Answers by Kevin Kieffer

My recommendation is to reach out to a local title company in your city and ask them that question since every city state has their own transfer fees some have none however, most cities and counties have some form of transfer tax. Kevin R , Kieffer Northern California broker associate. Compass

Your best bet is to reach out to a couple of lenders and ask for their self-employed pre-approval checklists. The process is pretty straightforward, but it does require more paperwork than it would for a W-2 employee. Since you don't have standard W-2s, they’ll want to review your recent tax returns and a year-to-date Profit and Loss (P&L) statement to make sure your business finances are healthy. Having solid cash reserves in your bank account will also go a long way. Shop around with a few lenders to see who offers the best fit, and good luck on your home-buying journey!

Using your Home Equity to buy your next home is a very common practice right now however, there is risk associated with that. If you feel confident, you can sell the home you’re moving from then that is a great move However, if it’s a challenging market in your area, then you could be sitting on two mortgages at the same time which could be risky. The safest bet is to put a contingent to sell offer on your next property. The contingency would allow you to sell your home and utilize all equity to buy your next home with much lower risk. Kevin R , Kieffer Northern California broker associate. Compass

You should be able to pull up your tax record online and look at redemption options. Call your local tax assessor and let them know you’re looking to bring your property current on taxes. They will give you some options and may even offer a payment plan. Every city and county throughout the United States differs. Kevin R , Kieffer Northern California broker associate. Compass

In California often times when a buyer does not have enough funds for closing cost, the agent for that buyer will request seller closing cost credits to cover that amount so all you need to bring to closing is your down payment whether it’s 5% 10% 20% Etc

In California, it is OK for a buyer to utilize the sellers agent to represent them on the purchase of the property. That’s called dual agency. All parties need to be aware and be OK with it. Including the seller. Some buyers can be a bit cautious of utilizing the listing agent as the listing agent’s initial fiduciary duty is to the seller, and sometimes feel as though they might not be represented as strongly if they did not go, seek out an independent buyers agent. So technically it is OK but to get unbiased representation, it may be ideal to seek out a buyer agent for representation.

You can purchase a property anywhere in the United States. You do not have to live in that state. You could purchase it as a rental property or 2nd home. The best way to do that is to identify a good local real estate agent who knows the area well and once they have your criteria they will help you locate something that meets your needs for budget and features.