Buying a Home in Coachella Valley

Experience Cotino® by Disney: Where Every Day Feels Like a Storybook Moment 

Cotino Rancho Mirage Homes for Sale - Live the dream in Disney’s luxurious Cotino® new home community in beautiful Rancho Mirage.  Picture waking up to a view so stunning it feels like a work of art; sunlight cascading over the San Jacinto Mountains, the shimmering turquoise waters of Cotino Bay steps away, and a neighborhood that offers the warmth and vibrancy of a world-class resort.

This is Cotino, the first-ever Storyliving by Disney community, where architecture, landscaping, and community spaces are designed with one purpose: to inspire joy, connection, and everyday magic. Now selling and move-in ready, Cotino invites you to make its one-of-a-kind setting your home.

A Desert Location Like No Other

The Coachella Valley has long been known for its sunshine, breathtaking mountain backdrops, and sophisticated desert living. Cotino enhances that appeal with a design vision created by Disney Imagineers, a blend of lush plantings, mid-century modern flair, and imaginative spaces. At the heart of it all is Cotino Bay, a 24-acre, crystal-clear lagoon that offers residents a serene waterfront retreat amidst the desert.

Homes Crafted for Your Lifestyle

Whether you dream of a chic retreat or a spacious family estate, Cotino offers three distinctive home collections:

• Cottage Collection – Charming, easy-to-maintain homes starting in the upper $1 million.
• Grand Collection – Roomy floor plans starting in the low $2 million, ideal for hosting family and friends.
• Estate Collection – Elegant, expansive homes starting in the upper $4 million for those who seek the finest in luxury living.

Built by Shea Homes, Davidson Communities, and Woodbridge Pacific Group, each home combines thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and timeless style.

Life Beyond the Front Door

For those who choose to join the Artisan Club, daily life comes with access to a remarkable array of private amenities. Members can participate in wellness programs, enjoy live entertainment, attend exclusive social gatherings, and experience the signature Disney magic woven into every activity.

Highlights include:

• Beachfront Clubhouse – Take a yoga class, lounge by the pool, or join a spirited game of pickleball.
• Water Adventures – Paddleboard, kayak, swim, or relax on Cotino Bay’s white-sand beaches.
• The Parr House – A versatile venue inspired by Incredibles 2, perfect for events, celebrations, and overnight member stays.
• Disney Signature Events – Seasonal festivities, curated performances, and unique entertainment offerings.

Dining, Wellness & Creative Spaces

Members can enjoy:

• Architect’s Fork – A table-service restaurant serving elevated California cuisine and craft cocktails in an architect-inspired setting.
• Plot Twist – A casual waterfront bar offering craft burgers, seafood, fresh salads, and tropical drinks.
• Wellness Center & Recreation – State-of-the-art fitness equipment, movement studio classes, pools, spa, tennis, and pickleball courts.
  Creative Studio – A hub for art, workshops, speaker events, and member-led programs.

Cotino® Bay – The Community’s Crown Jewel

Thanks to Crystal Lagoons® technology, Cotino Bay boasts crystal-clear turquoise waters unlike anything else in the region. Residents can enjoy:

• Designated swim areas, including one heated zone
• Complimentary access to kayaks and paddleboards
• Private white-sand beaches with shaded seating
• An outdoor beach bar for refreshing drinks and snacks
• Luxurious cabanas with food and beverage service available for reservation

Whether you’re unwinding in the sun or making the most of an active day on the water, Cotino Bay is the centerpiece of community life.

Coming Soon: Cotino Bay Beach, Dining & Shops

Opening in 2026, the town center will be situated along the edge of Cotino Bay, offering shopping, dining, entertainment, and an open-air market featuring local artists. Guests will be able to access Cotino Bay Beach for a fee, and plans include a hotel, adding even more vibrancy to the community.

Community Parks with the Disney Touch

Throughout Cotino, themed parks will offer unique gathering spaces for all ages. Standouts include:

• Equestrian-Themed Dog Park – Western-inspired charm with plenty of space for pets to run and play.
• Little Desert Park – A desert-inspired play space for children and families.
• Longtable Park – An exclusive 55+ park with bocce courts, shaded lawns, fire pits, barbecues, and a signature long table for communal meals.

