Selling your home for Top Dollar  


Isn't that what it's really all about?  Whether its California Real Estate or real estate anywhere in the nation, it always comes down to the basics.

How can you net as much as possible from your home as efficiently as possible.

It's in your best interest to be educated. Pay close attention to every detail. 

As Your Real Estate Agent it is my responsibility to help you succeed in selling your home quickly, painlessly, and for top $$$.

After all, my Real Estate Agent's reputation depends on referrals generated from 100% client satisfaction!

There are a few great secrets that are useful in achieving this goal

Using a Real Estate Agent or going it alone?  


The main reason that home owners decide to sell their homes themselves is to save the commission charged by a real estate agent. The commission rate may vary, depending on where you live or what agency you choose, but it is generally upwards of 6%. Weighing against that commission rate are the advantages that having an agent offers.

Advantages of using a real estate agent:

• Handling your own sale means you will be responsible for placing ads, answering phones and showing your home to strangers, a real estate agent has marketing systems in place for listing and selling homes.
• An agent will take the potential buyer through the home at scheduled times; an agent can sell the house, not just show the house.
• The Agent is experienced in the local market and will help you determine a proper selling price.
• The agent will negotiate with the buyer for you.
• The agent can find qualified buyers.
• An agent can offer advice on preparing the house for a faster sale, and closer to the asking price.
• When you're selling on your own buyers who know you are saving on an agent’s commission may offer less for your home, wiping out the financial incentive to do it all yourself.

Remember: a real estate agent probably knows a lot more about the business of selling a home than you do.

In the end the decision is yours. If you have lots of spare time, and some experience that will allow you to research the market, establish a competitive price and then show and sell your home, you may feel going it alone is the answer. If your time is valuable, the commission a real estate agent takes will more than pay for itself.

Are you ready to move?

The home-selling process typically starts several months before a property is made available for sale. It's necessary to look at a home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and determine what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and tossed out.

Ask yourself: If you were buying this home what would you want to see? The goal is to show a home which looks good, maximizes space and attracts as many buyers - and as much demand - as possible.

While part of the "getting ready" phase relates to repairs, painting and other home improvements, this is also a good time to ask why you really want to sell.

Selling a home is an important matter and there should be a good reason to sell - perhaps a job change to a new community or the need for more space. Your reason for selling can impact the negotiating process so it's important to discuss your needs and wants in private with the REALTOR(R) who lists your home.


Factor #1 - Selecting your Realtor

I can't stress enough how critical the selection of a Realtor is towards your success in satisfying your ultimate objective. There are many different guidelines which you may want to examine, but above all, in my opinion, is finding an agent you can trust to act in your best interest. Finding the right agent can be a chore in itself.

Talk to several agents before picking the one you want to work with.
Walk through your home with an agent to get a feel for how that person will handle prospective buyers.
Ask prospective agents how they plan to market your home.
Don’t sign with an agent just because he or she suggests the highest asking price.
Negotiate the broker’s commission prior to listing your home, and sign for a limited period of time—usually three to six months. 

Remember: your agent has a fiduciary obligation to act in your best interest. They are there to represent you in the real estate transaction and the value of their skills and experience should not be underestimated. 

However, if you do hire a real estate professional as your selling agent, do your homework. Ask friends and family for recommendations, interview several candidates, attend a few open houses and watch the professional in action. Do you think this person would present your house well to potential clients?

When interviewing me or another candidate, ask him or her to prepare a “comparative marketing analysis” for your house. This might include a demographic of the neighborhood, the quality of schools in the area and a suggested list price for the property.

If you’ve chosen me or another real estate professional to help sell your home, you’ll have to sign a contract stating that you’ll work solely with them for a designated number of months, often between one and six months. This means no other real estate professional will be allowed to sell your home on your behalf during this time.

So put some thought into the professional you choose and if you decide to choose me, I will help you sell your home to a qualified buyer for the highest market price in the quickest, most convenient timeline. 


Factor #2 - Establishing the proper selling price

This is always an interesting topic. Here again, relying on the experience of an agent with a proven track record is key. Each case is different, depending on the time of year, your personal goals, and your ultimate scenario, but in the end the goals are usually the same; getting as much money as possible, in as little time as possible, with as little aggravation as possible. If we can pull that off, we're golden. 

