First Home - California

111 - Don't Panic: Audits Can be Helpful

Listen in to learn all about the California Department of Real Estate audits and how they protect consumers.

In this episode, listeners will learn about the DRE audit process, when and why the Department conducts audits, and some of the more interesting and common findings uncovered. Also discussed are consumer protection tips around working with real estate salespersons and brokers.

Topics covered include:

• Overview of Department of Real Estate audits
• DRE audits process
• Common violations found in DRE audits
• Consumer resources and tips when working with a real estate salesperson or broker

Our Guest for this episode:

• Mike Rivera, DRE Assistant Commissioner of Audits – Sacramento, California

 

110 - Tratos Deshonestos

Jueves, 2 de mayo de 2024

Fecha del episodio: jueves, 2 de mayo de 2024 

Únanse al Departamento de Bienes Raíces (DRE) de California para conocer una historia real sobre estafa y fraude inmobiliarios, así como consejos para la protección del consumidor. En este episodio: Tratos deshonestos, les contamos un caso lleno de engaño y malas acciones premeditadas que ocurrió en el sur de California en un periodo de dos años. Justo cuando los posibles compradores de viviendas pensaron que sus depósitos de arras estaban en buenas manos y asegurarían la compra de una vivienda, comenzaron a darse cuenta de que algo no andaba bien. Nos acompaña una investigadora especial del Departamento de Bienes Raíces quien nos contará la historia de cómo una agente inmobiliaria estafó a más de cien compradores de viviendas confiados, compartirá información sobre las investigaciones del Departamento y consejos con respecto a cómo los consumidores se pueden proteger durante las transacciones inmobiliarias. 

Se cubrirán los siguientes temas: 

• Depósitos en garantías controlados por agentes inmobiliarios
• Depósitos de arras 
• Consejos y avisos importantes sobre el proceso de compra de vivienda
• Cómo presentar una queja ante el Departamento de Bienes Raíces de California 

Nuestra invitada para este episodio: Veronica Kilpatrick, Gerente de distrito/Investigadora especial supervisora II de DRE - San Diego 

Se recomienda la discreción del oyente: Este episodio del pódcast incluye ejemplos reales y algunos términos específicos de un caso anterior de ejecución de bienes raíces que involucra fraude. Para leer el expediente completo del caso de ejecución, visite: https://tinyurl.com/4h2vepfj 

110 - Dishonest Dealings

Episode Date: Friday, April 12, 2024 

Join us, the California Department of Real Estate, for a true story of real estate fraud and deception, along with consumer protection tips. In this episode, Dishonest Dealings, we take you through a case full of misrepresentation and calculated wrongdoings that took place in Southern California across two years. Just when prospective homebuyers thought their security earnest money deposits were in safe hands and would secure a purchase of a home – they began to realize something was not right . We sit down with a Department of Real Estate special investigator who will tell us the story of how one realtor defrauded more than one hundred unsuspecting homebuyers, share insight into the Department’s investigations, and provide tips on how consumers can protect themselves during real estate transactions. 

Topics covered include: 

• Broker controlled escrows 
• Earnest money deposits 
• Important tips and reminders about the homebuying process 
• How to file a complaint with the California Department of Real Estate 

Our guest for this episode: Veronica Kilpatrick, DRE District Manager/Supervising Special Investigator II - San Diego 

Listener Discretion Advised: This podcast episode includes real examples and some case-specific language of a past real estate enforcement case involving fraud. To read the full enforcement case file, visit: https://www2.dre.ca.gov/hearingfiles/H41332LA_200203_P.pdf. 

109 - How Escrow Works

In this episode we talk about how escrow works. When you’ve made a final offer on a home and reached an agreement with the seller, you start the escrow process in which a neutral third party manages funds and assets, and ensures all conditions of the sale are met before the property changes hands.

Topics covered include:

• When escrow officially starts
• The mindset a first-time homebuyer should have during escrow
• Who is responsible for identifying an escrow company to use, whether a homebuyer can choose the escrow company, and who contacts the escrow company to open an account
• What title search and title insurance are
• What kind of contact the homebuyer can expect to have with their lender
• Whether it’s common for sellers pay for a home warranty for the first year
• What happens at document signing

Our Guest:

• Lynn Bishop, Escrow Officer at Placer Title Company

108 - How Real Estate Appraisals Work

In this episode we talk about how home appraisals work. In California, real estate appraisers are regulated by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA), and today we’re joined by BREA’s Bureau Chief Angela Jemmott.

