For buyers and sellers, there is great news regarding the current challenges with buying and selling a home in Washington while under the ‘stay at home’ order from the governor’s office.
Real estate activities have been deemed to be an essential activity and real estate brokers as essential workers. Activities that were previously disallowed due to the pandemic and the proclamation have been modified to allow the touring of homes with some restrictions. These restrictions are strictly enforced for the protection of everyone involved in the process of purchasing and selling a home.
These restrictions went active on November 15, 2020 and have been extended to January 14, 2021. As a result, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) has defined what the protocols are for agents within the area covered by the NWMLS. These protocols are strictly enforced.
Here are some of the provisions and restrictions in the memorandum.
In addition to these changes, “it is permissible to engage in real estate sales, as appraisers, settlement agents and escrow officers, property inspectors, mortgage loan originators, processors, and underwriters, and other necessary office personnel including IT professionals, and back office staff necessary to maintain office operations, along with those government workers necessary to review real estate excise tax and record documents.”
These changes are welcomed in order to keep the market active and allow potential buyers and sellers to continue with their plans to purchase and/or sell homes. This means that sellers can sell their homes and expect buyers to have access to them. It also means that buyers can tour homes. As nice as the virtual tours have become, has been difficult to decide to purchase without actually walking the property. I would still encourage buyers to garner as much information as possible before selecting homes to tour, and I would also recommend sellers to do the best to prepare their home for sale and still provide virtual tours and other incentives.
The expectation is that after the beginning of the New Year the market will respond with buyers purchasing, and sellers putting homes on the market. Interest rates are low right now and the opportunities are amazing for both purchasing and selling homes.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions about the market, procedures, and processes for purchasing and selling a home, financing questions, and anything other information that will facilitate your purchase or sale. I would love to be your agent and I am more than happy to help.
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