Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Tips when listing your home for sale


1. Be comfortable that the realtor you are interviewing provides full service,is easy to reach.

2. Listen to your realtor's suggested price/price range for listing your home. Part of the reason you are hiring a realtor is because he/she knows the market and has seen other homes in your neighborhood that have been listed and sold. He/she is using sales data and important neighborhood knowledge in suggesting the list price/prce range. If you strongly disagree with the agent's price opinion,you can either make an agreement up front to try your price and after a certain time period reduce to the price he/she suggests. That being said, the market does change and his/her price opinion may change based on market activity since your home has been on the market. Also consider getting an appraisor to come in and give his/her price opinion so you have a general idea of what the bank thinks your home is worth,should a buyer come in who wants to purchase with a mortgage.

3. Tying to #2,ask your realtor which homes he/she is using for sales comparables and ask why they are good comps.

4.Turn the lights off! Most buyers ask for utility bills. Montgomery County requires sellers of primary residents to disclose their utility bills for the last 12 months.
"Energy wasters" who sell a home will rue the times they forgot to turn off lights, turn down the air conditioner or left the TV on all day. It would be ill-advised to fake the amount of energy being used by simply living in the dark and cutting utility costs to nearly zero. However, careful and prudent use of energy can cut bills by enough so that a buyer does not have sticker shock about what it costs to maintain electricity, gas or oil to run a house.

5.Sell "Green". Not very many homes are actually built with environmentally friendly material or heated by solar panels or wind. But those that are have a special appeal to the crowd that buys green cars such as the Prius. A seller may have one of only a few "green" homes in their town or city. That may make it highly desirable to many shoppers.

6. Get a home inspection before your home is on the market so you are aware of issues and can repair them before buyers come through. Buyers often use the home inspection report as a negotiating point. You may be saving thousands of dollars by knowing and addressing inspection items up front instead of waiting for a buyer to ask for as subsidy.

Have any questions about your home and the home sale process? Give me a call; I am here to help

Adam
adambashein@mris.com
www.basheinhomes.info
301-943-4370

Adam Bashein
Licensed in MD & DC
Weichert Realtors
7821 Tuckeman Lane
Potomac,MD 20854
301-718-4100 ext. 132

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