Team Work Makes The Dream Work!

In order to have a great experience when buying a home you need to have a team of superheroes on your side. Real estate agent. Someone you trust, who has your back and understands the market and area.

A rock star lender who understands mountain properties is easy to communicate with and delivers on time.

An experienced home inspector who is knowledgeable and takes the time to explain the findings in your inspection report.

A title company that is responsive, accommodating, and precise.

You don’t have to do this alone and a great team will walk you through every step.

Tips For Readying Your Home For Sale

Just because we have a lack of inventory doesn’t mean you get to skip the key components for readying your home for sale. Putting your best foot forward still matters and will be a direct result of a quick sale.

• Take time to declutter. You are moving anyway so take this time to pack up the items you will not be using or needing in the next couple of months. Clear and clean surfaces matter to buyers.

• Deep cleaning. No one likes to clean baseboards but now is the time. An unclean house is distracting to buyers and they notice everything.

• Touch-up painting or repainting. Getting rid of scuff marks and dirty walls is a quick and easy way to give your home a nice clean look.

• Repairs. You know the ones you said you would do when you moved in The loose railing, the missing screen, the broken window pane, now is the time to get those small but important repairs done.

Lesson learned.

You know how you can sometimes learn from someone else’s mistake.

Well here’s an opportunity for you. I recently heard about a home that sold “off market”. This is a home that is sold privately, no Realtors involved. Apparently, the seller (let’s just call her Jane) did not want to pay real estate commissions so she sold it herself. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, however, while Jane saved herself the commissions she cost herself over $200,000 in the purchase price.

Had she called a local Realtor they would have helped her price her home accordingly, in line with fair market value. Jane ended up selling her home for WAY under market value. Your home is likely your most valuable asset. Don’t leave it to chance, fate, or your best guess. Get some expert and professional advice so you don’t end up like Jane.

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS

You’ve all seen it. American Idol auditions gone bad. They are cringe-worth at best. I find myself squirming in my seat, its perplexing, strangely fascinating and downright sad.

The worst part is when the families greet the crestfallen contestant with soothing words of comfort. “Oh, sweetie, those judges don’t know a thing. You are the best signer in the world!” This is the part that drives me insane. Why lie to these poor people? They are terrible singers and NEVER should have auditioned for the show.

Telling someone the cold hard truth is sometimes very hard. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, crush their dreams or seem insensitive. But your honesty is sometimes the most important thing they need to hear.

A couple of years ago I met with a very nice family who wanted to sell their home and move out of state. The winters were getting tough for them and they were having some health issues. Selling was a must. I met them at their house and noticed right away this was going to be a tough property. There was stuff everywhere, inside and out. The house was dirty, dark, and falling apart.

They gave me the grand tour and we sat down to talk. I asked them about their goals and timeline for selling their home. They needed to be out of here by September which only gave us 3 months to sell. They were short on time, money and resources to get their home ready for market. They looked at me with hope in their eyes and asked what was next. This was the moment for the cold hard truth.

.When I first started in real estate I probably would have tried to gloss things over and ease the blow. “No, its not that bad, buyers can look past your stuff.” Now I know better.

.People hire me for my professional and honest advice. This family had a tight timeframe and a pressing need to leave the area. So I told them the truth.

That no one would buy their home in its current condition. And because we were dealing with a very tight timeframe they were going to need to price their home much below market value to get it sold quickly. I said all of these things with tenderness and grace, because I very much care about how my words make people feel. At the end of our meeting they thanked me for my encouraging words.. What?? I didn’t think I sounded encouraging at all, but then I recognized it was the honesty and a thoughtful game plan that gave them feelings of encouragement.

.Sometimes the truth hurts, but I believe if you really care for someone you owe them the truth and nothing but.