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Friday, March 30, 2007

What will it cost you to sell FSBO?

If you are considering selling your home yourself, you should know what out of pocket fees to expect. Here are some things you may have to pay for:

Professional Appraisal
Home Staging Professional
Flat Fee MLS Service
FSBO website listing
Yard Sign and Brouchure Box
Real Estate Forms
Real Estate Attorney Consultation
Flyer Design, and Printing
Classifieds ad in a newspaper
Fresh cookies and flowers for your Open House

The cost of these services/items can vary state to state.

Monday, March 19, 2007

What to do when someone makes an offer on your home

What to do when an offer is made on your home:

When an offer to purchase is made, the first thing that needs to be done is to verify that the buyer will be able to obtain financing. The buyer should be able to present a pre-approval letter from the bank or mortgage lender. It is very important to make sure the buyer will be able to get financing. You do not want to take your home off the market, and have it tied up for a month waiting for the deal to close, only to find out the buyer cannot get a mortgage.

Put everything you agree on in writing. Use an offer to purchase real estate form, or a real estate sales agreement. You may also need an addendum, or counter offer form. In addition to the obvious information, such as address, sales price, earnest money deposit, you should list every other agreement you have made, (i.e. what appliances are staying with the home, rugs, window treatments, etc). You can also add a clause that you must get your attorney to look over and approve the contract before it is valid. An real estate attorney can review the contract, deed and title, respond to inspection issues, and make sure the contract is performed according to its terms.


real estate forms

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Pricing your Home Fsbo

One of the toughest decisions a fsbo makes is the sales price. If you price too high your home will sit on the market, too low and you cut out your profit. Hiring an appraiser is one option. They will compare homes that have sold in the last 6 months that are comparable to your home. You may also request the help of a realtor. Just make sure that you are upfront with them and tell them if you are planning to try and sell your home yourself. Some realtors will help for free, others may require a small fee. Additional resources may be your county courthouse records, or finding an online apprasial company.

Read more on Appraised Value vs. Market Value



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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Your Open House, The Day of your Showing

CLEAN, You can never clean enough!

Call a Friend - Have a friend who is honest come through your home to make sure all your clutter is put away.

Smell- light a candle, bake a pie or cookies. A bad smell is a BIG turn-off to potential buyers.

Light- Open the shades, let the sunshine in. Turn on all the lights in the house. This will create a more open and spacious feel.

Practice- Go through your home and practice what you may say when showing your home to potential buyers. Hightlight all the features, and make sure you have all the information you need to answer any questions.

Finally take your pets to another location, and send your kids to a friend or relatives house. Don't forget to smile - you can do this!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Advertising your Home- Budget

Match your advertising approach with your monetary resources. Newspaper, public bulletin boards, sales magazines, and flyers are all great options that are low cost or free.

For Tips on Effective Ads and Flyers click here

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Top Tips for Selling your Home For Sale by Owner

Exterior:
Keep the lawn mowed
Add new mulch
Power wash sidewalks, driveway, siding, porches
Clean your gutters and direct drain spouts away from the house
Edge your sidewalks to leave a tidy appearance

Interior:
Remove Clutter
Remove any furniture you can to make rooms appear larger
Have your fireplace cleaned and inspected
Clean your home top to bottom, including appliances (inside & out)
Put away personal items, pictures, etc
Make the house smell fresh, use arm & hammer on the carpets and vacum

Storage:
All storage areas should be neat and organized
Remove excess boxes, containers and put them in storage
Discard anything you no longer need or want
Clean your closets

Basement:
Install a dehumidifier where needed
Remove any carpet in damp rooms
Remedy mold and mildew problems

Services you may consider:
Hire a cleaning person/company to give you the jump start or finishing touch
An appraiser can help you determine a fair market value/selling price of the home
A landscaper, to help with curb appeal

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Staging your Home & Feng Shui

Whether or not you believe that Feng Shui methods are important to home decorating does not matter. When you get ready to sell your home, you'll find that employing Feng Shui decorating can add perceived value to your home in a buyer's mind. Feng Shui ideas just might help sell your home faster, and for more money. In case you're not familiar with the concept of Feng Shui, here are some tips for incorporating it into your house.
First, engage the senses of potential homebuyers in as many ways as possible. To engage the sense of sight, make sure your home offers lots of horizontal space. That means keeping the tops of counters, dressers, and shelves as clear as possible. To engage the sense of smell, use cinnamon or pine scents, which have been proven to be more effective than vanilla or floral scents. To engage the sense of sound, place a pleasantly gurgling fountain near the front entrance or have gentle music playing.

As is the case with all home sales, first impressions are important, and Feng Shui can come into play at the front door of your home. Keep it clean, turn on front porch lights if the viewing will be after dark, place a nice doormat in the entry, and have flowers or lush plants on either side of the entryway.
To bring moving energy into the house, begin getting your own stuff out of the house to make room for the new owner's stuff. It not only sets in motion a powerful energy, but it also gives you a head start on your own packing.
Since the kitchen is the most important room in the house, as far as most buyers are concerned, spend extra time making sure yours is friendly and exudes a feeling of health and prosperity. Keep counters immaculately clean, organize your pantry, and keep all wastebaskets out of sight.

If it's possible that potential buyers might catch sight of a bathroom when they first enter your home, it's critical that you always keep the bathroom door shut. It’s also important that potential buyers never see a toilet until they actually open the door and expect to see one. When they do inspect the bathroom, it's also critical to make sure the toilet lid is down. Both of these are powerful Feng Shui techniques for creating positive energy impressions.
Again, it doesn't matter whether you're a Feng Shui enthusiast or not. Using Feng Shui concepts can add perceived value to your home, which can mean a short selling time and a higher sales price--both of which are always appreciated!

Read More Feng Shui Secrets