Leisure Village Sellers Guide

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIRE AN AGENT

Not all real estate agents are the same. If you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you make any moves.

AN AGENT CAN COST OR SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

Picking an agent is one of those critical issues that can cost or save you thousands of dollars. There are very specific questions you should be asking to ensure that you get the best representation for your needs. Some agents may prefer that you don’t ask these questions, because the knowledge you’ll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good idea about what outcome you can expect from using this agent. And let’s face it – in real estate, as in life – not all things are created equal.

Hiring a real estate agent is just like any hiring process – with you on the boss’s side of the desk. It’s critical that you make the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make.

1. WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT? WHY SHOULD I LIST MY HOME WITH YOU?

It’s a much tougher real estate market than it was a decade ago. What unique marketing plans and programs does this agent have in place to make sure that your home stands out favorably versus other competing homes? What things does this agent offer you that others don’t to help you sell your home in the least amount of time with the least amount of hassle and for the most amount of money?

2. WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY’S TRACK RECORD AND REPUTATION IN THE MARKET PLACE?

It may seem like everywhere you look, real estate agents are boasting about being #1 for this or that, or quoting you the number of homes they’ve sold. If you’re like many homeowners, you’ve probably become immune to much of this information. After all, you ask, “Why should I care about how many homes one agent sold over another. The only thing I care about is whether they can sell my home quickly for the most amount of money.”

Well, because you want your home sold fast and for top dollar, you should be asking the agents you interview how many homes they have sold. I’m sure you will agree that success in real estate is selling homes. If one agent is selling a lot of homes where another is selling only a handful, ask yourself why this might be? What things are these two agents doing differently?

You may be surprised to know that many agents sell fewer than 10 homes a year. This volume makes it difficult for them to do full impact marketing on your home, because they can’t raise the money it takes to afford the advertising and special programs to give your home a high profile. Also, at this low level, they probably can’t afford to hire an assistant, which means that they’re running around trying to do all the components of the job themselves, which means service may suffer.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR MARKETING PLANS FOR MY HOME?

How much money does this agent spend in advertising the homes s/he lists versus the other agents you are interviewing? In what media (newspaper, magazine, TV, etc.) does this agent advertise? What does s/he know about the effectiveness of one medium over the other?

4. WHAT HAS YOUR COMPANY SOLD IN MY AREA?

Agents should bring you a complete listing of both their own and other comparable sales in your area.

5. DOES YOUR BROKER CONTROL YOUR ADVERTISING OR DO YOU?

If your agent is not in control of their own advertising, then your home will be competing for advertising space not only with this agent’s other listings but also with the listings of every other agent in the brokerage.

6. ON AVERAGE, WHEN YOUR LISTINGS SELL, HOW CLOSE IS THE SELLING PRICE TO THE ASKING PRICE?

This information is available from the Real Estate Board. Is this agent’s performance higher or lower than the board average? Their performance on this measurement will help you predict how high a price you will get for the sale of your home.

7. ON AVERAGE, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR YOUR LISTINGS TO SELL?

This information is also available from the Real Estate Board. Does this agent tend to sell faster or slower than the board average? Their performance on this measurement will help you predict how long your home will be on the market before it sells.

8. HOW MANY BUYERS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH?

Obviously, the more buyers your agent is working with, the better your chances are of selling your home quickly. It will also impact price because an agent with many buyers can set up an auction-like atmosphere where many buyers bid on your home at the same time. Ask them to describe the system they have for attracting buyers.

9. DO YOU HAVE A REFERENCE LIST OF CLIENTS I COULD CONTACT?

Ask to see this list, and then proceed to spot check some of the names.

10. WHAT HAPPENS IF I’M NOT HAPPY WITH THE JOB YOU ARE DOING TO GET MY HOME SOLD? CAN I CANCEL MY LISTING CONTRACT?

Be wary of agents that lock you into a lengthy listing contract which they can get out of (by ceasing to effectively market your home) but you can’t. There are usually penalties and broker protection periods which safeguard the agent’s interests, but not yours. How confident is your agent in the service s/he will provide you? Will s/he allow you to cancel your contract without penalty if you’re not satisfied with the service provided?