Why Buyers Are Choosing Cotino Rancho Mirage Homes for Sale

• Move-In Ready – New homes are available now, with model tours open and the first residents already settled in.
• Contino Bay – From paddleboarding at sunrise to cocktails by the lagoon at sunset, every day feels like a vacation.
• Something for Everyone – Lock-and-leave convenience, family-friendly floor plans, and luxury estates all within one community.
• Disney’s Unmatched Standard – Every detail, from streetscapes to community programming, reflects Disney’s commitment to quality and hospitality.

Elaine Stewart, #1 Individual RE/MAX Agent for 15 years straight in the Coachella Valley!

Your storybook life is waiting. Schedule your private tour with Elaine today and discover how Cotino Rancho Mirage, CA homes for sale combine modern desert living with timeless Disney magic.

Elaine Stewart
RE/MAX All-Pro
Direct: (760) 668-2399
Fax: (760) 779-8192

The Vintage Club Homes for Sale in Indian Wells CA:  Located off Portola Avenue and Vintage Drive West in Indian Wells, CA, the Vintage Country Club is considered to be one of the most prestigious private clubs in the country.

The exclusive 712-acre community consists of 513 residences nestled at the foot of Eisenhower Mountain, with the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains as a backdrop. The Vintage Country Club features two-18 hole championship golf courses designed by famed Golf Course Architect Tom Fazio.

Members enjoy world-class amenities that include 11 state-of-the-art tennis courts, fine dining, a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa, and an award-winning 80,000 sq. ft. clubhouse. The Vintage Club has been honored as the #1 club in California and the 3rd most prestigious private country club in the country by Platinum Clubs of America 2021-2022. Property ownership within The Vintage Club is required for membership. 

View The Vintage Club Homes for Sale in Indian Wells CA

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If you would like to schedule a private showing or would like more information on The Vintage Club Homes for sale in Indian Wells CA, please give Indian Wells REALTOR® - Elaine Stewart a call today at (760) 668-2399. Elaine will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding property details, pricing, community information, and more.

More about The Vintage Club Homes for Sale in Indian Wells CA  

If you would like to set up a private showing or would like more information about any of the above listings for The Vintage Country Club Indian Wells CA homes for sale, please contact Elaine Stewart, REALTOR® at (760) 668-2399. Elaine will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding property details, pricing, community and membership information, and more.

The Vintage Club Real Estate Options

The Vintage Club offers an impressive selection of properties to choose from including The Cottages, The Terraces, Patio Homes, Desert Homes, and Customs Homes. Most homes were built between 1987 - 2007 and condos were built between 1981 - 1987. HOA monthly $655 - $1,375. Homes are priced from $1.6 - $15 million.  Condos are priced from $655,000 - $2.9 million. Residences are situated on fee simple land with different monthly HOA (depending on association).  

• The Cottages feature timeless Hacienda architecture and are conveniently located within walking distance to the clubhouse.
• The Terraces include spacious single-floor condominium homes designed in a desert contemporary style. Situated in two, three-story structures, this resort-style experience offers sweeping fairway views with a panoramic mountain backdrop. Home sizes range from 2,190-4,380 square feet, and the common area includes a luxurious pool, two outdoor kitchens, and cabanas with dressing rooms.
• The award-winning, contemporary Patio Homes at The Vintage Club offer spectacular views of the scenic lakes or fairways and rugged mountain views.
• The luxurious Desert Homes include a variety of floor plans and are designed to maximize the opportunities for outdoor living. Desert Homes feature 4,000 sq. ft. or more of living space on elevated lots nearly a half-acre in size.
• The exquisite Custom Homes at The Vintage Club offers the finest in exclusive desert living, built by some of SoCal’s most esteemed homebuilders.

The Vintage Club Amenities & Lifestyle 

Along with 36-holes of world-class golf, The Vintage Club members enjoy an 18,000 Sq.ft. Fitness & Wellness Center, an exquisitely appointed spa sanctuary, eleven state-of-the-art tennis courts, an elegant 80,000 Square-foot Clubhouse that recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, and world-class dining.

Fine Dining

The beautifully appointed Lakeview Grill restaurant offers indoor or alfresco ding. Featuring lake and mountain views, members enjoy superb culinary creations from the kitchen of Executive Chef Manfred Bräuer, paired with select wines from the Club’s award-winning wine cellar.  

