Tips For Sellers

Get the Straight Facts About What Can Make or Break the Sale of Your Home. Choose a Top Real Estate Agent. 

Selling your home is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. How much is it REALLY worth? How long will it take to sell? How do you handle buyers making undesirable offers? 

As a top Wentzville, O'Fallon and St. Charles County area real estate agent with years of experience and a proven track record, it is my job to guide you through this complicated process, from beginning to end. I want you to get the maximum value for your home, within YOUR time frame. Here are just some of the things that I will do to market and sell your home: 

- Buyers want to buy your home for as little as possible! Through detailed comparisons between your home and recently sold homes, and other properties currently on the Wentzville, O'Fallon and St. Charles County market, together we can determine what your home is really worth in today's market. In the industry this is called a Comparative Market Analysis or CMA. I will do this for you, for free. 

- Buyers have their own timelines, which might not be yours! I make sure they don't waste your time by qualifying them as to their real ability to afford your home. 

- More buyers interested in your Wentzville, O'Fallon and St. Charles County home means more money in your pocket when it is sold. My extensive marketing of your home assures you of maximum value. For example, this web site will market your property all across the web. It will appear on Yahoo Real Estate, Microsoft MSN HomeAdvisor, and other top national sites. I can place your home on my web site within a few minutes time! 

- When we begin marketing your home, I will immediately notify all the buyers that I am helping find their ideal home. I'll also notify all the real estate agents in this area that I work with, who quickly tell their homebuyers. It is a powerful way to jump-start the sale of your home! 

- You and a member of my team or I will walk through your home together. I will advise you how to present your property to maximize its selling price. Some improvements are worth it, and some are not! Be careful. 

- Contracts are complicated, and intimidating. You don't want to go to a closing with some doubts. You will have the full benefit of my Wentzville, O'Fallon and St. Charles County real estate experience and knowledge for a smooth and successful closing. I recommend that you do not sign on any dotted lines without asking me first. 

You pay no up front costs for my services! So you can bet that I will work hard to get your home sold, for as much as this market will possibly bear. I will also work within your time frame and your needs. For example, sometimes it can be hard to sell and move out of your current home, and buy and move into a new home, all at the same time! I can help smooth this out. 

Call or email me. Ask for a free In-Home Presentation. I will come to your Wentzville, O'Fallon and St. Charles County home or office, and present you a plan that details exactly how I will market your home. There is absolutely no obligation so don't let this opportunity pass. It is part of my job as a top real estate agent to offer you this service. 

Tips for Sellers

GETTING YOUR HOME READY 

INSIDE 

CLEAN! CLEAN! -Have the carpets shampooed; wash the floors, the walls, doors, light switch plates, windows, blinds and lighting fixtures. You may consider a cleaning service. 

KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS -Clear off counter tops. Maximize the available counter space. These rooms should be gleaming! If unsightly, have the tub re-calked and remove mineral deposits and grime from the shower walls. Clean the stove, microwave and refrigerator. 

PRIMARY STORAGE AREAS -Like the garage, its time has come to be liberated. Remember you can do it now and benefit with a more attractive home on the market, or you can do it several months from now, in the process of moving when there is no advantage. Do it now! 

REPAIRS -Identify and repair dripping faucets, sticking or creaking doors, etc. When potential buyers see areas of disrepair they begin to wonder whether there may be other unseen problems. 

CLOSETS -Remove out of season clothing. Organize your clothing and the shoes on the floor. Remove all clutter from cabinets and closets. 

FURNITURE -The less furniture, the larger a room appears to be. 

A LIGHT APPEARANCE -As a rule, do everything to lighten the appearance of the home. Raise the blinds, open the drapes and use light colors. Repaint any room beginning to look shabby. 

OUTSIDE 

THE HOUSE -Walk the property. Take a close look. Clean anything that looks un-kept or dirty; repair or replace anything that looks loose, dingy, rusted or broken. Make sure the door bell works. Replace a tired-looking mailbox; clean the exterior light fixtures and wash the windows. Try to spot hanging or rusty gutters, crooked antenna, loose shingles or shutters. 

THE YARD -Turn and weed the beds; trim the trees and shrubs. Lay in ground cover. Mend the fence, fix the gate latch. Pick up litter. Consider a landscaping/lawn service. 

OUTDOOR FURNITURE -Examine and spot paint your outdoor furniture. If it's rusty or non-repairable consider disposing of the pieces. 

FRONT ENTRY -It's the first thing your buyers see as they stand and wait for the door to open. It's worth the extra effort to spruce it up. 

THE GARAGE - The time has come. Discard virtually everything in the garage that hasn't been used for a year. Wash it down.  

GETTING THE HIGHEST PRICE IN THE SHORTEST TIME 

The agent you hire to sell your home will have provided you with comparables in the neighborhood on recent sold properties and properties that are currently on the market. Review with your agent the homes on the market which will be your competition and see what you’re up against. Be careful not to overprice your home or you will cut down your showings considerably. If you are competitive you will get your home sold in the quickest time. 

FINDING THE RIGHT AGENT 

You should interview 2 to 3 agents to make sure you feel comfortable with the agent that is representing you in your home sale. Make sure you feel confident that the agent you choose has done their homework. They should provide you with comparables in the neighborhood, telling you the active competition on the market and sold past homes. Make sure to ask about the agent’s marketing plan, advertising strategy and their experience in the real estate industry. It is always good to ask if they have any references you may contact. These are some of the important factors to consider when choosing the right agent for you. 

WHEN THE OFFER COMES IN 

When the offer comes in your agent will go over all the important details of the contract offer. There is much more to an offer than just price. There are such things as closing date, buyer’s qualifications and loan type, earnest money and any special requests the buyer may have. All these things need to be considered when making your decision on the right offer to accept. 

What Happens From Contract To Close?
I will not say that every contract to purchase follows exactly the following time line, but for the most part, the following order and deadline sequence usually pertains. Number of days start from contract acceptance date (On contingent to sell, days start from sale of buyers home). 

1. Usually insurance needs to be applied for and confirmed by insurance company.
2. Any Inspections to be done and repairs agreed upon between buyer and seller.
3. Buyers loan approved.
4. Title and Survey comes in and reviewed.
5. Closing set.
6. Seller needs to provide buyer with gas inspection and any city inspections that may be required.
7. Closing Day! 

Why Should I Pay Closing Costs?
It is not unusual for a buyer to ask the seller to pay closing costs as part of the offer. There are many reasons why buyers may do this, but one of the most common reasons is because their down payment money is limited and in order for them to afford your home they may need their closing costs covered. In this case, you as a seller can help in this way. The seller may require a higher sales price than if the buyer were paying their own costs. In some situations you may settle on higher than list price to balance these costs as long as the mortgage appraisal justifies this amount. So it may be to your benefit to help the buyer with their closing costs. 

Ask me ANY question about selling your home or property. Or request my FREE in-home presentation of how I would market your property in Wentzville, O'Fallon and St. Charles County! There's no obligation, and I promise to get back to you quickly...