Anatomy of a Home Sellers Transaction
The Inside Look

by Dan Goble Broker for All Family Realty

 

     Selling a home is not as bad as you think if you have an expert you can trust.  We dont have as many agents here at All Family Realty as we could have because we are so picky.  Our agents are hand picked.  Most of them have not worked anywhere else because our training is not as effective if they have picked up any bad habits from other places.  We will not retain an agent who is commission oriented or is hard to contact.  A commission oriented agent will let you settle for too little for the sake of expediency.  Our agents must be trustworthy, honest, informative and helpful to you in your transaction.  Good agents work the transaction like they were doing it for their brother.  If show them trust they will produce good results for you.  Follow this anatomy of a home transaction and watch for the things we do that most other brokerages dont do signified by the * at the beginning of the explanation.

 

Listing Price

      You can determine your list price based off of what our in house appraiser says the market value is.  Add a few thousand for bargaining and go from there.  Remember everything depends on getting buyers to look so dont get too crazy with the price unless you can justify it.  Never go much over appraisal value because you will have to lower it to sell anyway.   Buyers have realtors too and they can be Pros when it comes to spotting coverups etc.  Be honest about everything and we will sell your home soon enough.

 

 Getting the Home Ready to Sell

     If you have watched a few episodes of an HGTV show designed to get a home ready to sell you have learned some of the basics about de-personalization and fixing things that dont cost much.  The most important thing you can do is CLEAN!.  People will envision themselves in your home.  Do they see themselves as good housekeepers?  Yes they do even if they are not.  Make the home smell and look good and you will make their senses help you sell the home.
Curb appeal is real.  Most realtors have their clients do a drive by to see if your home makes the short list.  Mow, weedeat, plant flowers, trim trees, paint or anything that is inexpensive to make the home look good from the street.

 

Showing

     Sometimes your realtor will bring folks to look at your home but most of the time it will be a realtor who has found your home on the MLS and calls your realtor for a showing.  If your realtor doesn't answer the phone, you be the judge of what happens.  All Family Realty Agents answer their phones.  *You are welcome to test any of us any time from 9-9 7 days a week.  On the rare occasion you get voice mail you will get a call right back.
     If you are called by your realtor for a showing and you plan on leaving and coming back please leave the lights on everywhere to give the showing realtor little to do but observe and present your home to his or her clients.

 

Dealing with Repairs

    ÂSome offers come with a repair clause.  The buyer may request $500 or more in repairs and after inspecting the home will request on a TRR (Treatment, Repair, Replace) that repairs be done.  The buyer will list the repairs in order and you will agree to do them up to the limit.  If the home needs Termite treatment there is usually a clause specifying you do the treatment.

The Appraisal

     Before the buyer can buy the home from you he or she must be able to get a loan.  The lender will require an appraisal to make sure the home is good collateral for the loan.  The appraiser establishes market value and checks the home for structural, or safety problems.  If the appraiser finds problems he or she makes a list.  The problems on the list are called appraisal requirements and must be fixed before the appraiser will sign off.  When the appraiser comes back to check on these requirements it is called a final.

Closing the Deal

     A few days before closing at the Title Company, you will want to call the Utility Companies and do a transfer.  You tell them to read the meter on the day of closing and take the services out of your name.  The buyers will call also and the services will be transfered to their name(s) so service is not interupted.
     Bring keys to closing and leave garage door openers etc. on the bar in the kitchen.  Bring two forms of ID with pictures on them except for your social security card which may be used without a picture. Everyone on the deed must be at closing unless previous arrangements have been made.

 

*Things we do that most others dont do