A New Home Seller Resource

Wow! Today’s market is crazy. Homes are going under contract within days of being listed and are generally being sold for more than what fair market price was a mere month ago. It is a Seller’s Market for sure.

Values continue to rise

I want to talk about a few things.

• Why do people hesitate to sell?
• You’ve Got an Offer – How to be sure the Buyer is going to be able to buy?
• What is your home worth right now?
• What are things to consider when selling a home?

Some people are hesitant to sell because they have nowhere to go. As a Realtor, I can make several recommendations to help you with that. Let’s say we are out looking at new homes for you because you have decided to downsize a bit and pull your equity out of your current home while it is so high right now. While you are looking, someone makes an excellent offer on your home – one you don’t want to pass up. What to do? Well, we can write in a contingency to the contract that says the closing date will be determined by the purchase of your yet-to-find home. So, when you go do find a home and close on it, we also close on the sale of your home. It takes coordination, but that is one thing your Realtor is there for. Let’s say you just aren’t finding what you want – but you don’t want to pass up the excellent offer you have received. We could ask for a later closing date or you could consider temporarily storing your household goods and renting a small home or apartment until the right forever home comes available. If you decided to buy a new construction home, this is definitely a consideration because they are taking four to six months from start to finish on the new homes.

Another option would be to close on time, bank the money, and then rent your current home until you find something to buy. There are some buyers out there who would gladly accept this option, especially if they planned to buy your home as a rental investment property anyway. It gives them an instant reliable tenant and saves you money on storage fees. There are other options to consider as well and I would be happy to discuss them with you.

We are living in a time of historically low mortgage interest rates. As a Seller, when you receive an offer, I would recommend you require the buyer to get a second opinion on their loan. There are loan companies out there that are giving pre-approval letters out without verifying the financial ability of the buyer to actually buy. Prosperity Home Mortgage is a Berkshire Hathaway affiliated company that has instituted reliable pre-qualification procedures that almost guarantee the buyer will be able to close. Most lenders do a quick credit check, ask for income and liability information and print out a pre-approval letter. Then they being the process of gathering supporting information. Even then, they don’t run the file past an underwriter until a contract has been signed and the appraisal conducted. So, at the nth hour, the buyer could be turned down. With Prosperity’s Home Buyer Advantage Program, they underwrite the person (now, doesn’t that make more sense?) and then you just have the appraisal to deal with, but the buyer’s ability to borrow is guaranteed at that point. And with the Second Opinion Guarantee program, Prosperity can normally beat the rates of other companies, thereby saving the buyer money in the long run, so there is no downside them getting a second opinion.

How Much Can You Expect to Sell Your Home For? Using some powerful algorithms. our automated system can give you a pretty good estimate of your current value. However, it can result in a wide range of values because it doesn’t take into account any upgrades you may have made to your home. It only knows who has sold a home similar to yours, near yours, within the last few months. But it gives you a starting point to work from. Then you can call either myself 404-903-7653 or Greta 908-303-0136 to get a personalized market valuation.

What Is Your Home Worth?

Thank you reading my Blog. Since you hung in here with me for this long, please accept a digital copy of my new book, Secrets Every Home Seller Should Know. See you next time.

Why use a closing attorney?

Today we interviewed a great closing attorney, Brad Legare, with Weissman Law. We based our questions off of the those we have gotten from our clients and from inquiries on facebook, instagram and the like. If you didn’t find the answer to YOUR questions in this video link, drop either myself or Greta a line and tell us what burning question you have so we can get it answered for you. The thing is, if you have a question on your mind, it is likely there are others who also wonder the same thing but are afraid to ask! So help them out.

Watch our video interview of closing attorney Brad Legare.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fscarrollbhhsga%2Fvideos%2F2352777318073000%2F&show_text=1&width=560

 

Moving Yourself? What do you need?

One of the frustrating parts of moving is… every time you get home from the store you realized you should have gotten.. yet another item you need to pack with and ran out of. Here is a list of items you need in order to pack as well as items that would be smart to keep out of the moving truck until the very last second.

Boxes

Packing Tape

Packing Paper

Bubble Wrap

Moving Blankets (you could also use old towels)- to wrap furniture or artwork and tape over the fabric; this creates extra layers of protection for your glass or delicate belongings.

Markers or Label maker-Label, Label, Label. You will not regret it.

String or Rope

Screw Drivers-sometimes you have to take doors off the hinges to get furniture through, or you have to take furniture apart

Cleaning supplies-clean as you go, it makes the process easier (broom, dustpan, vacuum, Clorox wipes, Windex, paper towels, etc.)

We know how fast moving tape is used, and depending on how many “movers” you have, you might want to invest a tape gun per mover, or have two people share one and label it. Have a designated spot to sit down your moving supplies so you are not constantly looking for what you need.

Hope this helps you in your DIY Move!

What time of year is the best time to move?

As we continue to kick off the New Year we can see how full our schedules are. We all know that different seasons, months, holidays of the year bring different pros and cons. So what are the best and worst parts of moving during different seasons? When is the best time to move?

Unfortunately, the best time to move can also be the most inconvenient time to move for some. The slower months for moving companies, realtors, etc. are during the holiday season of November through January which also mean the cheapest prices for you as a mover. The con to consider as you move during the holiday season though is traffic. When considering the time it will take to move, double the amount of time it should take you to get to your new home, that way you are not frustrated and you do not feel behind. As many travel during the holiday season roads are easily clogged and traffic is guaranteed.

