Top 5 reasons to schedule your listing appointment NOW!

If you are planning to sell your home in 2016, the time to meet your realtor is now!

1. Get to know your realtor. Let him or her to persuade you why you should hire her.
2. Understand the process. With the help of your realtor prepare  a checklist of TODO items that will make a difference whether your home sells within days or within months!
3. Study the recent sales data and projections to understand what price to expect to sell your home at and how many days it will take to get an offer. Market in the fall is not going to mirror late winter and spring sales activity. More buyers are looking to buy home in the beginning of the year than in the end. With the help of your realtor you will have a good idea on what to expect seeing the stats and data from early 2015 and late 2015 sales figures.
4. Decide where to go after you sell your current home. Whether you are downsizing, upsizing, or relocating - the ability to plan your next stage of life is the most important for you. Know how you can do a double transaction (sell and buy), what are the risks, time deadlines and other options. Get pre-aprvoved for your next home. If you plan on using proceeds of the sale of your current home to buy the next, not only you need to time transaction perfectly you also need to get a brand new pre qualification letter from your lender. Learn about "contingency" clause and what are the benefits and negatives of buying your next home contingent  on sale of your current.
5. Ask as many questions as possible and review the process so when your home goes on the market you have little or NO surprises!

Call us today and ask why we are so confident that we will  win your business and help your with your your sale and purchase!

Update on Fairway Estates Market Activity in Corinth, TX

Recently -  one home was sold, one is under contract. Three new listings. One home is listed for over $1M. The other two - both have pools, spacious, custom built, 3600-3900 sq. ft.  There is a also one FSBO home for sale here. Call me to get an appointment to see Fairway Estates Homes.

FSBO success story: SOLD!

Just have to tell you this story. My clients, originally wanted a home that I listed in Corinth and came to inquire about it the day I executed a contract with another family. Not to get discouraged I suggested to write a lettter to all of neighborhood (about 90 homes) in Fairway Estates announcing interest in homes in the neighborhood from my clients. They particularly liked this area and, in fact, particularly liked this home. As we drove around, my client pointed to this home several times as her favorite.

Several days later I receive a phone call.

"Hi, I live here in Fairway and got your letter in the mail a couple of days ago. Not sure if this is your marketing trick or you really have clients who are interested and qualified to buy a home". I saind: "why, yes, I do!!" Guess what home was it? Exactly the home my clients originally wanted. The end result - the seller did not have to put her home on the market, avoided all hussles of sales and saved half of the commission on regular sale. Everybody is happy now! We just closed last month, March 2009.

More For Sale By Owner Tips

If you are selling your own home - you have several options. You can use online services of byowner.com and other similar sites. You can use limited service broker who will post your listing on MLS at nominal fee. You will of course put a sign For Sale By Owner in the yard with your phone number. I am not about to list the challenges FSBO face (I am partial because I am a real estate agent). Rather I would like to offer some tips that might help those who decide to do so.

1. Make sure you did your research and establish the right price
2. As much as possible announce you are agent friendly (if you are) and how much commission you will pay
3. Use as many online FREE and PAID promotional sites as possible
4. Make a custom For Sale By Owner Sign (will cost you about $150). Make it a different and memorable color. Buyers driving by will not confuse your home with someone else's later on.
5. Make the phone number on sign visible.
6. Give as much privacy to the agent to show the property as possible (you should have some trust of course, collect business cards)
7. "Pre-qualify" your drive-by onlookers with questions like: do you own currently? when are you planning on moving? are you pre-qualified with a lender.

I wish you all the best but if you do not succeed give me a call for a NO-OBLIGATION, FREE listing presentation. Leeza Morris, Keller Williams Realty, Denton Texas 940-391-5080

Ten Steps to Selling Your Home For-Sale-By-Owner

1. Define your goals, wants, needs and expectations. A good place to begin is by exploring your short and long term goals in life and how selling your home fits in.

2. Determine the best price for what’s going on in the market right now. Assess the current state of the market and what comparable homes are actually selling for by reviewing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) on your home. That way, you can objectively determine its fair market value and price it right.

3. Prepare your property so that it is in top-selling condition. Most of us don’t keep our homes in top-selling condition. Think about your home from a buyer’s point of view. Repair, replace or remove items in your home so that it makes a GREAT first impression.

4. Implement time-proven, research-based marketing strategies. Market your home to as many people as possible using for sale signs, flyer boxes, open houses, feedback tracking and web listings.

5. Show your property. Ensure that your home is always in top-selling condition. When you leave for work, make sure that your home remains in top-selling condition. You know what they say about first impressions!

6. Receive an offer. When a buyer decides to buy your home, an offer will be presented. Consult with legal counsel.

7. Negotiate to sell. Most offers require some level of negotiation. Decide your parameters and be prepared to negotiate towards a win-win situation.

8. Have your home appraised and inspected. Once you have accepted an offer, work with the buyer or buyer’s agent to coordinate an appraisal, inspections and a survey (if required). If the buyer requires that certain repairs be made on your home, negotiate or make them to move successfully from contract to closing.

9. Prepare for closing. A few days before closing (also known as settlement), contact the title company and the buyer or buyer’s agent to ensure that all the necessary forms and documents have been prepared. Consult with legal counsel.

10. Close! At the closing meeting, ownership of your property is legally transferred to the buyer.