Evaluate each agent’s responses to these 10 questions carefully and objectively. Who will do the best job for you? These questions will help you decide.

Leisure Village Sellers Guide

EMPTY NESTER: GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST AND FOR TOP DOLLAR

Are you an “Empty Nester” who needs a home for the future? Is it time to downsize or to move into another home more suitable for your glorious retirement years?

Like thousands of home sellers, you may be discovering that after years of non-stop child traffic in and out of your doors, toys on the floor, music floating throughout, suddenly you can hear a pin drop over the quiet hum of the refrigerator. Your rooms are filled with pictures and memories of this wonderful time in your life, but there are many empty rooms gathering dust now that your children have moved on. The freer years ahead are exciting ones to look forward to, and it may be time for you to move as well.

If you find yourself in this situation, you’re in a vast and good company. And what that means is that there are many wonderful opportunities for you to create this new chapter in your life . . . if you know what it takes to get the most out of the equity you’ve built up in your current home.

To help you understand the issues involved in making such a move, and how to avoid the most common and costly mistakes most Empty Nesters make, we’ve prepared this special report to help you identify and plan for the move ahead.

Selling your home is one of the most important steps in your life. This 9 step system will give you the tools you need to maximize your profits, maintain control, and reduce the stress that comes with the home selling process:

1. KNOW WHY YOU’RE SELLING, AND KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.

The reasons behind your decision to sell affect everything from setting a price to deciding how much time and money to invest in getting your home ready for sale. What’s more important to you: the money you walk away with, the length of time your property is on the market, or both? Different goals will dictate different strategies.

However, don’t reveal your motivation to anyone else or they may use it against you at the negotiating table. When asked, simply say that your housing needs have changed.

2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE SETTING A PRICE.

Settling on an offering price shouldn’t be done lightly. Once you’ve set your price, you’ve told buyers the absolute maximum they have to pay for your home, but pricing too high is as dangerous as pricing too low. Remember that the average buyer is looking at 15-20 homes at the same time they are considering yours. This means that they have a basis of comparison, and if your home doesn’t compare favorably with others in the price range you’ve set, you won’t be taken seriously by prospects or agents. As a result, your home will sit on the market for a long time and, knowing this, new buyers on the market will think there must be something wrong with your home.

3. MORE HOMEWORK.

(In fact, your agent should do this for you). Find out what homes in your own and similar neighborhoods have sold for in the past 6-12 months, and research what current homes are listed for. That’s certainly how prospective buyers will assess the worth of your home.

4. FIND A GOOD REAL ESTATE AGENT TO REPRESENT YOUR NEEDS.

Nearly three-quarters of homeowners claim that they wouldn’t use the same realtor who sold their last home. Dissatisfaction boils down to poor communication which results in not enough feedback, lower pricing, and strained relations.

5. MAXIMIZE YOUR HOME’S SALES POTENTIAL.

Each year, corporate North America spends billions on product and packaging design. Appearance is critical, and it would be foolish to ignore this when selling your home. You may not be able to change your home’s location or floor plan, but you can do a lot to improve its appearance. The look and feel of your home generate a greater emotional response than any other factor. Before showings clean like you’ve never cleaned before. Pick up, straighten, unclutter, scrub, scour, and dust. Fix everything, no matter how insignificant it may appear. Present your home to get a “WOW” response from prospective buyers.

Allow the buyers to imagine themselves living in your home The decision to buy a home is based on emotion, not logic. Prospective buyers want to try on your home just like they would a new suit of clothes. If you follow them around pointing out improvements or if your decor is so different that it’s difficult for a buyer to strip it away in his or her mind, you make it difficult for them to feel comfortable enough to imagine themselves an owner.

