Posts Tagged selling your house
Get Your Home Ready to Sell Now – Spring is Right Around the Corner
Posted by Deane in Preparation on February 7, 2010
If you are like us here on the east coast, you are digging out from a record breaking snow. You are probably pining for 
spring, which seems like a l-o-n-g way off. But spring is only 6 WEEKS AWAY! So if you plan to put your house on the market this spring, you should start getting ready now.
While you are relatively housebound is the perfect time to go around your home with the inspection and cleaning check lists and the decluttering plan you got with The Truth About FSBO. Unless you keep your house in spotless, perfect condition, you probably will need every minute of those six weeks to fix, clean, paint, and declutter.
You will need to do, as my husband likes to say, get rid of the “yuck” factor. What does that mean exactly? Removing anything outdated, dirty, or cluttered. Almost every one has “yucky” areas that you have grown used to and just look past. I’m embarrassed 
to admit that yesterday I was rumaging in the closet under my basement stair case and found a pile of sunflower seeds and peanut shells – double yuck! We clearly had a mouse in the house sometime that made that area his home.
Almost every house needs the woodwork and trim repainted. A white semigloss will really pop. Repaint any walls that have scuffs or is a wild color that might put buyers off like if your teenager painted their walls black. Sort through every closet and kitchen cabinet – you don’t want a prospective buyer opening something up and having pots and pans crash to the floor or have towels and pillows land on their heads.
To be on track for spring, consider doing one room and one “area” each weekend. An “area” would mean a hall closet, garage, section of the basement, etc. When you look at it that way, six weeks suddenly doesn’t sound very long, does it? You are probably thinking, “I need 6 months!” So if you want sell your own house at the peak time, you need to get started right away.
Don’t forget to stage your home before you put it up for sale. Think about how to rearrange your furniture to make each room look larger and more inviting. Get rid of any heavy dark window treatments and replace with some sheers. Put the Pepto-Bismol in the medicine cabinet and put an attractive candle or soap holder on the bathroom sink instead. There is lots of staging advice including staging videos in The Truth About FSBO.
So don’t delay, get started today to be ready to sell your house this spring!
Water Is Your Home’s Worst Enemy
Posted by Deane in Miscellaneous on January 13, 2010
Water is the most powerful force on earth. Water is the key to life. Water can carve out the Grand Canyon or destroy a city like New Orleans. And if you own a home, water can be your home’s worst enemy. Especially if you are trying to sell your own house. Nothing will scare off a potential buyer faster than seeing water problems or mold.
The main thing you need to know about water in regards to maintaining your house, is that it always finds the path of least resistance to run downward, due to the force of gravity. Even a pin hole in a roof or pipe will cause water to run down that spot and start causing damage. The smallest opening left unattended can cause a lot of damage.
The next obvious concept is that water issues never fix themselves. The instant you seed a drop of water anywhere it doesn’t belong is the moment you start looking for the cause and fixing it or hiring someone to take care of it for you. Ignoring a water problem is like ignoring a tooth cavity. It never goes away and only gets worse with time. And it will cost a lot more money and cause a lot more pain the longer you wait.
As a real estate investor, I’ve seen perfectly decent houses ruined by the owner not taking care of water problems. A few houses I purchased and rehabbed were destroyed by water. In one house, the bathtub had crashed down from the top floor and was sitting in the kitchen when I bought it, because the owner didn’t fix a plumbing issue in the bathroom. I purchased a house where a gutter had half fallen down and now acted like a trough that led right into a poorly sealed bedroom window. This eventually brought down the bedroom floor, the dining room ceiling, ruined the hardwood floor in the dining room and left the basement with standing water which ruined the finished portion of the basement. All this damage was caused just because the owner didn’t have a gutter reattached!
Besides taking care of any visible problems immediately, here are some tips to keep your home safe from water damage.
Make sure all your gutters are clean from leaves and debris and all your drain spouts are flowing properly. If you live surrounded by trees, clean your gutters twice a year, spring and fall.
Put a wire mesh filter over the drain from your washing machine. These look like a metal sock and are inexpensive. You can find them at discount or hardware stores. You won’t believe the lint, pet hair, and bits that are collected. This keeps all this stuff from clogging up your laundry room sink.
If you have a garbage disposal, use it only for the small stuff. I’m embarrassed to admit I once clogged mine cramming too many potato skins down it. Always run it thoroughly with cold water before you run your dishwasher. A plumber who specializes in snaking out drains told me to pour a box of baking soda down the kitchen sink every three months and run it thoroughly with cold water. If you put baking soda in your fridge to keep it fresh, pour the contents of the old box down the sink.
Get some natural enzymes that eat the junk in your pipes and use it as directed in all your drains – sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets. Don’t use caustic chemicals for this, that will only hurry the demise of your pipes.
It you take these preventative steps and are vigilant about looking for water issues and taking care of them early, you should be able to prevent any water disasters in your own home. This is always critical but even more so when you are selling your house.
