Buying a home and moving across town can be a hassle at the very least.  But purchasing a home out of your area, hundreds or even thousands of miles away, will require commitment, organization, and clear communication with a dedicated team.    

Living and working in the Ventura County Coastal area, we are aware of the many people who would love to relocate here.  But almost as often, there are deterrents.  It could be work. For some, that has changed with the adjustments many employers have made due to COVID.  It could be price.  That is a circumstance unique to each buyer. Maybe you couldn’t move until the kids were out of school or needed to be close to an elderly parent.  Sometimes life’s responsibilities have to be the priority.

But now it could be that those circumstances in your personal life have changed.  Maybe your kids are now building their own lives, so walkability is more important than schools. Or perhaps they moved away and you would like to downsize. Maybe it’s finally that time to buy that second home. That family getaway that you always wanted but are only now positioned to consider seriously.  Around here, we find that way more often than not, people finally have an opportunity to choose where they want to live rather than have it dictated to them.

Everyone is a little different, and obstacles can present themselves in a variety of ways.  But one concern doesn’t have to be a concern about geographic distance as you search for your home or get an offer accepted and then go through the escrow process.  Physical distance should only be an inconvenience, not a deterrent. 

If you are in the market for a home and get to choose your location based on want rather than need, you are fortunate.  And though there will always be back & fourth travel involved in the home buying process, technology and a trusted team can ease much of that burden. 

In the past year, we have helped several out-of-area buyers purchase homes here and are even in escrow now with a seller who will be leaving the country while his home is in escrow.  For example, we connected with one buyer from Northern California through a virtual open house as a direct result of COVID restrictions.  He didn’t buy that home but eventually found exactly what he was looking for through patience and technology.  He flew down during the search process, chose his desired areas, and was specific about his wants and budget.  After he returned home, we all engaged in the online search. When he identified a property of interest, we would do an initial drive-by to confirm the area and the house’s exterior condition.  If he was still interested, we could arrange a video walk-through for him before committing to the trip down to see the home for himself.  All of this saved him the time and expense of unnecessary back and forth travel. 

Most document signing can be done electronically these days, so once in escrow, maybe the one critical time the buyer should be present is during the home inspection.  Even though you would get a thorough report from the inspector, this is an excellent time to get to know the home.  But it is your realtor’s job to project manage an escrow anyway, and there is very little that you couldn’t handle from a distance.  Not only can we recommend local inspectors, contractors, handypersons, and cleaners, it is our responsibility to meet them at the property anyway, whether you are out of the area or just next door. 

So, again, buying a home in a remote location can be done, but you must have a good team.  If you are out of the area, you not only need someone you can trust to manage the process locally, but, likely, you would also need local referrals to trusted contractors and services.  Maybe even someone to meet the internet guy. 

Rebecca and I identify ourselves as your “Partners in Real Estate” because we know that that is exactly what buyers and sellers need.  And if you are considering a move to one of our beautiful coastal communities here in the Ventura County area, we would hope to have the opportunity to help make that process as smooth and as seamless as possible for you.