22 Things I’ve Learned
Helping People Sell Their Home In Temple/Belton
1.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS! If you don’t know how much you
owe on your home loan, how much taxes you might owe, what liens you might have
or the cost of potential repairs... you’re in for a big surprise when it comes
time to closing.
2.
Both Realtors & Buyers know if you’re not serious about
selling your home. So if you aren’t ready yet, maybe I should find out more
info for you before you put your home on the market.
3.
Unlike a garage sale... you can’t just randomly make up a price
for your home because that’s what you want/need... there is a method to pricing
your home and even after that it’s still ultimately up to the market to decide
how much your home is worth and how much someone is willing to pay.
4.
Not everything sells the first day on the market... yes some
areas of town might have homes that are in hot demand...but yours might take a
little longer and that’s ok. Before putting your home on the market I’ll let you
know what to expect when you’re expecting...an offer on your home.
5.
Don’t take it personal if someone gives you negative feedback.
Even the most “PERFECT” home can get negative feedback... some people are just
negative. But... also don't ignore it, if we get continued feedback that your
home smells like ???... we'll need to
figure something out.
6.
ZIP IT!!! Don’t tell anyone why you’re selling (except me of
course) You never know who could divulge that info and then get back to a
potential buyer... if they know you “NEED TO SELL FAST” it could cost you $$$
7.
Crappy photos can cost you TIME & MONEY!!! It’s 2021,
homebuyers start their search online and if your listing photos look like they
were taken with a flip phone (actually seen this) then potential buyers could
just keep swiping left and on to the next. Selling your home online is like
online dating... you have to put your best possible shots out there and don’t
be afraid to use angles and filters.
8.
Keep it clean! You wouldn’t buy dirty clothes would you? Or a
filthy car? Then why would think a buyer would think anything positive about a
dirty house... all that says is you might be the type of owner who doesn’t care
to maintain a home and there could be underlying issues. Your home doesn’t have
to be professionally staged to sell... the easiest advice is just KEEP IT
CLEAN!
9.
It’s possible to be UPSIDE DOWN on a home! Yes, sometimes the
numbers just don’t work... either because you’re trying to sell too soon and
don’t have enough equity, you’ve done a loan modification or home equity loan,
refinanced etc. Before putting on the market we’ll go over all this and get you
an estimate of costs to sell so we know what to expect at closing.
10. MONEY
MAKES PEOPLE FUNNY... it’s very possible that after you sell your first home
you could be seeing a check bigger than you’ve ever seen before. Because of
this stress & anxiety levels could be high. Be sure to have a plan in place
so the money is not going to waste.
11. If
you’re married, you and your partner HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE!!! There’s
nothing worse than when one person doesn’t want to sell and another one does.
It makes everything difficult and uncomfortable.
12.
The Realtor you list your home with MATTERS! Unfortunately, it’s
pretty dang easy to get a Real Estate license, so because of that there’s some
agents out there who will do anything to get a listing and at any price...
which isn’t always in your best interest. Make sure before deciding on a
Realtor® you find out their track record and how experienced they are selling a
home like yours.
13.
On that same note... if you’re able to negotiate a Realtor® down
on their commission... and we’re supposed to be the professional negotiators...
what makes you think they’ll be able negotiate with other Realtors when it
comes time to make a deal on your home?
14.
Make your home available... we don’t need a million people to
buy your home...we just need ONE... so every showing counts... and if we’re
constantly having to tell buyers the home can’t be seen today... they’re going
to move on to the next.
15.
If you think about the sale of your home like a Basketball
game... there’s 4 quarters to a transaction... the first being when it’s active
and looking for a buyer... the second being when you’re in option period with a
buyer performing inspections... the third being when you’re waiting for the
appraisal...and the 4th being when you’re waiting to close! But unlike
basketball there’s no way to know how long each quarter will last and what kind
of surprises will come up. The key is to keep pushing forward and have an
experienced Realtor there with you to be your MVP and get you the
"W".
16.
If you find out during the “Option Period” your home needs major
repairs...DONT FREAK OUT! We’ll talk you through your options and let you know
what the best and most affordable route to take is.
17.
EVERYTHING is negotiable, don’t be surprised if a buyer ask for
your fridge, curtains, furniture or play-set... we’ve even seen buyers ask for
a sellers dog!!! ( not negotiable or course) But despite our furry friends know
that everything else could be the bargaining chip we need to make a deal.
18.
It’s OK if you decide to change your mind once it goes on the
market and things “get real”! Once you start having people look and walk
through your home things start to get very real and can make you start having
second thoughts... if this happens no hard feelings. All we want is to make
sure you’re happy... and if that means holding off on things until another
time... it’s all good.
19.
WE WILL NOT MAKE YOU HOMELESS... if you’re looking to sell and
buy a new home we will come up with a plan that works for everyone. Have
comfort knowing we help people do this EVERY DAY and we're not going to get you
in a situation where someone is pushing you out of your home before you know
where you're going!
20.
There will be a point you’ll have to start packing and buyers
will start to move in! I know... CRAZY RIGHT? On most transactions once funding
is complete the new buyer legally owns the home and you’ll need to be out of
there! We will make sure you don’t get caught in an awkward situation.
21.
Every home and every transaction is different, so don’t be
scared by some of the horror stories that are out there... someone else’s bad
experience selling their home doesn’t mean that’s what you’re going to go
through.
22.
TAKE YOUR TIME before deciding to sell your home. It’s very rare
that someone wakes up one day and says... “I want to sell my home today”! It’s
a big decision and you should take your time and find out as much as possible
before putting your home on the market.
My company has helped thousands of homeowners just like you sell their home right here in Central Texas. Want to know more? Have a question I didn’t cover above? Then make sure you ask for my “Ultimate Sellers Guide” and if you have any questions about where to start or anything Real Estate related, Text/Call me.