8 STEPS TO SELLING YOUR HOME

Step One

Selling a home can be one of the most emotional things a person ever does. Homes are filled with memories of family and friends, memories that aren't easy to let go of. Unfortunately no one can make the process of selling a home less emotional, but an agent can help simplify the entire process and make the business side a lot less stressful. If you are considering selling your home these next 8 posts will give you all the info you need to get the ball rolling.

Define Your Goals and Needs

The first step to selling a home is understanding why you want to sell. Before you call an agent take a moment to answer the following questions.

Why do I want to sell? Do you have a growing family? Do you have a job opportunity in another city? Would you like to live closer to family? There are a myriad of reasons to sell your home, make sure your decision is based on the right one. 

What do I hope to accomplish with the sale? Is your main goal to make a profit, or do you need to sell within a certain time frame? Perhaps you have no emotional attachment to the property and you're just trying to rid yourself of a burden? While the ideal goal in any home sale is to sell quickly for the most money, it may not always be realistic. If you want to make a good profit but the current market is a buyer's market, you may need to wait awhile for the prices to go back up. However, if you have accepted a job in another city and need to sell fast, you may not be able to wait for as high an offer as you'd like. 

Are you being persuaded? Friends and family love to give advice, and they usually do so with the best of intentions. But if someone is convincing you to move when you really don't want to it's in your best interest to put a stop to it. If you think this may be happening to you, take a step back and assess the situation. Why do they want you to move, and are their reasons really what's best for you? Confronting the people closest to you can be difficult at times, but doing so will be better for everyone in the long run.

Take your time answering these questions and get the opinion of anyone else who may be involved in the sale. Once you have a good idea of why you want to sell and what goals you'd like to accomplish, it's time to contact your agent. Together you can map out a strategy to help you meet your home selling goals. 

Step Two - Name Your Price

Step Three - Preparing Your Home

Step Four - Marketing

Step Five - Receiving an Offer

Step Six - Negotiations

Step Seven - Preparing to Close

Step Eight - Close the Deal

Door Knocking

A couple times a month another agent and I go door knocking in a few different neighborhoods we have selected. We like to leave the residents little goodies and information about ourselves, and we're always up for a friendly chat. We never know how many people will be home, or how many spider webs we'll walk through, but one thing is guaranteed, we're going to get a nasty email from a not-so-happy homeowner. 

I'm writing this blog post to answer some of the most common questions and comments we receive in these emails (I'll clean the language up a bit) and hopefully dispel the most common myth about door knocking; that we're trying to force you to sell your home. 

"I told you I don't want to sell my home, why do you keep coming back?"

A lot of people are under the impression that if an agent knocks on your door, they're going to try to force you to sell your home. Let me start by saying this; there are bad apples in every business, and if you have experienced a pushy agent on your door step I am truly sorry. However, this is not the goal of most agents who knock on your door. Our goal is simply this: We want you to know who we are. That's it! 

Real estate is a referral business, we need people to know our names in order to make a living. So you're not planning on moving, but maybe your co-worker is and they ask you if you know any good agents. If you say "Why yes! Two lovely ladies come to my door once a month, you should give them a call!" Then our door knocking goal has been met. If you don't refer us, that's OK too! We'll still come say hi once a month. 

"I don't want your flyers, stop delivering them to me!" Signed - Anonymous

Printing hundreds of flyers is pricey and we prefer to leave them with people who enjoy them or find the information useful. If you aren't that person then we will happily stop delivering them to you, but first we have to know who you are! Most agents don't enjoy making people upset, and we really don't like being called nasty names in emails, but if we don't know who you are you will continue to receive our flyers. Simply stating that you have no need for our flyers and leaving your address is all it takes to remove yourself from our list. 

"Why are you littering my doorstep? Put it in the mailbox!"

A lot of people don't know it, but it is illegal for anyone other than a postal worker to put anything in your mailbox. By leaving our info in your mailbox we risk charges and fines from the government, and no one wants that. We do, however, make a conscious effort to secure our flyers, usually by placing them under a welcome mat, so they don't blow into your yard. If you enjoy receiving the flyers but would prefer they be left somewhere specific simply send an email or give the agent a call with your request, we would be more than happy to oblige. 

