Are people still buying homes?

YES! Everyone has their own reasons for moving. Buyers have purchased “virtually seen” properties for a variety of reasons long before this pandemic. Virtual Tours of homes are now the norm and are the perfect alternative to in-person showings.

This current situation presents many unique opportunities such as:

- Mortgage interest rates are low, which has the potential to boost your buying power.

- With the majority of people staying at home, there’s less competition with lower inventory.

- Seller’s may be more negotiable with pricing in order to close a sale.

- With limited inventory levels as demand stays strong after the crisis passes, we may expect growth in home prices. If that’s the case, it may be a great time for some buyers to get ahead of the curve.

How can I find/buy a house during the Coronavirus pandemic?

Our team has extensive knowledge and experience working virtually with out of state buyers, which helped us adapt quickly with the new “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” mandate. Here are a few ways we can help you find/buy a home:

- Zoom appointments

- 3-D Home Tours

- Virtual (pre-recorded) Home Tours

- Virtual Open Houses/ Live Open Houses

- We virtually present the offer with you via Zoom or a phone call

- When we do visit the house, I have booties, gloves, hand sanitizer and gloves that we will put on and dispose of as we enter and leave homes.

- Sellers are leaving lights on, interior doors and cabinets open so we do not touch counters/surfaces.

- In many Counties, I will accompany each buyer, one at a time, into the home to present its features. This is helpful if you happen to not have child care.

- Counties are asking that no high-risk people, children, those that have recently traveled, or are not sheltering together in place enter a home. In some communities appointments are limited to a certain number per day, hourly restrictions, only virtual, etc depending on if the home is occupied or not.

How can I inspect or close on a house that I’m interested in?

We can help you inspect a home virtually. If you wish to inspect a property personally, we can arrange a private viewing for you by appointment, while practicing safe social distancing, proper sanitizing, and following all protocols that have been mandated for the safety of all involved. No more than two people can be on-site at any one time. Many inspectors are requesting not to attend in person so that they can safely observe their protocols while working for you. They are sending reports post-inspection day to review and making themselves available for questions as well.

Attorneys are holding settlement closings virtually as well. Depending on which County your new home is located, they may have a different protocol for this service.

Call or text Masha and The Boutique Homes Team at 919-414-0337 with any additional questions you may have about selling and buying in Chapel Hill, Durham and beyond.

Can I still show my house during the Coronavirus pandemic?

Absolutely!!  Our team has adapted to the new “stay at home” restrictions. Visual Tours of homes, and private inspections are the new “norm”.

We take this situation very seriously and are committed to practicing social distancing, proper sanitizing, and following the guidelines and protocols mandated by the orders of our local Counties and State.

Here are a few things we provide or arrange for you:

- Zoom/Facetime Pre-Listing appointments on how to prep your home for sale/staging advice

- Zoom Listing Appointments and sometimes an on-site pre-marketing meeting following proper distancing and local safety protocols.

- Virtual (pre-recorded) Home Tours performed by our professional Photographer

- An Initial Live Video Tour with a potential client & their Realtor

- We provide sanitizer, wipes, and masks for showing agents in case they do not have enough for their clients when they do come.

- For showings, we ask that you leave lights on, open interior doors for cabinetry/closets & rooms so our Realtors do not have to touch surfaces.

- A Guideline Placard for showing your home to all Realtors located outside or directly inside your main entry door.

- Depending on the County we have different guidelines. In some areas, a Realtor may accompany one buyer at a time into a home to show it. In neighboring areas,  two buyers who are “socially- distancing” together, are not exhibiting illness & have not recently traveled may go into a home together while their Realtor stays outside but directs them through the house on Facetime. 

- We ask our buyers to leave children at home and we only allow people who are the actual buyers ( no family or friends ), to come to showings so that we can take every precaution to keep you and your family/home as safe as possible while still working to meet your home selling plan. 

Do you meet personally with your clients?

At this time, in-person meetings are prohibited, except when “necessary”, for our clients to view a property or sign necessary documents when they cannot be done online.

Will I be able to have renovations or repairs done? 

YES!  Essential workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences are allowed. They will follow the same g

Do you do Open Houses & Property Viewings?

In-person &  general public Open Houses are not permitted.  We do virtual open houses. Those consist of a few options- 1. Masha will visit your home with a colleague and video record a personal perspective tour of your home to use in our online and social media marketing, 2. Masha and a colleague can host a Live Matterport Virtual Tour watch on social media as part of the greater marketing campaign she creates for your home.

We exercise social distancing at all times & ask that if you live in your home that we have unrestricted access and are alone at the home during these recordings for everyone’s health.

How are you presenting offers to sellers?

We present offers either by phone call or a Zoom/Facetime meeting. Documents are sent electronically to review and sign.

Call or text Masha & The Boutique Homes Team at 919-414-0337 with any additional questions you may have about selling and buying in Chapel Hill, Durham & beyond.

The Masha Halpern Boutique Real Estate Team is grateful for the trust you place in us to achieve your real estate goals.  In times like these, when we’re experiencing the Coronavirus pandemic situation, our team has developed effective plans and strategies to best serve you and your needs.  Here are some of the things our team does for Home Buyers: