Seller Tips
Negotiating a Low Offer
Selling a home is not an easy process and it is fraught with emotions. This is especially the case when a potential buyer makes a ridiculously low offer on your home. Keep in mind that buyers are trying to get the best possible deal and might be testing to determine how far you are prepared to negotiate. Work with your REALTOR® to develop a strategy for the negotiations. Always be prepared to counter at least once. It will show you how serious the potential buyers really are, and in all likelihood will lead to successful negotiations.
How much is my home worth?
This is likely the first question you will ask when preparing to sell your home. Seek the advice of an experienced full-time, full-service, professional REALTOR® who understands our local market. Your agent should have a proven track record of successfully addressing their clients' needs, whether they are sellers or buyers. Interview potential agents to learn how they will market your home. Take a look at their marketing materials, find out if they do Virtual Tours (not slide shows), determine how they will keep in touch with you, and, of course, check their accreditations. Ideally, your agent should have earned the CRS and GRI accreditations.
Market Analysis
A comprehensive market analysis is essential to determine the value of residential properties. Be sure to ask your agent to prepare a market analysis for you. Call us today at 260.486.7777 or click here
Should I Get a Home Inspection?
By identifying potential issues and addressing them prior to listing your home, you'll be in a much stronger marketing position. Keep in mind that buyers, especially first-time homebuyers, don't want to move into a home that requires work. By getting a home inspection by a qualified, licensed inspector you can identify any major items or systems that need to be repaired and fix them.
How important are Virtual Tours to Buyers?
The first thing potential buyers do when searching for a home is to go to the internet. They want to see what's available and to start narrowing their searches for homes that might meet their needs. In the past when you wanted to determine if a home might meet your requirements, you had to set up a showing with your REALTOR®. Today home searches begin on line. First impressions are important, hence, as a seller you want to make sure that your REALTOR® takes both still photos and a virtual tour of your home. We're not talking about a slide show. Prospective buyers want to get a feel of the home as if they were in the house viewing it.
Why a Seller's Residential Sales Disclosure?
The Seller's Residential Real Estate Sales Disclosure form is designed to assist sellers to disclose important facts about their homes to potential buyers. It enables the buyer to make an informed decision about their purchase, but equally important, it protects the seller from potential lawsuits involving non-disclosure of know problems. Disclosing problems with the home whether they have been fixed or not, eliminates lots of worries and of course is the prudent and right thing to do.
Pricing Your Home
One of the most important things to consider when listing a home is to establish an asking price. Your REALTOR® will have prepared a Comparative Market Analysis to give you an estimate of your home's value in today's market. Although you might be tempted to list your home as high as possible, keep in mind that overpriced homes will linger on the market and ultimately will sell at much lower prices. Historically home prices have generally appreciated over the years, albeit there were occasional dips in home valuations. Recent events have shown that while you can build equity in a home, you can also lose value too. Pricing your home based on how much you still owe on it can cause you to list the home for too much. You need to take a close look at what the market is doing in your neighborhood.
Should I Offer a Home Warranty?
Home warranties offer peace of mind to both the seller and the buyer. The perfect win-win situation. Buyers appreciate knowing that if any of the major appliances or components covered by the warranty breakdown, they will be repaired or replaced. For sellers it's a great marketing tool plus many warranties cover the current owner of the home through the listing period to closing. Normally payment of the policy is only due at closing. Coverage varies from company to company, so be sure to ask for copies of the warranty so that you understand what it covers and its costs.
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