The first question you might want to ask yourself is, “Why do I want to sell my home?” Do you need more space? Are you an empty nester looking for a smaller space? Have you accepted a job in a different part of the country? All of these questions affect the potential sale of your home and the negotiation process.You may also want to begin making a list of all of the interior and exterior projects that you want to complete before placing your home on the market. Give me a call and I’d be happy to meet with you to put together the list with you.

Assessing your home is key in beginning the home selling process. You may want to ask yourself, “What would I like to see or not see if I were touring this home as a potential home buyer?” Problems like chipped paint, dirty walls, windows, and doors, unfinished remodeling projects and cluttered garages are all areas for home selling improvement. Neat, tidy, and organized sells! If you don’t have time or can’t get your home ready for sale, then we can discuss the difference it will make in time on the market and sales price. It might be worth hiring someone to complete these projects.

There are a number of factors that go into determining the value of a home:

1) It is realistic to compare the homes in your area and the asking prices of those homes.

2) The law of supply and demand always comes into play. Do you live in an area with increasing job opportunities or an increasing supply of homes?

3) Are there many bank-owned or short sale properties in your neighborhood?

4) Owners’ needs greatly impact the selling price of a home. Do you need a quick sell or do you have time to sit on your sale?

5) The selling price is not cut and dry. On many occasions, the seller will negotiate the price, split closing costs or offer different allowances to the buyer in order to make the sale of the home complete.

There are a number of different ways that an agent can drive traffic to view your home:

*Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

*Open Houses

*Websites/Internet

*Realtor Tours

Contact me for your custom marketing plan for your property.

An acceptable offer depends on many different things:

1) The offer price and terms.

2) The time frame of the seller – Does the seller have another house payment? Insurance?

3) Does the owner have enough time to wait for the broker to bring them more potential buyers?

4) What if the home is listed and never receives a single offer?

5) What if several offers are received at the same time?

I will help you with all of these situations.

This negotiating process can at times seem very complicated. However, I can make the process as easy and hassle-free as possible. During the negotiating process of the sale of a home, the seller can react in one of three different ways:

1) Accept the buyer’s proposed offer

2) Decline the buyer’s offer

3) Make a new counter-offer

The closing process is always changing. It is even referred to as “settlement” or “escrow” in different parts of the county. With increased technology, both parties do not have to be present at the same time to sign. The transaction process usually takes about 30 days to complete. This mainly depends on the buyer’s financing availability, a successful home inspection, and various lender conditions (ex. title search, title insurance, termite inspections, surveys and appraisals).

The closing process is the transfer of the title of the property from the buyer to the seller. The buyer will receive the keys to the home or the deed to the land, while the seller receives payment for the property. The amount the seller receives is based upon the amount that is still owed on the mortgage, any outstanding fees or taxes, and any additional closing costs. All legal papers are filed with the local record office.In this step, the buyers and sellers do very little. It is important as the seller and the buyer take a final walk through the property to make sure the property’s condition has not changed. It is equally important for both the buyer and seller to make sure the paperwork they are signing reflects the agreement of the original sale.

Moving can be one of the most emotional times in your life. It evokes the thrill of something new … new career, a new neighborhood, a new home. While this may sound great to some people, for others, these changes can be an emotional roller coaster. The key to surviving your move is to first analyze the situation. You may want to ask yourself this question, “What does my move entail? Will I be moving across the country or just down the block? Could I handle the move myself, provided I have the right packing materials and friends to help or do I need to explore the option of hiring a professional moving company?” There are many resources available to people preparing for a move. Refer to the Moving Checklist for more information.