When you begin your Bryan-College Station home search for the property that is right for you and your family, the first thing you want to do is compare the home you are looking at to your personal list of minimum requirements. You also want to keep in mind the "extras" that are included with the home you are looking at.
Typically, "extras" are added features or upgrades to a property. Extras can also be things that are on your "Buyer's Wish List." You should ask your Realtor to help you keep track of the extras and point out the upgrades in each property as you are viewing the home.
It is also important to ask your Realtor to help you identify potential problems and maintenance issues. Although your Realtor is NOT an inspector and can not advise you on what is wrong with the property, they can point out the current appearance of things that will require ongoing maintenance; for example: paint, appliances, windows and carpet.
If you are a very detailed and organized person, it can be helpful to make a list of questions you have about a property ahead of time to help you keep your information and your thoughts organized.
Here is a list of additional things to consider:
Your Realtor should also be able to provide you with a Seller's Disclosure of the home you are interested in. The Sellers Disclosure is the document that the Seller fills out that states what the seller"knows of" that is wrong with the property. This will help you to identify if something needs to be replaced and provide good insight to the amount of existing life the major things like HV/AC Unit, Hot Water Heater, and Roof have left.
Your Realtor should also point out the pros and cons of each home you view from a professional standpoint. As a Housing professional, your Realtor's responses should be clear and complete. Remember, it never hurts to ask questions, so continue to ask until you have a clear understanding of all the information you are given, and never hesitate to view a property multiple times.
Happy Home Buying!
It can be a very exciting time as a College Station Home Seller when you get your first offer from someone wanting to buy your property. You have finally found someone who, you hope, likes the home as much as you did. More importantly, if everything works out like it should, roughly 30 or so days later, will be Pay Day for you.
That's right! The sale of your home will occur and you will be moving on your way (literally) to bigger and better things!
When you get an offer, there are several things to consider. If the offer is an acceptable amount for your property, you don't want to let a disagreement over a minor issue result in the loss of a good Buyer. It is important to evaluate the value of the Buyer's request and how it relates to the profit that will be made on the sale of the home. Sometimes a Buyer can be turned off of a property if a Seller pushes too hard on a specific issue.
I once had a buyer that was 100% willing to walk away when the Seller refused to add caulk around the toilets because he thought it looked tacky.
I guarantee the cost of the tube of caulk, for a toilet you will no longer be looking at, is cheaper than the amount you will be paying on your next month's house payment should the home not sell. You want to make sure the fight is worth fighting.
It is also easy sometimes to get in the habit of countering back, repeatedly. This is especially true if the Buyer and Seller started rather far apart from one another. As a Seller, you want to make sure you don't catch "negotiation fever."
When the Buyer arrives at a price that is reasonable, there is no need to force the issue anymore, and doing so may result in the buyer getting fed up and leaving. I have had Buyers walk away from a home they truly liked "on Principle" when the Seller countered, was told no, and then stated he would agree to the Buyers price.
Remember, As a Seller, if a Buyer counters to you and you accept, the deal is done, but if you counter back to the Buyer and they refuse, they are not required to go back to their previous offer.
This means that as a Seller, you can say "I was just kidding, I'll accept your price" once they say "No" to your counter, but that does not mean that they have to or will be willing to agree to the price they previously stated.
Stay focused and before you counter back, ask yourself:
Is this a price I can be happy selling at?
Is it worth countering back an additional X thousand dollars if the Buyer chooses to walk away?
How Long has the home currently been on the market?
How soon do we need to sell?
How long do we think it will be before we can expect another offer?
If the Buyer wants to purchase the home, but has to sell their property first, consider options other than unacceptable contingency clauses that result in your home being taken off the market. You have a Buyer for your home, don't just tell them you are not interested.
Consider negotiating on all the points of the contract as if the contingency was not in place and inform the Buyer you would be happy to sign a contract and sell your home under these terms as soon as they get a buyer for thier own property and the status of their home changes to under contract.
When you are receive an offer that is lower that what you are asking, consider the math. For Example, If a buyer offers $148,500 on a $150,000 home, this is only a 1% reduction. Keep the offer in perspective. That is the same as offering $.99 instead of $1.
Good Luck & Happy Selling!
When it is time to sell your home in Bryan College Station, and start interviewing Real Estate Agents, you will want to meet with each agent separately. As you call to set up interview and make appointments, take special note of who you get on the phone right away and how long it takes for your phone call to be returned. The time it takes for you to get through to the Realtor will likely be the roughly the same amount of time as if a prospective buyer had called with questions about your home. When you and the agent communicate with one another, you should expect the Realtor to ask you a few questions.
