Buying a home
Frequently asked Questions:

1. I am ready to purchase a home, where do I start?

Contact me. It is my job to know our market and our inventory. Though you may have found "the best deal in Santa Fe" online or in an Advertisement you may not be getting the full picture. Let me assist you.
 

**I work with Brokers from all of the various agencies around town, and will show you listings from any agency or any Agent that meets your criteria. 

Determine your price range

Come up with a general idea of your needs. How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need? Do you want a yard? Do you need a garage? 

Use my free search

2. Where is the best part of Santa Fe to live?
This varies depending on your needs and lifestyle. I have created descriptions of the areas that I know best under Buying a Home and in communities.
 

3. Can you help me buy land to build a house?
Absolutely. Having lived in Santa Fe for almost twenty years, I have developed a list of architects and builders I can refer you to as well.
 

4. Once we put a home “under contract” what’s next?

Typically your contract will have several contingencies that need to be satisfied within a certain timeframe prior to closing on you home. Here are the ones that are the most common in our market:

Insurance

Title Binder review

Inspections

Appraisal

Financing

Septic

Inspections.
General:
A general home inspection is an important part of your transaction. Typically, the contract will be contingent upon the buyer obtaining a satisfactory home inspection. If there are findings in the inspection that are a cause for concern, it may be necessary to have a specialist investigate further, and/or perhaps negotiate a remedy with the Seller.
Mold:
Mold inspections are becoming more popular in Santa Fe. A general inspection can be performed, or if there is evidence of a leak and the seller agrees, it is possible to do an invasive test.
Radon:
Radon is common in NM. The EPA standard is 4.0- piCL/L . Certain areas of town are known to have higher readings. However, it has been my experience that radon remediation is relatively inexpensive, and pretty easy to accomplish, if you know a good company.
Septic :
As of November 2005, there are new standards for the transfer of property that is on a septic system. Simply stated, a tank must be pumped within 180 days of the transfer of a property, and the system must be certified by the NM Environmental Department. To be certified, the system must be registered (permitted), and the tank and leach field must be of adequate size to accommodate the number of bedrooms in a house.
Water and wells:
Water quality tests are important to some buyers. These test are simple and results can usually be obtained within a weeks time.
Depending on where you purchase your home, you may be using a well as a water source. In this case, there are  a few components that can be investigated, including water quality. If a property has a shared well, we will need to obtain the well sharing agreement, and it is my recommendation that we make contact with the person in charge

Other: pest, landscaping, environmental:
Some Buyers choose to have other inspections, these may include, but are not limited to: pests and termite inspections; a test of the drip irrigation system; Environmental testing.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. The most important thing to remember is that I am here to guide you through these inspections. Over the years I have put together a great list of reliable contractors and trades-people that will also be in your corner. I will help make the arrangements for the inspections, and will typically be at all of the inspections in person so that I can give you up to the minute briefings.