What is involved in listing and selling your home?
(and why you should choose Mike and Lorie Strange to help you!)
Pricing
When deciding what to price to list a home, there are many factors involved. We covered this topic last month in our newsletter and it is also posted on our blog at: http://www.strangehometeam.com/what-is-my-home-worth/
Client Testimonial:
I highly recommend Mike & Lorie Strange. I chose them to sell our house after they sold another house in our neighborhood for top dollar in 2 weeks. Houses in our neighborhood were sitting on the market for months prior to this. Our house sold in one day for almost asking price! Not only did they showcase and advertise our house in such a way that we were getting phone calls to show within minutes after posting but they helped us navigate through several difficult negotiations with our buyers. I was very stressed out near our moving date and they intervened every time the buyers or their realtor had a request. Very professional and helpful, not to mention just nice, down to earth people. Angela C.
Staging
Getting your home ready for market is a very important step to getting the most money for your home. Staging and interior design are two different things – when selling your home, you want to prepare it in a way that will attract current buyers on the market.
We pay for a home stager to evaluate your home and make recommendations on having your home in selling condition. Our stager is aware of current buyers desires and will give you recommendations to get your home ready for them.
Staging is also about Return on Investment. We want to do only the changes that will return MORE than the cost of the update.
Our stager may also suggest specific repairs as it is usually better to fix something minor than have the buyer guess about the cost of the repair.
Client Testimonial:
They helped my husband and I sell our condo in Dublin and find our new home in Lewis Center. Our condo sold the very day it was listed! My husband and I had no idea how to go about any of this, as our condo was a simple purchase through an onsite agent nine years prior. We knew nothing about putting a home on the market, staging a home, finding a mortgage broker, or how any of the process worked. Mike and Lorie held our hand throughout and we would absolutely recommend them (and have!). Leah A.
Negotiating
Negotiating occurs during open houses, showings, questions from agents, offer, counter offers etc.
Negotiations aren’t only about price – there are many other factors that can be overlooked. Time frames for possession, inspections, request to remedy, closing, lease back, etc. There can also be negotiations concerning what is included/left with the house. We work with sellers with all these areas and discuss what works best for their situation.
Client Testimonial:
Mike and Lorie Strange were our trusted advocate when selling our home. Based on data in the area they helped us find the right price and in turn, it sold to the first buyer. Thank you, Mike and Lorie! Sandy M.
Inspections/Request
The inspection time frame and the subsequent Request to Remedy is another area of the selling process that takes proper handling (and negotiation as stated above).
When you purchase an existing home, you know you are not getting a new home, but you do expect that the home functions properly. (Ex. A/C cools, furnace heats, roof does not leak etc.). Buyers for your home are the same. However, there are some items that are normal to ask for and some that are not. Knowing this very important in this step of the selling process that we will walk you through. We also have lists of contractors that we know and trust for whatever you may need to repair (handyman, painter, flooring, plumber, electrician etc.)
There is no standard/license for inspectors in the State of Ohio at this time. So anyone can be an inspector and many that are not experienced may try to show their worth by finding lots of problems. We have seen plenty of inspection reports and this experience allows us to help you cut through the junk and look at the real items that need to be addressed.
Also there are many ways to handle a condition that needs repair. It can be done with credit to the buyer, actually doing the repair or having the repair paid out of closing to have to completed after closing. We will help you understand your options and how to handle them.
Client Testimonial:
Mike and Lorie are fantastic to work with. They suggested things to improve our former house that worked very well. It sold quickly in a competitive marketplace. They also found our new, downsized condo. Further, they also happen to be extremely friendly. Even today, they share suggestions for painters, handymen, etc. to help us redecorating our new place. A solid 5 stars!! Jim F.
Closing
Closing in Central Ohio is a round table closing at a Title Company. Meaning that everyone gets together and signs all the documents and all money is handled at one time. We work with a great title company that makes this process seamless.
Closing is a one time event, but there are many items that lead up to closing and that we manage for our clients. We are working with the buyer’s lender, Title Company, Buyer’s agent and Seller’s. Coordinating transfer of utilities and how to do that correctly. We also work to handle the handoff of the keys. garage door openers etc.
We communicate with the Buyer’s lender to keep track of what is going on with the Buyer’s loan – underwriting, appraisal, approval, clear to close etc. We also make sure that this info is correctly communicated to the Title company. This extra effort makes for a nice smooth closing.
Client Testimonial:
Mike and Lorie are such a great real estate team! They helped us prepare our house for selling by bringing in a stager with lots of great advice for us. Mike and Lorie helped us price our home so that it would sell quickly without giving it away. They were available to show us houses to buy whenever we asked. Our closings went smoothly due in large part to Mike and Lorie communicating with all parties involved so that everything was ready. We couldn’t have been happier! Mike and Lorie did a great job and we would recommend them to anyone wanting to buy or sell in the Dublin/Columbus area. Google User
Post Closing Concerns
Once closing is complete your home is sold and you can move forward with your plans. However as mentioned above some items may need to be addressed after closing. We stay in touch and help manage those steps (possession, post closing repairs etc.).
We are here if you have questions later. If you need a copy of some of the paperwork you did not receive, you need clarification, a service provider, basically anything.
Most of our Seller’s are also buying another home and we coordinate that transaction as well. This allows them to move from one home to the other smoothly.
If you are buying we are here to help address any questions/issues with repairs or future items you want to do to your new home.
Client Testimonial:
Mike and Lorie did a great job in helping find my dream home. They were very responsive to questions and requests for viewings and provided beneficial advice during the closing. Moreover, they went above and beyond a few months after my home purchase in helping me contest the valuation of my home for tax purposes. I would strongly recommend them to anyone looking for a great agent. David R.
… Don’t ask how many years an agent has been in real estate, ask how many transactions they have completed in the past year. You do want someone with experience, but someone that has been licensed for 10 years with just 1 transaction a year is not an active realtor. We average between 40-50 transactions a year, so we are involved with this daily….