"Why do you want to talk to me? Just leave your info and go."

Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, people had conversations and they made the world a better place. When we choose neighborhoods, we choose ones we love and we assume that since you live in these neighborhoods that you love them too, so we already have something in common. We enjoy talking with homeowners about why they love the area they're in, how long they've been there, what's changed, or anything else they'd like to share. If you don't love your neighborhood we'd like to hear about that too, please share your concerns with us! Taking a few minutes out of your day to connect with another person, without the aid of an electronic device, helps to relieve stress and anxiety, and we can all do with a little less stress in our lives. 

If you don't agree, or if talking to strangers raises your stress level, please let us know and we'll leave you be!

"This isn't my house, I'm just renting."

As I stated above, we aren't trying to make you move, and you could still be a referral source for us, but we can also be an asset to you. Real estate agents network with many different people in many different business, which makes us great resources for anything you might need. Aside from knowing all the best contractors, roofers, plumbers, gardeners and electricians, we also know the best restaurants, mechanics, florists, coffee shops, doggy daycares, and just about anything else you may need. If you're new to the area, or even if you've lived in the same place for years, feel free to hit us up for some free info! 

At the end of the day, all we really want is to get to know you and your community, we don't want to upset you! Door knocking is simply part of our job and to be honest, it makes a lot of us quite nervous. So the next time you see your neighborhood real estate agent I hope you wave and say hello, it will make their day!

Still have questions or concerns about door knocking? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!

8 STEPS TO BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME

Step 8

Protect Your Investment

Now that you have your home and you're all moved in, you need to take some final steps to protect your investment. Throughout the home buying process you have probably gotten to know your agent quite well, and hopefully you've been able to build a relationship of trust. That doesn't have to go away just because the deal has closed, your agent wants you to stay in touch! 

After you buy your home your agent can still help you in the following ways:

1. Handle your first tax return as a new homeowner. Filing taxes as a home owner can be quite different than you may be used to, and you may have tax breaks coming to you. It's also important to keep track of your property taxes and your agent can help you with that. 

2. Keep track of your home's current market value. The value of your home will rise and fall with the market and it's good to keep track. If at some point you choose to sell your home you will want to do so when the value is at a high point.

3. Help your friends find or sell homes. Sometimes finding an agent you like can be difficult, but once you do why not let your friends know? It will save them a lot of time doing an agent search and you can feel confident your agent will treat your friends as well as she treated you. 

4. Find contractors to help with home maintenance or remodeling. Keeping up with your home maintenance is essential to protecting the long-term value of your investment. 

There are two things you should be doing to maintain your home:

1. Keep it clean. We're not talking about sweeping and mopping here, although that's important too! It's really important to do regular maintenance and cleaning of your home's systems, such as heating and cooling units, fireplace chimneys, septic tanks, crawl spaces, and attic spaces. 

2. Keep an eye on it. Be sure to do regular walk around inspections of your home and look for any leaks, cracks, damage, and basic wear and tear. 

Allowing any part of your home to fall into disrepair can lead to hefty repair bills. Often times homeowners fail to pay attention to maintenance problems with their home until they choose to sell it, then they find themselves faced with a large inspection report brought forth by potential buyers. Keeping on top of issues as they arrive can save you a lot of hassle, and money, in the future.

Step One: Decide to Buy a House and Conquer Your Fears

Step Two: Hire an Agent

Step Three: Secure Financing

Step Four: Finding Your New Home

Step Five: Making an Offer

Step Six: Perform Due Diligence

Step Seven: Closing

8 STEPS TO BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME

Step 7

Closing

This is the final step of the home buying process and your agent will take care of most of it for you. The stages of this process include:

Appraisal - Your lender will send out an appraiser to assure the home is worth what you're paying for it, or at least what you're asking to borrow for it.

Title search - A title search will be performed to assure the seller has a right to sell the home and that no one else claims to own the property. 

