Buyer’s Guide
About the Oldham Group
The Oldham Group is a Collective of talented agents, staff, and support, led by Andrew and Jennifer Oldham - Founding Agents for Compass Having closed over $1 Billion in sales volume during their career, Andrew and Jennifer lead a team that has substantially increased its business year over year while covering the expansive Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Alameda, and Contra Costa County real estate markets Because their agents have been selected based on their hyper-local expertise, they confidently represent a vast coverage area with in-depth knowledge across several counties. With over 85 years of combined real estate expertise in marketing, law, title, design, and escrow, they provide their clients talents and expertise unparalleled in the California market. Combining their knowledge and experience with their love and passion for residential real estate, local expertise, exceptional marketing, personal service and the backing of the nation’s best luxury brokerage, Compass, they will prove to you the Oldham Group difference.
$300+M
Closed Volume in 2022
Transactions closed in 2022
#62 Over 220
Teams in the nation
#20
Teams in California
#14
Top 100 producing agents or teams in the SF Bay Area
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OLDHAM GROUP
Oldham Group | Compass Oldham Group at Compass
Atrem
Khosraviani
Realtor | Interior Design Specialist
In many ways, Atrem always knew she’d work in the real estate industry. Growing up, She was always fascinated by spaces Atrem has a degree in Interior Architecture from Pratt Institute and has worked in Hospitality and Luxury Residential Interior Design Firm for four years since graduating in 2018, and now with the Oldham Group will be able to help people find their dream homes. The client' happiness is her happiness, and she won’t stop until they’re fulfilled. She knows how hectic and overwhelming the process of buying your home can be and that is why she wants to make sure that her clients' buyers/ sellers experience the whole journey as seamless as possible. For Atrem, success is about giving the best service and helping people by leaving an impact. She wants to be the client's “Realtor Siri” for any information on CMA’s, New Listings, etc She is that person She will use her skills to expand her buyers horizons and ensure that her sellers homes have had impacts.
In her free time she enjoys the beautiful outdoors,
dates, and most importantly lots of family time.
Jennifer Oldham
Team Leader
Jennifer is a high-performing real estate professional, who is not only an experienced realtor and loan officer, but also a skilled negotiator and a real estate paralegal. What sets Jennifer apart is her ability to listen to her clients’ needs and use her indepth knowledge of the real estate market to negotiate the best deal to exceed the clients’ expectations. With more than two decades of experience working for residential real estate, title, escrow, and specializing in high net worth clients. Jennifer knows exactly what it takes to buy or sell a home. This is one of the reasons why she has been an award-winning Realtor since 2000 When working with clients, Jennifer first learns about what the client wants, then clearly explains the process, sets goals, and works hard to accomplish the best result. Jennifer has built the team on three simple principles: 1. Be Kind, 2 Be Professional, 3 Be an Expert Jennifer ensures each one of the Oldham Group Team members exemplifies this mantra without exception. Jennifer started in real estate 20 plus years ago in the Bay Area, and never quit.
She loves seeing great families find the right home, and wonderful agents expand their real estate acumen and experience An adrenaline junkie, Jennifer has sought out and excelled at every possible extreme sport, from racing dirt bikes to competitive boxing, ice skating to skydiving, she has done it all Her motto “Don’t eff it up!” pretty much sums up Jenn’s leadership style. Funny and full of love, this bad ass hugger makes long lasting connections with her clients and team members alike
OLDHAM GROUP
Andrew Oldham
Team Leader / Attorney
Originally a real estate lawyer, Andrew’s 40 years of real estate experience makes him uniquely able to tackle any real estate problem. From legal expertise, to escrow and title specifics, to brokerage, Andrew has done it all and he loves doing it, for his clients and his team. Before starting the Oldham Group, Andrew had a long career as a real estate litigator, and real estate entrepreneur.
After passing the bar, his real estate law career took off and he spent years in escrow litigation as a freelancer and salaried lawyer. In the nineties, Andrew founded a real estate company called eHome. eHome took advantage of burgeoning internet technology, and found a home for real estate there They raised 30 million in capital and were the first to make the MLS searchable for clients, not just agents, and expanded to three states.
