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A home valuation is achieved by taking an average of comparable sold properties in your subdivision or legal community in the last 6 to 12 months. An appraiser is going to base the average on “Sold” and closed properties only. “Active” or “Pending” sales are never used to determine a market value as they do not have final These comparable sales need to be in the same age range, square footage range, and condition or quality range as the subject property. From these sold properties and appraiser will determine an average price per square foot for the area and therefore determine a good base price and then small adjustments are made for differences in features, quality, and square footage. “Active” or “Pending” listings are never used to a valuation as these do not have final sales data.
Sellers can become extremely anxious over the thought of having to clear out and fix up their home. In many cases so much so that it can prevent them from putting the place on the market in the first place.
In most cases, there’s no need to panic, or to overthink the condition of the home. “Many times, there’s far less to do than homeowners think.” So before spending months delaying and trying to estimate how much you are going to spend
Contact one of our Realtors for a free evaluation. You might be pleasantly surprised by your current sales options.
Nationally, houses are taking 30 to 100 days to sell. The time varies wildly based on area, condition, and price, so pricing the home correctly and competitively and make sure that you and your Realtor are getting the place in front of as many eyeballs as possible. A market analysis will include the average days on market for the most recent sales in your subdivision and general neighborhood. Our Realtors will provide a thorough analysis of both pricing, time on market, and comparable features and condition to compare to your home. Our Realtors will provide all the exposure required to get the property into all the real estate websites and social networks. Ultimately the presentation of the home and price will determine the speed of sale and desired sales price. It’s always a good idea to spread the word through your own social networks, both real ones and virtual ones. You never know whose passing it along to that special someone will lead to a sale.
On average, a staged home sells 88% faster—and for 20% more money—than a home that’s left as is or vacant. The reason it works, of course, is it gives buyers a “stage” onto which they can play out their home-owning fantasies and envision themselves living in your home. In our experience, home staging seems to have a larger impact on higher end homes. Choosing neutral paint colors and removing any family photos will give would-be homeowners a blank canvass that they can mentally fill with themselves, their own family photos, and loved ones.
Honestly, you want to sell when you are likely to get the best possible results. But when is that? The answer is complicated and many factors contribute to it. Generally, the best time to sell is when you are ready. When you have made that your future plans for the next step and start preparing for the next exciting phase. There are advantages to selling in every season, in spite of what some agents may try to tell you. Spring is undoubtedly considered most ideal by many buyers and sellers, but that does not mean you can’t get great results in summer, winter, and fall. Most buyers are ready when they are ready, so the sooner you put the home on the market the sooner you will find those buyers. Many agents say that during late fall and winter holidays, sales slow down but we have broken many sales records in December and January.
It is never a good idea to be there when a buyer is viewing your home. There is not any situation in which this is appropriate. Having the owner in the house makes the buyers uncomfortable and distracts them from really looking at the home. They feel as though they can’t make comments or ask questions that could be offensive. The owner, who has a history and attachment to the house, could very easily disagree or feel offended if a potential buyer makes a comment that could be a little negative. This can turn off buyers and also turn off sellers to certain buyers. I have had several cases where a seller was bothered by a buyer’s comment or question, and then rejected a good offer from that buyer. You can remove any personality clashes or differences in opinion by letting the buyer view the home on their own.
A REALTOR® is a licensed real estate professional belonging to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). NAR is a real estate trade association that requires all of its members to follow a 17-article Code of Ethics. This means that your REALTOR® is required to have your best interests in mind.
Your REALTOR® will help you set the right price for your home, reach potential buyers and help you negotiate the sale. Your REALTOR® will also help with staging your home and adding curb appeal. They will make sure that you feel supported every step of the way and ensure you receive the best deal. Good real estate agents have a deep understanding of their local market and want to show your home in the best light. They also have relationships with photographers and home stagers, who can all work as a team to highlight the amenities that local buyers want.
According to Zillow research, 36% of home sellers attempt to sell their homes themselves, but challenges along the way lead many of them to eventually hire an agent. In the end, only 11% of home sellers end up selling their home without a real estate agent.
FSBOs accounted for 7% of home sales in 2017. The typical FSBO home sold for $200,000 compared to $265,500 for agent-assisted home sales, according to NAR.
With access to the local MLS and online listing portals, social media presence, professional networks, connections with other agents, and name recognition, your real estate agent can get a lot of eyes on your listing and plenty of potential buyers in the front door.
Experienced agents can spot serious buyers and guide you toward the strongest offers, which eliminates the burden of calls and negotiations with less motivated shoppers. Agents are extremely familiar with both the selling process and your local market, so they can recommend appropriate counteroffers. Bottom line: They’ll help you get as much money as possible. No wonder 82% of home sellers surveyed by Zillow said they value their agent’s ability to lead contract negotiations.
There’s a lot of documentation involved when you sell a home, and without an agent, the burden of making sure it’s complete and accurate falls on the seller (or an attorney you’ve hired to help). Seasoned real estate professionals are experts at the purchase and sale process, and all the legalese that comes with it.
Planning for after the sale is just as important or maybe more important than planning and preparing for the sale. in other words prepare your exit. So, if you’re going to be buying another property after the sale of this one then you need to make sure that you are approved for a mortgage. Once your approved for a mortgage you can also calculate your estimated profits from the sale of this house and how we can be used for the purchase of the next house. At the same time, if you’re going to be downsizing or upsizing then that should be planned in advance. You should already have your future mortgage payments on the next property and plan your price range, area, and features. At the same time, have an idea of how much time you are going to need for your new purchase or new transition, so that you can disclose that on your listing and to all potential buyers. This will set expectations that you may need a few weeks or even a month to find and transition to another property. Even though this market has been changing, there are still many homes selling in a matter of a few days. You don’t want to cause delays for a buyer, if you are not prepared for the sale. At the same time, you want to set the right expectations for time to transition. You can either negotiate extra time with the buyers for your transition or have made some inquiries about temporary housing, at lease the proper expectations are set for both you and the buyer.
While the commission can vary, it is typically 6% of a home’s sale price—and that’s usually shared with the buyer’s agent. But what’s implied by this question is “What are Realtors doing to earn that fat check?” Here are some facts to keep in mind: Unlike lawyers who get paid by the hour, or doctors who are paid by the appointment, listing agents don’t get paid unless they make a sale. For every hour an agent spends with a client, he or she will typically spend nine hours on average working on that client’s behalf doing everything from networking to finding potential buyers to filling out paperwork. And no, not all agents are created equal. Since most contracts last for a year, Realtor Susan Ratliff recommends that sellers “interview three agents prior to selecting one to represent them. It’s no different from choosing an attorney, accountant, or the doctor who will deliver your baby. You want to be sure that you trust that person and are comfortable with them.”
Opening your home up to strangers naturally raises some safety concerns, especially for new home sellers. While your REALTOR® will help protect you from these risks, we recommend:
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