Keeping Your Cool When Selling Your Own House
Posted by Deane in Miscellaneous on October 28, 2009
I understand that keeping your cool when selling your house isn’t easy.
Here are some ideas to help you from getting stressed out when selling your house.
1. Don’t worry if you don’t do all the ideas in “The Truth About FSBO”. I’ve given you lots of information and lots of ideas. Actually, I have NEVER had to use all the FSBO marketing ideas to sell a house. I pick and choose from the list of ideas that have worked for me. So don’t kick yourself or make yourself crazy trying to do it all. Do what makes sense to you with the time and resources you have available.
2. Don’t worry if you don’t do everything “perfectly”. There is no such thing, anyway. Do your best, and rely on help when you need it – ask questions on The Truth About FSBO Community online or ask your title attorney or mortgage broker. Take advice from people that are involved in the selling process professionally.
3. That being said, don’t take advice from people that don’t know what they’re talking about. There are always naysayers. I’m sure you’ve already had people say you’re crazy! People who have never sold a house themselves will be happy to give you their advice.
On one level people think they are going to “protect” you from making a terrible mistake. On another level, I believe people get jealous when someone leaves behind the “normal” way of doing things and takes off to do something 
different. Something perhaps they wish they had the guts to do themselves!
Selling Your Own Home and Got an Offer? It’s Not Just About Price!
Posted by Deane in Administration on October 14, 2009
Y
ou decided to sell your own home and now you’ve gotten an offer! Do you know for certain what you need to do next?
First you need to respond to the offer. You can either accept, reject, or make a counter offer. You should always make a counter offer. It’s expected. If you said “yes” right away, the buyer would feel they offered you too much! If you just flat out say, “no!” you could lose a potential deal. Don’t take getting a low offer personally or get angry with the potential buyers. They are doing what is in their best interest. When you are a buyer, you might even do the same!
Agents make offers and negotiate via faxed contracts. So when selling your home yourself, feel free to use fax or email to make counter offers. It’s never a bad idea to have everything in writing to avoid misunderstandings anyway.
Since you are selling your own home, you must provide the proper sales contract and disclosures. If you don’t have a “for sale by owner” contract and you’ve gotten an offer, you better get one NOW!
If you are working with a title company, you should be able to get one from them. If not, you can purchase a state specific “for sale by owner” contract online.
I recommend Standard Legal. Their “FSBO Home Sale Package” provides you a state-specific “for sale by owner” contract and disclosures, as well as other “for sale by owner” forms to make the administrative part of the sale easy, safe, and foolproof. They also offer a Legal Document Preparation Service, where they’ll provide custom, fully completed documents for a very reasonable fee. All you have to do is sign! What could make the daunting task of handling the paperwork to sell your house easier?
The “for sale by owner” contract you will be using will be a relatively simple document compared to the standard contract that realtors use. Much of what is in the standard realtor contract is there to protect them, not you or the buyer.
Before getting the sales contract signed, you and your buyer will need to agree on the following terms. It’s not just about the price!
SALES PRICE
Remember to take into account real estate commissions. If your buyer is working with an agent, your commission will usually be 3%. If your buyer isn’t working with an agent, there will be NO commission to be paid!
EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT
At the sales contract signing, a buyer needs to give you an earnest money deposit, made out to the agreed upon title company. Typically, you want to collect at least 1% of the sale price.
DOWN PAYMENT
This is the amount of money the buyer needs to come up with at closing from a source besides their loan. The minimum amount needed is determined by the loan program the buyer will be using.
CLOSING COSTS
Decide how the closing costs will be divided. Some buyers will ask for closing cost assistance. In many parts of the country, the division of closing costs is customary. However, this is a point that can be negotiated.
In my state they are usually divided 50/50; however, a seller can offer to pay 100% if that would make the difference between the deal going through or not. Talk to your mortgage broker about how this would work with the particular loan program your buyer is using.
CONTINGENCIES
Contingencies let buyers cancel a contract without penalty. It is in your best interest for there to be as few contingencies as possible. Some typical ones include loan, inspections, appraisal, and contract contingent on buyers selling their own home.
OTHER PROPERTY
Generally, everything attached to the house stays with it. If you really want to take your fridge with you, you need to put that in the contract.
DATE OF POSSESSION
Decide on a date that you and the buyer want to close.
When you come to an agreement on the price and all the terms, a sales contract will be signed by both you and the buyer. Any required disclosures will need to be signed, too. These differ by each state, but some examples are lead paint, notice of defect, and mold.
When you and the buyer are signing the sales contract, the buyer also needs to provide an earnest money deposit, made out to the name of the title company that will handle the closing.
When you have done all this, your house is now officially “under contract”! Whoo-hoo! 
Hire Some Helping Hands When Selling Your House
Posted by Deane in Miscellaneous on October 7, 2009
We are all busy all the time, but few times are we busier than when we are selling a house and moving!