Final credit and finance check - Your credit and financing will be looked at one final time to assure everything is in order. It is important you don't make any major purchases (car, new furniture) during the home buying process. 

Your agent will keep you notified of each step and how the process is advancing. Even though most of this stage is in your agent's hands, you will have a small list of pre-closing responsibilities you should be on top of. 

1. Stay in control of your finances. As I mentioned above, this is not the time for any major purchases, it could result in you losing the home of your dreams. 

2. Return all phone calls and paperwork promptly. There are time deadlines during this stage that everyone is trying to meet, don't be the one who keeps the party waiting! 

3. Communicate with your agent at least once a week. Send them a text, email. or give them a call to find out how things are going and if you need to do anything. 

4. Confirm with your agent your documents are in order. This should be done several days before closing. Sometimes documents can be misplaced in the mountains of paperwork and emails, so it's best to double check. 

5. Do a final walk-through - A few days before closing you and your agent should do one last walk-through of the property to ensure it's in the same shape it was when you agreed to purchase it, and that all appliances included in the deal have remained. 

On closing day you will be guided through the process of signing by a closing agent and your own agent. The documents you sign will:

1. Finalize your mortgage.

2. Pay the seller.

3. Pay your closing costs.

4. Transfer the title from the seller to you.

5. Make arrangements to legally record the transaction as a public record.

With these clear expectations, and if you follow directions given to you by your agent, closing should be the exciting end to your home-buying journey! 

Step One: Decide to Buy a House and Conquer Your Fears

Step Two: Hire an Agent

Step Three: Secure Financing

Step Four: Finding Your New Home

Step Five: Making an Offer

Step Six: Perform Due Diligence

Step Eight: Protect Your Investment

8 STEPS TO BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME

Step 6

Perform Due Diligence

Unlike other purchases we make, a house can't be returned if you're unhappy with it, which is why property inspections and home owner's insurance are so important. 

The property inspection is completed before you sign the closing papers and will expose any and all problems the home may have. Here are a few things you should keep in mind about inspections:

1. Structural damage. This should always be your main concern as structural damage is often very expensive to fix, if it's fixable at all. If the cost of repairs will be more than 3% of the home cost you should seriously consider whether or not it would be in your best interest to go through or walk away. Any damage that is not fixed can seriously affect the resale value of the home.

2. Minor repairs. Every home will have minor issues and it's best to over look them. Leaky faucets, nail holes in walls, missing light switch covers, all of these things can be repaired easily for very little money. Don't let these minor inconveniences distract you from any big issues that may be present. 

3. Big problems. If your inspector finds a big problem it's best to bring in a specialist. A specialist will take a deeper look at the problem and let you know just how bad it is. Don't be afraid to walk away from the purchase if you feel the problem is more than you feel comfortable dealing with. 

Once inspection is complete and you're satisfied and ready to move on, the next step will be to purchase homeowner's insurance. Insurance will protect you in the following ways:

1. Loss or damage of the property. Although unpleasant to think about, unfortunate things can and do happen. Fires, earthquakes, floods, these are all potential disaster that can happen and you should be sure to get insurance that covers all possibilities. 

2. Liability for injuries. The insurance will also cover any injuries that may occur to people while on your property.

Remember, your home will be one of the biggest investments you will ever make and protecting that investment should be top priority. 

Step One: Decide to Buy a House and Conquer Your Fears

Step Two: Hire an Agent

Step Three: Secure Financing

Step Four: Finding Your New Home

Step Five: Making an Offer

Step Seven: Closing

Step Eight: Protect Your Investment

MONTHLY MID-CENTURY MAKEOVER

Summer is finally in full swing! Garden parties, barbecues, and cook outs are surely taking up some space in your schedule, so what better time than now to give your yard a mid-century makeover? Grab some gardening gloves and let's make your yard the talk of the town!

Getting Started

First thing's first, how do you want your outdoor space to be utilized? Will it be your own private oasis, or a gathering spot for all your friends? Are you going for a woodsy look with a lot of trees and foliage, or do you prefer a wide open space spotted with colorful garden beds? Unlike furniture in a room, plants can't be moved around on a whim once they're in the ground, so have a game plan and know what you want before you begin. 

