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HOMEHOMESELLING YOUR How to Save A Bundle WhenYou Want To Get A Record HighSale Price For Your HomeJennifer RodgersOWNER AND BROKERGREEN KEY REAL ESTATE LLC

The Secrets Of How To Make The Most Amount Of MoneyPossible and Avoid Unnecessary Disruption To Your Life...Discover how to get your home sold for MAXIMUM profit fast.Use these techniques to get your home sold, make the mostamount of money possible, and avoid unnecessary disruptionto your life!I'll also reveal the marketing techniques used to generate oursellers above average results!In fact, here's just a sample of what you'll see:* How we have buyers lining up to see your home so you canrest assured that your home is going to sell - FOR SURE.* Exactly what steps are needed in today's market to attractthe right buyer which lets you sell your home to anybody youwant.* The only 4 areas you need to pay attention to when lookingto sell which helps you position yourself better and sell formore money.... and much, MUCH More!And the great news is, this amazing book will also show youexactly what next steps to take (and NOT to take!) in yourhome selling journey.

HELLO NEIGHBOR! Hi there,I couldn’t be more excited to be writing you this letter! Knowing you areholding this book in your hands right now is huge! Why? BECAUSE ITWILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!Sounds cliche or far-fetched?? MAYBE! But let’s face it, you ARE about toembark on an exciting journey in the maybe not so distant future! It doesn’thappen each and every day that you are considering a move (and this bookis NOT here to talk you into selling by the way!)Having the right information at the right time is key to success. Most peoplelook only at the right information, but this is not all! Timing is huge! Bakinga cake 1 month before it is needed, is going to lead to some pretty stale cakewhen the company arrives. AN investor that knows all about numbers andreturn on investment will not succeed if the market is not in his favor.Most people think of ‘TIMING' as spring market or seasonal, but timing isbased on the steps you take prior to listing your home! (Like reading thisbook!). Preparing your home is part of timing the sale of your home at thebest possible time for you!And this is exactly what I set out to accomplish for my clients and neighborsand which is why I wrote this book you are holding! Aer reading it you willhave the ability to make the best possible decision for your future and knowwhat steps to take next! Easy & without the overwhelm that most sellersexperience!!To your success,

Contents CHAPTER 1: To Sell or Not to Sell, this seems to be the question!CHAPTER 2: Marketing your home8-WEEK PROPERTY MARKETING PLANCHAPTER 3: Pricing your homeCHAPTER 4: Getting your home market readyCHECKLIST: 110 Ways to Prep Your HomeCHAPTER 5: Choosing the right agentCHECKLIST: Top 20 Interview Questions to Ask Your AgentCHAPTER 6: Handling ShowingsCHECKLIST: Get your Home Ready for Showings FastCHAPTER 7: Working with OffersCHAPTER 8: Closing the SaleFINAL CHECKLIST: Moving Checklist

CHAPTER 1To Sell or Not to Sell, this seems to be thequestion! I know, this chapter might surprise you. Isn't my job to sell you into sellingyour home? Yes, and no. My job is really not to sell you on selling yourhome. My job is more to let you go through all possible scenarios when itcomes to evaluating if selling your home is right. I know you have a lot toconsider. One of the things is timing. Is now the right time to make a move?Does it line up with your job? Because let's be honest, you need a job to payfor your home that you're going to move into. Unless of course it's alreadypaid for. If you have schools to consider, you may want to time it right aswell. And of course, we want to make sure we time the market. And this isone that I hear many, many times. Timing the market. What does timing themarket actually mean? Based on my little intro letter, you already got themost important definition - home prep! But let’s dive into some of the othercomponents typically considered when looking to ‘time the market’.Well, first of all, there are two types of market we typically differentiatebetween. A buyer market and a seller market. A buyer market is when thereis a lot of inventory on the market, and the buyers can pick and choose,oentimes negotiate a lower price, and also add some incentives to sweetenthe deal. A seller market is when there are not a lot of homes on the market,and buyers can really not be picky and choosy. It's actually the seller that getsto dictate better terms such as selling a property as-is, or dictating closingtime and additional terms on offers. You want to make sure everything islining up in the best possible way for you. And this can seem like a big task.Trying to juggle a job transfer, getting kids situated in new schools. And at

