Let’s Work Together to Stay Safe
With the rapid spread of the current global health crisis, we know that conditions in every town, city and country are changing daily, even hourly. While we have not yet seen the full impact here in Baja California Sur, we know there is no place on earth that won’t soon be touched by this crisis. We want you to know that we are thinking about you, our friends and neighbors, and we stand with you through this challenging time. Our hearts go out to anyone who is being directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus.
Many of you have already had to cancel your planned trips to La Paz, and we fully support that decision. Above all, we want you to be healthy and safe, and to take every precaution necessary to stay that way.
While you may not be able to come to La Paz right now, we want you to know we are here to help. Whether you are looking for a La Paz area property to buy, are in the process of purchasing or selling your home, or are thinking of listing your La Paz area home for sale, following are a few ways we can work together, without requiring you to leave home:
Power of Attorney
Did you know that you don’t actually have to be present at the time of closing when you purchase or sell your home? You can sign a power of attorney, and your closing agent at the real estate attorney’s office will sign the final documents on your behalf. This is perfectly legal, easy and safe to do, and we’ve had many clients complete their transactions using a POA who could simply not make it here for their closing date. In fact, we did this ourselves when we first purchased our home here, and the process was seamless. Of course, you still get to review all of your closing documents, so you know exactly what the closing agent is signing and have final approval over everything. Whether you are buying or selling, you can complete your transaction from the safety of your own home.
Electronic Signatures
To make things easier for our clients, we often use Docusign, a popular e-signature application, to sign and countersign offers and listing contracts. It’s easy to use from your computer or phone, and there is nothing to download or install on your end. You simply open the document we email to you and use your finger (on your mobile device) or mouse cursor to sign where indicated.
Alternatively, you can print out the documents that we email to you, sign, and use your own printer/scanner to scan it and email us the signed copy. There is no need to sign these documents in person when emailing a scanned copy or e-signing with Docusign works just as well, and is legal and safe.
Video Tours
Did you have a house-hunting trip planned to La Paz that you’ve had to cancel? We’re sorry you can’t be here in person, but the good news is that we can still take you on a live video tour of the property you are interested in seeing, using FaceTime on your mobile phone or tablet.
Better than just looking at pictures or video online, a live video tour allows you to see and ask questions about the home as we walk through it. We can zoom in on details, show you different rooms and angles, and chat with you just as if you were here in person.
One of our clients recently did this when she couldn’t be here in person with her spouse to view the home they were interested in buying. They made an offer based on that video tour, and are now very happy living in their new La Paz dream home.
We’d be happy to do the same for you, just ask us how.
WhatsApp Chat
Many of our clients are in the process of building new homes, and our construction partners, like Baja Custom Homes, use the popular messaging app WhatsApp to keep everyone up to date on the progress. By creating a private WhatsApp group, we can communicate easily and securely, to quickly answer questions, make decisions and agree on changes.
The builder posts dozens of pictures several times a week of the construction, keeping our clients updated on the progress of their build. That means, as a new home client, you are able to make decisions quickly and effectively, whether it’s about your choice of tile or granite, the configuration of your cabinets, or the placement of a window.
Stay Safe
These are just a few ways we can help. If you need eyes on the ground here in La Paz, have questions about listing your home, or need more information about a property for sale, just send us an email or give us a call. We are here to help. We hope you and your loved ones stay healthy and safe, and we look forward to seeing you here in person again soon.
If you have questions about life here in La Paz, our blog is also a great resource.