So if your home is getting a little too comfy in “active” status, and you’re About ready to throw in the towel, here are 3 tried-and-true tips to get your home off the market and you on your way to your next big thing.
1) Price it right from the start.
A well-priced home is a magnet for buyers. Work with your real estate agent to analyze the market and set a competitive price that attracts attention. And don’t let your home languish with an unrealistic price tag. Pricing it strategically will generate interest, drive up demand, and increase the likelihood of multiple offers.
In fact, according to one analysis, homes that sold within 10 days sold for 101.3% of their asking price. After 120 days on the market, the sale-to-list price ratio dropped to 97.6%.
The good news? If you’re coming to the conclusion your home is priced too high, 64% of homes sell with just one price reduction.
2) Maximize curb appeal like a pro.
First impressions matter, so if you haven’t already (or have, but it’s been a while), ensure your home’s exterior is clean, crisp, and well-maintained. Spread fresh mulch, add seasonal pops of color with a new wreath or fresh flowers, and clean out dead brush and cobwebs.
3) Stage to steal their hearts.
Transform your home into a buyer’s good fortune with just the right amount of staging. Declutter, depersonalize and arrange furniture strategically to highlight the best features of each room. Create an inviting and neutral atmosphere that allows potential buyers to envision themselves living in the space.
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Experience the best of Florida living in the highly coveted Heathrow Community in the Keenwicke subdivision. This beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath home features a desirable split bedroom floorplan, hard flooring (no carpet), and high 10ft ceilings throughout. The luxurious master bedroom also features engineered hardwood, a walk-in closet, a spacious walk-in shower, double sink vanity, and separate garden tub. Enjoy the open concept living and dining area with plenty of natural light flowing throughout the home. The beautiful kitchen is loaded with plenty of cabinet space, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and elegant uplighting. This home also features timeless king crown molding throughout, plantation shutters, and an added Florida Sunroom that makes for the perfect escape. Buy with confidence as the major components have been well maintained and improved recently – New Roof (2020), HVAC (2017), Hot Water Heater (2022). The home is situated near an array of shopping, grocery, dining, and parks, providing convenience and comfort for its residents. The Heathrow Golf Community is a 24 Hour Guard Gated community. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make this beautiful home your own! Schedule your private showing today.
Presented by Rose A Reid PA | Benchmark Real Estate Group, Inc.
You find the perfect house, start creating all of your Home Décor Pinterest boards and BAM – you find out that the sellers didn’t accept your offer. Your dreams of making dinner in the beautiful farmhouse kitchen are crushed and you’re wondering what you did wrong. Well here are a few reasons your offer could’ve been rejected that can help you next time you find a house you want to write an offer on.
PS – I promise your real estate dreams aren’t crushed. There will be another one!
Reason #1: You’re Missing a Pre-approval Letter – Not only is it important to have a pre-approval letter so that you know how much house you can afford, but the sellers are very unlikely to entertain offers without them. If you haven’t taken the time to get pre-approved and show that you are serious about buying a home, why would the seller risk taking their house off the market before knowing if you can even afford the mortgage.
How to Correct This: Talk with local lenders about your options and get a pre-approval letter from them that you have in hand, ready for your Real Estate Agent to scan over with the offer.
Reason #2: You’re Unrealistic – This could relate to a few things, one of them being that you have too many contingencies. Do you have a home sale contingency before even having your house up for sale with an accepted offer? Did you include a long list of items that your offer is contingent on in addition to the absolutely necessary ones. Did you ask for the wine fridge and pool table when the sellers said they are not included? Many items can be negotiated but if you really want the house, you need to be realistic and not over the top.
Another way you can appear unrealistic is to low-ball the sellers with your offer price. When this happens, the sellers may get offended of think you’re not serious. Have market data that backs up your offer price rather than throwing out a number that you think you want to pay if you want to be taken seriously.