When he’s not assisting clients and agents, or working with Compass to help them improve their tools and resources, Andrew loves walking Asilomar beach with his wife and business partner, Jennifer and their adorable Boston, Abby. Andrew prides himself on being a kind, and loving person first and foremost, and second (but just barely) an excellent real estate professional.
Testimonials
When my husband and I started our house hunting process, we merely chose a random agent so that we could see homes we were interested in. We didn’t expect much but after working with Atrem, she exceeded our expectations and was our biggest advocate through our house searching journey. She introduced us to so many people who played a vital role in helping us find, close, and protect our home. The best thing besides getting a great deal on our home, best mortgage rate (also thanks to Atrem for shopping around for us), and making this stressful process as smooth as possible, is that we found the best agent in the Bay Area that we hands down honor to recommend to our friends and family, and is for sure to use when we are ready to upgrade.
Atrem helped me navigate being a first time home buyer. She is incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, and will go to bat for you. She helped me get my first home, and I am so happy. It went about as smoothly as it could of gone, and know I don’t have to rent anymore. She is great at what she does.
Atrem was a great agent to work with. She’s highly knowledgeable about Bay Area real estate and was thorough and professional. She was great at communication whenever needed and was honest at all times. We ended up purchasing a townhome in Mountain View that we are thrilled with. It’s clear that Atrem really cares about her clients.
Why Get Pre-Approved
Pre-approval is different from pre-qualifying, as it is a full loan approval instead of an opinion letter. It is recommended to get pre-approval before looking at homes. Finding out what you qualify for will help you look in the right price range
Determining the Right Price Range
The first step in buying a house is to determine the price range that is right for you. You will need to consider how much you are prepared to invest in your home and how much you will need to borrow. You should also consider how much property taxes and insurance will add to your monthly mortgage payment.
Determining Cash You Will Need
You will need enough cash to cover both your down payment and any closing costs associated with the purchase. Closing costs vary significantly based on the terms of your loan but are generally 1% to 2% of the purchase price.
Determining Additional Costs
Your Compass agent will help estimate your purchasing power and your carrying costs, but it is highly recommended that you discuss your cash needs and tax ramifications with an accountant and/or financial advisor.
Pre-Approval for a Loan
An offer is given greater consideration by a seller if it is accompanied by a preapproval letter from a reputable lender or a local mortgage broker. This assures the seller that you will be able to obtain the proposed financing and will not tie up the property needlessly. Lenders will inquire about the following six critical factors:
1. Income
2. Savings/capital/investments
3. Credit history
4. Debt level/ratio
5. Employment history
6. The value of the property you wish to purchase
Things you should NOT do when applying for a home loan
Below are a list of things to steer clear of when seeking to obtain financing for a home. The following items may be detrimental when trying to move forward with the loan process
DON’T buy new furniture or major appliances for your new home
DON’T buy or lease an auto before you apply for a home loan
Lenders look carefully at your debt-toincome ratio. A large payment such as a car lease or purchase can greatly impact those ratios and prevent you from qualifying for a home loan.
DON’T move assets from one bank account to another
These transfers show up as new deposits and complicate the application process, as you must then disclose and document the source of funds for each new account. The lender can verify each account as it currently exists. You can consolidate your accounts later if you need to.
DON’T change jobs
A new job may involve a probation period, which must be satisfied before income from the new job can be considered for qualifying purposes.
If the new purchases increase the amount of debt you are responsible for, there is the possibility this may disqualify you from getting the loan, or cut down on the available funds you need to meet the closing costs.
DON’T run a credit report on yourself
This will show as an inquiry on your lender’s credit report. Inquiries must be explained in writing.
DON’T attempt to consolidate bills before speaking with your lender
The lender can advise you if this needs to be done.