Spa & Wellness Center

The Vintage Club Spa & Wellness Center rivals those of the world’s leading resorts. Wellness is truly a way of life at The Vintage Club where members take full advantage of abundant outdoor recreational activities and premier athletic facilities. The 18,000 square-foot facility features cutting-edge cardiovascular, circuit training, and weight equipment, a myriad of group classes, Pilates, Gyrotonics®, and yoga. Certified personal trainers are also available to help members reach their health and fitness goals.

Tennis

Tennis enthusiasts can play on 11 state-of-the-art courts, nine hard surface courts, and two Har-Tru clay courts, well lit for nighttime play. The Club’s world-class Tennis Center includes match arranging and personalized instruction for all levels of play. Members and their guests can participate in fun weekly choose-ups based on same-level skills, as well as competitive singles, doubles, and mixed doubles and clinics. The Center’s 1,000-seat sunken stadium court hosts a variety of exciting tournaments during the season. The Center’s upscale Pro Shop offers the latest tennis apparel and equipment, signature merchandise, accessories, and gifts.

Golf

Playing golf doesn’t get any better than The Vintage Club,  home to two famed Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole championship golf courses: The Mountain Course and The Desert Course. PGA pros and U.S. presidents have perfected their game on the two Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole championship golf courses. There are no tee times, so Members and guests can be on the courses in minutes. Club professionals coordinate play, organize tournaments, and run a comprehensive golf instruction program that assures peak performance for golfers of all levels.

• The 7,138 yards, par-72 Mountain Course’s superb layout strategically balances playability and challenge with “Fazio” bunkering, bent grass greens, lush fairways, and tees along with stunning views of the Coachella Valley. In 2015, Golf Digest voted The Mountain course as the “Best New Redesign.”
• The Desert course offers a beautiful contrast to the Mountain Course featuring paloverde trees, wildflowers, desert cacti, beautiful water features, and high-angle, wave-type bunkers. The American Society of Golf Course Architects ranked The Desert Course as one of the three greatest courses built in the past twenty years. Golf Membership: $250,000.

 Living in Indian Wells, CA

 The Annual Indian Wells Art Festival

The City of Indian Wells is located in Riverside County, California between Palm Desert and the resort town of La Quinta in the Coachella Valley. Recognized worldwide for its tranquil and luxurious resort environment, Indian Wells offers an outstanding quality of life.  Indian Wells is home to the Indian Wells Golf Resort, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and four world-class resorts including the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, Miramonte Resort & Spa, and Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa.

The community hosts major sporting and cultural events such as the world-renowned BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000/Sony Ericsson WTA Tour held at Indian Wells Tennis Garden; Desert Town Hall Indian Wells, the Coachella Valley’s leading speaker series; and the Indian Wells Arts Festival, featuring over 200 juried artists each year and showcasing contemporary and traditional fine art and high-quality craft. The Festival is consistently ranked as one of the top 30 Best Fine Art Shows in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine and Best of the Best Art Festivals by readers of Palm Springs Life magazine.

With a great central location, Indian Wells is the perfect home base for exploring all that Greater Palm Springs has to offer, whether it’s an evening playing golf under the stars at Shots in the Night or a chill afternoon of retail therapy at the Indian Wells Village, home to 30-plus boutiques, restaurants, and galleries. Indian Wells is only a short drive from hiking trails that traverse the surrounding mountains and major attractions like The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens and El Paseo, a palm tree-lined boulevard brimming with name-brand shops and eateries. The Palm Springs International Airport is only a 25-minute drive (14.4 miles) away.

Partner with Elaine Stewart, #1 Individual RE/MAX Agent for 11 years Straight in the Coachella Valley!

As a full-time real estate agent and luxury home specialist, Elaine Stewart has been serving Indian Wells and the greater Palm Springs area for over 28 years.  Whether you are looking to buy a home in the area or sell your existing property, Elaine provides her clients with the kind of knowledge, skills, commitment, and personalized service they need and deserve. She will protect your interests, advocate for you, and go the extra mile to ensure a smooth and successful transaction.  For more information about The Vintage Club homes for sale in Indian Wells CA, please contact Elaine Stewart directly at (760) 668-2399 or get in touch with her by email.