The 2 Dangers you face are Overpricing and Underpricing 

Underpricing your home has obvious consequences. 
If you get 3 full price offers on your home the first day, you probably underpriced it.
Typically an agent who underprices a home does so for either of a few reasons:

#1 They are inexperienced and don't know what the true market value could be.
#2 They don't really care what the value is as long as they get paid quickly.
#3 They want to use Low Price instead of Aggressive marketing to get the home sold. 

Remember, an analysis of previous sales alone does NOT determine your homes value in today's marketplace. You must also consider "trending" and "future market options" in order to ensure that you set the price at precisely the right level. 

Overpricing on the other hand can be just as bad.
By overpricing your home, several bad things can happen;

First, you can cause it to sit on the market for longer than necessary.....,
        resulting in you making more interest payments on the mortgage loan.
Secondly, you can "miss the market", waiting to adjust the price ......
        until a less advantage time seasonally or marketwise to sell your home.
Third, you may miss out on a valuable opportunity ......
        what if that dream home you've been waiting for disappears for the scene?
Why Would An Agent Knowingly Overprice Your Home?
 
Again 3 Simple Reasons (Hey I've always got 3 reasons for things!)

First, they figured that if they told you what you wanted to hear that they would have a better chance of getting the listing. Then, once they have the listing they'll get you to reduce the price later and it will sell.
 
Second, could be simple inexperience again. By not taking into account the different factors affecting the market, they could simply miss the boat. 

Lastly, in the case of some agents, they lose their objective professionalism and simply fall in to the Seller's line of thinking. I mean intellectually, the agent should know that the new gunite pool and new gold water faucet don't really ADD their $50,000 cost to the potential value of the home, but after a few hours of listening to the Seller itemize the cost of each nail that went into the home and every piece of wallpaper they start to buy into it and lose their objectivity. Unfortunately, the Buyers still remain objective, and hence the overpriced homes don't sell either. 

There are a number of factors that will affect the success of your home sale:
 
• The property's location and lot size.
• The home's condition, size and age, and any improvements you have made.
• Review the assessed value of your home, taxes, and utility costs.
• Repairs required.
• Economic conditions
• Supply and demand in the local housing market
• Seasonal influences
• Local schools
• Average home prices in the neighborhood
• Your home's extras -- pool, fireplace, central air, etc.

Some of these are not within your or my control – location of the home, interest rates, economic conditions. The other factors are items you should discuss with me to determine what would benefit the sale of this property most.

For example, marketing your property in more innovative ways, such as on an Internet site like this one, may broaden the pool of potential buyers. If you can, waiting for a good time to sell your home – spring or fall, the most popularly home buying times – also may help it sell faster except in this Seller's market, anytime is a good time. And pricing the home properly can make a huge difference in whether a house is snapped up within the first several weeks of listing or sits on the market for more than a year.

To price a home properly, you and I will have to study the local market, research comparable properties and consider current market conditions. This is where the “comparative marketing analysis” you requested when interviewing for a listing agent will come in handy as a place to start.

Now check around your neighborhood, your newspaper and Internet sites like this one for:
• Your competition: Are there many properties just like yours for sale in your area right now?
• Listing prices: What are other properties like yours listing for?
• Selling prices: What are other properties like yours selling for?

Based on these findings, I have the experience to help you price your property at the right price for a sale that benefits you. 


Factor #3 - Disclosing the Facts about your home 

No home is perfect! In one way or another, they all have defects to some extent. However, concealing problem areas can result in costly lawsuits....at your expense! The horror stories come in many forms. During the height of purchasing excitement, not everyone will notice the cracked foundation or faulty roof that leak only when it rains, turn on the hallway light to experience electrical gymnastics, or even flush the toilet to watch it overflow because the septic lines are blocked.

Undisclosed defects can come back to haunt, destroying what you originally considered protected....your pocketbook and peace of mind! It is in both your best interest and that of your purchaser to obtain a structural inspection during contract negotiation. Settlement and legal fees cost far more than if you had agreed to a price concession or repaired it yourself!


Factor #4 - Preparing your home for sale 

This is the easiest one because in many cases it's also the most obvious. 
Remember, there are plenty of easy and inexpensive improvement that you can make to improve your home’s interior.

Here's Ten Tips for preparing your home for showings. Many of them seem like common sense, but they're all very important to ensuring a Top Dollar Sale. 

#1 The way you live in a house and the way you sell a house are two different things. You're not trying to portray a "home family atmosphere", your trying to create a showplace. 

#2 Everything off the Kitchen counters that isn't VITAL to daily existence. That means the Canister set from your grandmother, the cookie jars, the bread maker, the cookbooks, and the pile of envelopes. You're moving anyway, now a good time to start packing. The coffee pot and toaster can stay. 