the same time, trying to figure out if the market is now at perfect alignmentwith what you're trying to accomplish. Listen, I get it. We all want to doresearch, but this is one of the reasons you want to lean in and talk to aprofessional real estate agent.A real estate agent will tell you what is happening in the marketplace so youknow exactly what you can expect when you decide to list your home. Whenit comes time to sell the home, you also want to consider the mental andemotional strain that you're putting yourself through. I know it might soundsilly, but having people come through and potentially critique the home thatyou've put years and years of money, sweat and tears into can be really hard.A home means a lot to us, especially if we've been there for a long time, butthe new buyer yet has to make that emotional connection with your houseand will view your home much more objectively. So don't take offense to it ifthey are not appreciating the amazing flower garden that you worked sohard on quite yet. I promise that the right buyer will start loving your homethe way you did in due time.But let's talk a little bit about timing. If we talk about timing, you most likelyhave an event in mind that will trigger your move. Maybe you have a newjob offer, and maybe it's the kids' school schedule you are concerned withMaybe you have a vacation to work around or are finally ready to make theretirement plans come true.. Regardless of the event, it's important to reallyfocus on your timeline. Selling a home can take anywhere from 30 days ormore once you actually list it. And that doesn't take into considerationgetting your home market ready, which we will be discussing in a laterchapter. Of course, there's also the possibility that you are unable to sell yourhome due to not enough equity. Not everybody we encounter is able to sellthe home and yet make a profit. In this case, you want to have an honest realestate agent that can run you a real world scenario so you know if you can sell your home without coming to the table with money! Make sure you know how much you owe, and be prepared that there is additional closingcost a seller typically has to cover when it comes time to sell.One more thing on timing: Timing might never be right! Sometimes it’s amatter of deciding when it’s time for a change! Change has the habit ofdisrupting our day to day life! Personally, change makes me cringe but every

time I take the step forward, I encounter more fascinating things than if Ihadn't taken the leap of faith!

CHAPTER 2Marketing your home You might wonder what marketing has to do with selling houses. Well, letme tell you a little story about a watch!If I have one watch in a Tiffany Blue Box and another watch inside a windowof a pawn shop, which one do you think is going to get more money for thewatch owner?Of course, the Tiffany Blue Box. But why? Well, first of all, the Tiffany BlueBox is being advertised nationally. Having a brand and brand recognitionholds value in the consumer's eyes. Whereas the pawn shop watch isexposed to less people. And with less people, it has a smaller buyer pool,which will also give them less qualified people to sell the watch to.As you can see, marketing can seem to play a huge component when itcomes time to sell your home. And in case you think, "What if I want to sellFor Sale By Owner ?", let me just say I get it.I really do! It seems, especially in a fast-paced sellers market, a great opportunity to sell a home yourself.Aer all, you might potentially save a lot of commission. But let's be honest,if you are having your home listed as a For Sale By Owner and you aresaving the commission, many times the buyers are actually expecting you topass that discount on to them.e house next door that's sold with an agent, for example, $300,000, mightbe worth only $280,000 to the buyer because you are saving the commission.And that buyer wants to have the discount passed along. Now, not only areyou losing money on the sale price, but you're also opening yourself up forpotential lawsuits. And let me tell you, there is no other industry like the real

estate industry where people get sue-happy. And we definitely do not wantthat.But let's go back to marketing. When it comes to marketing you, of course,have different mediums that we can use for something that we callomnipresence. Omnipresence is where we want to make sure our sellers areperceived to be everywhere. We want to have amazing pictures taken by aprofessional photographer that are highlighting the strength of the property.Having a mix of video and picture will satisfy even the pickiest consumertoday, whose attention span is really not that long. Mixing up print,advertisement and online advertisement is an absolute must in today's shortattention span society. Not everybody is going to view your home online.Many neighbors might actually hear about the sale of your home when theystart seeing postcards advertising the home for sale. Only then will theyspring into action and bring it up to their family and friends who might beinterested to move into their neighborhood!Because of relocation and moving habits of the US population, we want tomake sure that we advertise your home locally, as well as nationally. Havingconnections to all other states is definitely something that comes in handyfor all of our sellers. But marketing does not stop there. We actually deploy amix of old school and new school strategies.And you might wonder, "Why old school? Everybody says this is not the wayto sell homes anymore." But we disagree. We have many real estate agents inthe marketplace that have held their license for well over 30 years. And guesswhat? ey are the ones with a huge client database. Of course, they will dotheir due diligence to scour the market and find the best possible deal. Butbelieve me when I say that it does not hurt to keep a good relationship andalso place that phone call to agents from a different selling era. And then, wewant to mix it with a good dose of new school marketing, such as Facebookads, SMS texting, beacons, and so much more.And lastly, we have the home advertisement, as well as the neighborhoodadvertisement. We cannot JUST focus on the home anymore. People areactually buying everything that surrounds a home: the neighborhood, theparks, the infrastructure, and so much more. When it comes to marketing

your home, you want to hire an agent that deploys an entire marketing plangeared to position your home in a Tiffany Blue Box.

