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HouseCenter.Com Tips for Home Sellers
Part I: Introduction
Most of home sellers don't know it is an art, instead of luck,
to sell a home.
Question: Do you have any check
list to sell a home?
Answer: Yes! We do.
Question: What is your check
list?
Answer: Be ready and be an
informed seller, gather as much information as you can; Decide
whether it is to your advantage to sell your house with a broker
or for sale by yourself, especially your sale involves a move to
a different city; Familiarize yourself on how to price a
house (Rule 101) since pulling a price from "Las Vegas" is almost
never successful; Know what you may do something about your
house and to bring the highest value to you; Spend time on
the preparation of your house; For tax purposes, maintain
a record of the home improvement list; Decide whether or
not to do a pre-listing home inspection; Make your house
as open and clean as possible before the listing; Decide
whether or not to provide a home warranty to you and to the buyer;
Get options on financial terms, at least as knowledgeable
as your buyers; Developing a marketing strategy; Develop
a showing strategy; Make sure you know how to deal with offers
and sales agreement; Plan your move as early as possible;
Know what you will prepare for closing; Prepare some
medicine since it is always heart beating to sell a house. Numerous
tips are available on specific subjects from HosueCenter.Com, especially
on how to get the best sale price and how to get your house sold
quickly.
Question: When do I take the
house off market if no sales?
Answer: Whether you're in a bone-dry
market or a sizzling selling season, if you haven't received any
offers on your home you're probably facing the question of whether
to take it off the market. A house that goes too long without selling
begins to appear "stale" and can actually damage your future chances
of a sale. How long is too long? It's not an exact science, but
there are some helpful indicators. In a dry market, a sales period
of six months to one year isn't unusual. Look at recent sales reports
of similar homes nearby to determine a reasonable selling interval.
In a hot seller's market, a house that hasn't sold within one month
indicates a problem. In either case, there are several steps you
can take before putting up the white flag. HouseCenter.Com tips
will improve your selling worries.
Question: How to find a contractor
to do the repairing job for me?
Answer: While hiring contractors
recommended by friends is usually a safe route, never hire a construction
professional without first checking him or her out. If your state
has a licensing board for contractors, call to find out if there
are any outstanding complaints against that license holder. Also,
call your local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints
on file. If you are satisfied with the answers you find there, interview
the contractor candidates. Ask what kind of worker's compensation
insurance they carry and get policy and insurance company phone
numbers so you can verify the information. If they are not covered,
you could be liable for any work-related injury incurred during
the project. Also be sure that the contractor has an umbrella general
liability policy. If they pass the insurance hurdle, next check
some of their references. A good contractor will be happy to provide
as many as you want. Finally, don't let yourself be rushed into
making a decision no matter how competitive the market may seem.
Also, never pay a deposit to a contractor at the first meeting.
You may end up losing your money.
Case Study 1: Few years ago, we had purchased a downtown
commercial property in Greenville, South Carolina. Previous our
purchase, the property set there for three years, the listing price
dropped several times from $135,000 to $85,000, and still no buyer
coming in. We made an offer then, and got it at $55,000. We sold
it four months later in 30 minutes - by using real estate property
auction at the price $77,000.
Case Study 2: Few years ago, we had purchased a downtown
property in Columbia, Missouri. We got it at $35,000 at a real estate
auction. We sold it four months later by listing with a real estate
company at the price of $65,000.
Case Study 3: Few years ago, we had purchased a residential
property in Greenville, South Carolina. We bought it at $115,000,
and sold it by using FSBO (For Sale By Owner) two years later at
the price of $147,000.
Please click Part
II for more Tips for Seller.
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