#3 Old green and gold carpets? Hardwood underneath? Rip it out! That's right, have people come on over rip out the rug, polish the hardwood and leave. NOT give the buyer a credit towards doing it. Do It! The old adage is, "The Buyer only knows what they see, not the way you say it's going to be" 

#4 Remove excess furniture. Take the leaf out of the dining room table; put the extra two chairs downstairs in the basement. Nix two of the coffee tables, a bureau or 2, and anything else you can get away with. We're looking for open and airy. 

#5 Take everything off the refrigerator door, and the top of the fridge too. It should look like a refrigerator, not an art gallery like in "normal people's homes." Remember, think showpiece. 

#6 Take down almost all of the family pictures. You don't want people staring at pictures of your kids. Especially if they're a young single couple who is not yet in child-mode. One or two is fine, but not the gallery of historic family photos lining the staircase. 

#7 Paint the Front Door and Trim around it, and perhaps the front foyer as well. It makes a great impression and the Buyers love the smell of new paint. Makes them feel like the home has been renovated. 

#8 Energy Savings go out the Window. Can all of those 60 watt bulbs and put in the 100 watt ones. If needed, go through the house and take down any of the little outdated light fixtures. Twenty dollars at Home Depot can buy you a cute new brass one which you can put up in no time. 

#9 Get three tubes of caulk and use them all up until they're gone. When in doubt caulk. As a famous lousy carpenter says, there's nothing a good caulking won't fix. Caulk around the bathtubs, and caulk where the kitchen and bath counters meet the wall, caulk the door and window moldings throughout at the corners. 

#10 Go out and buy one of those cute little potpourri cookers and get some of that pretty Christmas stuff to cook. People will remember that YOUR house was the one that smelled like a Christmas tree. Very distinctive on a day when they may have seen 10 homes or more. By the way, someone once told me to sprinkle some vanilla extract on the top of the light bulbs. I tried that once. Word of warning, be sure the Bulb is OFF and COLD. I blew one up and it wasn't fun. 


A clean home is your number one priority. 

Your windows, floors and bathroom tiles should sparkle. Make sure you have clean heating and air conditioning filters. Shampoo dirty carpets, clean tubs and showers, repair dripping faucets and oil squeaky doors. Keep your home neat, clean and picked-up at all times. It may not seem fair, but a peek in the oven may be the hallmark by which a buyer judges how well you have kept up your home. Consider how your home smells. You may be used to the smell of a pet or cigarettes, but such odors can be a strong turn-off to potential buyers. Insure that your storage areas are tidy, and remove materials that may be to others who may not share your same views, beliefs or sense of humor. 

Setting the Mood 

On the day of a showing give your house a homey feeling, put out some live flowers and fresh guest towels in the bathroom. Place scented potpourri around the house or, pop a batch of frozen cinnamon rolls into the oven for a welcoming aroma. Remember, cosmetic changes do not have to be expensive, and giving the impression that your home is well maintained will help you get the price you want. 

Security 

Be certain to remove valuables such as jewelry and other items from view. It might be wise to put these items in a safe deposit box before showing your home. 

Curb Appeal - Appearance is everything.

When potential buyers drive by your home what do they see? A good first impression is key bringing in potential buyers. Take this list into consideration when looking at the outside of your home: 

• Is the yard well maintained? Lawns mowed, hedges trimmed?
• Are garbage and debris stored out of sight?
• Are lawn mowers and hoses properly stored?
• Is the garage door closed?
• Does the house need painting- the window casings, shutters, siding or doors?
• Are there cracks in the foundation or walkways?
• Does the driveway need resurfacing?
• Are the gutters, chimney and walls in good condition? 

By taking care of the little and often inexpensive details you can sell your home faster and at the price you are looking for.



Get Your Paperwork Together

If you’ve chosen me or another real estate professional to help sell your home, you’ll have to sign a contract (Listing Agreement) stating that you’ll work solely with them for a designated number of months, often between one and six months. This means no other real estate professional will be allowed to sell your home on your behalf during this time.

So put some thought into the professional you choose and when you decide to choose me, I will help you sell your home to a qualified buyer for the highest market price in the quickest, most convenient timeline. 

After you sign the Listing Agreement with a real estate agent will need a lot of documents from you to prepare your home for sale. Among the things she/he will need to see are: 

• Pay-off Notice: A letter to the lender stating intention to payoff the mortgage.
• Assessments or Easements: If there’s a tax assessment or easement on the property, documents stating such will have to be included in the purchase contract.
• Property Taxes: Proof of property taxes paid.
• Utilities: Provide a record of the past 12 months’ utility bills.