6. MAKE IT EASY FOR PROSPECTS TO GET INFORMATION ON YOUR HOME.

You may be surprised to know that some marketing tools that most agents use to sell homes (eg. traditional open houses) are actually not very effective. In fact, only 1% of homes are sold at an open house.

Furthermore, the prospects calling for information on your home value their time as much as you do. The last thing they want to be subjected to is either a game of telephone tag with an agent or an unwanted sales pitch. Make sure the ads your agent places for your home are attached to a 24 hour prerecorded hotline with a specific ID# for your home which gives buyers access to detailed information about your property day or night, 7 days a week, without having to talk to anyone. It’s been proven that 3 times as many buyers call for information on your home under this system. And remember, the more buyers you have competing for your home the better because it sets up an auction-like atmosphere that puts you in the driver’s seat.

7. KNOW YOUR BUYER.

In the negotiation process, your objective is to control the pace and set the duration. What is your buyer’s motivation? Does s/he need to move quickly? Does s/he have enough money to pay you your asking price? Knowing this information gives you the upper hand in the negotiation because you know how far you can push to get what you want.

8. MAKE SURE THE CONTRACT IS COMPLETE.

For your part as a seller, make sure you disclose everything. Smart sellers proactively go above and beyond legal requirements to disclose all known defects to their buyers in writing. If the buyer knows about a problem, s/he can’t come back with a lawsuit later on. Make sure all terms, costs and responsibilities are spelled out in the contract of sale and resist the temptation to diverge from the contract. For example, if the buyer requests a move-in prior to closing, just say no. Now is not the time to take any chances of the deal falling through.

9. DON’T MOVE OUT BEFORE YOU SELL.

Studies have shown that it is more difficult to sell a home that is vacant because it looks forlorn, forgotten, simply not appealing. It could even cost you thousands. If you move, you’re also telling buyers that you have a new home and are probably highly motivated to sell fast. This, of course, will give them the advantage at the negotiating table.

Leisure Village Sellers Guide

HOW TO AVOID GETTING STUCK WITH TWO HOMES

We’ve all heard the old saying about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Well, unfortunately, that’s where most homeowners find themselves when they decide to move from one home to another.

THE DILEMMA

The biggest dilemma when considering purchasing another home is deciding whether to buy first or sell first. Either way is risky because you could end up owning two homes or no home at all. Let’s face it, the real estate market has become a tough environment for buyers and sellers alike. The fact is that it’s more difficult to get homes sold today and therefore it’s essential that real estate agents look for new and innovative ways to meet the demands of the market.

THE SOLUTION

A new and innovative program that some agents offer actually guarantees the sale of your home and takes away all of the worry and stress associated with selling and buying another home.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

1. Your agent will prepare a total market analysis including a computerized printout of all comparable home sales and listings in your area.
2. With this information, you and your agent can determine a market value for your home.
3. This establishes your guaranteed price and list price which you will receive upfront (in writing) before your home is marketed.
4. You are doubly protected because you know that your home will sell for the guaranteed price. However, if you receive an offer from an outside buyer for more than the guaranteed price you get the higher offer.
5. You can confidently look for your next home and immediately place a firm cash offer(not a conditional one) when you find a home you like because you know the minimum that your home will sell for and when you can expect to receive the money from its sale.
6. This service eliminates the usual stress and worry (the emotional roller coaster ride) of whether to buy first or sell first so you can avoid the risk of getting stuck with two homes or no home at all.

Remember, not all agents are alike and you should consider only those that can offer you the most innovative marketing plan available to ensure that your needs are completely and properly met.

Leisure Village Sellers Guide

Tips to Make Your Move Easier on Your Pets

Moving can be hard on everyone involved…even your pets! While your pet may not understand exactly what is going on, they can sense the stress.  Animals are creatures of habit and do not like changes to their usual routine, and become confused. They also become quite anxious when all of a sudden, they see their human family busily throwing everything around them into boxes. Naturally, we always want to keep our pets happy and healthy because we love them…but we also want to lessen the chances of their “acting-out”. Animals, just like people, can behave rather badly when under stress, and so we need to do all we can to help them feel secure throughout the moving process.

