Selling In Today’s Tough Market!

Challenging as today’s market may be for sellers according to the news media, houses are selling. The sale of a home is can be without question, one of the most exciting and frustrating changes in one’s life. As the home owner, knowing and understanding the value of your home in the present market is key to a major financial decision. Many home owners have been hit hard by the state of the economy, falling home values and the high inventory of homes available.

Listing a home should not be a casual decision nor a spontaneous one. When selecting a Realtor to support and guide you through the sale process; trust and ethics are invaluable to the success of professional relationship. Both parties must openly and honestly communicate with integrity. All parties need to have one thing in common, the same goal!
In any market, whether it being a selling market or a buyer’s market, a Realtor that has knowledge of the industry, unique and diverse tools for selling your home. A Realtor can create the ideal home sales package that will help your achieve goals. Creating strategic plans that will maximize the your equity through property promotion, active marketing and internet exposure.
Consider these key factors:

  • List price, A market analysis-report that gives you a clear idea of what the market is supporting in your area and for your similar style home within the last 90 days. The market is fluid, staying on top of market changes and pricing point fluctuations.
  • Floor Plan & Style of home; Not every home works for every buyer. Is your home in the mainstream of what consumers are looking for or is there going to be a challenge into actively finding a willing and able buyer due to floor plan, esthetics of a home, and updates. Buyers are sensitive to much more the price points many features will affect the overall buyer traffic to your home. Requirements such as curb appeal, sq footage, lots size, bedrooms, bathrooms, living spaces, updates and interior-exterior amenities of a home will play a part in both the viewing and purchase.
  • Location; Location; and Location! Who are the buyers looking to moving into your area? Are they Urban, Suburban and Agricultural? There are many areas within the state that can accommodate and match any type of buyer out there. The marketing plan is designed to target a buyer that is right for your style home, location and a amenities that fits the buyers life style.
  • Presentation of your home; Realtors know that a well-polished house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher price. What interior or exterior repairs /maintenance is needed? What about staging? A clean and tidy home makes buyer comfortable envisioning themselves in the home. Sometimes even the benefit of providing a home inspections review from an outsourced company to identify conditions that could impede the sale through that Federal Housing Authority (FHA).
What are your obligations as a seller? At the beginning the most significant impact will be to your time! After you have prepared your home to hit the market, you have to be ready for a potential buyer at any given moment. Realtors with active buyers have a high inventory of available homes; both you and your Realtor have to flexible to given your home very possible opportunity to be seen. Deadlines are important, missing one can terminate the entire transaction. Your Realtor will be there to keep things in track and moving forward!
The costs for a sale will vary and you need a detailed explanation of the whole process. This will allow you to have full confidence in the purchase price negotiations for your home. Although many of the up front costs fall to the buyer, the seller needs to be full informed as to all the costs that will ultimately impact the bottom line. Costs can include
  • Title fees - You as the seller must provide clean and clear title of ownership to the buyer, this includes a Homeowners Title Insurance policy. The fees for this are determined by the purchase price of the home.
  • Prorations - The property taxes and some utilities follow the property, so the costs are spilt or prorated based on the closing date of the sale.
  • Concessions - You will most likely be asked to paid the buyers closing costs and or repairs.
  • Payoffs - This includes any mortgages, liens or encumbrances on the property.
  • There should be no surprises at the settlement table.
The selling process begins with the quality of services that a professional Realtor can provide; knowledge of the market place, communication tools, and the supporting efforts of a strong marketing package/strategy. These are crucial tools in to getting your property sold at the best price and in a timely manner.

Don’t spin the wheel of chance, consult a Realtor.