaret will define all options you have concerning the acceptance or specify the remedy for each fault disclosed.


12. Purchase Property Disclosure We will review with you all particulars concerning inspection reports or other items of disclosure that are pertaining to the condition of the property and review all appropriate courses of action.


13. Contingency Options We will explain to you the various contingency options such as appraisal contingency, their relative strengths and weaknesses and how they may or may not influence your buying process.


14. Home Warranties We will explain to you the option of a home warranty plan to reduce your risk of repair when purchasing a property and suggest various reputable companies.


15. Building and Termite Inspections We will counsel you on your choices for obtaining professional building and termite inspections and recommend various reputable companies should you need to take that course of action.


16. Building and Termite Inspection Remedies We will work with you to request the Seller to remedy the items you specify after your review of the building and termite inspection reports and negotiate the best possible outcome.


17. Prior To Close Walk Through We will set up and accompany you through an exhaustive walk-through of your purchased property before closing to ensure the condition, and we will help you in remedying any problems discovered during this process.


18. Closing the Sale We will be in constant contact with all parties, monitoring the progress and inform you of the status of the transaction. This will include the removal of all contingencies and conditions during the entire transaction, deposit increase schedules, and Margaret will review all closing documents and attend signings with her buyers.


19. After-Sale Service We recognize that sometimes the final closing does not end the chapter on buying a home. Margaret will continue to stay in contact and help wherever possible concerning buttoning up any details left undone and keeping sellers aware and in the know.


20. Market Updates We will continue to provide you with market alerts on sales in your area and at mclift.com you will be able to stay current on specific market conditions such as interest rates, home evaluations, and other real estate trends.