The same also goes with the days of the week. Monday through Thursday are the slowest and cheapest because no one prefers to take off of work to move. It is easier to acquire a mover and cleaners for your home on these days, which you might want to be mindful of.

Parents: I know you are thinking right about now.. gosh. These are not beneficial to my kids at all. This will disrupt their lives even more than the Move itself and it will be so hard for them to keep up with homework, make friends, etc. The idea is though: it will not make the Move transition any more difficult than it will be already. Why you ask? Because the kids will be at school during the day. You do not have to worry about them, take long lunch breaks, find something to entertain them, etc. Fact: you will need that half hour mental break when you go pick them up. They very well might be excited to see the progress made each day during the Move. Transitioning schools during the school year allows them to make friends instantly in class rather than during the summer the chance of them moping around the house wishing they knew someone in the neighborhood. Moving during the school year can be potentially best for everyone involved and cheaper for your wallet.

Another obvious consideration to moving is the weather. It cannot be controlled, but being mindful of the climate and reoccurring weather in the area that you are moving each year can help you better plan your move. For instance, it would be extremely difficult to move in the south in July because of the extreme heat. It will take double the amount of time to move because the need for water breaks for your professional or volunteer movers. Know the typical weather patterns for your area and use them for your moving wisdom.

Sometimes, as movers we do not have a choice on when we need to move, but this helps us highlight pros and cons if we do have the choice to better enhance the Moving adventure.

 

The Moving Company

Many thoughts come in when selecting movers and thinking about who will be handling all your belongings. The first decision is “is it worth hiring a mover over asking friends and family to help?” Followed by, “Will my belonging be safe from damage or theft?”

That is entirely up to you, but most of the time it is worthwhile to have fewer hands in your home during the process. And there is something to be said for hiring a professional in the strategy they have set in place and all of the protection they establish for you and your personal items.

If you are selecting a professional mover, Promover, is a great place to start in checking out all the professionals and knowing who is trustworthy in the moving business.

You can also receive free moving quotes on moving.com. This can get your price estimate to know if you can afford professionals along with purchasing a new home or selling your old home. All the fees of these transactions add up so be wise with your money!

Do your research into each company and the company you select. Make sure you know about the insurance or coverage they will place on your belongings. What fees will be added if they have to carry belongings up stairs or far distances or if you have over-sized or heavy items. Ask if your belongings will have to be transferred along the trip as well. Also think about if you are going to want to tip your movers and have change ready to give each individual mover their piece of your gratefulness.

The bottom line with moving is that you are ready and prepared in knowing your belongings for the movers, for knowing who are handling your personal belongings, and what the costs are of protecting everything you own. Research and know the ins and outs in order to be protected during your Move.

Moving for the Holidays (Part 2)

No fear! Mommy’s here!

Just kidding. Although Kevin’s family did come home… twice… to save him and calm his fears and shenanigans.

The Mom we are referring to is Realtor.com! We at the Move look up to the Realtor in the experience and wisdom they share. They published an article, 10 Reasons You Can Sell Your Home During the Holidays Without Hassle, which gives great holiday moving knowledge and encouragement! It tells us the positive side of listing your home during the holiday season and how that can work out in your favor as a seller. We love their realism and input into how it can help you sell your home as well as it encourages you to still enjoy your holiday season. Enjoy the article! We sure did!

 

Open House or For Sale Ready?

For Sale by Susan Carroll with BHHS

This particular home was the property of Stanley and Kim, that was sold by Susan Carroll just a few months ago. They particularly viewed the declutter stage of their home as a nuisance and a very stressful process. While this may be the case, there are steps we can take to make the process easier and less stressful than this couple made it out to be. The biggest mistake that Stanley and Kim made is that they looked at their entire house in all of its chaos. That is what we want to do if we want to become stressed. To combat this stress, get out a wall calendar and begin planning what room will be tackled when. Create a plan and go day by day. The more little things you begin to do, the less big things you have left to do. Now is also a great time for you and your family to go through all of your belongings and decide what you are getting rid of and what is coming with you to your new home. This can allow you to slowly start packing as well.

Selling your home, whether you are having an open house or not, is a mind change. You are transitioning from having a home, to selling it, to buying a new one. So the first major transition is one of the mind and heart, transitioning them from your current home to being just a house. So, walk around your home as it currently is. Yes get up and walk around, reminisce all the memories that were made, all the laughter and tears that occurred there. We know your home has emotional and intrinsic value to you. Now your value has to shift to somewhere new. So from this day forward you need to say goodbye. If you sell this home like it is your own flesh the process will be so much harder to let it go. So this is no longer your home, this is the property you have up for sale. With this being said, the declutter process that is essential for open house and the selling process is going around and taking all personal items down and out. Whether that is family pictures, kid’s artwork on the fridge, memorabilia from graduations, weddings, anniversaries etc., anything that says anything about you, your personal beliefs, or political beliefs. This is because you need to allow potential buyers to be able to see themselves in the home as they are walking around, not you and your family in it.

Ask yourself: what stage of your life did you buy this house in? Have you outgrown it? What type of lifestyle does the house you are selling cater to? What kind of lifestyle does the neighborhood cater to? Identify who you are selling your house to and see what changes you need to make to update it to fit that generation or type of potential buyers.

The main thing about selling your house is transferring from “mine and ours” to “your and theirs.” The Buyers need room to “move in” mentally and emotionally before they do physically. Do not do as Stanley and Kim did and get overwhelmed. Set up a plan, get organized, and begin. The process goes a lot smoother if you have a checklist that you can see things getting done as you mark them off.