You may also like to consider these other outstanding communities in Indian Wells: 

• Desert Horizons Country Club
• Indian Wells Country Club
• Montelena
• The Reserve
• Toscana Country Club

Elaine Stewart, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Desert Properties
74925 US Highway 111
Indian Wells, CA 92210
Mobile Direct: (760) 668-2399
Email: Desertrealestate1 @ yahoo.com
BRE # 01169846

The Vintage Club Homes for Sale in Indian Wells CA

I'm a first-time buyer. Can I still buy a home in Coachella Valley during COVID-19? If you are a first-time homebuyer and were in the process of shopping for a house in Coachella Valley before the coronavirus, the pandemic likely put a wrench in your plans. But should it? When you’ve never bought a house before, you don’t know what you don’t know about the process, and buying a house for the first time during a pandemic isn’t an experience you can ask your friends and family about —  these are uncharted waters.

The truth is, many first-time buyers are still buying homes during this crisis, but things are different now than they were before the pandemic. Here is what you need to know as a first-time buyer during the coronavirus.

First: Know the rules are different everywhere

Before you begin shopping for a home, know that the rules about the industries deemed “essential” during the pandemic vary state-to-state and even city-to-city. If you’re buying a home in the same market you already rent in, this fact might not impact you much.

If you’re buying in a new city or state, however, make sure you know the rules in your future hometown. For example, in states like Alaska, travelers are required to go straight to their “designated quarantine location,” and remain there for 14 days upon arrival in the state. That means if you show up from out of state to shop, you won’t be able to tour a home for at least two weeks (if tours are allowed at all).

Note, too, that the rules are constantly changing and evolving, so check back often to ensure you’re up to date on the latest policies. A local real estate agent or the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) are good sources of information about what is and isn’t allowed in your area, real-estate-wise.

You can still shop for a house

“This is normally my busiest time of year,” says Anthony Sacco, a top-recommended agent with seven years of experience in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. “My call volume has decreased. The showing volume has decreased. I’ve had a few buyer contracts fall through.” Despite all that, you can still shop for a home, but some things will be a little different.

“The rules of viewing a property are different than before the coronavirus,” says Sacco. “In our state, we can only show property under certain rules.

“The first rule is you must be preapproved for us to show you the property in person. If someone isn’t preapproved, we can still work with them, but we have to have a virtual showing, where I go to the house and walk the property while FaceTiming with them.”

In Cleveland, Ohio, where Brad Klimek, an award-winning agent who specializes in first-time homebuyers, works, “You are only supposed to show the house to whoever will be on the title,” he says. Despite the rules, “people have still been bringing their friends and kids.

“I’ve promised the seller that one or two people plus the agent will go through the house. If you show up with anyone else, I have to tell them, ‘Sorry, I can’t let you in.’”

Another issue first-time homebuyers may face in the age of the coronavirus is a shortage of inventory. While inventory has been low for the past few years, “so many people took their home off the market, it’s extremely low now,” says Klimek. “Normally this time of year you might have 40 or 50 houses to choose from, and now you only have four or five. A lot of sellers are waiting for the virus to lift because they are scared for people to come into their homes, even though Realtors are taking every precaution.”

Your preapproval might need an update

While the process of getting preapproved for a loan hasn’t changed (most buyers today do an online preapproval application anyway, Sacco says), the preapproval itself has changed since the virus struck.

Some lenders are now imposing overlays (in other words, increasing their standards), which means your price range might have changed because your approved loan amount is lower — or you may no longer qualify for a loan at all.

“Once you go under contract, you have to get the formal loan approval,” explains Klimek. “Some people with preapproval letters are getting denied when they go for the formal loan application because they don’t meet the requirements.

“The banks are constantly changing requirements,” Klimek adds. Because of the recent overlays imposed by some banks, Klimek says that some of his clients who originally qualified for loans found themselves ineligible when minimum credit score requirements were raised.  “That essentially knocked a lot of people out of contract,” he says.

Closing

Sacco says that once the house goes under contract, “closing is different in today’s world.”

You’ll still be able to get an appraisal, but Klimek says he’s seeing a lot more drive-by appraisals, even for FHA loans. These will be allowed through May 17, 2020, under current regulations.