When choosing plants be sure to do a little research first and make sure they can survive in the climate where you live. Just because a local nursery sells a particular plant does not mean it will thrive in your yard (I found that out the hard way).

There isn't too much difference between the gardens of the 50s and our gardens today, and there really aren't any rules to follow in order to obtain your perfect mid-century yard. Below are some examples of what outdoor living looked like in the 50s, I hope they inspire you to get outside and make the most of your outdoor space. 

Front Yards

It's common practice today for people to erect 6 foot fences around their entire properties, blocking the yard from their neighbors view, but this form of privacy was not popular in the 50s and definitely wouldn't be considered very neighborly. Wide open front yards with inviting pathways, and maybe a white picket fence for decoration, was much more common. 

Flowers, especially roses, were planted around perimeters of the home, creating accent points. 

 

Depending on the size of the home, and of the yard, garden beds could be small and modest, or large and flowing, Small beds were often planted close to the front door to enhance the entrance and make it more inviting 

In larger yards the gardens might spread out away from the home along fences or walkways, inviting people to enter from the sidewalk.

These homes have utilized the natural slopes and hills of their lots to create cascading gardens, and to give the yard a bit of privacy while still keeping it open and friendly. 

This type of gardening may seem like a lot of work, but adding this type of curb appealing can add quite a bit of value to your home! Look carefully at the space you have and maybe make a few sketches to help you decide how best to accent the natural appeal. Then head to the nursery and start getting dirty!

Back Yards

In my opinion, this is where outdoor renovations get fun. The backyard is often much more secluded and it offers much more opportunity to really make the space yours. Here a few ideas people of the 50s had for their spaces.

All the color!! Give your patio a makeover by painting it in fabulous mid-century pastels. And why not add a sporty yellow convertible in the driveway, just for fun?

This is a great example of a Pacific Northwest yard. This family opted for concrete slabs over grass, which can be a great idea if you hate mowing the lawn, or if the pine trees on your property prevent grass from growing.

 

 A very simple outdoor space for anyone who doesn't do a lot of outdoor entertaining, but would like the option to once in awhile.

Another simple outdoor space, with a lovely concrete and stone table! The barn-style split door is a nice addition to this home.

If you'd like the space to be all yours, consider installing a koi pond. The staggering stone slabs give this pond a lovely modern look.

Building your very own brick barbecue was very popular in the 50s and could be a fun summer project. If Lucy and Ethel can do it, anyone can!

This yard is my favorite and comes from an article titled "How to build a guest house and yard for $2000!" Wouldn't that be nice? This little area features a brick "rug", plenty of seating, and the strategically placed shrubs gives it a lot of privacy. Three of the concrete slabs have been replaced with aluminum pans to create reflecting ponds, which is something I hope to do in the future! 

I hope these photos have given you some inspiration for your own yards! Happy gardening! 

8 STEPS TO BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME

Step 5

Make an Offer

You've spent the past month viewing many marvelous homes, and you've finally found the one for you. It's time to make an offer! As fun as the viewing process was, it's time to get serious now and put your business cap on. There are three basic components to to an offer; Price, terms, and contingencies.

1. Price

The price you offer for the home does not have to be what the seller is asking for, but it should reflect the market value of the home. Your agent will do market research and guide you in this process, but the price you offer is your decision alone. 

2. Terms

There are six basic categories that terms fall under;

1) Schedule - This is a schedule of events that happens, and that both buyer and seller must abide by, before closing date.

2) Conveyance - A list of items that will stay in the house when the sellers leave.

3) Closing costs - Generally buyer's will pay their own closing costs, but if you would like the sellers to cover these costs, or if you want them included in the sale price, you will need to write it into the contract.

4) Commission - The commission fee for both your agent and the seller's agent must be written into the contract. It is standard for the seller to pay the commission fees, not the buyer.

5) Home warranty - This covers repairs or replacements for major appliances and systems. You may ask the seller to pay for this. 

6) Earnest money - This protects the seller in the event you back out of the offer. It also shows how serious, or earnest, you are about the purchase.