One more reason you might be being unrealistic is that you gave the sellers an extremely short turnaround time to respond to your offer. This is a MAJOR turn off. Even if you are in a competitive offer situation, you should focus on strengthening your offer and submitting what you feel is the best you can do rather than pushing the sellers to respond in an unreasonable amount of time.
How to Avoid This: Stick to what is the most important to you when it comes to writing offer contingencies. Make sure you’re going over market data with your Real Estate Agent so that you’re backing up the offer price you’re putting out there. Lastly, give the sellers a reasonable turnaround time. Pushing them into a corner will not result in getting what you want and it will only get you off to a bad start with them.
Reason #3: The Seller is Difficult or Unrealistic – This one isn’t necessarily you can do much about but it could be the reason your offer didn’t get accepted. Unfortunately there are some sellers who are going to be very difficult to work with or unrealistic no matter how strong your offer is.
How to Avoid This: While this one isn’t entirely avoidable, it’s important that before starting your home search that you understand that some sellers are just going to be difficult. Having the expectation that not every seller will agree to what you offer will help eliminate a lot of frustration for you as a buyer when your offer is rejected.
Reason #4: Your Buyer’s Agent Isn’t Easy to Work With – You might be wondering what the buyer’s agent has to do with how much you’re offering the seller. Well the buyer’s agent actually plays a very crucial role in this process because whoever you choose is going to be the one communicating with and negotiating with the listing agent and therefore the sellers, throughout the entire transaction. If the listing agent has had bad experiences with them in the past, they may share this with the sellers, making your offer less appealing.
How to Avoid This: Make sure you’re interviewing your Buyer’s Agent before committing to working with them. Find out what their negotiating style is and get a feel for their personality. Do they seem easy to work with or like they’d make others mad?
Reason #5: You Didn’t Find Out the Seller’s Timeframe or Situation – If you and your agent write an offer without ever asking the listing agent what is important to the seller such as their timeframe for closing or any other factors that might be deal breakers, you might put yourself out of the running when the seller has to decide whether or not they want to accept your offer.
How to Avoid This: Make sure your agent takes the time to get in touch with the listing agent and find out any details that may help you write a more desirable offer.
If your first offer got rejected, there is likely a reason. The best way to make sure your next offer is accepted is to go in fully prepared. Following these guidelines will not only prepare you for what to expect but can help set you up for success! Soon you’ll be entertaining in that beautiful open concept space you’ve been dreaming of (insert your #1 home wish list feature)!
Are you looking to buy in the near future? I would love the opportunity to meet and guide you to presenting an offer that WINS! You can reach me directly at 407-474-0600 or click my Online Calendar and pick a day and time that is convenient for you.
Today, I’m diving into an important topic that could make a big difference in the amount of money you net from your home sale.
The market is hot. There are more buyers who need houses than houses for sale. That means your home is in demand and it’s not even listed yet! That sounds like great news for you and it is!
As a result of this, I know potential sellers are thinking… Hmm maybe we should just put a sign up in the front yard and see what happens.
The truth is, the worst thing you can do as a seller in a hot market is to do it alone. So before you head to the local hardware store for that “For Sale By Owner” sign, keep reading.
I know you’re doing the math and figuring out how much selling your home on your own could potentially save you… but I wanted to shed some light on a few important things to consider before you decide to go that route.
If you’re looking to the internet to determine what price to list your home at, you could be losing a significant amount of money. Online home values aren’t always entirely accurate which means basing your list price on what the internet is saying could result in you leaving money on the table.
Contracts and Negotiations can feel like a foreign language if you’re not a real estate professional. Not understanding how to navigate these or have someone work in your best interest could result in sticky situations and money lost.
Demand – when you’re in a hot market, one of the greatest benefits to the seller is that they’re typically in the driver’s seat. When there are more buyers than listings for sale, your house can spark a bidding war when it hits the market. However, without an agent helping you prep your home for the market, price it strategically, market it with modern methods and really get it out there, you’re missing out on that demand. You might have a buyer or two but that isn’t going to drive the price up like it would if you had someone working for you.