8-Week Property Marketing Plan Outdoor Advertising Campaign□Huge Sign Panel installed on one or more Sign Posts□Appropriate Rider installed free of charge□Directional Signage during all Open Houses on Major IntersectionsInternet Advertising Campaign□Brokerage Website Feature□IDX integration to feed into all competitors websites free of charge□Additional listing distribution to over 6000 websites featuring realestate listings□Major National website distribution (Zillow, realtor.com, Trulia,HGTV, Yahoo Homes, AOL Real Estate and many more (see ourfree chart at the end of this book)□Regional website distribution - we regularly market our listings tolocal businesses for added exposure□Craigslist Advertisement Campaign available□Search Engine Optimization (SEO)□Social Media Marketing of your home beyond the standardmarketingPrint Advertising Campaign□Just Listed Postcards□Real Estate Magazine□Flyer Marketing□Property Brochures

Premium Marketing Services included:□Professional Photography□Social Media Campaign Marketing□Mega Open House Campaign□List Driven Marketing of your Home to Hyperlocal BuyersNeighborhood Marketing Campaign□List Driven Marketing to your Neighbors□Various Campaigns surrounding your home for listing marketing□Virtual Video TourIndustry Marketing Campaign□Internal Brokerage Newsletter□List Driven Marketing to over 5000 Area Real Estate Agents□Internal Hot List of Agents with a Matching Buyer Search

CHAPTER 3Pricing your home ere are really only three levels of pricing for a home. Let’s dive into themhere:Priced BELOW market valueYou can price your home below market value, which is what most of ourbanks tend to do in order to generate a crazy amount of offers to pick andchoose from. ink about it like an auction. If a Picasso gets listed at 1million dollars, it's probably not going to sell at that, and people will bidhigher. Now for most of our regular resellers, this is not really an attractiveoption, which then brings us to the next optionPriced AT Market ValueBy far the most popular option: Pricing the home at or slightly above marketvalue to allow a little bit of wiggle room for negotiation. ey price the homeright where the market suggests it is valued at, go a few thousand dollarsabove in order to increase the perceived value, or leave some room fornegotiation. is is probably where 95% of our sellers end up listing theirhome in order to appeal to the most amount of buyers. By setting a realisticprice, the seller is showing the buyer that they are realistic in theirexpectations and buyers in turn like that because the sellers appearreasonable and priced their home in line with the market.Priced ABOVE Market value

And then there's option number three, pricing your home above market.You might think that this is an option we typically don't recommend.However, not everybody's situation is the same. If you are considering toprice your home above market value, a great agent will point out that youcan expect a longer market time with it. And many times we are also seeingprice reductions for homes in that category.Now you might wonder why would people not just price the home above tohope for the best odds? And the reason is simple. A home that sits on themarket for a longer than usual amount of time is deemed to be perceived asa home where something is wrong in the eyes of prospective buyers. Andthere might be absolutely nothing wrong with your home, but perception isreality in real estate. So you want to be fully aware of the pros and cons whenit comes to pricing. And a great agent will walk you through them.Now that you know the three levels of pricing, let's talk a little bit about thedata that determines the price point. Looking back at the last six months inyour real estate market (typically about a 1 mile radius), all agents will likelylook at the same data. What has sold in the MLS in the last six months,roughly around a mile from your house? So if the data is all the same, does itmatter who you hire? Well, it actually does because while data seems to bethe same, value is perceived emotionally by our buyers. And having a homepresented in the right kind of light can give you those few thousand dollarsextra that you're hoping for.I also want to take a moment at this point and talk a little bit about appraisal.e appraisal is a way for the bank to safeguard the value of the home as thisis the price point that the bank is lending on. Most of our buyers are stillgetting a loan. So it's important to understand if your home is going toappraise out. In the event that your price point is so far above market and wecannot find comparables that are supporting that price, you certainly havesome options, but you will definitely want to have a strong agent negotiatingon your behalf in order to ensure that your deal is not going to fall apart andyou have to start over. Being a clear communicator is essential during thispart of the contract.

