You are wanting to sell your property but before anything else, it is always a good idea to clarify your motivations and figure out a time frame for listing and selling your home.
Why Should I Sell?
Ask yourself why? Do your want to upgrade to a larger property, or do you plan on moving to a different neighborhood. Maybe you want to move closer to work or find a better school district for your kids? There are many questions to ask yourself and your family before making this big decision. Being absolutely clear on you and your families intentions will help you make the best choice to sell or not.
When Should I Sell?
It is very important to establish a time frame to sell. If you need to sell immediately, we can expedite the process, provide a CMA (Comparable Market Analysis) for your home in minutes. If you are not in a hurry to sell, I would recommend sitting down with an agent that you trust to thoroughly review the market and come up with a listing strategy for the market conditions. If you are curious about what your house is worth, find out now at www.homeworthdenver.com.
What Kind of Market are you Wanting to Sell In?
Working with Roost you can assure that you have the best representation to sell your home properly. Our knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills will be at work for you to come to the best market price and terms. You will always be up-to-date on what is happening in the local market, offers on the table, negotiated terms and conditions of the contract. When you work with us you will always be well informed through good communication skills that we pride ourselves on. Customer service and satisfaction is our main objective.
Here Are A Few Tips Before Choosing Your Real Estate Professional
- Look for an agent or broker that is full time.
- Look for an an agent that specializes in Listings.
- Be sure to choose an agent or broker that has experience completing transactions similar to yours.
- Interview a few agents to see if they are familiar with the area you are selling your home.
- Ask how much time the agent will have for you.
- Be sure your agent will be available to hold open houses and properly market your home.
- Ask about their credentials and any education in real estate.
- Can you count on your agent to return your phone calls?
- Ask for a list of homes they have sold.
- Ask for a reference list.
- Pick an agent that you trust and feel comfortable with.
Your Agent
Be sure to pick an agent that works full time as a realtor. It is of your best interest to have an agent that is always fundamentally involved. An agent that is familiar with properties similar to what you are selling will be your greatest asset when selling your home.
Tips for Listing or Selling Your Home
Their are many things you can do to add value to your home before you sell. Be prepared and do the small things to get 10-15% more for your house.
Listing Preparation
Here is a checklist of things to keep in mind before listing your home.
1. Curb Appeal
The first impression goes a long way. Keeping your landscape and the exterior of your home in pristine condition will make a good first impression. Adding a creative landscape to your front yard will help with curb appeal. Flowers and seasonal additions create a warm home feeling for your potential buyers.
2. Property Repairs
Quick fixes and simple upgrades are a must. The loose door knob, peeling paint and holes in the walls must be taken care of. The simple upgrades and fixes will instantly change the appeal and feel of the home. Taken a few steps to make the property look and feel functional and inhabitable will go a long way for your buyers.
Check List: fix door knobs/locks, doors close properly, light bulbs replaced, holes in walls repaired, paint interior/exterior, soffit/siding repair, all electronics and plumbing functionable,
3. Staging and Cleanliness
It is very important that your home is kept uncluttered, clean, well-lit, sweet-smelling throughout the home. Be sure to pay attention to the small details. Buyers will be looking to pick your home apart. Every little detail must be accounted for. Your agent will be sure to go over things that can be done to improve the staging and cleanliness of your home.
Check List: weeded garden/yard, windows and frames clean, home clean free of clutter, carpets shampooed, wood floors buffed free of big scratches, free of animal smells/dander,
4. Disclosures and Inspections
Your agent will be very familiar with the buying and selling procedures involved and will be ready to help walk you through completing the state required disclosure documents. For example the seller’s property disclosure will allow the sellers to thoroughly address any known defects or issues with their home as well as any recent updates.
5. List and Show
Properly marketing and listing your home on the MLS is your agent’s job. Your agent should be an amateur photographer and marketer. Providing buyers with good photos of the improvement and land is very important. It is also important to list all of the amenities and highlights of the neighborhood; best restaurants, schools, parks, etc. These are all things that your agent should go the extra mile and highlight in your listing.
Accepting an Offer
If your house is priced right in a sellers market, be prepared for a barrage of offers. Having multiple offers is every home owners dream when selling their house. When there are multiple offers you might have 100% cash offers and escalation clauses. Your agent can help evaluate and explain the offers and which offer might be the best for you in the market you are selling in. Cash offers allow you to close without having an appraisal and waiting for the loan or money to become available.
Negotiating Terms and Price
Roost Realty, will take ethical responsibility of fairly negotiating contractual terms for your best interest. It is our goal to find middle ground agreement that is beneficial to all parties involved. Having an agent that is willing to stick up for their client and ask for what they deserve is important.
Earnest Money and Agreement
Once the property seller and purchaser come to a written contractual agreement earnest money will be kept in the closing agents escrow account. This will be held pending the fulfillment of conditions and contingencies in the effective agreement.
Inspection and Appraisal
The party that is planning to buy your property will typically want it inspected by a licensed property inspector. They may have a number of specialized inspectors; roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, structural etc. After the inspection they may proceed with a variety of faults that were found during this inspection process. This inspection objection must be given before the deadline in the contract. The buyers are likely to ask for these faults to be remedied and repaired. They are also able to utilize their agent to renegotiate the terms of the contract, usually the asking price if it is anything in disrepair.
THE CLOSING AGENT.
Either a title company or an attorney will be selected as the closing agent, whose job is to examine and insure clear title to real estate. After researching the complete recorded history of your property, they will certify that 1) your title is free and clear of encumbrances (eg. mortgages, leases, or restrictions, liens) by the date of closing; and 2) all new encumbrances are duly included in the title.
Contingencies
Contingencies, are conditions that must be met before a contract becomes legally binding. For an example, a buyer will usually include a contingency stating that their contract is binding only when there is a passing home inspection report from a licensed inspector.
The buyer must first go over every aspect of the property before purchasing your property. The purchase agreement and any applicable addendums include:
- Obtaining insurance and financing
- Reviewing all pertinent documents, these include preliminary title reports and disclosure documents
- Inspection of the property which is subject to a wide range of inspections; roof, HVAC, plumbing electrical, pests, fireplace, survey, septic, mold, pool/spa, arborist, lead paint and asbestos.
What Happens Now?
- Each milestone is closed successfully and the contingencies are removed
- The buyer is dissatisfied with the outcome and requests renegotiation of terms of the contract. This generally means they want you the owner to fix the problems or they would like a reflection in the purchase price.
At this point it is important to have an objective agent that helps renegotiate these new terms fairly. If both parties become too stubborn, the deal can be terminated quickly. You want an agent that is willing to make a real difference in the outcome of the transaction.
Appraisal and Loan Approval
If you did not accept a cash offer you will want to be sure that you accept a buyer that has a lender’s pre-approval, approval letter or written loan commitment. Having a buyer that has pre-approved financing will ensure a better transaction. The loan approval will be contingent upon the appraised value of the home. Financing the property will only be available once the property appraises for the asking price.