Steps For Getting Your Home Sold

Steps For Getting Your Home Sold

  1. Determine the Value of Your Home -  To get a detail analysis of what your home would sell for today that takes into consideration the condition and features of your home you can contact a real estate agent or hire an appraiser.  We offer a free Comparative Market Analysis. 

  2. Do You Need a Short Sale? -  If your home is worth less than the amount you owe on it, you may want to consider a short sale.  If you are unsure of how much you still owe on your home loan, contact your mortgage company.
  3. For Sale By Owner or Hire a Realtor? - In the current real estate market, fewer people are deciding to sell their home by themselves.   If you are considering selling the home yourself, read For Sale By Owner What You Need to Know.   In today's complex real estate market, we recommend that you hire a realtor.  Look for realtors with professional designations such CRS, Certified Residential Specialist, and GRI, Graduate Realtor Institute.  These realtors have spent the time and money to get additional education that will help them market your home, negotiate a contract that will represent your best interests, and will help you not just get an offer on your home but get it all the way through the escrow process to closing.

    • Listing your home with a realtor also allows your home to be listed in the MLS.  Read - What is An MLS?  

  4. Preparing Your Home - You need to get your home in good shape so it will show well to potential buyers.  Remove clutter - if necessary put some items in storage at an off site storage unit.  Clean the home thoroughly.  This means to wipe down walls, cabinets, light switch, floor boards, as well as usual cleaning of counter tops.  Clean up your yard, prune bushes and trees, remove weeds, mow lawns, and remove debris.  Give consideration to replacing worn out flooring and painting interior walls where needed.  
  5. Setting a Price - Work with your real estate agent to set the listing price for your home.  Your real estate agent should provide you with a Competitive Market Analysis for your home.  This will provide you with information regarding recent sales of similar homes to yours as well as information regarding similar homes currently for sale.  The real estate agent can help you take into consideration the condition and special features of your home.   
  6. Marketing Your Home - Your real estate agent will place a "For Sale" sign in your yard and will place your home in the MLS, Multiple Listing Service.  Your agent may also do internet advertising for your home, create flyers for the property, and do additional marketing.  One of the new things we are doing is using QR codes on our sign flyers that allow prospective buyers to take a picture of the QR code and bring up information about the property instantly on their cell phone.
  7. Negotiating a Contract - Negotiating a contract with a potential buyer is where having an experienced real estate agent can really pay off.  There are a number of things in addition to the price that can be negotiated such as:  the amount earnest money, the closing date for the sale, whether items such as refrigerator, washer, and dryer will be included with the sale, home warranty, and more.   The agent will also help you obtain evidence of the buyers ability to obtain a loan or pay cash for the property.  
  8. Escrow - Once a contract has been agreed upon by both parties, it goes into escrow.  Any earnest money is deposited with the title company that will be handling the transfer of the property.  The title company will verify that the property can be covered by title insurance, will obtain HOA and Tax information for proration of expenses, and will prepare documents for closing.   
  9. Inspections - The ARR contract calls for a 10 day inspection period during which the buyer can have a professional inspector(s) review the property.  Following the inspections, the buyer can cancel the contract based upon the findings or negotiate with the seller for repairs. 
  10. How Much Will I Get When I Sell My Home? - It is important to understand when you sell your home that there will be costs associated with selling.   You will net the amount of the agreed upon sales price minus the costs to sell.  Read more...