And the last thing we want to cover is your pricing in correlation with yourshowing activity. Most buyers are in tune with market value to the pointwhere they know if a neighborhood is valued at $300,000 roughly for themajority of the homes, and if they see a $400,000 home in theneighborhood, chances are they will not really wanting to go look at itbecause they know that most of the other homes are about $300,000. So ifyour home is perceived by the buyers as overpriced, you buyers might justgo ahead and skip a potential showing, which will show on your end as adecrease in showing activity. Again, a good agent will be able to monitorshowing activity and share with you if your home is getting the attention it issupposed to get, or if we are facing a pricing issue.You can also gauge the level of activity if your home is priced right and youhave an abundance of showings on your hands. If you are worrying thatyour home is priced too low because of this phenomenon, don't worry. ebuyers are the ones that are driving our market, and there's always theoption that your home will sell above list price if more than one buyer wantsit badly enough with the most favorable terms to you. ere's rarely a housethat will sell for less than what it's worth.

CHAPTER 4Getting your home market ready ere are really three priorities we want you to focus on when it comes timeto get your home ready for the market, and don't worry, you are going tofind a detailed checklist at the end of this chapter. e three things we wantyou to focus on are to declutter, to clean, and potentially paint. Let's go overthem one by one.DeclutterWhen you think about the idea of decluttering, think about floor space andcounter space. Generally we want to display the maximum amount of floorspace and counter space. Ask yourself, how would you feel walking into yourhome? If the counters and floors are cluttered, people might think yourhome is crowded and there's not enough room. So by emptying the countersand floor space, your home will appear larger to the potential buyer. Identifythings that don't belong, or are not needed on a daily basis, and clear theseareas as much as possible. If you have large pieces of furniture that are takingup a big part of your floor space, consider eliminating them and puttingthem into storage, or moving them into your garage. e more unclutteredyour floor and counter space is the better, and it's going to be easier to getyour home ready for showings as well.CleanA good deep clean is an absolute necessity aer you remove the clutter. isinvolves cleaning the house both inside and out. We want to pay attention tothe floors, walls, baseboards, doors, and all surfaces in the house reallyshould get a thorough cleaning. If possible, and the weather allows for the

outside, consider power washing the driveway and walkways along with thesiding. When it comes to the interior cleaning, we do suggest hiring aservice, and the reason is simple. You have a lot of things on your plate, anda good deep clean can take several hours. It might be worth the investmentof $150 to $300 to get the job done without you feeling overwhelmed. A veryclean house will appeal to more buyers than one that is completely updatedyet dirty, so keep this in mind.PaintOnce the house is decluttered and clean, you can really take a critical look atit. Would a fresh coat of paint enhance the appearance of the home? Take agood look at your walls, baseboards, doors, windowsills, and ceiling aroundthe house. Are there areas that need to be touched up, or do some of theareas require a completely fresh coat? Do you have some very bright colorsthat might distract buyers from the actual home? Remember to try and stayobjective when it comes to paint. Your personal preference might not besomebody else's, and by choosing a neutral color you might appeal to morebuyers, therefore getting more attention and therefore getting higher offers.Also, paint is considered one of the least expensive ways to make a dramaticimprovement to a property, so really consider this as an option.Project proposalsAll of this can seem like a lot, and you might not necessarily know what isclutter and what is necessity? What needs a deep cleaning, or what couldbenefit from a fresh coat of paint? Ask your agent to prepare a projectproposal. We use them in our business to help our client have a list on handthat they can go through step by step and get each room ready withoutfeeling overwhelmed. We know you have about a million things on yourplate. Trying to figure out what 'decluttered home’ means to your agent orthe buyer does not need to take up any room on your list of worries.StagingWhile decluttering, cleaning, and painting are definitely some of the mostimportant things to get a home ready for sale, I want to take a quick momentand talk about staging. Staged homes do have a tendency to sell faster, and

