REAL ESTATE HELP
DURING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK.
CACHE VALLEY REALTORS® ARE HERE TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE
WORLD OF REAL ESTATE DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES
Real Estate is different right now. In this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, we want to do all we can to help you stay on top of your real estate goals, while ensuring your health & safety as a top priority.
Should Sellers Still Hold Open Houses?
First, sellers should consult with their REALTOR® and consider how federal, state and local authorities’ recommendations and actions, such as “shelter in place” mandates, impact the advisability, and even permissibility of open houses. Your REALTOR® should be familiar with the details of any mandate, and, if appropriate, consider the health of safety of their clients, potential buyers and themselves.
Currently, open house are not advisable unless absolutely necessary. Private showings work best in order to enforce social distancing rules, as well as maintain the cleanliness of the home.
Other suggestions for showings?
- Anyone entering the home should remove their shoes outside.
- Gloves and masks are advisable where available.
- Use hand sanitizer for entering the home & again when leaving.
Americans Are Still Moving
By any standards, the moving industry, like so many others right now, is down in numbers, even if it is considered an essential business. More than 71% of the independent moving companies reported a decrease in business since the pandemic spread across the U.S., according to a survey of 300 firms conducted by Hire A Helper.
And yet, despite widespread fears about catching the highly contagious coronavirus, and stay-at-home orders in many states, including Washington, some Americans are still moving. Some had committed to a move before the public health crisis escalated. Others are somewhat undaunted by it. But the process of moving in the age of the coronavirus has changed dramatically.
Moving companies have updated their policies to adhere to guidelines from the CDC to address their customers’ growing concerns.
Keeping Your Home Germ Free While Listed
Probably one of the most disturbing details to recently emerge about COVID-19 is just how long the virus can live on surfaces. Another scary thought? The fact that an estimated 42% of us aren’t even cleaning those surfaces properly.
This is all particularly unsettling considering that highly trafficked places like grocery stores and gas stations are teeming with germs, and now you run the danger of bringing it all home with you—on your clothing, your bags, your phone, and more.
Experts recommend to “ditch germs at the door” since germs are getting into your house the same way you are.
- Start a clean-hands routine in the entryway with sanitizer.
- Remove dirty clothes if you recently been in public.
- Focus on cleaning high-touch surfaces like railings, door handles, & faucets.
Builders Are Scrambling to Fill a Housing Shortage… But Then COVID Hit
Before most Americans had even heard of the new coronavirus or COVID-19, the nation was suffering from a severe housing shortage. Builders couldn’t put homes up fast enough to satisfy the hordes of eager buyers and renters. But what happens now that the global pandemic and ensuing financial crisis are setting stage for an economic recovery?
In most states, construction workers have been deemed “essential” and are becoming an increasingly rare and precious commodity in today’s housing market. killed workers such as home framers, electricians, plumbers, masons, carpenters, and HVAC installers are especially in demand, builders say. Despite the pandemic,
Refinancing Mistakes Homeowners Risk Making Right Now
Between low mortgage interest rates and the coronavirus pandemic sending our economy in a tailspin, many people have recently rushed to refinance their mortgages. But as we all know, haste makes waste—and many of those eager homeowners made mistakes that could cost them tons of money in the long run.
So if you’re tempted to jump on the refinance bandwagon, do so with caution. Two big mistakes homeowners make are 1. assuming that a federal rate of 0% means you can get a 0% mortgage rate and 2. forgetting about refinancing fees. It’s best to speak with your lender or real estate professional before committing, to make sure the time is right for you.
Heartwarming Ways Neighbors Can Help Eachother
The coronavirus has already caused so much destruction nationwide—not only among the many who have fallen ill, but also among those who are suffering from businesses closing and those who are struggling financially. While the news cycle has been filled with reports of fearful people panicking and hoarding necessities, countless stories have emerged of mutual love and care—especially between neighbors.
Write letters to the elderly in nursing homes. Nursing homes across the nation are putting heavy restrictions on visits from family and friends. This may be saving residents from being infected, but it’s leaving many seniors feeling isolated.
Create some inspiring window art. While kids can no longer go to school, they can still do school assignments, and one project in particular has taken off. In England, the trend of displaying window art is a way to visually bring hope at time when hope is fading.
Hold a different kind of block party. Residents in Eugene, OR, are making special accommodations to visit with their neighbors. One night, the neighbors arranged to have a dinner party, all from their individual front yards. Some ordered pizza to enjoy on their front steps, and others went all out, marking the occasion by setting up a dining table complete with a tablecloth.
Celebrate special occasions from afar. People may be keeping their social distance, but that doesn’t mean we have to skip celebrating together. One inspiring Spanish video taken in Madrid shows neighbors singing happy birthday to a woman named Charo on her 80th birthday. The neighbors had placed a cake at her door and told her to look outside for a surprise. When Charo found the cake, she began to cry as her neighbors started to sing her “Happy Birthday.” Talk about a sweet surprise!
Keep up with your home search, from the safety of your home.
Right now, staying home is the right thing to do. But, that doesn’t mean you have to pause on your search. Use realtor.com on the web, or download our app to search and browse from the comfort of your couch.
Take an immersive virtual tour.
When you can’t walk the halls of a home, a digital virtual tour is the next best way to determine if this is “the one.” You’ll be able to get a sense of the space, view essential details, and begin to envision how you can make it “home.”
Connect with an REALTOR® by phone, text or email.
Have questions, or need some advice from an expert? As you continue browsing and searching on our apps and site, we have multiple ways that you can connect with a local agent in your area. Additionally, once you’re connected with an agent, we encourage the use of video chat tools like Zoom, Hangouts, WhatsApp, FaceTime and others to have “face-to-face” meetings in a virtual way.
THE "REAL"TOR VALUE
For every known and obvious step in a real estate transaction, there is a handful of policies and procedures that are unknown to buyers and sellers alike. This is where the value of a Realtor® is evident. Hiring a full-service Realtor® is hiring a consultant, a marketer, a negotiating powerhouse. Discover the “real” value.
Hire a Realtor®.