You’ll want to make it clear now which items in the home you want to take with you – the heirloom chandelier in the dining room, the washer and dryer set you just bought last month – and which can stay behind as part of the home sale. I can help show you which items you should put away or replace before your house go on the market. 



Market Your Home 

Products that sell well usually have a good marketing strategy. The same can be said for your home. Work with me to decide where you want to advertise. Will the house be advertised only with a yard sign? Do you want your house listed for sale not only in newspapers but also on Internet sites like this one? When can you make your house available for an “open house” showing?

When a potential buyer arrives for an “open house” or drives by and sees the for sale sign, you’ll want to provide a home profile handout that they can take with them. Decide what information should be included in the description of your home that will make it a must-see – and hopefully, a must-buy. Include one or more photos of the home to showcase the most appealing features of your property and help remind potential buyers of what they saw as they visit home after home.

You may even want to include a few lines about benefits of moving to this property, such as good schools, convenience to mass transit and other desirable community features. You'll work with me to discuss what the features and benefits of your property are. 

Respond to an Offer

Depending on market conditions, you may receive one or more offers for your property from interested buyers. Each offer will include the proposed offer price, proposed closing date, proposed move-in date, financing, and contingencies that may include an appraisal or sale of the buyers’ current home. Let me help you sort through the variables to determine whether you should accept, counter-offer or reject the offer.

If there are multiple offers, each offer will be presented to you in the order registered. You don’t need to decide anything until after you’ve seen all the offers. If you do accept or counter more than one offer, you are required to establish an order of precedence noting which are the primary offer and backup offers. This will help you avoid selling the house to more than one buyer. 

Qualifying a Buyer

At some point either you or the agent will need to determine the viability of a potential buyer. Identifying whether a potential buyer will be purchasing your home or not, depends on several factors: 

• The buyer's debt and credit history
• The buyer's current income and employment
• The buyer's cash position and availability of a down payment
• The length of time the buyer needs before closing on your home
• How interested the buyer appears to be in your home versus other homes 

Don't underestimate the time that it takes to deal with each potential buyer. Having the skill to determine if a person is serious and able to purchase your home can save you a lot of time and headaches. The experienced real estate agent like me can help you to find a qualified buyer.

Note: Subject Clauses – When a potential buyer makes an offer containing conditions, ensure you give a stipulated time limit for these conditions to be completed. When you enter a tentative agreement with a potential buyer your home is no longer available to other buyers. By setting a time limit reasonable to the potential buyer you are ensuring your agreement will be met in a timely manner either to complete the sale, or to make your home available to other buyers. You will not have a binding agreement until the conditions are removed, so ensure you are clear about deadlines from the start in order to keep the transition moving smoothly. Consider adding a clause that states if another potential buyer is interested in purchasing your home, and if the conditions are not met by the certain deadline, the Contract of Purchase and Sale will be cancelled.

Make sure you Read the interim offer from a potential buyer carefully and ensure you understand all terms. Discuss terms in interim bids with your REALTOR® and your lawyer to ensure all terms are clear. 


Complete the Settlement 

Once you have accepted an offer to buy your house, expect to make your house available to a housing inspector, a termite inspector, an appraiser and other inspectors. After seeing the results of the inspections, the buyer may request additional work is completed before purchase, such as repairing a damaged roof or fixing a leaky faucet. You should consult with me to determine whether to comply with the buyer’s request or risk losing this offer.

During this flurry of activity, try to keep your home in show condition. The deal has not closed and still may fall through, which may mean showing your home to more potential buyers.

In the meantime, the buyer is working with a lender to secure a loan for the purchase. When the buyer has written loan approval, a closing date can be set.

There will be a final walk-through before all signatures are collected and the deal considered done. The buyer will go room by room to check that everything is in working condition and, if you had agreed to do so, any additional work requested after inspection is completed.

Now you can prepare for your own move, notify your utility companies of the date to transfer your account to a new address and start packing. 



     Congratulations, you’ve sold your home! 



    When you choose me as Your Realtor, I will help you
to succeed in selling your home.  
I'm committed to work hard to help you earn topfor your home, in the shortest amount of time and with the greatest ease.



Please don't hesitate to   Contact me  for all your real estate needs and 


    for   Comparative Market Analysis   on your home!