SELLERS
Preparing to Sell your Home
The first question you might want to ask yourself is, “why do I want to sell my home?” Do you need more space? Are you an empty-nester looking for a smaller space? Have you accepted a job in a different part of the country? All of these questions affect the potential sale of your home and the negotiating process of that sale.
You may also want to begin making a list of all of the interior and exterior projects that you want to complete before placing your home on the market.
Lynn Wilson will point you in the right direction. She has the knowledge and understanding of the industry and can provide reliable information to get you moving in the right direction towards the sale of your home.
Selling Your Home
The Offer
An acceptable offer depends on many different things:
Is the proposed offer near the asking price?
Your time frame – Do you have another house payment? Insurance?
Do you have enough time to wait for the agent to bring more potential buyers?
What if your home is listed and never receives a single offer?
What if several offers are received at the same time?
The Counter-Offer
When potential buyers are searching for a home, they can respond in three different ways to the seller(s):
This home is not what we were looking for. We are not interested in the property.
We are interested in the home and we will purchase the property on the buyer’s terms per the real estate agreement.
We are interested in the home, but here is our counter–offer for the property.
Negotiating
The negotiation process can, at times, seem very complicated. However, if you are working with Lynn Wilson, all of this can be made hassle-free.
During the negotiation process, the seller can react in one of three different ways:
Accept the buyer’s proposed offer
Decline the buyer’s offer
Make a new counter–offer
Saying Goodbye To Your Home
The closing process is always changing. It is referred to as “settlement” or “escrow” in different parts of the country. With increased technology, most closings are completely automated and both parties do not have to be present at the same time to sign.
Closings usually take about 30 days to complete. This mainly depends on the buyer’s financing availability, successful home inspection completion, and various lender conditions (ex. title search, title insurance, termite inspections, surveys and appraisals).
The closing process is the transfer of the title of the property from the buyer to the seller. The buyer will receive the keys to the home or the deed to the land, while the seller receives payment for the property. The amount the seller receives is based upon the amount that is still owed on the mortgage, any outstanding fees or taxes and any additional closing costs. All legal papers are filed with the local record office.
In this step, the buyer and seller do very little. It is important for the seller to take a final walk through of the property to make sure the property’s condition has not changed. It is equally important for the buyer and seller to make sure the paperwork being signed reflects the agreement of the original sale.
Surviving the Move
Moving can be one of the most emotional times in your life. The thrill of something new, a new career, a new neighborhood, a new home, is exciting for some but for others these changes can be an emotional rollercoaster.
The key to surviving your move is to first analyze the situation. You may want to ask yourself, “What does my move entail? Will I be moving across the country or just down the street? Could I handle the move myself, providing that I have the right packing materials and friends to help or do I need to explore the option of hiring a professional moving company?”
There are many resources out there. You may want to consult with your Lynn Wilson for guidance or refer to our Moving Checklist for more information.
Hiring A Moving Company
If you plan on hiring a moving company, you might want to do some research first. Our Moving Guide offers great information for those researching the possibility of hiring a mover.