Tips
for Sellers
My
philosophy is to make
the sale of your property
as stress free as possible.
With a little patience
and following a few simple
steps, we will achieve
just that, a stress free
sale.
Initial
Meeting
During this meeting,
I will present you with
a Comparable Market Analysis
of your home. By completing
the form in this section
of my web site, I will
gain a better understanding
of your home and its’ condition. Please be sure to mention any updates or upgrades you have done to your home in the comments section.
Pricing is extremely important, especially in todays' volatile market, as your home will more than likely have to be appraised by a licensed appraiser once we acquire a buyer. We will discuss any positive and negative factors influencing your property. I will walk around the home with you as you highlight important features as I will make any notation as to any changes that need to be made prior to showings [for example, de-cluttering closets and organizing countertops and cabinets.
The
Listing Process
What does it mean when
you “list” your
home with me? Basically
what it means, in real
estate sales jargon,
that you are hiring me
and my company to market
your home. You and I
will need to sign a listing
agreement before I can
begin marketing your
home for sale. These
forms are required by
the North Carolina Real
Estate Commission. They
include an Exclusive
Right to Sell Listing
Agreement, a North Carolina
Residential Property
Disclosure Form, and
a Working With Agents
form. For more information
about the listing process
and your home's value contact
me.
After
all the paperwork is signed,
I will conduct the following:
1. Install a combination
lock box with your keys
on the front door.
2. Install my “for
sale” sign where
drive by traffic can
easily see it [pursuant
to town and city ordinances,
of course].
3. Your home will be
measured both on the
interior and exterior.
I will have room dimensions
available in the Multiple
Listing Service [MLS]
database.
4. Property information
will be entered into
the MLS database along
with interior and exterior
photographs and room
dimensions.
5. I will compile a “Home
Book” containing
pertinent information
about your home and your
neighborhood plus anything
that a buyer may have
questions about [for
example, a copy of a
recorded survey and subdivision
restrictive covenants].
6. Brochures will be
placed in your home so
that perspective buyers
can take them home with
them for future reference.
7. Your home will be
included as a Featured
Listing here on my personal
web site and placed on
various other web sites
including realtor.com
and yahoo.com and hundreds
of other national and
local sites.
8. Print advertising
will be submitted to
your local newspaper.
9. Open House will be
scheduled, at your discretion
10. Showings of your
home to commence!
Showing
Your Home
I believe in
keeping your home in showing
condition at all times.
I try to remind my sellers
that you do not necessarily
live in a house the same
way you sell it. We live
in a transient area where
people relocate here by
the thousands each year.
There will be times when
you’ll have someone
in your driveway or in
your neighborhood who
wants to see the house
in five minutes. Do not
expect a buyer to wait
until you make the beds
or hide the dog! We want
the house to sparkle so
we can dazzle that buyer!
Please be advised that
only licensed real estate
practitioners will be
showing your home. Buyer
agents will call Centralized
Showing Service [CSS].
The CSS representative
will then ask the buyer
agent some security questions
before the appointment
is even requested. You
will be contacted by CSS
to advise time and date
of the requested appointment.
Always remember: if an
unaccompanied buyer comes
to your door, direct him/her
either to his/her agent
or give them my card.
Never let a stranger into
your home!
Finally,
after the showing is conducted,
I will contact the showing
agent within twenty four
hours for feedback by
telephone and by email.
We want to know it all,
the good, the bad and
the ugly.
When
We Receive an Offer
When an offer is received
on your property, I will
contact you immediately.
We will go over price,
conditions and terms.
At this point you can
do one of the following:
You
can accept the offers’
price and terms.
You
can reject the offer.
You
can make a counter offer
to the buyer.
Once
we have mutual agreement
between you and the buyer
and the buyer has signed
and initialed any changes,
I will meet you to get
your signature.
Once
I have your and the buyers’
signatures, the property
will be deemed “under
contract”. This
means that you as the
seller have accepted an
offer from a buyer pending
close and transfer of
title. The property will
be taken off the market
so other buyers may not
view it.
Under
Contract
The buyer will more than
likely be advised by his/her
agent to have a structural
property inspection conducted
on your home. Other inspections
he/she may request might
include a wood destroying
insect inspection, a property
survey, a radon gas inspection,
or any other environmental
inspections he/she may
desire.
As
a result of the inspection
process, the buyer may
request certain repairs
be made. These will have
to be conducted prior
to closing. If they cannot
be completed prior to
close, then an agreed
upon amount of money will
be escrowed with the closing
attorney to pay for the
repairs. Any requests
for cosmetic repairs will
not be permitted as a
result of the inspection.
Only structural, safety,
mechanical, and plumbing
issues will be addressed.
Appraisal
Most often, buyers
will acquire financing
in order to purchase a
home. Part of the financing
contingency will be that
the property has to appraise
for sale price or higher.
The buyers’ mortgage
company will ask an appraiser
to come to your home to
evaluate it on the lenders‘
behalf. Remember, this
appraisal will be property
of the buyer and you will
not be privy to any appraisal
information unless the
appraiser decides the
sales price is too high.
You will be contacted
by me to let you know
when the appraiser plans
to come to your home,
just as we did with the
inspectors. Unless there
is a problem, there will
be no more discussion
about the appraisal.
The
Closing
The objective in the entire
marketing process is to
achieve a successful closing.
At this point, all of
the inspections and any
requested repairs have
been completed. The appraiser
has delivered his/her
satisfactory appraisal.
The buyer has his/her
check and their signing
hand warmed up and ready
to take ownership of your
house. We will meet at
the attorney’s office
to go over the closing
statement with the buyer
and his/her agent. You
will need to sign a lien
waiver and a deed release
and then we will be excused
from the conference room.
This is when the attorney
will go over the buyers’
loan documents, which
will include personal
financial information
about the buyer that does
not concern us. The sellers’
portion usually takes
fifteen minutes.
After
all the documents have
been signed, the closing
attorney will go to the
courthouse to record the
new deed transferring
title from you to the
buyer. At this time, the
attorney will disburse
funds. You will then be
able to pick up your closing
proceeds at the attorneys'
office.
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