| Buyers & Sellers |
Buyers & Sellers
REALTOR® members and organizations like SAMCAR work hard to help home buyers and sellers, and protect property owners by providing valuable resources, legislative advocacy, giving back to our communities and holding our members to the highest ethical standards. The Buyers & Sellers page on our website provides information about local market conditions, resources for first time buyers, and information about the advantages of working with a REALTOR®.
REALTORS® are mostly small business owners who ensure buyers and sellers experience the greatest transparency, choice and efficiency through independent, local broker marketplaces that level the playing field for all types and sizes of residential real estate brokerages.
Learn more at competition.realtor
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179 Ways Agents Who Are REALTORS® Are Worth Every Penny of Their Compensation
Buying A Home Is Easy!* If You Work with a Real Estate Agent Who is a REALTOR® 
Selling A Home Is Easy!* If You Work with a Real Estate Agent Who is a REALTOR®
Published: August 05, 2014
Check Solar Panel Agreements as Part of Home Sale
Solar panels can add value to a home, but they're expensive to install. So, many homeowners have entered solar panel lease arrangements to avoid upfront costs and find out at time of sale just what a liability these leases can be. SAMCAR encourages members to be aware of these leases on your listings and look into the terms as part of your due diligence.
Published: July 29, 2014
Excessive CID Fees Curbed
C.A.R.-sponsored AB 2430, which tightens the prohibition of bundling fees in common interest development (CID) transactions, was signed into law by Governor Brown.
Published: July 29, 2014
Have You Had a Problem with Squatters?
One of the fastest growing housing issues in California is the problem of squatters taking over vacant properties. Under California law, it can take a minimum of 30 to 60 days to evict a sophisticated squatter. AB 1513 (Fox) seeks to address this obstacle in parts of the state. Cities in the Bay Area can "opt-in". SAMCAR needs to hear your "squatter stories" to determine if San Mateo County will opt in to AB 1513.
Published: July 24, 2014
‘Phantom Income' Forgiveness Extended in California
Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 1393 providing much-needed state-level tax relief to homeowners by extending tax relief on forgiveness of mortgage debt by conforming California law to federal law for the 2013 tax year.
Published: July 16, 2014
FHA Issues Reverse Mortgage Changes
Two Mortgagee Letters on Home Equity Conversion from the FHA address (1) the prohibition of misleading or deceptive advertising and (2) insurance on fixed interest rate reverse mortgages.
Published: July 14, 2014
Sewer Lateral Point-of-Sale Ordinances in Hillsborough
The Town of Hillsborough is encouraging and incentivizing the voluntary repair or replacement of faulty sewer laterals by private property owners.