based on a study conducted by the real estate staging association, RESA,homes that previously failed to sell sold in 73% less time aer they wereprofessionally staged. So I'm just going to give you seven seller benefits tostaging your home.Seven seller benefits to staging your home:1. Professionally staged homes present and show better than competinghomes for sale, including new construction homes and higher pricedhouses.2. Staged properties will sell faster when compared with houses thathave not been staged. From the date of listing under the date ofclosing, home staging shortens this timeframe, even in a slow realestate market.3. Staged properties can increase a number of offers in selling price inhot markets.4. Buyers view professionally staged listings as well maintained.5. Buyer agents recognize that professionally staged listings are move inready and are inclined to show stage properties.6. Photos of professionally staged listings look better on the MLS, aswell as in print.7. Professionally staged listings stand out in perspective buyers' minds.Source, Real Estate Staging AssociationLast LookOne last item to focus on when it comes to getting your home market ready,I always suggest to our sellers to take a look at some of the most commonitems that we find during a home inspection. And I'm not asking you to gothrough your home in a manner that a home inspector does, but you wantto make sure that some of the necessities are in place, such as smokedetectors, and making sure that everything is functional. A home that is wellmaintained will appeal to more buyers. Buyers want to purchase homes thathave been well taken care of and not homes that are neglected. If your homeappears neglected or is missing some of the most common items found for

the safety of your home, a buyer might think that you are not taking care ofit and will try and give you a lower offer.You can consult your real estate agent with some of the most common items,but you should make sure your outlets are functioning and you have smokeand CO2 detectors in your home, every drain is draining properly, you donot have any cracks that might be of concern to the buyer, and the overallappearance of your home is well taken care of, which also includes makingsure that there is no weeds or neglect on the exterior.

CHECKLIST110 Ways to Prep Your Home Selling a home today is different than it was five yearsago.Today’s buyer wants a home that is in “move in” condition, and they willwalk away from a home that does not “show well” or is in poor conditionjust as fast as they will walk away from an overpriced property. ere is asaying in the real estate industry that “you never get a chance at the buyer ofa lifetime.”In many instances it is hard to look at your house objectively because it’syour home, but a Realtor is trained to do just that. We hope that these 110ways will get you the sale that you are looking for.EXTERIORLANDSCAPING□Plan ahead and plant grass seed where needed as the lawn can be areal turnoff or a “turn on.”□It’s a good idea to prune away any trees that distract from the viewof your home. Pruning low limbs on trees can make a majordifference.□Clean up everything. Make sure that any debris or broken fenceparts, bricks, yard lights and mail boxes are in good repair.□Remove any dead or dying shrubs, and replace them with freshones.□Put new mulch in the flowerbeds, around shrubbery and the base of

trees.□Make sure that all walkways are cleaned and in good repair.□If you don’t know what to do, hire a landscaping company toevaluate your property and give you a plan.□Make sure that all exterior lighting works properly.□Keep your lawn cut and neatly trimmed.□Use large pots of flowers or green plants on the deck or the frontporch.INTERIOR□Clean all the carpets and replace those that are worn or stainedbeyond cleaning.□Remove any dated items such as wallpaper, carpets, light fixtures,etc. If you’re not certain about what to do, consider using theservices of an interior decorator or professional organizer to helpyou make the right choices. It’s a good idea to use someone who isinvolved in the new homes industry as they are more in tune withwhat people are looking for in a home.□Be very careful about selecting paint colors, wallpaper and carpets ifyou decide to fix it up. Many buyers have a hard time lookingbeyond bold colors on the floor or on the walls. e idea is to getthe home as close to neutral as possible and you can do this by usingneutral tones.□Repair any dings in the trim or cabinets. Hardware stores have avariety of new products that can make this job easy and fun.□Replace any hardware like doorstops, hinges, doorknobs, showerrods, faucets and switch guards that have become worn, discoloredor damaged.□Clean all the windows including the skylights.□Make sure that all light fixtures are clean and in working order.□Repair and/or replace any plumbing fixtures that are defective.□One of the most important things that you can do is to make surethat the home is immaculate and stays that way. Many homeownersuse the services of a professional cleaning service to get the homeready and to keep it in “ready to show” condition during the selling

process. e idea is to make every area of the house sparkle andshine.SPACE MANAGEMENT□It’s important that all clutter be removed from every room and everycloset.□Remove all of the boxes and clothes from the closets that are notgoing to be needed during the showing process.□It may be a good idea to rent a storage space to store all of the itemsthat are in the way. Don’t store them in the attic or garage as theystill are a problem.□Pack up all of your collectables to both protect them and to give therooms a more spacious feeling and appearance.□Leave just enough accessories to give the home a personal touch butnot so many that they become a distraction.□Use light to make the home appear more spacious.□Take time to open the drapes and blinds.□Make sure that all the lights throughout the house are on before ashowing.ROOM ANALYSISe Front Entry—is is the area that forms the first impression of thehouse and it really needs your attention.□Make sure that the entry is in as near-perfect condition as possible.□e front door should be freshly painted.□If the doorknob and locks are not bright and shiny, they need to bereplaced.□Well-placed and carefully chosen mirrors and rugs add to theappearance of any foyer or entry area. 48. Remove any off-seasonclothing or other items from the entry hall closet that can be storedelsewhere.□Remove any musty odor by adding a bag of cedar chips or someother fresh scent.□Put a fresh coat of paint in the entry closet to brighten it.

