Are you considering selling your home? There are so many reasons you may have to make you consider a home sale. For most, those reasons are personal in nature. No matter the reason, there are a probably a lot of questions you have, especially if this is your first time selling. As a trusted real estate broker in Albany, Oregon with over 15 years of experience, I have dealt with a lot of these questions from clients. Here are some of the questions that come up. What do you need to consider when selling your home?
Where Will I Live When My Home Sells?
This is the most important question to ask yourself. Many people think they can no longer afford their home because of various reasons. Income has changed due to a job change or loss, a dual income household becomes a single income household, or expenses to maintain a home have risen more than anticipated. These are situations that occur regularly that make people think they need to sell their home.
Prior to making a hasty decision, you need to consider carefully where you’ll live when you do sell. Often, when these situations happen, the home you’re considering selling has been your home for an extended period of time. If that is the case, your home payment will likely be less than if you were to buy another home or rent another home in your area.
Will My Situation Be Permanent or Temporary? Do I Like My Neighborhood?
Depending on the answers to these questions, it may not be a good idea to sell your home. If you lose your job, you will likely find a new one. Regardless of where you live, you’ll need to pay for it somehow. If you’re having a difficult time right now, there are organizations available to help you. In the Willamette Valley, Willamette Neighborhood Housing is one organization that provides services to help people in the area find affordable housing. They may have programs available or be able to connect you with resources to help you through a difficult time.
Once you’ve determined that you definitely need to sell your home, what should you do? I recommend that you speak with a local real estate expert. Interview two or three area brokers to see if you would have a good working relationship. Your real estate broker should be a great resource for you through all aspects of the sale. If you’re moving out of the area, and your home will be left vacant, you need somebody to help manage the details of the sale at a very local level. I recently helped a client move from the west coast to the east coast. Here’s what he had to say about my service!
“Amy handled all the business for selling my real estate while I searched for property on the other side of the country. Considering all the variables – this was the smoothest transaction I have ever had! Highly recommended!!”
How Will I Present My Home to the Market?
Are you an interior designer, or did you hire one to help you decorate your home – twenty years ago? This is a serious question. Just because all your friends say your home is beautiful, it doesn’t mean that it is ready for the market. A good real estate broker will be able to help you determine how to make your home market ready or connect you with a professional stager that knows what it takes and can help you make your home “show-ready.”
Now that your home is in tip-top shape, what’s your marketing plan? How many photos do you need? Where will your “list” your home for sale, and what kind of photos are best for the various home selling websites?
How Much is My Home Worth?
You may decide to hire an appraiser to help you determine the value of your home, you might go with what the tax assessor says your home is worth, or you may just pick a number out of your head. Whichever way you decide to determine the value of your home, you need to determine what price your home should be listed for. A good, local, experienced real estate broker can help you determine a price your home should sell for under current market conditions.
How Do I Navigate the Real Estate Transaction?
Great! You have a buyer for your home…now what? There are several forms used in selling a home. A real estate attorney or a good real estate broker will help you in completing the appropriate forms necessary. If all goes well and there are no disagreements during the transaction, this shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Having a trusted real estate broker in your corner will make things run much more smoothly and take a lot of stress off of your shoulders.
What Happens if There is a Disagreement?
You know the old saying, “Everything’s good until it goes bad.” Maybe the inspector finds a problem with your foundation, roof, windows or electrical system. Do you know the appropriate method of dealing with buyer requests? Do you know a plethora of contractors to give you opinions of potentially necessary repairs? An experienced real estate broker can assist you through issues when and if they arise.