DON’T pack or ship information needed for the loan application
Important paperwork such as W-2 forms, divorce decrees, and tax returns should not be sent with your household goods. Duplicate copies take weeks to obtain, and could stall the closing date on your transaction.
Escrow
Escrow: What is it?
Escrow is the period of time between your offer being accepted and your purchase being finalized. Escrow is a deposit of funds, a deed or other instrument by one party for the delivery to another party upon completion of a particular condition or event
Why Do I Need an Escrow?
Whether you are the buyer, seller, lender or borrower, you want assurance that no funds or property will change hands until ALL of the instructions in the transaction have been followed. The escrow holder has the obligation to safeguard the funds and/or documents while they are in the possession of the escrow holder, and to disburse funds and/or convey title only when all provisions of the escrow have been complied with. The escrow officer is a neutral third party and does not represent any one party.
Your title company will provide you with a preliminary title report for the buyer to be made aware of any encumbrances on the property.
Your title company also provides title insurance to ensure delivery of clean title
How Does Escrow Work?
The principals to the escrow—buyer, seller, lender, agents cause escrow instructions, most usually in writing, to be created, signed and delivered to the escrow officer. If a broker is involved, he will normally provide the escrow officer with the information necessary for the preparation of your escrow instructions and documents. The escrow officer will process the escrow, in accordance with the escrow instructions, and when all conditions required in the escrow can be met or achieved, the escrow will be “closed.” The duties of an escrow holder include: following the instructions given by the principals and parties to the transaction in a timely manner; handling the funds and/or documents in accordance with the instruction; paying all bills as authorized; responding to authorized requests from the principals; closing the escrow only when all terms funds in accordance with instructions and provide an accounting for same: the Closing or Settlement Statement. The escrow officer can ONLY take instructions from all parties in agreement No one party in the transaction can soley give instructions. The escrow officer does not represent any one party— they are a neutral 3rd party in the transaction
Escrow
How Long Does Escrow Last?
This is determined on a case by case basis and will be written into the offer Generally, 30 days is common. However, in some cases, you (or the seller) may need more time. In some cases, it is shorter, for example with an all cash deal.
Who Chooses the Escrow?
In the Bay Area, it is usually the buyer’s choice, as the buyer pays the escrow fees. The selection of the escrow holder is normally done by agreement between the principals If a real estate broker is involved in the transaction, the broker may recommend an escrow holder. However, it is the right of the principals to use an escrow holder who is competent and who is experienced in handling the type of escrow at hand. There are laws that prohibit the payment of referral fees; this affords the consumer the best possible escrow services without any compromise caused by a person receiving a referral fee
What Happens During Escrow?
The escrow period gives all parties involved the time needed to comply with the terms of the offer and prepare to transfer title from the seller to the buyer During this period, you do several things, all of which your agent will help you with:
01
You put down a refundable deposit of 3% of the purchase price which is held by the title company
02
Your lender processes your loan and will ask you for various information needed to approve you
03
You review and sign disclosures
04
You do your due diligence on the property, and remove your contingencies by the deadlines you requested in your offer
05
You have any inspections you wrote into your offer done
06
The lender orders an appraisal for the property
07
You sign all loan and title documents when they are ready
08
Closing happens a couple days after you sign documents
Our Exclusive Pre Advantage
Private Exclusive
A Private Exclusive listing is an off-market home that can be shared by a Compass agent with their Compass colleagues directly Property details aren’t disseminated and won’t appear on public home search websites. Listing your home as a Private Exclusive allows you to control what information is shared while still getting exposure to top agents at Compass.
compass.com/private-exclusives
Compass Coming Soon gives us valuable opportunities to market your property while building anticipation among potential buyers and pressuretesting our pricing strategy — all without accruing days on market.
compass.com/coming-soon
2–3x
7% ~19% More views by consumers and agents* Fewer days on market vs. listings that go straight to active** More traffic at an open house***
The Compass Advantage
Compass takes a tech-driven, personalized approach, combining a collaborative agent community, in-house creative agency, and the industry’s most tenured leadership team.