Depending on whether real estate is considered essential or not, you might or might not be able to get an inspection. If you can get an inspection, don’t expect to attend.

Sacco says that in his area, “buyers aren’t going to inspections. Agents aren’t going to inspections — it’s only the home inspector.

“The inspector is taking videos to loop in the buyer, in addition to the reports they provide, so buyers can get a better feel for the property.”

When it comes time to closing, Sacco says that in Delaware, they are moving to electronic notarizations. Not every state offers these, but many that don’t are accelerating acceptance of this technical solution.

Klimek says in Cleveland, in-person closings are still happening, but “only the people on the title are allowed in the office, and they have to wear masks.” Once the paperwork is signed, the paperwork is taken to a dropbox outside of the court because no one is allowed inside. Additionally, “the courts are only open until noon, so trying to transfer the title can take some time,” he says.

Because of the delay, it’s important to get title insurance. Klimek says that some of the big title companies are making sure both buyer and seller get title insurance (which isn’t typically required). This is done so that as soon as they drop off the documents at the courthouse, the title insurance kicks in, and the buyer can take possession of the house before the title officially transfers to them.

Delays

Speaking of delays, “the virus has delayed every single aspect of the homebuying process,” says Klimek. “From being able to get into the house for a showing, to getting the preapproval, to having inspectors enter the house. Every single aspect is delayed from beginning to end.”

Though Sacco says most of his loans are generally closing on time, “one of my USDA transactions was delayed a couple of weeks.” Additionally, he says “some types of loan transactions aren’t funding. I had people doing bank statement loans (mortgages for people who are self-employed) — they closed on their house, and then we found out a couple of days later that those loans have been suspended temporarily.”

Klimek says that some of his clients have experienced delays because they’ve encountered issues with sourcing materials needed to improve the home. “I have an FHA deal closing, and the FHA appraiser did a drive-by appraisal of the property and said they needed a new railing for the porch. That’s no problem in a normal market. But when the sellers went to buy the railing, they were told it was on special order because manufacturers are only focusing on the necessities, so the earliest the rail will arrive is June. What do you do?”

In order to divert some of the problems caused by delays, agents are adding a coronavirus addendum to contracts. These extend the closing date and also offer other protections for buyers and sellers.

Cleaning and moving

The final step in the home buying process is the fun part — cleaning the home and moving into it!

Depending on the regulations in your area, you might or might not be able to hire people to help you clean and move. If you can’t hire people to deep-clean the house before you move in, consider sealing the house up for three or four days after the previous owners move out, just to make sure the virus isn’t alive inside the home (viruses need hosts to survive, and the coronavirus might live on surfaces for up to several days).

If you do hire move-in help, open all the doors for the moving crew in order to minimize the surfaces they touch (including closet doors), turn on all the lights, and provide gloves and masks for them if you can. Open all the windows and doors in the house, too, to keep air circulating through. Once they’re done moving your things in, wipe down all door handles and surfaces with an EPA-registered disinfectant.

Things will certainly be a little different than normal when you set out to buy a home during the coronavirus. Sacco points out that for a first-time buyer, it’s now more important than ever to work with a great real estate agent.

“You can’t just go into a house or a new construction office like you used to and say, ‘Can I look at this?’” says Sacco.

“The need for understanding the home buying process is even higher now. We can help the buyer understand how to get preapproved, who they need to talk to, and subsequently what types of properties will fit their needs.

“First-time buyers usually need extensive guidance anyway, but now it would be much harder to buy without someone to guide you through the process from beginning to end.”

Partner with Award-winning Coachella Valley REALTOR® – Elaine Stewart

Whether you are interested in Coachella Valley homes for sale or you are ready to list your current property, experience matters the most in a changing market. With over 27 years of local experience, Elaine Stewart provides the kind of knowledge, skills, dedication, and personalized service you need and deserve. A member of the RE/MAX Platinum Club and RE/MAX Hall of Fame, Elaine will protect your interests, advocate for you, and go above and beyond to ensure a smooth and successful transaction!

If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling  Coachella Valley real estate, please call multi-award-winning REALTOR® - Elaine Stewart today at (760) 668-2399, or you can get in touch with her here.

