sell your home2

You may decide to sell your home for a number of reasons. A promotion at work, a transfer to another area, an increase in family size or a need to scale down to a smaller home, even financial difficulties can cause you to decide to sell your home. Whatever the reason you must determine the best way to go about selling your home that will achieve the quickest and most profitable sale.

DECIDE ON HOW TO MARKET YOUR HOME

You may borrow some marketing books from the library and make an effort to sell your home yourself. You might consult with a real estate attorney, or with a Realtor. You could decide to enter into a contract with a Real Estate Company through a specific Real Estate Agent. If you decide the later, you are hiring that agent/company to market your home for a given period of time and agreeing to pay that company a percentage of the eventual sale price of your home.

At time of listing, the I will need the following:

· Complete information about your mortgage(s)

· A copy of your deed

· A copy of your survey

· Homeowners’ association information

· Any covenants and restrictions

· Existing termite policies

· Homeowners’ insurance information

· A list of the improvements you have made to the home and the cost of those improvements

· A list of your utility companies and the average cost of their use

The largest part of the listing contract will be an outline of the above information, along with a detailed description of you home. Upon your decision to list, this information becomes available to every company that belongs to your FMLS service (first multiple Listing Service), and MLS service, in our municipal area. The shorter part of the listing contract describes the agreement between you and the Real Estate Company: length of listing, commission percentage, different type of agencies, etc.

*Note: If you try to sell your home yourself, you should gather the information listed above and create a listing description outlining the finer features of your home.

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PAGE CONTENTS:

DECIDE TO SELL

HOW TO MARKET

RESEARCH VALUES

LIST AMENITIES

REMOVE NEGATIVES & OBJECTIONS

ADVERTISE & MARKET

LIST INQUIRIES

PREPARE TO SHOW

REVIEW OFFERS

FOLLOW UP TO CLOSING

THE CLOSING

RESEARCH HOME VALUES IN YOUR AREA:

Take a drive through the neighborhoods around your home. Be aware of the other homes that are for sale. Pull flyers when available. Do these neighborhoods have swim and tennis? Are the homes similar in size and style to your home? Are there an abundance of homes currently for sale, or is the market lacking good homes to purchase? Supply and demand plays a large roll in determining the value of your home. An over saturated market will cause home prices to drop and homes will take longer to sell. Likewise, if there are limited homes to buy in your area, your home may be worth more due to a lack of supply.

You may:

Choose to get an appraisal ( be sure to specify a market value appraisal).
Research on the internet sites that supply you with past sales in your area.
Go to your county tax records and ask to see the files on homes in your subdivision.
Contact a real estate agent: As your agent, you and I will discuss the pricing of your home, taking into consideration all the factors that affect the resale market in you area. I will provide to you enough information to make a sound educated decision in determining the asking price of your home.

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CREATE A LIST OF AMENITIES PERTAINING TO YOUR HOME:

You bought your home, selected from many other homes available at the time of your purchase. What attracted you to your home? What are the finer aspects of your home that might be attractive to a buyer? What have you done to improve or upgrade your home since you have owned your home? Compose a list of everything that you love about your home. Look at your neighborhood; your subdivision amenities should also be included in your list. When you are selling your home you have to show purchasers why your home is special and deserves to be considered among their buying choices. Create marketing material and colorful flyers outlining the finer features, improvements, and neighborhood amenities of your home; with interior and exterior pictures. As your Agent, you and I will review the finer features of your home and community. I will provide all of the marketing materials for your home.

REMOVE THE NEGATIVES OVERCOME OBJECTIONS:

Walk through your home as though you were a buyer. Purchasers do not walk into homes looking for reasons to buy. Purchasers typically walk through a home looking for reasons to eliminate the home. Home buying is a process of education and elimination. Try to honestly look at your home and make a list of all the objections that you can find. Then sort the items on your list according to what you are willing to do. If you decide to sell your home yourself you will have to try to be objective when comprising this list. As a homeowner, you have lived comfortably in your home and have a lot of wonderful memories which may affect your objective thinking. Remember, each purchaser has his or her own thoughts, likes and dislikes. Try to be impartial when you are deciding which negative factors you should correct. Get estimates for the jobs too big for you to handle. As your Agent I will help you decide which negative factors you may want to correct and if the expense to correct will promote a quicker and more profitable sale. I can provide a list of vendors and handymen that can help with needed repairs. Presenting your home in the best showing condition will result in a quicker sale, for more money!

