The importance of pricing your home correctly shouldn’t be overlooked, especially if you are looking to make a quick sale. When pricing a home a number of factors have to be taken into consideration and these can change quite often. If your home is overpriced it will most likely be on the market longer while interest in it will wane. On the other hand, if underpriced you will feel cheated when you realize that it could have fetched more.

I prepare a thoughtful and thorough Comparative Market Analysis for every seller. That said, below is some food for thought I have learned through the years. I keep these considerations and more in mind as I work with you to determine the optimal asking price for your home.

When should you increase your listing price?

• In a seller’s market the increased in interest from prospective buyers willing to pay more usually causes prices to increase. 
• If your home has extra features lacking in other homes listed in the area.
• There has been an upgrade since the initial listing.
• To attract new interest in your property.
• Your appraisal value, after an offer has been accepted, comes in at a higher price than your asking price.
• Special circumstances in your area create a situation where there is a bigger demand than available properties for sale.

When would a price reduction or adjustment be called for?  

• There has been no interest in your listing.
• A slower market is advantageous to buyers.
• It’s best to avoid too many price reductions so listen to your agent’s advice. They will examine all the facts, including the history of your homes listing in comparison with other active listings. 
• Distressed markets often lead to price wars which could result in an offer better than the selling price.

If you are not interested in a price reduction there are two solutions if the market is slow:

• Hang on to your house or consider offering it for rental.
• Take the house off the market entirely and relist as a fresh listing (this is best done in consultation with your agent to follow the procedure correctly).

Real estate is a challenging and ever-changing industry. Staying in the know about my local market helps me do my very best for you as a seller. Let’s talk soon if you are in need of trusted, sensible, experienced professional. 

Just because I am a REALTOR® does not mean I don’t understand what motivates home sellers to consider selling their home themselves. I like saving money too!

That’s the rub… research shows that selling yourself does not guarantee more profit in your pocket. If you think your will profit more by not paying a REALTOR® commission, think again. According to the National Association of Realtor®'s 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, statistics show that selling your home with the assistance of a professional real estate agent will garner you a higher profit, enough to cover the commission as well as put more money in your pocket.

Here are some more benefits of using a REALTOR®:

More exposure

Most prospective buyers don’t buy print newspapers anymore. When searching for a home, they will most likely use a multiple listing service database such as Trulia, Zillow and others.  These databases have sophisticated ways to showcase properties and use photographs, virtual tours and marketing principles. They also capture the buyer’s details, something difficult for you as it’s impossible to be online 24/7 to follow leads.

Faster sale and less personal involvement

Real estate websites have a larger database of potential buyers allowing more people to view your home and faster. No signage on the curb, attracting browsers, instead of serious buyers! I show your home at a time most convenient to you and only to serious buyers.

Negotiation and paperwork

I am fully qualified to help you price your home correctly. You won’t personally have to haggle with the potential buyer, his attorney, home inspection companies, appraisers or your bank. You might also need to find the titles of your home. The paperwork involving the sale of properties has become complicated and has to be completed correctly.

Give me a call and let me sell your home in an uncomplicated and professional way!

The housing market has proven its resilience over the years. A decade ago it had hit rock bottom with prices falling to historical lows. This housing crash is now a distant memory as prices have steadily increased over the last five years.

With a strengthening economy, rising employment figures and low interest rates buyers are flooding the market that has too few homes to sell. This low inventory has many causes and includes: homeowners who prefer to renovate rather than move, baby boomers who have decided not to downgrade, decreased development of new homes, distressed properties converted by investors into rentals and millennial buyers purchasing their first homes.

There are sellers who are been driven to sell by the tax changes which will be implemented in the 2018 tax year. They are trying to stay within the deductible tax limit on their mortgage interest and in areas with lower property taxes.

If you are looking for a quick sale in this seller’s market, then keep the following in mind:

• Spring and early summer is an optimal time to sell
• Consult with your agent to ensure that you price your home correctly; an overpriced home can stagnate on the market
• A CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) is the best way to find the true worth of your home and how to best market it
• Even though there is a demand for homes remain practical about what your home will sell for, according to your area
• Tackle any touch ups and make sure that your home is tidy
• Stage your home to make it appealing to prospective buyers

I offer thorough valuation estimates, strong marketing strategies, and a keen eye for the local home selling climate. Think of me as your trusted REALTOR® for your next home sale.

The traditional home sale process involves negotiation, contracts, and meeting milestones before the buyer and seller come to the closing table.  These milestones can include financing approval for the buyer, the home inspection, gaining clear title, satisfying a home sale contingency, and more.

Let’s take a close look at the ‘home sale contingency’. This is a common, yet more complex, and not always easily understood, contingency.

What does having a home sale contingency mean?

It means that the buyer is still trying to sell their current home, has not closed on it yet, and needs time before continuing with the purchase. The buyer makes the seller a purchase offer, and the seller accepts, subject to the buyer selling their present home first. The most common home sale contingent offers are:

• The seller’s property will stay on the market, but the buyer will have a negotiable timeframe of a first-right-of-refusal notice to act on if the seller receives a better offer. The time will be agreed on in advance and can be anything from 24 hours to a few days. If the seller gets another offer, the buyer has that amount of time to remove the contingency or the seller has a right to cancel the contract and return any deposit that has been placed.
• The seller takes the property off the market and gives the buyer a time frame for selling their existing home. If the buyer has not managed to sell by the end of the allotted days, the buyer can cancel the contract, receive the deposit back and the seller will have to find another buyer.

If you are the buyer with a contingency it might be a good idea to be prepared with the financing if you don’t want to lose the home in the event of not having sold your existing home in time. 

Once contingency is removed (according to the terms agreed upon), the seller will need proof that the buyer has the funds available to close.

Contingencies of this type can get complicated, as there are expectations, and timetables to consider. I understand the intricacies involved with contingencies and guide my clients from the negotiation stage, to the closing table, and beyond.

According to REALTOR.org, over 90% of prospective home buyers do their initial search online. Listings with quality photos sell faster and at a better price.

No matter what price bracket your home falls in, first impressions are important and are made when the buyer finds your home on the web. If your home’s photos are not appealing, they will just move on to the next one.

Quality photos will tweak the emotions of any buyer, allowing them to imagine how they could build a lifestyle around your home. 

In order for photos to be effective and appealing certain principles have to be applied by the photographer.

Here are items my preferred photographers address.

Initial contact with your home

Taking time to inspect your home. This gives them the ability to analyze how well-lit it is, what time of the day it’s best to do the shoot, and which angles are best to shoot from. They might even take some trial photos.

Staging

If your home is furnished the photographer and stylist might want to make changes like removing personal items or rearranging furniture. This makes your home more neutral and allows the buyer to imagine living there.  Empty homes have very little appeal so it’s best to do a good staging before photographing. You want to appeal to the emotions of the home buyer!

Less is more

Usually, about 10 photos of the interior and another 5-10 of the exterior are more than enough. 

All-purpose photographs

Once the photos have been taken it is important that they work well, not only on websites, but also in printed media.

My seller services are thorough and address all facets of marketing your home for the best terms and pricing when sold. Contact me if you are thinking of selling so we can establish a smart selling plan with your best interests in mind.