y g□Water container plants/flowers. Replace if necessary.□Dust entry table or shelves.THE LIVING ROOM/FAMILY ROOM□Dust surfaces (including TV screen).□Straighten coffee table, bookshelves, and other areas.□Stow away newspapers, magazines, books, games, toys and videos.□Vacuum rugs or mop floor.□Vacuum upholstered furniture; wipe down leather or vinyl.□Sweep fireplace.□Wipe down ceiling fan blades.□Water houseplants.THE KITCHEN□Mop or vacuum floor.□Clean appliances.□Avoid clutter! Clear items from countertops and cabinets.□Wipe countertops and cabinets.□Clean sink.□Stow away kitchen sponge and dish towels.□Open windows or run a fan to remove cooking odors.□Clean off the top of the refrigerator.THE DINING ROOM□Visually imagine a large dining area.□Remove extra “company” chairs.□Take one or two leaves out of the dining table.□Add fresh or silk flowers as a centerpiece on your dining table.THE HOME OFFICE□Dust surfaces, including computer screen.□Stow away files, preferably “off site.”□Mop floor or vacuum rugs.

□Polish cabinets and woodwork.□Straighten desk and bookshelves.□Give away anything you do not use or is no longer needed.THE BEDROOMS□Large master bedrooms are extremely popular today. Make yourbedroom appear larger.□Paint the room a light color.□Remove one of the dressing tables or bureaus if the room iscrowded.□Get rid of the clutter.□Decorate the private bath of the master to coordinate with thebedroom.□Imagine you are in the “Bed and Breakfast” business.□Make closets look spacious.□Remove and store all out of season clothing.□Remove any items from the floor area.□Lighted closets look bigger, are more attractive and allow buyers toinspect the interiors—there are many battery-operated lights on themarket.□Remove any unusual or personal wall hangings such as posters andstore them until your home is sold.THE BATHROOMS□Empty wastebaskets.□Remove laundry.□Put out fresh towels.□Clear off countertop and store all personal care products.□Dispose of old prescriptions and polish the shelves in the medicinecabinet.□Repair leaking faucets.□Clean off mineral deposits with vinegar or a commercial cleaner.□Replace old shower curtains.□Clean and repair caulking.

□Display perfumed guest soap and add a plant for freshness.THE BASEMENT□Sweep stairs.□Clear clutter blocking access to furnace, electrical box or laundryroom.THE GARAGEis is a very important part of a home for most buyers. It is important thatit be cleaned and organized just as you would the other rooms in the house.□A fresh coat of paint on the walls and the floor can make a hugedifference.□Remove any stains or paint on the floor and repair any cracks ordamages.□Remove any items that are not going to be used during the time thatthe house is going to be marketed.□Clutter and trash le in the garage destroys the one main thing mostpeople are looking for in a garage—space. Make it look spacious!□If your garage is small and accommodates one car, it is a good ideato leave the car in the driveway to give the appearance ofspaciousness.□If you have a two car garage, leave one car in the driveway when thehouse is being shown.□If the garage is dark, add more light. A well-lit and well-organizedgarage appears to be larger and thus adds value to the home.STAGING YOUR HOME

One of the most important steps in the selling process is staging yourhome. Each room should be inviting, fresh, clutter-free and clean.Less is better when it comes to pictures, knickknacks and mementos.Pack away extras before even starting the cleaning process. You areselling your house and potential prospects need to be able to picturetheir furnishings in your property. Arrange furniture in a way thatmakes each room appear as large as possible. If you need help withthis process, I can be candid about what to pack and what to leave.Or I will put you in contact with a professional who will help youwith this for a nominal fee.

