Selling Your Home

Preparing Your Home    Selecting Agent    Pricing    Marketing    Inspection    

About a CMA        CMA      Short Sales and Foreclosures

In order to get the highest price in the shortest time, you need to know how to market your home. The better you market your home, the more offers you will get. The more offers you get, the more choices you have to get the price and terms you want. You also should use the best real estate agent to help you. Ask your friends and family for referrals. Usually a local agent is the best. They know the area and the recent activity. You can choose to sell yourself but you are limiting your exposure. You will not have the numerous other realtors have access to your home through MLS plus most realtors sell throught the internet.

Most FISBOs (For Sale By Owner) end up listing with a real estate agent after a few weeks and those who do sell themselves, usually have to settle for a price from which the buyer has already deducted a saved commission. You can go this route if you wish, but it is much easier and usually more profitable to put your home in a professional's hands. More information

The most important factor of marketing your home is pricing it right. Your price should be adjusted to reflect the market, and the property's worth. The key is to get many people checking out your property at a fair price instead of having no buyers because your price is set too high. Open houses are great...make sure your realtor schedules some for you. Realtors have access to sold, current listings and expired properties and can guide you here with the pricing and prepare a CMA (comparative market analysis) for you. From the CMA, you will find out the difference between the asking price and selling price for all homes sold, the condition of the market, and other houses comparable to yours.

The CMA will reflect the following:

Another important factor is the condition of your home. Make sure that your home looks ready to be sold. Today, with the glut of homes on the market, prospective buyers have many properties from which to choose and don't necessarily have the imagination or the desire to picture your house in its prime condition. They are looking for VALUE. 

Before you put your home on the market, you should make the necessary improvements needed. These repairs or improvements should be cost effective or value enhanced improvements. For example: you do not need a brand new kitchen as that is not a cost effective improvement. Instead, paint the walls (and cabinets) if needed, add a new faucet, buy new knobs for the cabinets, look into new stainless steel appliances and a more modern flooring. This can give you the look you need and give you a good return on the money spent. The main reasons sellers go through this expense and effort is to sell their homes faster and for a higher price.

 However, if you choose not to fix up your home, you can still sell it. Homes can be sold in any condition IF IT IS PRICED RIGHT. Something to remember....price is not what you need but what it is worth!

Also if you are selling your home in a holiday season - make sure your home is not over-decorated. Prospective buyers may just see your decorations, not your house. Keep everything in moderation - remember all buyers may not celebrate as you do and over doing it may turn them off completely on your house.

Make a good first impression by preparing your home....

If you want buyers to be interested in your home, you need to show it in its best light. A good first impression can influence a buyer into making an offer; it influences a buyer emotionally and visually. In addition, what the buyer first sees is what they think of when they consider the asking price. The price is the first thing buyers notice about your property. If you set your price too high, then the chance of alienating buyers is higher. You want your house to be taken seriously, and the asking price reflects how serious you are about selling your home.

Typically, there are some general fix ups that need to be done both outside and on the inside. As a seller, you should consider the following:
  • Landscaping - Curb appeal - the front yard should look well maintained - lawn and shrubs trimmed as well as any visible yard around the house
  • Driveway - should be clean and not cluttered with toys or trash - if cracked, consider patching it yourself or have a professional do it
  • Painting - the shutters. windows, garage doors etc should look clean and well taken care of
  • Carpeting - there should be no stains or dirt - have them professionally cleaned if necessary

If you order your own home inspection before you list your property, you will be aware of any problems and can correct them beforehand. This may save you from losing a sale. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy selling your home and finding your own "new home". 

Information on Selling Your Own Home - FISBO

Many owners try to sell their homes themselves thinking they will save money. In some cases this is true. However, it is not always the case.

Buyers are very knowledgeable today thanks to the internet. They do their homework before they start their quest. Automatically they deduct what they believe is the agent's commission from the asking price. With access to such websites as Realtor.com ,they know what the asking price of similar houses are asking on the market.

By selling yourself, you must

  • always be available to handle the inquiries
  • show the home yourself
  • prepare all brochures etc
  • consult and pay for services of lawyer to prepare papers
  • pay for own advertising
  • handle all pre-settlement

If this seems overpowering to you, there is a new option - firms that "help you sell". You pay a discount fee and they shoulder some of the work. This also has some downfalls. Some could be

  • tie you into a time contract
  • do not get you the exposure you need
  • will not cooperate with other brokers

Four out of 5 buyers use the services of a real estate agent. To find these buyers, your home needs all the exposure it can get. You may find it wiser to use the services of a realtor. They are experienced, know the market and will work for and with you - see agency

If it is the commission that is your main concern, remember COMMISSIONS ARE NEGOTIABLE

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FASY REAL ESTATE - "Your SECOND home is our FIRST priority!"  

   609.398.8000       fax: 609.398.5084       cell: 609.602.4493


 


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