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DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO ADVERTISE AND MARKET YOUR HOME TO PURCHASERS:

Develop a marketing plan. Decide how often, when, and where, you will advertise your home. Make a list of all your avenues available for advertising your home; along with the costs of each media type. Do not forget the Internet, create a website showing your home, include interior and exterior photos. Use your web address in all your advertising so that purchasers can preview your home from their computers. As your Agent, my job will be to market your home to prospective purchasers, as well as to other Agents. The majority of qualified buyers are working with Agents. Marketing to Agents will be on the top of my list along with marketing to the public.

· KEEP A LIST OF ALL INQUIRIES:

If you market your home yourself, you will have to deal with the people who call you, asking questions about your home. Ask a few questions in return. Are you looking to purchase a home in this area? Have you recently moved here? How long have you be looking for a home? Do you have a home to sell? Do you have children? Will they be attending public school? Have you spoken to a loan officer? May I have your name and phone number for my showing records? You will be surprised how easy this process becomes. You will quickly learn, by asking a few direct questions, whether these prospects are legitimate buyers or just “tire kickers”.

*When marketing your home yourself; only allow someone to come and view your home after they have supplied you with their name and phone number. Check the number in the phone book, on the Internet, check your caller ID, or just find a reason to return a call to the prospective buyer. Be sure that the number is a legitimate phone number, belonging to the prospective buyers, before you allow the callers to visit your home. Never show your home to people just knocking on your door, and never show your home when you are alone. As your Agent, I will take prospective purchasers through the pre-qualifying stages. I will ask these questions and more. I have had years of experience working with buyers and responses to ads. It will be my job to determine if the caller is a legitimate buyer and then supply the buyer with enough information about your home to get them in the front door. As a member of REALSAFE.NET I will provide to you an added agent security at no additional cost to you the seller!

*Keep this list handy so that you can place another call to the purchaser after the showing in order to determine if the purchaser has any further interest in your home. If the purchaser is not interested, ask them why. This may help to to better market your home. As your agent, I will be handling all feedback calls and reporting to you with the results.

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· PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SHOWINGS:

It is a well know fact that purchasers prefer to look at homes when the seller is not home. When a home is listed, the purchaser is accompanied by an agent. The purchaser is not alone in your home. If you are selling your home yourself, you need to ignore this fact. Put all of your small valuable items away in a secure location. Try to brighten up your home prior to a showing. Open your curtains and blinds, turn on lights in dark rooms, and make sure your homes smell fresh. Put away all clutter, leaving clean counters and furniture surfaces. Add some flowers in pots, indoors and outdoors, depending on the season. Have all pets secure and out of the way. Selling your home for at a bargain price is easy, selling your home for top dollar takes some effort. As your agent, I will provide you with a list of ways to help improve the presentation of your home to promote a quicker sale, and a higher sale price.

REVIEWING THE OFFERS:

When the day comes that you receive an offer to purchase your home, you will need to have some knowledge of Real Estate sales contracts. Thoroughly reviewing the sales contract prior to negotiating or accepting an offer is a must. A written offer to purchase your home is a legally binding contract. Be informed as to what you are signing before you sign. As your Agent, and under your instruction, I will be negotiating a contract in your behalf. I will be working to secure an agreement that is in your best interest. I have had years of training and experience in negotiations and understanding our Real Estate contract language. Do not forget to check the purchasers' ability to buy your home. Get a letter of pre-qualification from the buyers' lender. If you are not sure of what you are about to sign, consult an attorney. TOP OF PAGE

FOLLOW UP TO CLOSING:

Make a list of all contingencies and their due dates. Mark a calendar with these dates, and do not forget to check for pending contingencies. Follow up with the purchasers’ lender, call to check the progress of the loan. Arrange for a closing attorney; secure a time for your closing. Attorneys’ calendars quickly fill up at the end of each month. Check on the appraisal, survey, termite, and home inspection contingencies that must be satisfied.. Arrange to have all home inspection repairs completed prior to closing. Provide the purchaser with a list of your utilities. Expect your purchasers to “walk-thru” you home prior to closing, to check that the requested repairs have been completed. As your Agent I will be monitoring all of the follow-up details while you prepare for your move.

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HOMES FOR SALE

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THE CLOSING:

Unless prior arrangements have been made for a power of attorney, all owners of your home need to be present at your closing, along with the purchasers. You will need a picture ID, a clean termite certificate, and any other paperwork required in your contract. At the closing you will be given brief summaries of the papers you will be asked to sign. After all parties have signed all the required paperwork, you will give the new purchasers keys to their new home, and you will receive the proceeds from the sale. Congratulations, you have sold your home! As your Agent, I will be attending closing with you. I will review your HUD1 (closing statement), checking for errors. If you have any questions or issues, I will be there to help you get answers. TOP OF PAGE

Selling your home may be even more stressful than it was buying your home. My job will be to walk you through the necessary steps for successfully selling your home in the most efficient, stress-free manner possible.