Real estate advice for buyers and sellers, plus how to avoid warranty fraud

Real estate advice from the thinnest party, in strict confidence

Sasha Kaplan and I met in Parker Pilates And immediately we loved each other.

She’s tall, gorgeous, smart and a true hustler. Let me tell you. As I got to know Sasha more and more through Pilates, we formed a friendship and I went to learn a lot about real estate from her.

Today Sasha is on The Skinny Confidential to discuss the most important questions buyers and sellers should ask, the latest escrow scam, and what to look for in a real esate agent.

Without further laughter, let’s blog welcome Sasha Kaplan.

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♡ Introduce yourself to The Skinny Confidential Community. Give us the story of your whole life!

Sasha Kaplan: Welcome! My name is Sasha Kaplan, and I grew up in Malibu, California. You wouldn’t find me at the beach on weekends as a kid, I would be in the barn for horseback riding. I went to Malibu High School, after the ninth grade I transferred to independent study.

After modeling and traveling back and forth to New York, she graduated from school. I designed until I was 21 and had amazing opportunities to travel the world! I was looking my next way and headed to real estate! I figured it would be the best of both worlds.

♡ Tell us about your real estate background.

SK: Background … Well, I took a course to learn all the laws and rules and then took the state exam! Immediately after obtaining my license, I trained with a large team at Hilton and Highland. Soon I realized working for someone else wasn’t right for me … I moved to Coldwell Banker, and found an amazing mentor named Josie Benjamin and the rest is history. After I switched to CB I knew real estate was made for me.

♡ What are your top 3 home buying advice in today’s climate?

SK: be patient.

Set your priorities when buying a home.

Get pre-approved with a good lender.

♡ What advice would you give to the seller?

SK: Prepare your home to be as attractive as possible. Hire the right agent who will properly market it and best offer for your property. Don’t Affiliate, Quality Shopping.

At the end of the day, you must trust your agent to get the job done.

Also, there are no open homes at the moment so marketing is the key.

♡ There are so many scams at the moment, can you talk about that and let us know how to avoid it?

SK: It happens everywhere and these criminals are smart. Electronic fraud is real and there are horrifying stories of money being sent to the wrong place. During warranty, wiring instructions will always come from warranty directly to buyer. Make sure to contact and confirm with your escrow agent before sending any money.

If you feel in error, it probably is, so check with your agent. That’s why we’re here !!

♡ What are some things that people do not know to look out for, but should do so when purchasing a home?

SK: This is a good thing … you have a licensed physical inspector to do the inspections on your behalf. Don’t assume what you see is the complete picture.

Buyers should also conduct their own investigations in schools and neighborhoods. Get as much information as possible about all the areas surrounding the property.

♡ What is the key to finding a good real estate agent?

SK: Find someone you can communicate with and trust. At the end of the day, for most people, this is the biggest purchase of their life. It is very important to work with someone you trust and trust 100% to guide you through this process.

♡ What questions should we ask when searching for a home?

SK: You should ask the sellers …

What repairs or updates have been made to the home recently.

What are the ongoing maintenance required … Possibly sewer or ground maintenance.

♡ Since you are an interesting real estate agent, we need to know your beauty tips and tricks. It’s off topic, but we have to know! Tell everyone about the product you recommended to me on Pilates, too.

SK: Ha! So I’m obsessed with taking care of my skin. I wear sunscreen every day, even when it’s cloudy and humid every night. Lately I’ve been in love with Flawless filter from Charlotte Tilbury – It gives you Dewy, flawless. I love using it under a tinted moisturizer and then again as a highlighter on my cheekbones.