Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith

Realtor Associate
Princeville
Mobile: 808-651-9855
nathan.smith@hawaiimoves.com

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SELLING YOUR HAWAII HOME

Home Sellers

 

 

 

Tips For Home Sellers

Creating A Marketing Plan
 
In order to sell your home quickly and on with the best possible terms, its necessary to prepare your home for the market. This process includes:
           

  • Deciding when to put your home on the market.
  • Establishing a strategic price based on recent comparable sales, local market conditions and your motivation to sell.
  • Estimating probable net proceeds.
  • Advising you on how to make your home more appealing to potential buyers.

 
The Price is Right
 
A key part of the marketing plan is setting the list price. If a home is priced too low, you won’t benefit from the optimal profit. If a home is priced too high, potential buyers may be turned off. To determine the best asking price review the cost of recently sold homes, evaluate the competition and study marketplace trends. CENTURY 21 All Islands Agents are trained to use this information to help you reach the right asking price. It is also helpful to discuss other terms and conditions, such as timing and items that can be included with the sale of the home. Both of these can make your home more attractive to potential buyers.
 
Top 10 Tips to Make Your Home More Appealing to Buyers:
           

  1. Clean, Organize, and Neutralize Your Space: Declutter your house to make it look bigger and cleaner. Buyers need to be able to envision their own belongings in the home, so avoid using bright colors and too many personal effects.
  2. Keep your lawn green: Get your lawn in shape. A patchy lawn takes away from the home's overall appearance. Your local hardware store has supplies to re-seed those unhealthy areas.
  3. Add insulation to save energy: The most inexpensive way to increase your home's energy is to add insulation which can reduce heating and cooling costs by more than 25%.
  4. Update Kitchen Appliances: The kitchen is often the room that buyers gravitate towards first, and an updated kitchen can help sell your home. You don't have to remodel your kitchen to give it a new look. Updating your appliances to the current standard and replacing cabinet doors and hardware can make a big impact at a relatively low cost.
  5. Update those bathroom fixtures: A little change can go a long way when it comes to the look of your bathroom. Updating simple fixtures such as your sink and faucet can give any outdated bathroom style. And, according to Bankrate.com, minor bathroom remodels typically return over 100% of the initial investment.
  6. Build or repair a fence: If you're trying to sell a house, the appearance of a fence adds value to the home overall. Buyers with children or pets will appreciate the privacy and security of an enclosed backyard.
  7. Repair the gutter: Ensuring that your gutter is clean is crucial in protecting your home against water damage.
  8. Light up the outside: An easy and inexpensive way to increase your home's outdoor space is to add lighting. It makes it more appealing and safer.
  9. Store and organize: Ample storage space is a plus, especially when it comes to garages and closets. Efficient closet structures can help keep your clothes organized and can save space.
  10. Polish off the basement: Rather than adding an additional room, it is more cost-efficient to remodel your basement. This adds value and usable space.

 
Marketing Strategy:
 

  • Ordering a "FOR SALE" sign to be placed prominently on your property.
  • Installing a lock box to make it easy for agents to show your home.
  • Submitting your home to the regional Multiple Listing Service for immediate exposure to the real estate community.
  • Arranging other real estate agents in the area to tour the home.
  • Developing a flyer/brochure highlighting the features and benefits of your home.
  • Promoting your home at the appropriate Association(s) of Realtors' for maximum exposure to other cooperating agents.
  • Holding open houses when appropriate.
  • Contacting your neighbors to promote the property.
  • Advertising your property on our regular office schedule meetings.
  • Featuring your property on our web site and the many other national and international sites that carry listings for CENTURY 21 All Islands.
  • Prospecting or data base for Clients who have expressed an interest in a home like yours.
  • Sending emails of your listing to prospective.