Elaine Stewart
RE/MAX Desert Properties
1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr. Suite #610,
Palm Springs, CA 92264
Mobile Direct: (760) 668-2399
Email: Desertrealestate 1@ yahoo.com
BRE # 01169846

(Article Source: Homelight.com)

  Buying a House in Coachella Valley Remotely in The New Normal

Just a few months ago, a storyline about shopping for and buying a house in Coachella Valley without ever actually seeing it would be unbelievable.

The tale of a terrible pandemic that disrupts nearly every aspect of everyday life and forces people to buy homes remotely would seem more like a strange dream or a work of dark, dystopian real-estate fiction.

But here we are! And collectively, we’ve found ways to keep moving forward, as we must, from Old Normal to New Normal.

As we grow accustomed to our new reality (guided by the CDC and WHO), you might be surprised to learn that buying a house online is a process that was well established in the Old Normal.

Buying a house remotely (with zero regrets) is a fairly simple process, so don’t let the fear of the unknown dampen your excitement!

Whether you’re just beginning to browse or you’re close to closing, this remote buying process is easier than you may think. This guide will walk you through the whole routine.

Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right Agent

Finding the right agent is always the first step when you’re house-hunting, but it’s especially critical to find Mr. or Mrs. Right when you’re trusting them to be your eyes and ears for a remote purchase.

We’ve called upon two expert agents to help guide you through the whole process. Jason Moon and Charles Ryan are both superstars in their areas (Northwest Indiana and Detroit, respectively), and they were delighted to offer sage wisdom on both shopping for a home online and what to expect in the purchasing process.

Ryan and Moon agree: buying and selling homes remotely is not uncharted territory. In fact, Ryan’s 18 years of experience include helping remote buyers during the resurgence of the Detroit real estate market in the late 2010s (when out-of-state investors were buying homes left and right, sight unseen). Of our current lock-down situation, he says:

”This is one of the strangest markets ever. But though this market is strange, it’s not totally unfamiliar.”

This kind of confidence and awareness of market trends are two competencies to look for when interviewing agents, and there are many, many more. Ryan and Moon also see eye-to-eye on two key aspects for identifying the right agent to help you buy a house remotely, and both have to do with familiarity.

1. Find an agent who knows the area

When you choose an agent, make sure they are deeply familiar with the city and community. You want someone who knows more than just the average price per square foot and the name of the mayor. Find someone who knows what it’s like to live there — someone who knows what it’s like to call that place home.

2. Find an agent who has experience with remote purchases

It (almost) goes without saying that it’s best to work with someone who knows this process forward and backward. The best way to assure a smooth ride is to find someone who knows the road.

Beyond familiarity with the process, Moon says a good agent has the heart of a teacher. Many buyers are not comfortable with the technology upon which remote buying of homes relies, but as long as the buyer is receptive to learning, he’s delighted to teach.

“If someone doesn’t understand or know something, I am willing to help them.”

The icing on the cake working with an agent is that they will give you access to the MLS, which is, hands down, the most trustworthy source on the housing market data available online. This will be tremendously helpful when you get serious about the next step: house-hunting online.

Start your search online

Shopping for a house online is definitely part of the Old Normal that we’re all used to, but if you’re a serious shopper (unlike those of us who occasionally like to pretend we have zero practical concerns and unlimited millions to spend on our dream house), you’ll focus your attention and proceed methodically.

We suggest making a house-hunting checklist and learning as much as you can about how to shop for a house online.

Keep in mind that looks can be deceiving, so don’t get too caught up with a home that looks perfect in the listing photos. While the layout and location may be exactly what you want, it’s fit and finish that really make one property outshine another, and those qualities can only be truly appreciated in person. So before you e-sign on the dotted line, arrange a virtual tour with your trusted agent.

In a virtual tour, your agent will walk through the house (vacated by sellers) with you on a video chat. You can ask your agent to open doors and turn on lights, look inside closets, and get close-ups of any details in the house that you care to see. It’s not quite the same as being there in person, so ask your agent to also deliver feedback on the sounds, odors, and temperature in the home. This experience offers an impression that is far better than the listing description or photos or virtual tours provided by the seller’s agent.

