Selling Your Home Category

One of the issues that may come up during the sale of a home is pervasive odors, particularly cigarette smoke. If your home is on the market, it may sell more quickly if you temporarily make it a smoke-free zone. Many non-smokers are highly sensitive to the lingering presence of smoke.

The sense of smell is the most powerful of all the five senses. Be sure to keep your home aired out while it is on the market. If the weather is good, you can smoke outside or while taking a walk or a drive. Avoid heavily-scented room fresheners which combined with the smoke can be worse than the smoke alone. It helps to wash the walls and have drapes and upholstered furniture professionally cleaned. This is really a serious issue for many buyers, so don’t limit your market by turning away non-smokers.

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Here is a seller scenario that may help you make your next move. Once you have decided to sell, you might be afraid to put your present home on the market until you have found a new one and completed purchase negotiations. You are concerned that most sellers are reluctant to finalize offers from buyers who must include a contingency calling for the sale of a current residence before buying the new one.

If you are in such a dilemma, the first step is to contact a professional real estate agent. The agent can show you how to list your home without the risk of putting your family out on the street. When you have a firm contract from a qualified buyer, you will become much more attractive to sellers. When you do find the perfect home, you will greatly increase your chances of being able to buy it.

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When you consider what price you should accept when selling your home, there are two important factors that will influence your decision. The first factor is the basic sales price. The second, and more important, is the amount you will actually receive from the proceeds at the closing.

Your real estate agent will prepare a seller’s “net sheet” showing what your expenses will be. This will aid you in determining who pays what and when. It can help you to focus on the details of the sale.

A seller’s expenses will include brokerage fees, real estate settlement fees, title insurance fees and special assessments. In some cases the buyer may ask you to pay some of the loan fees. Local real estate taxes will be pro-rated for you and the buyer, and you may be asked to place funds in escrow for payment of your final water bill. Subtract your mortgage balance any home improvement loans and other liens against the property that will be paid at the closing to come up with your final figures.

Your real estate agent can go over all of these factors with you when you list your home for sale and again as offers come in.

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When you list your house with a real estate agent who participates in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), you get a lot of service for your money. Depending upon the MLS region, there may be hundreds of participating members.

The real estate agent who lists your home works to get it sold. This is done by marketing directly to home buyers, but an even more powerful tool is marketing your home to other agents who have buyers. Your real estate agent makes all the crucial information about your home available to the other members through the MLS. Information such as your home’s location, size, the number of rooms, the style of architecture, what personal property is included, and any other special features is posted. The MLS description will also contain information about any special financing that might be available, showing instructions, and special needs you may have with respect to closing. The MLS is a powerful tool for real estate matchmakers.

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When a seller lists a home with a real estate agent, a lot of brainstorming follows. Who are the potential buyers, where do they live and work? How can they be reached effectively with information that will attract them to this particular property?

In addition to advertising each home on the widely used Multiple Listing Service, professional real estate agents employ marketing techniques tailored to the individual home they are selling. An agent will review various buyer lists to find potential purchasers. They will use telephone and direct mail marketing, produce property flyers and advertise on the Internet, in the newspaper, in community publications and in real estate magazines. Contacts will be made to other agents who sell homes in the area to encourage them to show the home to prospective buyers.

Real estate agents combine pro-active marketing with realistic pricing to generate results for their home sellers.

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When you list your home for sale, you and your agent must work as partners to ensure it sells as quickly as possible, and for the best price. While you take the necessary steps to make your property look good inside and out, your real estate agent will go to work to make sure your home is exposed to qualified buyers.

Real estate agents work with each seller to develop a written marketing plan. This enables you to know what your agent is doing to sell your home and what you can expect to happen while your property is on the market. It will also include suggestions on how to make your home sell. There will be regular communication between you and your real estate agent from the day the listing agreement is signed. The agent will give you progress reports and feedback from the people who have seen your home. You will also have frequent opportunities to ask questions and discuss changes in the marketing strategy.

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Listing your home with our agency gives you the advantage of having a team of experts apply themselves to the task of finding you a buyer as quickly as possible. In the process, we try to arrange showing appointments that are convenient to both parties, but it does not always work out that way.

Last-minute appointments are sometimes necessary because buyers who are relocating from other areas are often on tight schedules. This can be annoying to sellers unless they understand the nature of the real estate agent’s job. When selling homes, we sometimes have to rely on our intuition. Many sales have been consummated as the result of last-minute appointments.

The prospective buyer who is on a very short house hunting trip may need a house now! In this kind of situation, the real estate agent can make things can happen fast! So when the phone rings at the last-minute, keep in mind that the appointment represents an opportunity for the sale.

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Lighting is an important factor to take into account when you are selling your home. Natural and artificial lighting can create a mood that buyers notice when they walk into your home, so don’t overlook this significant factor which can favorably influence a potential buyer.

Before your house is shown, walk through each room with an eye to creating a pleasant ambiance through lighting. Accentuate the natural light by keeping curtains open and windows sparkling clean. Arrange your furniture to take advantage of the best view. You may want to install indirect lighting to highlight a vaulted ceiling or to draw attention to indoor plants. Dimmer switches can create simple and inexpensive lighting appeal. Place a lamp and table arrangement in a dark alcove or corner to brighten up the area.

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Occasionally homeowners who are trying to sell their home are surprised to learn that their title is encumbered by a lien. There are several types of liens; the most common are mechanic’s or contractor’s liens.

The lien (or debt) must be paid off in order to be cleared. If the owner prefers to challenge the lien, he can release it by posting a bond, pending adjudication. In some types of liens, a title search may disclose claims against the property by an ex-spouse or long-ago heir of a former owner. A simple “quitclaim” deed may be used in these cases. By signing the deed, the person involved signs over whatever rights he or she might have, without laying any claim to the property.

Most real estate transactions involve at least some minor unresolved issues on the part of either the buyer or the seller. This is where an experienced real estate agent can provide solutions to resolve the issues and conclude the sale.

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The kitchen is usually very important to prospective buyers. Your kitchen may not be new and state-of-the-art, but it should look its best.

Your kitchen should be spotlessly clean and well organized while your home is on the market. The counter tops should be clean and free of clutter, and the floor should shine. Appliances should be clean and in good working order. You may want to add a few decorator touches or replace cabinets, flooring, and even appliances for a small investment. Dollars spent on kitchen improvements usually pay major dividends when you sell your home. If you are planning to sell your home and need some advice in this area, an agent will be happy to discuss your options with you.

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