settingpricex.gif (13672 bytes)

The three main factors to consider in selling your home are location, condition and price...and they are all related.

Location

Your home’s location and setting influence its value. A home inside a quiet subdivision sells for more than the identical home on a busy street. Remote areas typically sell for less than closed-in areas. Views, streams and trees usually enhance value. You obviously have no control over location.

Condition

New homes enjoy a marketing edge over resale homes because they are shiny and clean. Also, builders enhance their appeal by offering model homes (clean, bright, decorated in current colors and amenities) for buyers to examine. Our goal is to make your home as close to a model home as possible... being sensitive to costs. You have nearly complete control over condition and you increase value and decrease marketing time by being sure your property is in the best possible condition.

Pricing

If IBM stock is trading between 104 and 108, it does no good to insist on selling at 112. Likewise, your home must be priced within the appropriate range. You must actually “sell” your property twice: first to a buyer and then to an appraiser. The buyer is more subjective and compares the amenities of your home to those of other homes in the same price range. The appraiser is more objective and compares age, size and cost - identifiable features in your home against other properties that have sold. This is the one area where most sellers become emotional, it is easy to do with so many agents sounding so convincing. Just remember it is your mission to select the best agent-not the best price. A Realtor has no control over the market, only the marketing plan. Never select a Realtor based on price. if you hire the agent you like least, but who suggests highest price, you’d be overpricing your home with the least qualified agent. If you are going to list your home, do it with the best agent.

WHY YOU SHOULD PRICE
YOUR HOME REALISTICALLY

TIME

Chances are that your home will sell at its fair market value. Pricing it realistically at the outset simply increases the likelihood of a timely sale with less inconvenience and greater monetary return.

COMPETITION

Buyers educate themselves by is viewing homes as well as recent sales from the newspaper and Multiple Listing Service. They know what is a fair price. if your home is not competitive in value with those they have seen, it will not sell. Buyers typically look at homes within a $10,000 price range. if your home is not priced within the correct range, it is very likely will not be exposed to its potential or targeted buyers, or worse yet not even be inspected by any buyers.

REPUTATION

Overpricing causes most homes to remain on the market too long. Buyers, aware of a long exposure period, are often hesitant to make an offer or even inspect your home because they fear “something is wrong” with the house. Homes that are on the market for a long time eventually sell for less than their fair market value if at all, and can go through multiple listing periods.

INCONVENIENCE

If overpricing keeps your home from selling promptly, you may end up owning two homes ---- the one you’ve already purchased and the one you re trying to sell. This can prove costly, worrisome and inconvenient. If by chance your home does sell at an overpriced value, the buyers’ lender will order an appraisal, Upon researching the market data, will discover this fact, and deny the loan, causing the escrow to collapse. If this happens the buyer is lost forever and the seller has to start over.

The Fact Of The Matter Is:

PRICE FACT

THE BEST CHANCE FOR SELLING YOUR PROPERTY IS WITHIN THE FIRST SEVEN WEEKS. STUDIES SHOW THAT THE LONGER A PROPERTY STAYS ON THE MARKET, THE LESS THE SELLER WILL NET.

It is very important to price your property at a competitive market value at the signing of the employment agreement. The market is so competitive that even over-pricing by a few thousand dollars could mean that your house will not sell. Interestingly, your first offer is usually your best offer. Here are reasons for pricing your property at the market value right from the start in order to net you the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time.

An overpriced home:

  • Minimizes offers
  • Lowers agent response
  • Limits qualified buyers
  • Attracts the wrong type of buyers
  • Lowers the prospects by lowering the number of showings
  • Less response from advertising & sign calls
  • Wastes advertising & marketing dollars
  • Limits Exposure
  • Limits financing
  • Increases complications in the transaction
  • The property becomes shopworn
  • NETS LESS FOR THE SELLER

PRICE FACT

MOST PEOPLE ARE TURNED OFF BY EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF UNCLEANLINESS OR ODOR WHEN BUYING A HOME. SELLERS LOSE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT ADEQUATELY CLEAN

If your house is squeaky clean, you will be able to sell your home faster and net hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars more. If you are planning on moving, why not get rid of that old junk now so that your house will appear larger? Make more space. Odors must be eliminated especially if you have dogs, cats, or young children in diapers or if you are a smoker. You may not notice the smell, but the buyers do! Most agents have a difficult time communicating to their sellers about odor. By employing me to get the most amount of money for you, the seller, do not take offense if I must confront you about odor problems.

ACCESS FACT

TO SELL TOP SELLING AGENTS WILL NOT SHOW YOUR HOME IF BOTH, KEY AND ACCESS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE. THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO RUN AROUND TOWN ALL DAY PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF KEYS. THEY WANT HOMES!

The greatest way to show a house is to have a key available in the lockbox. When your home is being shown, please do the following:

  • Keep all lights on.
  • Keep all drapes and shutters open.
  • Keep all doors unlocked.
  • Leave soft music playing.
  • Take a short walk with your children and pets.
  • Leave the premises.
  • Let the buyer be at ease and let the agents do their job.

PAINT AND FLOOR FACT

PAINT & CARPET ARE YOU BEST IMPROVEMENT INVESTMENTS FOR GETTING A GREATER RETURN ON YOUR MONEY.

Paint makes the whole house smell clean and neat. if your home has chipped paint, exposed wood, or the paint looks faded, it is time to paint. If your carpet is worn, dirty, outdated or an unusual color, you may need to seriously consider replacing it. Many houses do not sell because of this problem. Don’t think that buyers have more money than you have to replace carpet. They don’t. They will simply buy elsewhere.

YARD FACT

YOUR FRONT YARD IMMEDIATELY REFLECTS THE INSIDE CONDITION OF YOUR HOUSE TO THE BUYER. 50% OF THE BUYING DECISION IS MADE UPON SEEING THE CURB APPEAL.

In the D.C area, when the weather is warm, people enjoy their yards. Make certain that the trees are trimmed so the house can be seen from the street. Have the grass mowed, trimmed and edged. Walkways should be swept. Clean away debris. This all adds to curb appeal. If a buyer does not like the outside, that person simply drives on, to buy another house, and is lost forever.