Make the offer

Up to this point in your remote homebuying journey, your agent has been your best buddy. A patient, endlessly helpful, and knowledgeable confidant who can reassure you in times of doubt and virtual high-five you in times of joy.

But now, it’s time for your agent to be your business partner. It’s time to get all your paperwork in order and hand over the reins to your real estate expert.

These negotiations happen between your agent and the seller’s agent and don’t require anything that can’t be done by phone or email, so the coronavirus can’t put the breaks on this part of the deal.

Remember superstar agent Charles Ryan? Among the countless reasons to find a good agent, Ryan, your shrewd business partner, points out that having an agent who knows the seller’s motivation (information you’ll never find online) can make or break a deal.

So sit back, pretend to relax, and let your agent work their magic.

Inspection

This may be the one and only insurmountable obstacle in your remote house-buying plan. The impact of the coronavirus is a constantly shifting landscape, and the rules are being written in pace with constant change and adaptation.

But there is simply no way to do a remote inspection, so if you are buying a house in a state where real estate is considered a nonessential service, there’s just no way around it. You’re going to have to wait.

On the bright side, those rules apply to everyone equally so you don’t have to worry about your dream home being bought by someone else.

Appraisal

It might be hard to believe, but an appraisal can be done without anyone stepping foot in the home. There are many things that go into determining a home’s worth, but the constellation of external factors that determine a home’s current value can be combined with information collected by “drive-by” and “desktop” appraisals to calculate an accurate figure. This may seem like it’s part of the New Normal, but it’s actually pretty well-established.

Title review

A title review is essentially an examination of property boundaries and ownership history. It’s a fine-toothed legal comb, looking for any missed crosses on T’s or I’s without dots. It’s almost always done online, so the current pandemic restrictions do not have a big effect on this part of the process. Hooray!

Final walkthrough

Here’s yet another example of why finding the right agent is super-critical. Your agent will conduct the final walkthrough for you, also over video conference, so you can make sure that any repairs requested after the inspection were made to your satisfaction, and be certain the home is in the condition you want it in.

If you’re feeling shaky about buying a house remotely and want a little more assurance, talk to your agent about how to add a final walkthrough contingency to your contract. With a contingency in place, you can escape at the 11th hour if something has gone terribly wrong.

Closing

The details of this last step will vary state-to-state. Since the E-Sign Act of 2000, e-signatures have been recognized as legally binding, but closing on a home requires more than just an authorized signature, it requires a notarized signature.

Here’s where it gets tricky: some states allow remote online notarization (RON), and some do not.

If your state does not allow RONs, don’t fret. Closing is a fairly simple, in-and-out sort of process that can be completed with high regard to hygiene and social distancing. You may be able to go to a branch office of the title company if one is available (depending on your state’s restrictions). If someone in your household is immunocompromised, you might even be able to set up a sort of “drive-through” experience where you don’t have to leave your car, or the documents could be handed through the window of your home.

For states that do allow RONs, be sure you’re in close communication with your agent and the title company — make sure you know when the documents need to be received, and how they will be sent.

Instructions on how and where to wire your down payment should be made clear to you by your superstar agent, but if something doesn’t make sense to you, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. This may be your first remote home purchase, but it’s certainly not theirs.

Next chapter, new house

We’re all looking forward to a brighter future, and for many of us, that future looks a lot like the not-so-distant past. Hopefully, this guide has boosted your confidence and shown you that there is a clear, easy, and well-worn path to buying a house remotely.

Article Source: Homelight.com

Partner with Top-rated Coachella Valley REALTOR® – Elaine Stewart

Whether you are looking for homes for sale in the Coachella Valley or you are ready to list your current property, experience matters the most in a changing market. With over 27 years of local experience, Elaine Stewart provides the kind of knowledge, skills, dedication, and personalized service you need and deserve. A member of the RE/MAX Platinum Club and RE/MAX Hall of Fame, Elaine will protect your interests, advocate for you, and go above and beyond to ensure a smooth and successful transaction!

If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling Coachella Valley real estate, please call Elaine Stewart today at (760) 668-2399 or you can get in touch here.

Elaine Stewart
RE/MAX Desert Properties
1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr. Suite #610,
Palm Springs, CA 92264
Mobile Direct: (760) 668-2399
Email: Desertrealestate 1@ yahoo.com
BRE # 01169846