Selling

Selling your home can be very exciting or daunting, it all depends on the advice you receive. When you work with me, I will ensure that the experience is a pleasant and memorable one. I have prepared a sellers’ guide that will help you find material regarding the most important aspects of selling a home, including:

• Do you have the necessary financial management skills?
• How financially stable are you?
• Are you ready to take on the responsibility of all the costs involved in homeownership, including mortgage payments, repairs, and maintenance?
• Are you able to devote the time required for home maintenance?

Prepare Your Home so It’s Attractive to Buyers

First impression is crucial whether you are meeting someone for the first time or presenting your home to prospective buyers. They begin judging your home the moment they see it, and buyers (almost always) prefer homes that are well-maintained, clean and clutter-free. Less is more!

There are three kind of home improvements that will impress buyers and help you sell for top market value

• Renovations (new paint, floor covering, cabinet doors and hardware)
• Upgrades and repairs (fix doorbells, tighten loose doorknobs, touch up all exterior paint)
• Reorganization/maintenance (mow the lawn, power wash the porch, remove closet clutter)

As an experienced realtor, I know what buyers are looking for today, and my ideas can help you maximize your home appeal. Sometimes a small investment in time and money can give you edge over the competition, and in turn generate a sale faster at a higher price. For example, a minor renovation can really improve the overall impression of your property’s character and quality.

Five Major Factors that Determine Price

Following are the five major factors that determine price. Competition and location can’t be controlled but price, condition and terms can be evaluated carefully and structured to suit your needs.

• Terms
• Timing
• Competition
• Location
• Condition

Strategically Setting an Asking Price

The most important and challenging aspect of selling a home is determining the best asking price. You want to balance it out. Don’t set a price so high that it discourages showings and don’t set a price low enough that it results in you losing out on cash. It is even more important now than ever to seek out the advice of an experienced realtor because we are in a buyer’s market that is fraught with many economic uncertainties.

When trying to determining your home’s value, you should:

1. Try to be impartial. Unfortunately, the market is not interested in how much you need to sell it for to buy your next home or to meet your financial goals.
2. Remember why you are selling. Do you want to sell or you need to sell? Your personal situation may dictate the amount you get for your house.
3. Research online and in person. Find out about your local market by researching online as well as going by going to open houses in your areas and making comparisons.

I will also give you a comparative Market Analysis (CMA) drawn from a local database that presents pricing information, property details and photos of homes similar to yours. Typically, studying what has worked in your area and what hasn’t will help you strategically price, position, and stage your property.

Negotiating the Deal

Almost always, negotiating the transaction is the most complex part of the process. At the same time, it requires the most creativity. With years of experience, I have successfully worked through many different scenarios. I understand what’s important to you, what your situation entails, your priorities and needs. I know not to give your situation away to the buyer and his/her agent, as well as respecting the priorities of the buyer.

Complete the Transaction

Upon accepting the Offer to Promise to Purchase, you are in a legally binding agreement. A third-party professional, usually a lawyer conducts the proceedings, reviews the sales agreement and does the following:

• Determines the total amount due from the buyer and collects the check.
• Determines all the adjustments (e.g. seller prepayment of taxes, utilities, etc.) and ensures that they’re factored into transaction.
• Assures that the transaction costs (closing, legal fees, etc.) are paid.
• Determines the seller’s payments, credits and adjusted net proceeds.
• Witnesses the seller’s signing of the property title and all other documentation associated with the transaction.
• Collects the keys and any other necessary items from the seller.
• Provides the seller with the net proceeds as well as copies of the documentation pertaining to the sale.
• Ensures that the buyer’s title is properly recorded in the local records office along with any mortgage liens.