The questions will likely start with a qualifying nature to determine your timeline in selling. Common questions Realtors ask are:
You want to be honest about what you are looking for and where you are in the selling process. If you are looking to stay in the area, see if the realtor has any suggestions of homes currently on the market or responds with news of interest from the area you are wanting to live in. This indicates the realtor is knowledgeable about the market and what is going on in the area. You also want to be ready with a few basic questions, yourself:
A good Realtor will meet you at the door with a business card and notebook in hand. When they enter your home, no matter what the flooring or condition, they will remove their shoes to show respect for your property. You don't want a Realtor who is going to give you an instant evaluation of what your home is worth.
It is impossible to correctly evaluate the value a property without looking at all its details and special characteristics first. Give special bonus points to agents who write down notes as they go from room to room and point out special selling features of your home as they are viewing it.
You also want a Realtor who has already done their homework before coming to your home. This means they will have brought with them a CMA or Comparative Market Analysis. A Realtor who has a CMA to view with you has already scoped out your competition (other homes).
This is extremely important because this type of agent: is better prepared to answer objections, more likely to arrive at the correct asking price for your home, has the data that shows what has to be done to get the home sold, and is ready to help you meet your desired goals. You should also ask the agent for a written copy of their marketing plan. A professional agent will also have marketing examples at the listing appointment for you to review as well.
At the end of your visit, a good Realtor will ask for your business and will ask you to sign a listing agreement. The length of the agreement should reflect the time it takes to sell a home in your area. A listing that lasts between 3 and 6 months is not unusual. Remember, any reputable agent will allow you out of your contractual listing agreement with them, at any time and at no cost to you, if you are truly unhappy with his/her service or if your plans should change.
Feel free to call or email me with any questions you may have. Happy Selling!
When it is time to get your Bryan College Station home ready to sell, everyone knows that cleaning, repairing and removing clutter will maximize your homes appearance. However, before you get carried away with home repairs and changes, there are several things you need to think about.
I have found that many times Sellers think they must make repairs to their property that in fact will NOT increase the value of their property or shorten the days on market that the home is listed for sale. It is also often the case that the Seller would save time, inconvenience, and money by simply offering an allowance for the repair or update. More often than not, the new Buyer would rather make the repair or update themselves and get exactly what they want. This is why it is important to visit with a Listing Agent before making any costly repairs or changes to your property. A good Realtor will know what needs to be done and what doesn't. They will also have seen your competition.
Below I have listed basic check-list of items to consider when preparing your home to sell. Completing this list is a good start to getting the home ready to be placed on the market.
Remember, when a good Realtor views your home, they will look at the property from the "Eyes of the Buyer" and will advise you on the things that need to be done, without allowing things to be overdone! Call or email me if you have any questions. 979-218-2235
Thanks and Happy Selling!
http://raylenelewis.thecenturytreereader.com/2008/07/11/preparing-your-home-to-sell/
I have noticed a bit of confusion recently when it comes to what a Bryan College Station Seller expects to pay when selling their home. On the last listing appointment I went to, I was surprised to here the Sellers say: "We've decided to list with you, but we'd like you to explain why your closing costs are higher than what the other Realtor quoted us."
The reason I found this to be so surprising is because, for the most part, closing costs are fixed costs. I always estimate closing costs to be a bit high, because I would rather the seller be happy that the number is just under what I predicted, than have them be upset that their costs are more than what they expected them to be. I believe the more information you are able to provide your client, the better able they will be to make the decision that is right for them.
So, as a Seller, what are your closing costs? I'll give you 2 ways to estimate what your total costs will be. The easiest way to get a good ball park estimate is to take your sales price (remember sales price, and not list price) multiply it by 7% round up if you are close, down if your not, and add between 1,500 & 2,000 dollars. Why 7%? Because the Seller's title policy amount, which is regulated by the State of Texas, is roughly 1% of the sales price. The extra $1,500 - $2,000 covers small misc. repairs the Buyer might ask for, plus a home warranty and title company fees.
The second way to estimate your closing costs is to itemize everything out. Below are still approximates but more detailed.
When you get your total amount of closing costs, including your loan payoff, subtract the total amount of cost from the sales price to determine what amount you will walk away with. This should give you a good estimate of what it will cost to sell your home.
Remember:
Raylene Lewis, a House-SOLD Name! This year, I have sold over 90 Units in Bryan/College Station. As a Realtor, my Job is to get you what you want in the time you want & I guarantee Satisfaction!!
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
