A guide to Hilton Head Island and Bluffton area real estate, rentals and lifestyle
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1112104
Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors ® Consumer Safety for Real Estate When you are buying or selling real estate it may not even cross your mind that safety to your home and personal information may be at risk during the transaction process. Typically, sellers know to clean closets, declutter rooms, and freshen paint. But it is important that you secure your home for the selling process, after all strangers will be walking through your home. REALTORS® do all possible to interview prospects and take all precautions, but you can help to alleviate temptation. Sellers should secure or remove from the property any valuables, including jewelry, crystal, art and credit cards. Prescription drugs should also be removed or put into a locked location. Don't leave personal information like mail or bills out in the open where anyone can see it. Be sure to lock down your computer, laptop and/or tablets and remove easy-to-pocket electronics. Sellers should not show their home by themselves and remind your children not to talk to strangers. For buyers, once you have identified a property there will be a lot of communication in the transaction process, much of which is done via email. Work closely with your Realtor to identify exactly who will be contacting you during the closing process. Do not open links in emails without verifying the email address. This one extra step could save you from computer viruses and malicious spyware. The real estate industry has seen a rise in sophisticated criminal hackers sending what appear to be very legitimate emails to buyers with fraudulent wire transfer instructions, often saying there has been a last minute change in the instructions. Buyers need to be aware of these scams and should never transfer money without calling their attorney to verify receipt of the wiring instructions. Once your transaction has been closed, your attorney will provide you all the necessary documents, including closing documents, deed, and title. It can be overwhelming with the paperwork involved in a closing. If you receive follow up letters in the mail saying you need to send in money to get a copy of your documents, immediately contact your Realtor or attorney to verify the legitimacy of the correspondence. If you are buying or seller real estate, ask if your agent is a Realtor and a member of the Hilton Head Area Association of REALTORS. Jean Beck Chief Executive Offi cer 40