How To Find A Place To Live During A Pandemic
Things look a little dire right now, but even pandemics pass, and this will too. Many people are postponing their moves until after the scare is over, but many people don’t have a choice. Perhaps your lease is up and your landlord is inflexible. Perhaps you just sold your home and need to vacate. How do you find a place to live when you can’t even leave your home?
Virtual tour
The internet is perhaps our best tool to fight the pandemic. It enables many of us to work, and it could even find you a home. Most Realtors and apartment buildings now offer virtual tours, which might not show you everything about a house, but they can certainly help. If you are considering renting from an individual instead of a property management company, ask the landlord to give you a virtual tour. Don’t be shy about asking her to show you anything that might be a concern.
Drive by
We get it, you’re probably getting cabin fever, which is something most Californians don’t have a lot of experience with. It is okay to get in your car, though, and we recommend it. Drive by the home you’re interested in during the day and at night. Granted, things are a little slow out there, but you should still be able to get an idea of what things are like.
Set up a viewing
You probably aren’t going to see a lot of open houses right now, but that doesn’t mean Realtors aren’t on the job. If you are pre-approved for a loan, ask for a viewing. All Realtors should stay outside the 6′ social distancing radius, but should be able to give you a complete showing. Note that now is not the time to sample from that plate of cookies.
Look at the crime rate
Nearly empty streets might be a little misleading, but you can get a feel for a neighborhood’s crime rate through sites like CrimeMapping. Be realistic. While the market may be a bit slow, both the San Francisco Bay area and the Los Angeles area are very expensive markets. The more affordable areas have higher crime rates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in danger. Just be sure to install an alarm system and cameras. Now might be the time to get that dog your family wants.
Negotiate
Now is the time to negotiate. For many sellers, taking a few thousand off the list price is better than risking the property sitting on the market.
As for the move itself
Unless we are ordered closed, Ninja Movers will remain open, but we will take all precautions to protect our customers and our movers.