Now that you have learned about our service pledge, marketing plan and given us the proper information for us to send you a market analysis of your home, take a look at some tips that will make your home sell faster and at a higher price.

Pricing Strategies
Review a list of all the homes which have sold within the past 3 months, along with the homes on the market (your competition), and homes now in escrow. Compare your home to the others, and be honest with yourself! If you're in a weak market, active and pending sales will be more important to you than closings, which reflect sales activity from 3-5 months back. Be careful you don't limit your research to homes sales in a limited price range. The only way to make an intelligent decision is to examine what all comparable homes in your market are selling for, not just a subset of the homes.

There are three main pricing strategies – pricing your home above, at, or below its market value.

Priced above market value
Sellers like to price their home high, thinking that someone just might pay it. That's unlikely – buyers shopping for a home know exactly what the market is like, and won't be fooled into paying more than it's worth.

Priced at market value
Always a good strategy - that's what your home is worth!

Priced below market value
This can be an excellent strategy as long as you give instructions that you won't review any offers until after the home has been on the market for at least a week. Buyers like, and recognize bargains. Pricing a home low can help set up an "auction" mentality where several buyers bid for your home, and frequently bid up the price.

Have the documents ready

You will need to have a copy of your Warranty Deed as well as a copy of your current owner's title policy. Having these documents handy will expedite the title transfer process and save you a few hundred dollars in fees.

How you live in a home, and how you prepare it for sale, are two different things. Eliminate clutter – the more "things" you have on counters and shelves, the smaller your home looks. Put kitchenware such as blenders and serving spoons out of sight. Store cosmetics in a basket under the sink. Have a yard sale to generate extra cash and make your move easier. Clean the house. Fix leaky faucets and scrub away sink stains. Paint dingy rooms. Make the floors and windows sparkle. Replace worn window coverings with inexpensive mini blinds or drapes. Try to eliminate offensive pet or food odors.

Inspection Reports
Anticipate what buyers need and give it to them – on your terms! Buyers want to know what shape the house is in – even when they purchase homes in their current condition (as-is). Obtain a complete set of reports from General Contractors, Roofers, and Pest Control Inspectors before you accept an offer. You'll know how much work your home needs, and have the time to bid the job for the best price and terms.

We like to work with companies which only do inspections, and not the repair work. They'll tell you about how much the work should cost – you then send the report to several licensed contractors for actual competitive bids.
 

Home Information
Make sure you have a home information book for buyers to
examine. This book should include a property flyer, copies of all inspection reports, purchase loan programs (with different down payments and interest rates), a plot map, and other relevant facts.

Existing Loans
Find out if your loan is assumable. Read your loan documents
yourself, rather than relying on what the lender tells you. The only thing that matters is what the note and deed of trust say. Be prepared to provide information regarding your existing loan to the title agent arranging your closing. They will need your loan number, lender name, contact information and more.

Contract Clauses
Make sure that you have the right to review and approve the cost of any repair work the buyer requests. Sellers frequently sign "blank checks" by agreeing to pay for all termite and roof repairs without first knowing what the costs will be.