Chapter 5Choosing the right agent I know what you are probably thinking at this point. Okay, watch out, herecomes the sales pitch. And I have to disappoint you. I'm not going to sell youinto my services in this chapter. What I want to make sure is that I point outsome of the most overlooked questions to ask an agent. Did you know thatmost people hire the agent that they had last contact with? You might bewalking into an open house and you are inclined to hire the agent becausethis is the last person you had contact with. And while this might be a greatagent to hire, it might also be the complete wrong agent for you. But before Iget ahead of myself, I want to share with you a quick comparison story.If you are sick, you're most likely going to go to a general doctor, who'sgoing to diagnose you and then prescribe something that will make you feelbetter. But what if you knew you had something very specific that needed tobe evaluated. Let's say, an issue with your brain. Would you go into yourgeneral doctor's office and hope he's going to be able to fix it, or would youseek out the best brain specialist there is? Let's be honest, your brain is prettyimportant and you probably want the best person possible for the job.Somebody that's highly qualified, has credentials to support their data andenjoys a great reputation in the industry. Well, selling your home is reallynot much different, and we're going to talk a little bit more about reputationin a little bit.Here is another thought. I'm a huge believer in hyperlocal professionals,people that really know an area in order to market it the best way possibleand therefore giving you the most amount of money. Having a hyperlocalspecialist working for you is essentially putting your home sale on steroids

because not only is your agent going to market your home in the bestpossible way, but they're also able to highlight and emotionally draw in morepeople in a hyperlocal market than if you are just looking for standard localmarketing.The 3 Ps of Real Estate VS the 4 Ps of Real EstateWe oen joke that there used to be a mentality of 3 Ps of real estate.1. Put it in the MLS2. Put a sign in the yard3. Pray it will sellMany times marketers refer to this as the old school mentality to sellinghomes. In today's day and age though, where everything is fast moving andour prospects and your buyer's attention span is diminished to less thanseven seconds, you really want to make sure that you have an agent thatunderstands the four Ps.1. Put it in the MLS2. Put a sign in the yard3. Pray it will sell4. PromoteHaving an agent promote your listing, not just during the first week, not justduring the second week, but throughout the listing period is essential. isis why we highlighted our eight week marketing plan earlier in the chapter,because there's always something that somebody can promote when itcomes to marketing and successfully selling a property.Handling objectionsis chapter almost didn't make it into the book, but one of my dear friendscreated an amazing video about it and it made me think. How many agentsare being trained on handling sellers' objections? Doesn't it sound silly tohandle somebody's objection? I mean, sure. It's our job to educate and talkpeople through the pros and the cons, but trying to persuade somebody tochange their mind with words just doesn't seem right. So we do not believe

in handling objections. We do believe in educating you with the pros andthe cons when it comes to selling your home. And just like we started off thisbook with the chapter: To sell or not to sell?, we're continuing on with thistrend, because the job here is not to sell you on selling your home. My job isto give you all the possible information so you can make the best decisionfor you and your family.3 Types of NegotiatorsI read this one in a book and thought it was just too good not to include.Obviously a big part of what we do is negotiate for the best terms and thebest possible outcome for our client. And there are really three differenttypes of negotiators.e Competitive NegotiatorHe is known as the bulldog, the one that is kind of old school in hisnegotiation tactics, trying to get his way through all the time. ey typicallytend to have a pretty big ego and think it's a great thing to be known ascutthroat. However, it oen comes at a high cost to the seller. Believe mewhen I say, if somebody is a competitive negotiator and has to be right abouteverything, they are perceived as stubborn and inflexible. And with that,oentimes, have a reputation in the industry. A competitive negotiator relieson bullying techniques, like threatening to pull the deal or setting impossibletimeframes for contingencies, which does not help the transaction, it doesnot speed up the process, and it usually ends up costing the seller moremoney in the long run. is agent might be charming to you and says all theright things. But when it comes to dealing with the other side, he can beshort tempered and unprofessional, which will turn many agents, and withthat their buyers, away from potentially seeing your home. In the event, theydo show the property and they recognize they have a competitive negotiatoron their hand, they oentimes will approach the transaction fully armed,putting everyone on edge right from the start.e Compliant Negotiatore compliant negotiator tends to be the one that will drop any form ofnegotiation the minute he encounters resistance. Let me ask you this: Have