Why not consider hiring some help? At Care.com, you can find help and “care” of all kinds! You can find housekeepers, movers, errand runners, pet sitters, babysitters, and senior care by zip code. There will be a photo, a short bio, reviews and fees on each service provider. When you find someone you like, Care.com will provide you with a free background check and references! (Now if only online dating services did the same…)
So why not make life easier on yourself during this busy time! Get your house cleaned. Find someone to watch your pets or kids on moving day. Hire someone to help you clear out stuff or pack.
If you are moving out of the area, you can prearrange to get help on the other end for when you get to your new home, too!
I hope this helps you because “I care” . I want to make selling your own house as easy as possible for you!
Feeling Overwhelmed About Selling Your House? Your Feelings Are Predictable!
Posted by Deane in Miscellaneous on October 7, 2009
Now that you’ve decided to sell your own house, you may be thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?”
That is completely normal and to be expected. Did you know that there is a predictable learning curve that everyone experiences whenever they learn something new? The pattern goes like this:
It starts with “uninformed optimism”. You’re excited about your new venture and can see its potential to improve some area your life and help you get what you want – whether it will make you money, get you in shape, or help you sell your house.
The next phase is “informed pessimism”. This is where the reality of what is involved with your new venture sets in. It’s realizing that the new diet, opening that little shop, or selling your house involves more work than you thought.
The next phase is “crisis of meaning”. This is where you consider throwing in the towel on your new venture, “I can’t do this. This is too hard. I can’t figure this all out. I didn’t know it was going to take so much work.”
At this critical point, many people give up. It’s where they have an overwhelming desire to run back to the familiar, even if the familiar sucks! (I’m going through that right now with a new diet I just started…)
The shame of it is that at this point, the very point where most people give up, they are SO close to being at “informed optimism”. This is where you know the score, you are realistic about what it takes to meet your goal and you are still totally motivated. Getting to this point is what separates winners from losers every day in all areas of life.
So remember if you are feeling overwhelmed about selling your house right now it’s just because you’ve moved from “uniformed optimism” to “informed pessimism”, the normal learning curve.
Don’t Make This Common Home Selling Mistake
Posted by Deane in Preparation on October 2, 2009
My neighbor’s daughter is buying her first house and made an offer on a beautiful totally renovated older home. The home inspection report revealed a major issue with the heating system, one that will require holes being made in the floors and walls to correct the problem! As you can imagine she is freaking out and may withdraw her offer. The owner is freaking out, too, as you can imagine.
This entire situation could have been avoided if the owner had simply had a home inspection done BEFORE putting the house on the market and fixed the issue then.
So please learn by this mistake. When selling your house, if you have ANY doubts about any of your major home systems, save yourself a lot of trouble and possibly save a deal by having a home inspection and getting your repairs done first!
How Selling Your House is Like Chocolate Chip Cookies
When Debbie Fields opened her first store, she chose a busy downtown mall surrounded by office buildings. This mall was frequented by hungry office workers all day long. How could she go wrong? Midway through her first day, with most her cookies unsold, she decided waiting for customers wasn’t working for her. So she loaded her up her tray, took the cookies into the mall and the street and pushed cookies! Now “Mrs. Fields Cookies” is the most recognized – and sought after — premier cookie brand in the world.
If hoards of hungry people can pass by a stand of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and not buy, why would a home owner think just putting up a “for sale” sign or listing on MLS will bring them an eager buyer, hungry to buy their house?
I know you love your home. You probably think it’s the greatest house ever, and maybe it is. But the lesson here is that you have to do more than show up and wait, whether you are selling chocolate chip cookies or selling your house. You’ve got to sell proactively. You must grab people’s attention. You must stand out from the crowd. You’ve got to “sell” it!
That is just what I teach you to do in The Truth About FSBO.
Is Using an Agent to Sell Your House “Just Because” a Good Enough Reason?
Posted by Deane in Strategies on September 8, 2009
Have you ever thought, really thought, about why we all do certain things? Too many times the reason is “because that’s the way it’s always been done”.
Here is a good example. In the Netherlands, a country where the bicycle is a serious form of transportation, kids learn to ride bikes WITHOUT training wheels when they are 2 or 3! But we wait until kids are 7 or 8 AND use training wheels. Read the post below, complete with amazing photos of little kids on really little bikes, and find out how they do it. And why we don’t.
I’m sure you’ve connected the dots and figured out what this has to do with selling your house. Most people will call an agent to list their house “because that’s the way it’s always been done.” Whether it is the best, most effective way to sell their house or not.
Since you are reading my blog, you probably already selling FSBO, so you aren’t one of those people!
Understanding Closing Costs
Posted by Deane in Administration on August 27, 2009
Whether you are selling your house or buying a house, watch this cute 2 minute video. It makes learning about some dry subjects such as closing costs, title insurance, and transfer taxes, almost fun!