3. Contingencies

Once your offer is agreed to and signed by the sellers it becomes a binding contract known as a Purchase and Sale Agreement. However, there are still ways for a buyer to back out of a deal without losing their earnest money. By adding contingencies to your offer, you are protecting yourself against unfavorable circumstances that may arise and which would cause you to change your mind about purchasing the home. There are many, many contingencies that may be added to an offer, but I will go over the most common.

1) Inspection contingency -  The buyer is given 10 days to perform an inspection on the house with a licensed inspection company. Once the results are received the buyer will have 3 days to either:

• Accept the report and continue with the home purchase,
• Ask for repairs to be made at the seller's expense and continue with the home purchase, or
• Reject the report and back out of the home purchase. 

The buyer can back out of the purchase in this 3 day time period for ANY REASON. There does not have to be anything wrong with the home in the report, and the buyer does not have to give a reason for backing out. However, once the buyer has agreed to the report as is, or agreed to repairs being made at the seller's expense, the contingency is removed and the buyer can no longer back out of the deal. 

2) Financial contingency - This makes the offer contingent on the buyer's financing coming through. If for any reason financing is denied, the buyer may walk away from the deal.

3) Title contingency - This makes the sale of the home contingent on the house having a clean title. A title search will be done and if there are any liens (money owed) or if the seller does not have the right to sell the home, the buyer can once again walk away from the deal.

As I mentioned before, there are many different contingencies which can be added, but adding too many can hurt your chances of a seller accepting your offer. Too many contingencies may make the seller feel you are not serious about the home purchase, because you are giving yourself too many ways out. Discuss with your agent which contingencies you should use to give your offer the best chances of being accepted, while still keeping you, the buyer, protected. 

The Process

You may be thinking "I have no idea how to write a contract like this!" Well don't worry, you don't have to. In fact, unless you're a lawyer, you aren't allowed to. Your agent will use a legal contract pre-drafted by a lawyer and simply fill in the correct information on the spaces provided. Your agent should explain each and every section of the contract with you, and if at any point you do not understand you should speak up and ask that it be explained again. 

Once the offer is complete it will be sent to the seller's agent, who will in turn present it to the seller for consideration. Legally all offers MUST be presented to the seller, their agent can not choose to ignore your offer. There will be a time limit in which the seller must reply to the offer, usually 3 days. If the buyer changes their mind within that time period and BEFORE a response from the seller is received, the buyer can retract the offer. 

The seller will likely respond to the offer in one of three ways;

1. They can accept your offer as is and sign it, making it a binding purchase and sale agreement.

2. They can make changes to the offer, such as a different price or removal of contingency, and send it back to the buyer. The buyer can then either agree to the new terms and sign it, making it a binding purchase and sale agreement, or they can make changes themselves and send it back to the sellers. The offer can go back and forth indefinitely until both parties agree on the terms, or a party chooses to walk away.

3) They can do nothing. If the seller does not wish to accept the offer, or make a counter offer, they can simply do nothing and the offer will expire. They do not need to contact the buyer. 

The last thing I would like to touch on are personal notes. I have many buyers who ask me if they can include a personal note to the seller explaining who they are and why they would be the best choice for the home. Notes can always be included, but whether or not they help the offer will depend on the situation. Here are some scenarios in which a note may help an offer:

• The home in question will be getting multiple offers and the buyer would like to stand out from the rest.
• The home has been owned by one family for many decades.
• The buyer is making a fairly low offer on the home.

Agents have differing opinions on this matter, some believe notes always help, some believe they never help, and some believe it depends on the situation. Ask your agent for their advice, but remember they can't deny you if you strongly wish to include a note. One more thing you should know regarding notes is that the seller's agent is NOT required to present the note to the seller with the offer UNLESS the inclusion of the note is part of the offer. 

Good Luck! 

Step One: Decide to Buy a House

Step Two: Hire an Agent

Step Three: Secure Financing

Step Four: Finding Your New Home

Step Six: Perform Due Diligence

Step Seven: Closing

Step Eight: Protect Your Investment