TIPS: During The Packing Process 

Try to keep your pet’s daily routine as close to normal as possible. Adhering to his usual feeding, exercise, and bedtime schedule is important. 

When packing, leave your pet’s belongings to last. If possible, allow your pet continued access to his same food dishes, litter box, pet bed, and toys right up until moving day.

 Lessen the chances of there being any “accidents” by keeping your cat’s litter box in the usual spot, right up until you load him into the car — or until you confine him to a “transition room”.

 Leave a couple of empty packing boxes open on the floor for your pet to explore. Allowing your pet to familiarize himself with these new, strange objects will prevent him from being afraid of them. 

TIPS: Moving Day 

It is best to remove your pets from the house BEFORE you start moving your possessions. Allowing your pets to roam free in the house while the front door is propped wide open, and people are rushing in and out lugging boxes and furniture — just creates a recipe for disaster. 

If it is not possible to remove your pets beforehand, then you should select an empty room with a door to safely house them for the day. Place their food and water dishes, toys, bedding and litter box in the room with them. Many pets find the background noise of a radio comforting, and it helps to muffle some of the loud and unsettling noises that come from moving heavy furniture and boxes.

Be sure to put collars with identification tags on your dogs and cats, as many pets do escape during the confusion of moving day. To avoid possible injury to your cat, always use a breakaway collar. Although many pets today are microchipped, having your pet wear a collar remains a good idea, as only pet care industry workers have access to the tool that reads the chip, while anyone can read your name and phone number on a tag. 

For transportation to the new home, cats should be placed in a cat carrier on the floor of the back seat, and dogs should be properly restrained. Dogs should either ride in the back of the vehicle, separated from passengers by a dog grate, or should sit in the back seat, strapped into a dog seat belt. This protects both your dog, and the passengers in the vehicle – a quick stop can send your dog hurtling forward, seriously injuring her, and those in her path. 

Never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle. While the temperature in the car may seem just a little warm to you, animals overheat very quickly. Sadly, every year there are thousands of pets who succumb to heatstroke as a direct result of being left in a hot car. 

Bring your pet’s dishes, food, leash, toys, bedding, litter box, and any medications in the car with you and your pet. Providing consistency for your pet is important, so when you arrive at your new home, set up your pet’s things in those spots where you intend on keeping them.

TIPS: Introducing Your Pet to their New Home 

Before releasing your pet into his new backyard, take a quick safety check. Is the fence in good shape – no spaces for your pet to wiggle through, or under? Can your pet reach the neighbor’s pet through the fence, and if so, is he/she friendly? Are there any sharp objects that could pose a hazard to your pet? What about plants – are there any that could be harmful to your pet if she decided to devour them? Is there any garbage lying around for your pet to get into? Is there shade available for your pet? Be sure to leave a large, cool, bowl of water for your pet, and spend some time just sitting in the backyard with him.

 It is recommended that cats remain indoors. One study reported that cats who are allowed to roam free outside have an average life span of only 3 years, while indoor cats can be expected to live for an average of 13 years. If your cat has been allowed to roam in the past, now is the ideal time to break him of this habit. If you keep your cat indoors from day one in the new house, he will not have had time to establish his own turf outside – and will view the indoors as his sole territory.

Again, select a room with a door for your cat to use as her “transition room”. Place an extra litter box, food and water dishes, toys, and bedding inside with your cat. After a couple of days, when most of the boxes have been unpacked, the furniture placed, and things have generally calmed down – open the door and allow your cat to venture out. Before moving her belongings to where you want to keep them, allow your cat the use of the room for another 2 or 3 days while she becomes more confident in her new surroundings.

For more information on how to make moving easier on your pets, or if your pet has a pre-existing medical condition that requires special care, please contact your veterinarian for advice.

Leisure Village Sellers Guide