My best advice I can give to someone thinking about selling is this – Before you make the decision to do it alone, do some research and find an agent who has good reviews, comes highly recommended and who you can learn something about before reaching out. What does their experience look like? What are their clients saying? Then schedule a consultation with them to see how they can help you net the most money possible from your home sale.
Successful home selling is rooted in doing your research and making smart decisions that are going to position you in the best place possible when your house hits the market!
Are you looking to Sell in the next 6 months? Let’s chat. You can call me directly at 407-474-0600 or use my online calendar to pick a day and time that’s convenient for your schedule!
Welcome to this charming three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome located in a highly sought after school district. Beautiful natural light and vaulted ceilings throughout the main area of the home and master bedroom. This home has been meticulously maintained by its owner and is ready for your personal touch and style. As you enter, you’ll immediately notice the spacious split floor plan, providing privacy and separation for your family. Formal living and dining room provide you plenty of space for entertaining your family and friends. The kitchen boasts ample cabinet space, closet pantry, and a breakfast bar that overlooks the eat-in kitchen area. Just off the kitchen area is a cozy family room which is perfect for relaxing after a long day. The master bedroom is a serene retreat with a private en-suite bathroom, walk-in shower, & a walk-in closet. The other two bedrooms are generously sized and share a full bathroom. Enjoy the convenience of a two-car garage, perfect for storage or protecting your vehicles from the elements. The covered patio area is a great place to unwind after a long work week or entertain guests. Buy with confidence as the Roof was replaced in 2021, AC 2015, & replumbed. This townhome is centrally located and zoned for Seminole County top-rated schools, shopping, dining, and entertainment options just moments away. The community of Danbury Mills features a resort style community pool, cabana, and tennis courts. Don’t miss your chance to make this house your dream home!
As you look ahead to the winter season, you’re likely making plans and thinking about what you want to achieve before the year ends. One of those key decision points could be whether or not you want to move this year. If the location or size of your current home no longer meets your needs, finding a house that better suits your lifestyle may be a top priority for you. But with today’s cooling housing market, is it really a good time to sell your house, or should you wait?
If you’re ready to make your decision, here are three reasons you may want to consider selling before the holidays.
1. Get One Step Ahead of Other Sellers
Typically, in the residential real estate market, homeowners are less likely to list their houses toward the end of the year. That’s because people get busy around the holidays and deprioritize selling their house until the start of the new year when their schedules and social calendars calm down.
Selling now, while other homeowners may hold off until after the holidays, can help your house stand out. Start the process with a real estate professional today so you can get your house on the market and get ahead of your competition.
2. Get in Front of Serious Buyers This Season
Even though housing supply has increased this year as buyer demand has moderated, it’s still low overall. That means there aren’t enough homes on the market today, especially as the millennial generation reaches their peak homebuying years. As Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, says:
“While not the frenzy of 2021, the largest living generation, the Millennials, will continue to age into their prime home-buying years, creating a demographic tailwind for the housing market.”
Serious buyers will still be looking this winter and your house may be exactly what they’re searching for. If you work with an agent to list your house now, you’ll be able to get in front of the eager buyers who are hoping to make a move before the year ends.
3. Seize a Great Chance To Move Up
Don’t forget, today’s homeowners have record amounts of equity. According to CoreLogic, the average amount of equity per mortgage holder has climbed to almost $300,000. That’s an all-time high. That means the equity you have in your house right now could cover some, if not all, of a down payment on the home of your dreams.
And as you weigh the reasons to sell before winter, don’t lose sight of why you’re thinking about moving in the first place. Maybe it’s time to buy a house that’s in a better location for you, has the space you and your loved ones have been craving, or simply gives you that sense of home. A trusted real estate advisor can help you determine how much home equity you have and how you can use it to achieve your goal of making a move.
Bottom Line
If you’re thinking about selling your house so you can find a home that better suits your needs, don’t delay your plans. Let’s connect so you can accomplish your goals before winter. You can call/text at 407-474-0600 or pick a time on my calendar to chat! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CALENDAR
