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- Why
list your home with us?
- Marketing
your home
- Setting the list price
- Preparing
your home for sale
- Showing
tips
- Home repair
referrals & added value
-
Why list your home with us?
WE KNOW THE MAMMOTH REAL
ESTATE MARKET. It has always been our firm belief that we can best serve
our clients with in-depth knowledge of a small market vs. a little knowledge
of a wide area. Mammoth is a unique and diverse community. Each neighborhood
has its own character. Each neighborhood appeals to a different buyer.
To obtain the highest possible sales price for your home, the marketing
must reach the right buyers with the right message. We have the network
and experience to do this.
WE HAVE THE CREATIVE TALENT TO 'SHOWCASE' YOUR HOME. The old
adage ... "you can't judge a book by its cover" ... is passé
today. This is a fast-paced, image-oriented society that we live in
(particularly this close to Los Angeles) ... first impressions really
do count! Every piece of information on your property, whether it be
a brochure, the wording in the Multiple Listing Service, a presence
on the Internet, or a well-placed advertisement, must show your home
in the best possible light.
During all phases of a
listing from the initial paperwork and promotion through the very last
details of the closing, we personally attend to all of the details.
As a result, our satisfied clients are responsible for a majority of
our business ... through referrals and repeat business.
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Marketing your home
'FOR
SALE' SIGNS AND BROCHURE BOXES: Immediately our distinctive Coldwell
Banker 'For Sale' sign is placed on your property along with a brochure
box containing photo/property information flyers.
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE: Your home is
immediately listed on the Multiple Listing Service which publishes a
bi-weekly catalogue of homes for sale through its member brokers and
an on-line computer network, available to its members, with photos
and descriptions of all listed properties. We personally submit a photo
and the descriptive elements of your home to ensure that you have the
best possible representation on the MLS.
PHOTO FLYER: As quickly as possible after receiving
your signed listing contract, we prepare and print a professional color
flyer. We make a point of having flyers for all of our listings available
at each of our open houses.
BROKERS' OPEN HOUSE: We schedule a brokers' open house for the
first Thursday after receiving the listing. We hold the open house for
extended hours (9:00 am - 11:00 am) and serve light snacks when appropriate.
We are known for the great food that we serve at these events - the
food encourages attendance; and the brokers tend to linger and
'absorb' the property, making them more inclined to remember the perfect
client for the property.
ON THE INTERNET: All of our property listings
are online under 'Listings' at http://www.RealEstateInMammoth.com as well as on a local Coldwell Banker site.
DIRECT CALLS: We phone nearby homeowners
to let them know your home or condominium is for sale. Frequently owners
know a friend or family member who would like to move into the area.
We also phone all our propspective buyers to inform them of your listing.
-
Setting
the list price
Pricing
your home is both an art and a science. Achieving the optimal
price is the result of both objective research into comparable
properties and a gut feeling about your property and the current market.
The right price should:
- Attract buyers
- Allow you to earn the most money possible
- Help you sell as quickly as possible
The simple fact is, price is the number one factor that most homebuyers
use to determine which homes they want to view. And it's important to
remember that, although the price is set by you, the value of the home
is determined by the buyer. Try to avoid allowing your enthusiasm to
impact your better judgment - overpricing is a common mistake that can
cost you in the end.
The Importance of Proper Pricing
- Faster sale and less inconvenience
- Exposure to more buyers
- Increases realtor response
- Generates more advertising/sign calls
- Attracts higher offers
- Means more money to seller
- Avoids being "shopworn"
What really matters is how your home stacks up against the others currently
offered for sale and recently sold in your neighborhood. Buyers will
be comparing.
Common Reasons for Overpricing
- Over-improvement
- Need
- Purchasing in higher-priced area
- Original purchase price too high
- Lack of factual data
- Bargaining room
- Move isn't necessary
- Assessed value
- Emotional attachment
- Opinion of family and neighbors
Dangers of Overpricing
- Most of the activity on your home will occur in the first
few weeks. Pricing a home properly and then creating immediate urgency
in the minds of agents and buyers is critical.
- Buyers who have seen most available homes in their price
range are waiting for the "right house" to come on the market. That's
why if a house is priced right, it will sell quickly. The buyers are
there waiting for it.
- Don't start with a high price and the assumption that you
can reduce it later. By the time you decide to lower the price, it may
be too late, as interest will have already waned.
- A major cause for concern is appraisal problems; overpricing
can lead to loan rejections and lost time.
- Even if your home is nicer than other homes in the same
area, your house won't be picked for viewing if you set the price too
high.
- Buyers and agents become aware of the long exposure period
and often are hesitant to make an offer because they fear something
is wrong with the property.
- Attracting the wrong buyers.
- Fewer potentially qualified buyers will respond.
- You might help sell similar homes that are priced low.
- You could lose money as a result of making extra mortgage
payments while incurring taxes, insurance and unplanned maintenance
costs.
The Role of a Real Estate Agent in Pricing
- Provide you with a comparative market analysis (CMA), a
comparison of the prices of recently sold homes that are similar in
terms of location, style, and amenities. A CMA is performed by comparing
previously sold homes in the area, and currently active homes to know
your competition. Interested
in receiving a market analysis on your home?
- There is no "exact price" for real estate
- We don't tell you what we think your home is "worth".
- The market determines value…together we determine
the price.
- You determine the price based on the factors you control:
- Marketing time
- Financing alternatives provided
- Condition
- Exposure method
- Keep in touch with market trends and keep up to date with
market activity of comparable homes.