Topics covered include:
• What an appraisal is, why it’s needed, and who pays for it
• Whether homeowners can choose the appraiser
• What an appraiser does during an appraisal
• What an appraiser is looking for to determine a home’s value
• What it means if a home is appraised for less than paid for
• What a homeowner can do if they disagree with an appraisal
• Whether a homeowner can pay for their own appraisal
• How to get a real estate appraisers license
• The different levels of appraisers and their differences
• Common reasons consumers file complaints with BREA

Our Guest:
• Angela Jemmott, Chief of the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers

107 - Legal & Documentation Matters

In this episode we talk about what’s likely the most complex and most important part of the homebuying process.

Topics covered include:

• The legal paperwork you’ll need to review and sign before buying a new home.
• The information that needs to be disclosed to you before a sale.
• The mindset a homebuyer should have when approaching disclosure documents.
• The different types of disclosures – such as the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS), Mello-Roose Districts, Bond Assessments, Natural Hazard Disclosures.
• The other reports homebuyers will receive – such as the Preliminary Title report and a public report.
• The financing paperwork you’ll receive – such as the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.

Our Guest:

• Kevin Burke, Licensed Real Estate Broker and teacher of Real Property Law

106 - Making an Offer

In this episode we talk about one of the most stressful and exciting parts of the homebuying process, making an offer on a home.

Topics covered include:

• The mindset a first-time homebuyer should have about making an offer
• What’s an earnest money deposit, how much should you put down for this type of deposit, and what are the advantages/disadvantages of putting down more or less than that amount?
• The advantage of not selling a home before buying a new one
• The types of contingencies are involved in offers
• After successfully bidding on a home, how long it should take to close escrow
• The pluses/minuses of renting back to the seller after you buy a home
• If there are any contingencies a first-home buyer should think about waving
• What the process of making an offer looks like, including timelines the steps should take
• What happens when there are multiple offers to buy a home
• What the terms “best and final” really means
• What the term “escalation clause” means
• Should the first-time homebuyer make bids on multiple properties at the same time
• What’s a “love letter” or “offer letter” and why there’s risk in sending one
• Tips on how to survive the stress and emotions of making an offer

Our Guest:

• Mike Shenkman, Licensed Real Estate Agent and lecturer at Department of Urban Studies and Planning at U.C. San Diego

Other Resources

Love Letters / Offer Letters

• New York Times  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/realestate/you-love-that-house-but-should-you-write-a-love-letter.html
• Orange County Register https://www.ocregister.com/2021/03/11/do-homebuyer-love-letters-violate-fair-housing-laws/
• CBS News  https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/no-more-love-letters-to-home-sellers-calif-realtors-advise/
• CNN   https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/19/homes/love-letters-from-home-buyers/index.html
• Money   https://money.com/home-seller-love-letter/
• National Association of Realtors https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing-corner/love-letters-or-liability-letters  

 

105 - How to Find a Real Estate Agent

There are a lot of professionals who are going to be involved in your home purchase. But, none is going to be more important to you than the one we talk about in Episode #105. This episode covers how to find a real estate agent.

Topics covered include:

• The difference between a real estate agent and a realtor
• Typical responsibilities handled by a buyer’s real estate agent
• How a buyer’s real estate agent gets paid
• The types of real estate licenses in California
• What educational experience a licensed real estate agent must have
• What else does someone need to do before they can get a California real estate license
• How does a homebuyer start their search for a real estate agent
• How important is it for an agent to have knowledge about the specific area where you want to buy a home
• How important is it that an agent does a lot of advertising
• What are the pluses and minuses of working with a large real estate brokerage versus a small real estate brokerage
• What question does an agent wish more first-time homebuyers asked
• What does it mean to you when the your agent and the seller’s agent both work for the same broker?
• What happens if your agent also represents the seller
• What types of problems can lead a new homebuyer to filing a complaint with the Department of Real Estate

Our Guests:

Chika Sunquist, Department of Real Estate’s Assistant Commissioner overseeing Enforcement

Mike Shenkman, Licensed Real Estate Agent and lecturer at Department of Urban Studies and Planning at U.C. San Diego

 

Other Resources:

Verify a Real Estate Agent’s License:        https://www2.dre.ca.gov/PublicASP/pplinfo.asp

DRE’s First Home – California Website:    https://dre.ca.gov/FirstHomeCalifornia

DRE Contact Center:                                 (877) 373-4542 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)

California Association of Realtors:            https://www.car.org