Home Seller Report1

Every seller wants to get as much money as possible when selling a home. A listing priced too high often gets the seller less money. If your home is not priced competitively, people looking in your price range will reject it in favor of other, larger homes for the same price. At the same time, the people who should be looking at your home will not see it because it is overpriced. Overpricing usually increases time on the market, and adds to the carrying costs. Ultimately, many overpriced properties sell below market value.

To help avoid this, Dennis Dieter has prepared a report detailing the type of thorough information you'll need prior to pricing you home. Simply put, Dennis provides all the information needed to help select the right price. You'll learn:

• The difference between cost and price
• What market value really is
How the principles of progression and regression apply to your home
• How much bargaining room to leave in your process
• How the principle of substitution affects your home's value
• Plus many more insider secrets!

Once you learn these principles, you'll know how to sell your home for the best price. Not only that, you'll know how to avoid paying too much for any home you buy in the future! Just call Dennis regarding these issues.

Buyers look for a home in which they would like to live, not a house. Owners who fail to make necessary repairs, such as sprucing up the house, touching up the paint and keeping it clean can chase away buyers.

If you were selling a car, you would wash it, or maybe even detail it to get the highest price. Houses are no different.

Buying a home is an emotional decision. People like to "try on" a house and see if it is comfortable for them. It's difficult for them to do that if you follow them around pointing out every improvement that you've made. It may even have the opposite effect you want.

Resist the temptation to talk the entire time a buyer is there, and let them discover things on their own. Try a tasteful sign to point out some hidden amenity that they might miss.

For Sale by Owners nearly always get more activity than homes listed with an agent. No question about it, Realtors will only bring qualified buyers. A qualified buyer is one who is ready, willing and able to buy your home. We find that most people who look at For Sale By Owners are just starting to think about moving. They may be good buyers, but they are six to nine months away from being ready. They don't wan to bother an agent yet, so they call the "by Owner" ads to get a feel for what's available. They may have a house to sell first, may need to save some more money, or may have credit that needs fixing. When everything is in place, that's when they go looking with an agent.

An agent will ask buyers how much they can really spend for a home, discuss down payment, evaluate credit, and decide a realistic monthly payment. Also, it's necessary to find out how much will be realized (realistically!) when their present home closes. Numerous other questions will be asked and answered as well. Unless your Realtor finds out all the facts first, you must ask all these questions before the buyer crosses your threshold. Otherwise, you may have a parade of Sunday afternoon shoppers with a dream of owning a home some day.

eal Estate law is extensive and complex: the contract for sale and purchase is a legally binding document. An improperly written contract can cause the sale to fall through, or cost you thousands for repairs, inspections, and remedies for title defects. You must know whether the property can legally be sold "as is" and how deed restrictions and local zoning will affect the transaction. If there are defects in your title, or if the title or the property is in conflict with local restrictions, you or your Realtor must remedy them.

Many times an agent will have good intentions about marketing your home, but circumstances can change. Make sure you interview your Realtor regarding what they will do to sell you home. Ask tough questions and when you decide on the Realtor for you, make sure you feel comfortable with your decision. After all it is your money he will be representing.

The two most obvious marketing tools (open houses and classified ads) are only moderately effective. Surprisingly, less that 1% of homes are sold at an open house. Agents use them to attract future prospects, not sell the house!

Advertising studies show that less than 3% of people purchased their home because they called on an ad. And if a machine answers, most callers just hang up without leaving a message.

The right Realtor will employ a broad spectrum of marketing activities, emphasizing the ones he or she believes will work best for you. There are dozens of more effective ways to find buyers that just open houses and advertising. Did you know that most calls come in during business hours when sellers are away at work, and most home showings are between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday? We market homes 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365-days a year! Ask about our 24-hour a day Marketing System.

An appraisal or tax assessment is an opinion of value for a certain purpose. If the lender wants to lend you money, they are motivated to have the appraisal come in high. The appraiser may ignore foreclosure or distress sales in order to justify the high value. But a real buyer in the real world will not ignore these properties. They are your competitors when you try to sell.

I can't tell you how many ridiculous appraisals and tax assessments I've seen. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the value you were told 6 month ago when you re-financed your home is the price a real buyer would pay. Ask your Realtor for a list of all of the sold properties in your area, and then decide. There are lots of opinions, but only one set of facts. Insist on FACTS!

It's very likely that you don't interview people very often, and yet in order to find the right Realtor, you may interview several. The quality of your home selling experience is dependent upon your skill at selecting the person best qualified.

It's interesting that in the real estate business, someone with many successfully closed transactions almost always costs the same as an agent who is inexperienced. Bringing that experience to bear on your transaction could mean a higher price at the negotiating table, selling in less time, and with the minimum amount of hassles.

The world is populated with Realtors who are wrong for you. For example, the housewife who sells an occasional house because she needs a little pocket change, or the insurance salesman who believes he can handle two careers, or perhaps your cousin George, who really needs your business.

The sale of your home could well be the most important financial transaction you have ever been involved with. The person you select can make it a satisfying and profitable activity, or a terrible experience. It's your home, and your money. The choice of your Realtor is up to you. Make the selection carefully.

We've prepared a valuable checklist, "The Most Critical Questions to Ask Your Agent Before You Sign Anything". Armed with these questions, you can be confident that you won't make a mistake.