doofrat wrote:Thank You

[CA renter]

[quote=doofrat]Thank You spdrun, looks like those forms will do the trick!
Does anybody have any advice on who the best lender to go through for the mortgage? Anything to watch out for?[/quote]

First off, congratulations to you and your family, doofrat!!! 🙂 I think that buying a home you’ve rented for a long time is one of the best ways to go. You have a history with the house and know it better than just about anybody else (including the landlord, most of the time), AND you don’t have to move!!! Not including an agent will likely save both you and the seller thousands of dollars. Win/win/win for you!

We tried to buy our old rental, too, but the landlord decided they weren’t ready to sell.

Anyway, HLS is a mortgage broker who’s been on Piggington for quite a while. Why not PM him and ask for his advice? Other Piggs have used him and seem to be happy with his price and service.

The escrow/title companies will handle pretty much everything. Be sure to get the disclosure package that includes any fire/earthquake/hazmat/flood zones that might apply to the property before you buy it, as this could affect your ability to insure the property for a reasonable price.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standardized_Natural_Hazards_Disclosure_Statement

Here is just one source for this type of report. Also, you can get a CLUE report which will tell you of any insurance claims made for that address.

http://www.firstam.com/title/products/disclosure-reports/natural-hazard-disclosure-report.html

Also, be sure to ask about Mello-Roos bonds and any other special taxes. You can also look up tax information on the County Assessor’s site:

http://www.sdtreastax.com/pay.html

Congratulations, and best of luck with your transaction. It’s actually a lot easier than most people think.