- Estimate your net proceeds.
- Help to determine offering incentives.
An agent has NO control over the market, only
the marketing plan. Never select an agent based on price.
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Preparing your home for sale
First Impressions are Lasting Impressions. The exterior of your home
often determines how buyers will view the interior, so:
- Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting.
- Paint or replace your front door if it's faded or worn.
- Add some paint to shutters, trim and any other outside
features showing signs of wear.
Accentuate the Positive. "How we live in a
home and how we sell a home are often two different things."
Try to see your home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to
bring out its best attributes, including:
- Keep windows and floors clean.
- Replace faded wallpaper and glue any areas that have come
away from the wall.
- Repair worn woodwork.
- Repaint scarred or dirty walls in a neutral color.
- Steam clean carpeting or replace it if necessary.
- Repair loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped
cabinet drawers, broken light switches and other minor flaws.
- Check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.
Try to see your
home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to bring out its
best attributes, including:
- Open draperies and curtains to let the light in during
the showing.
- Remove all unnecessary clutter from your attic, basement
and closets to better display spacious rooms (consider storage or a
garage sale to dispose of extraneous items).
- Arrange all your rooms neatly and remove excess furniture.
Keep fresh, clean towels in the bathroom. Use candles or air fresheners
to make the room smell pleasant.
Put Your Home in the best possible light.
Strategically lighting your home, even during daytime showings, can
create a cozy mood and highlight positive attributes of each room, so:
- Avoid the use of overhead lighting that makes rooms look
washed out and lifeless.
- Be creative and arrange lamps to help smaller rooms seem
larger, and large rooms seem more intimate.
- Use lighting to highlight the "living areas" of your home,
such as a pair of chairs near a fireplace, or a table in a breakfast
area.
Inside:
- Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout
the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups
of 1, 3, or 5 items.
- Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops.
If it hasn't been used for three months…put it away!
- Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. (A
sparse kitchen helps buyers mentally move their own things into your
kitchen.)
- In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops,
tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics,
brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate
towels to one or two colors only.
- Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary.
As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is
wonderful for our personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling,
we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
- Take down or rearrange certain pictures or object on walls.
Patch and paint if necessary.
- Review the house inside room by room. Paint any room needing
paint, clean carpets or drapes that need it, clean windows.
- Leave on certain lights during the day. During "showings"
turn on all lights and lamps.
- Have stereo FM on during the day for all viewings.
- Lockbox--#1 Importance: "If we don't have it, they won't
show it."
Outside:
- Trim landscaping to reveal architectural detail (bottom
of windows, etc.). "If they can't see it, we can't sell it."
- Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage
cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., into the
garage.
- Check gutters and/or roof for dry rot. Make sure they are
swept and cleaned.
- Look at all plants…prune bushes and trees. Keep plants
from blocking windows. "You can't sell a house if you can't see it."
Plants are like children-they grow so fast!!
- Weed and then bark all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly
cut and fertilized. Remove any dead plants or shrubs.
- Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as small
planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys, etc. (Put them in
the garage).
- Check paint condition of the house-especially the front
door and trim. "Curb appeal really works!"
In General: Try to look at your house
"through the buyer's eyes" as though you've never seen it or been there
before. Any time or money spent on these items will bring you back more
money in return, and hopefully a faster sale.
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Showing
tips: 9
Minute Showing Drill
Occasionally you will receive a call to schedule a showing to take place
within the next few minutes. The following is a checklist for this type
of panic:
Sound: Turn off the television and tune the radio (low volume)
to a soft rock, middle of the road or classic rock station.
Sight: Turn on every light in the house
(day or night) and open every drape and blind (day time only).
Odors: Heat some frozen pastry slowly
in the oven or heat a pan on the stove and then drop in a few drops
of vanilla.
Kitchen: Wipe kitchen counters, place
dirty dishes in dishwasher.
Bathrooms: Wipe counters, flush and close
toilets.
Living/Family Rooms: Hide magazines, newspapers,
and games; remove clutter.
Bedrooms: Straighten beds. Hide clutter
under bed (not in closet).
Exterior: Put away toys and clutter. Keep
walk clear.
Children & Pets: They are a distraction,
so send them outside.
Goodbye: Sorry, but this is the single
most important thing you can do in a showing to help sell your
home! Even if the showing agent insists that it is okay to stay, you
must leave. Buyers must get emotionally committed to your home to buy
it and they cannot become emotional about "their new home" if you, the
current owners, are "hanging around." Please, at the very least, go
into the backyard. Even better, go to the store.
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Home
repair referrals & added value
“Which
items will add value to your home and help with resale when the time
comes to sell?” The answer is: “Only the ones that future
buyers will also want and be willing to pay for.”
As a general rule, choosing the functional
over the merely cosmetic and choosing neutral over unusual or exotic
will pay at resale. Taste and current trends can also affect the value
of an update. Unusual colors have a limited appeal.
Which updates will add the most value to your home?
- Updates that increase usable space
(an extra bathroom, larger and/or upgraded kitchen, master bedroom suite,
more closet space, conversion of unused space to a home office).
- Updates that will lighten and
brighten your rooms (white or light color paint and floor coverings,
light woods, skylights, larger windows, French doors).
- Updates that will open your home
to the outdoors for fresh air and entertaining (French doors to the
patio or garden).
- Updates that will increase privacy
and security (fencing, landscaping).
Have some repairs you need to get done before you put your home on the
market? Or just want to do some home improvement? Click
here for some excellent referrals to consider.
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