 
The Sale
 
Negotiating the Offer
 
Your real estate agent will immediately present and explain all offers to you. You will be able to accept, reject, or counter any offer presented. During the negotiation process, your agent will leverage their experience and skills to advocate your interests:
 

  • Reviewing the contract and obligations before you sign
  • Explaining how contingencies and release clauses work
  • Protecting you from signing a "blank check" for unknown problems or repairs
  • Defining legal disclosure requirements
  • Orchestrate the offer process for "back-up" offers, if necessary

 
Throughout the negotiation, your real estate agent will provide you with a professional, objective point of view; but the final decision of accepting an offer is yours.
 
Home Inspection
 
Your home is in escrow, and the buyer has scheduled a home inspection. A home inspection is a thorough visual examination of the home and property. The process usually takes two to three hours, during which time the house is examined from the ground up. The inspection includes observation and, when appropriate, operation of the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical, and appliance systems, as well as structural components: roof, foundation, basement, exterior and interior walls, chimney, doors, and windows.
 
It’s important to remember that a home inspection does not detect every conceivable flaw. It is an inspection of those areas and items that can be seen. Home inspectors cannot see through foundations, floors or walls, and cannot inspect areas or items that are inaccessible.
 
A pre-sale inspection enables you to attend to problems before the house is put on the market, it also removes any questions about the condition of your home for you and a potential home buyer. Buyers are positively influenced by a professionally produced home inspection report, which improves the speed, price, and likelihood of a sale.
 
Some home sellers elect not to correct every defect reflected in the inspection report. Instead, they acknowledge the defects to buyers and explain that the asking price has been adjusted to reflect the estimated cost of repairs. Such candor tends to shorten negotiation time because buyers have fewer objections that could thwart a sale. In addition to facilitating the sale of a home, an inspection helps the homeowner comply with full-disclosure real estate laws, governed by state laws. By focusing on the condition of your property, you are less likely to overlook a defect or material fact for which you later could be held liable.
 
Qualified inspection companies will provide a sample report to substantiate that they abide by industry standards. One of the key standards is that ethical inspectors neither perform repairs nor refer clients to repair companies (thus avoiding a conflict of interest). Obviously, inspectors who make repairs on homes they inspect are more likely to "find" defects.
 
Once you have arranged for a home inspection, plan to accompany the inspector for the entire procedure. You have the right to be there, and leading home inspection companies will encourage your presence. It helps you to better understand the findings in the report, and will reduce post-closing hassles. Don't forget your list of questions and items of concern. A thorough home inspection covers more than 1,000 items, everything from the foundation to roof and takes two to three hours depending on the size of the property. The report should reflect the condition of about 400 items.
 
After the Offer is Accepted
 
Once an offer is accepted, your real estate agent will manage all the details to make the process as stress-free and efficient as possible:
 

  • Staying in contact with the buyer's agent to ensure a smooth escrow
  • Following up on the progress of the buyer's loan
  • Monitoring all contingency removal deadlines
  • Assisting you if a conflict with the buyer arises

 
The Closing
 
Closing is essentially a meeting where the closing agent (the party who conducts settlement) takes in money from the buyers, pays out money to the owner and makes sure that the purchaser's title is properly recorded in local records along with any mortgage liens. All papers have been prepared by closing agents, title companies, lenders and lawyers. This paperwork reflects the sale agreement and allows all parties to the transaction to verify their interests. For instance, buyers get the title to the property, lenders have their loans recorded in the public records and state governments collect their transfer taxes.
 
The closing agent reviews the sale agreement to determine what payments and credits the owner should receive and what amounts are due from the buyer. The closing agent also assures that certain transaction costs are paid (taxes and title searches).
 
Closing is also the time when "adjustments" will be made. For instance, suppose you've pre-paid taxes four months in advance. In this case, the closing agent will compensate you for the prepayment at closing by having the buyer pay you additional money.
 
It could also work in reverse. If you are behind on property taxes, the closing agent will reduce the money due to you at settlement by the amount of the unpaid taxes.

 

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