“Buying your first home can be thrilling and overwhelming at the same time. But when you throw in the high stakes and heated competition of the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market, things can get intense.
We’ve helped dozens of first-time home buyers navigate the nuances of the Bay Area real estate market and attain success. When you approach the process with an open mind, creative solutions, and a strong team like ours to back you up, the process can be not just doable but even fun.
Meet Pat and Erica
Please note: While the names in this story have been fictionalized to protect the identity of our clients, the story and numbers are very much accurate.
Let’s dive into the story of a first-time home buyer couple who were looking for a home in Oakland that they could call their own and where they could start building their family. We’ll call them Pat and Erica.
Pat and Erica both work in tech and had been saving up to buy their first home. They wanted to find a home with some charm and that had some room for them to start growing their family.
After attending open houses and touring a few properties, they found a home they fell in love with. Which, if you know the Bay Area real estate landscape, typically ends in disaster. Typically, hearts get broken, offers get rejected, and couples have to pick up the pieces and try again.
But in this case, because of our team’s strong connections and reputation, as well as the strategic guidance we provided Pat and Erica, they got their very first offer accepted.
The Property
- Property type
- Single family home
- Bedrooms
- 4 BD
- Bathrooms
- 2 BA
- Square feet
- 1,985 sqft
- List price
- $985,000
- Sold price
- $1,210,000
As soon as they saw this home, Pat and Erica fell in love. From the bright yellow front door to the sunny views overlooking the front deck to the detached studio and the proximity to great schools – everything was perfect.
The only question was, how could they beat out all the other buyers bidding on the property? How could they make sure their offer stood out? How could they choose an offer price that would be competitive, without going too high?
Buyer Success Story
As soon as Pat and Erica shared with us that they were interested in this home, we got to work, pulling as much information and data as possible about the home, its history, the neighborhood, and surrounding comparable sales.
We wanted to set Pat and Erica up for success while helping them to navigate the potential hurdles that lay ahead.
Armed with all the data, we sat down with Pat and Erica to discuss their options and help them to come up with an offer that would stay within their budget while also being competitive amid the sea of other offers.
The property was only on the market 6 days before the seller accepted Pat and Erica’s offer. So what helped Pat and Erica’s offer win out over the others? It might surprise you to know that their offer wasn’t the highest one.
In fact, the highest offer came in at $40,000 over Pat and Erica’s offer. So why did the seller choose theirs?
Two main reasons. One, the seller wanted the home to go to a young couple who would take care of it, grow their family there, and create memories in the home for years to come. And second, because the Joe Dickerson Group has a strong reputation in the Bay Area of getting deals done and being a great team to work with, the seller was confident in Pat and Erica’s ability to follow through and close the deal.
We proceeded to guide Pat and Erica through each step of the buying process, helping them to evaluate their options, navigate negotiations, and see the path ahead. Ultimately, the process went fairly smoothly, and Pat and Erica successfully closed on their first home.
Are You Considering Buying A Home?
Whether you’re buying your first home or your tenth, we’re here to help. Our team has a strong track record in helping buyers navigate the tricky Bay Area real estate landscape and reach the success they’re looking for. Be sure to check out all our 5-star reviews on Yelp!
We are pros at helping potential buyers like you with:
- Defining your real estate and wealth building goals
- Seeing how a home purchase could help you build wealth for your family
- Finding the right neighborhood based on what you’re looking for
- Navigating the home buying and lending process
- Creating competitive offers that get results
- Negotiating with sellers to create a win-win situation
- Understanding your options throughout the process
- Creating a strategy that will help you reach the success you deserve
We’ve helped many people to successfully buy homes here in the Bay Area, and we’d love to work with you as well. Whether you’re ready to buy now, or you’re just exploring your options, start by scheduling a call with us.
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