Selling

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Ensure Your Home's Price Is Right

With the housing market moving forward, home sellers today must carefully balance the pricing of their homes. Price too high ahead of the recovering market and your property may languish as buyers look elsewhere. Price too low and you leave money on table, or in the pocket of the fastest qualified buyer.

That’s why a candid conversation with your local Alex Mark Real Estate Agent is the perfect place to start. Our agents thoroughly understand the current market conditions. They know your neighborhood and the factors driving home prices and demand.

They’ll explain that setting the right price begins with a detailed review of comparable home sales in the area during the past 3–6 months, and an assessment of comparable homes currently for sale. The condition of your home also figures significantly into its listing price — a nicely maintained home simply shows better and will sell for more than a comparable house needing work.

How do you find a good agent?

Start by asking your friends, neighbors, and work associates. Chances are they’ve worked with agents in the recent past and will offer referrals. Extend your agent search online, and conduct an online search of names you receive.

Ask your prospective agents for referrals and contact those referrals. Invite your candidates to visit your home and give you a ‘listing presentation’ that demonstrates their skill, market knowledge, and service pledge.

You’ll likely spend a lot of time with your agent so compatibility is essential. Make sure you’re comfortable speaking with your agent, and that your agent listens to you.

Home sellers spend so much time preparing their interior for the sale that they can easily overlook the exterior. Yet great curb appeal can increase the value of a property by as much as 15–20%.

Buyers associate the condition of your home’s exterior and landscape with the condition of the interior. Ideally, your home’s appearance invites potential buyers to ‘cross the threshold’ and take a closer look.

Best of all, you needn’t spend a ton of money to make a big difference. Ask your Alex Mark Real Estate Agent for ways to boost your home’s curb appeal.

Today's busy buyers, most of whom begin their home searches on the Web, quickly scan listings and sort options. This greatly increases the importance of home staging, high–quality Multiple Listing Service (MLS) photos, and virtual tours

Ideally, you want your home to look perfect or as close to perfect as possible. Many home-sellers hire professional home stagers, who can turn everyday homes into showcase properties.

 If you need to sell your home and you owe considerably more than the home is worth, you may consider a short sale. A short sale is where your lender agrees to accept market price on the home and ‘forgive’ all or a portion of the remaining loan balance.Be sure you understand the intricacies of the short–sale process, which includes legal and financial risks.Besides seeking an attorney’s and tax professional’s advice, work with an experienced Alex Mark Real Estate Agent on the transaction.Remember, just because a lender may have agreed to the short sale that doesn’t mean you’re automatically released from your debt. Rules vary by state on whether the deficiency still is owed. Find this out before you close on the sale.A short sale also may affect your taxes. If debt is forgiven, it’s considered a “relief of debt” and may be treated as income for tax purposes. 

 When selling your home, an often debated subject concerns how much work to put in each room to spruce up and upgrade for a faster sale and better price.If you decided to renovate, focus your efforts on your kitchen and bathrooms but don't forget other spaces in your home.