you maybe interviewed somebody, and rather than holding pricing, theydrop down to their bare minimum in mere seconds, without you reallyasking for it? We typically do not consider these compliant negotiators verystrong in skills. eir drive to be liked and in agreement with everyone putsyou as a seller at risk. ey will give up too much information in order tomake everyone happy. ey're very likable, but when it comes to a real estatetransaction, they might not be the perfect person for the job.Negotiation is simply part of our job. It is something to be expected, andhaving a fearful mentality about it is not going to help the transaction. It isextremely rare to find a buyer that will step up to every single demand of theseller and fulfill every single term. So needing to negotiate is an absolutemust for a real estate agent. e compliant negotiator will always be warningyou to consider giving in, in fear of losing the deal. Don't fall for it. Having askilled negotiator on your side will help you get terms negotiated that areacceptable to you, and if you have buyers on your hand, that will pull thedeal, chances are the transaction could be at risk anyhow as their heart is notin it. ey might have walked away during the inspection item, wastingprecious market time for you and your house.e Collaborative NegotiatorA collaborative negotiator expects and is prepared for negotiation. eyhave the data available to back up their findings, and they understand that atthe core of negotiation is communication. ey will listen and ask questionsand are seeking to understand all parties during the transaction. ey willidentify hot buttons that can be used to negotiate in the seller's favor. eywill also evaluate the buyer agent's negotiation style to find the best possibletechnique to approach the conversation. A collaborative negotiator is alsogoing to help you play, prioritize your own needs and desired outcomes forthe transaction. ey will have discussed potential outcomes with you,educate you on the pros and cons, so that you can make the best decision foryou and your family. ey will have helped you set realistic goals from thevery beginning.By digging deeper, the collaborative negotiator is able to reveal a buyer'smotivation and priorities as part of their research. is is important because

when a conflict arises between you and the buyer during negotiation, theyhave creative options and solutions at their fingertip to keep the deal movingforward. ey are very calm, and objective and are known to keep deals thatmight have been lost with other agents together, as they will not overreact tounreasonable demands or high emotions. Real estate is one of thosetransactions where emotion can run high, and it's really important to keepcalm about it. ey do not let their ego get in the way and will do the bestpossible job to protect their seller's interest and meet the seller's goals andobjectives.Now, you might think you'd rather have a bulldog. But based on a studydone by the University of Harvard, the collaborative negotiation technique isused in virtually every advanced negotiation course they offer. Skill sets forcollaborative negotiation includes effective verbal communication, greatlistening skills, rapport building, creative problem solving, assertiveness andethical persuasion skills. With these skills in their tool belt, a collaborativeagent will get you much better end results than either of the other two typesof negotiators. e mentality is simple. Similar to hostage negotiationmentalities, the stakes are high during the sale of your home. And acollaborative negotiator will always keep that in mind for their clients.

CHECKLISTTop 20 Interview Questions to Ask YourAgent □Do you work as a full time Realtor?□Do you have assistants?□What area and in what aspect of the market do you specialize?□Do you have a written marketing plan specifically designed to sellmy house?□Do you attend the Realtors Association Member Meetings?□How do you market properties directly to Buyers?□How many properties have you sold in the last three months?□Will you produce a flyer of my home with a picture displaying myhome?□Do you have a written business plan?□How oen will I hear from you aer my home is listed with you?May I cancel the listing?□How will you let me know what you are doing to market myproperty?□How do you find potential buyers?□What other marketing techniques will you use to get my propertysold?□In what ways do you encourage other Realtors to sell my property?□What can I do to help sell my property?□How confident are you that you can sell my home? Why?□What is the market trend now?□Based upon what you know about my situation, should I sell?

□What methods do you use to communicate?□Have you helped any people in a situation like mine before?

CHAPTER 6Handling Showings Woohoo, you've come this far! Let's talk about handling showings. Yourhome is now market ready. You are ready to hit the market and haveshowings about to happen. is is an exciting time of your life, and youmight also feel really scared and overwhelmed. I want to be honest, havingyour home on the open market is exhilarating and scary at the same time.You worry if the buyer will love it, if they will criticize it, what other peoplewill think about your home. e stress of handling showings also adds toyour day-to-day life. e job of a real estate agent is to prepare you for thisstage of the selling process so you can handle it with ease. Let's discuss a fewthings that you want to keep in mind when it comes to showing your home.First of all, your showing schedule can be completely customized based onyour needs. ere is no right or wrong schedule. However, a general rule ofthumb, a more accessible home will always sell easier than a home that has alot of restrictions for showings. One of the examples I love to give my sellersis if a home is available Monday through Sundays from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM,it will be easier to sell it than a home that will only allow showings from10:00 to 12:00 and 2:00 to 3:00. You get the point. Keeping some of thosegeneral rules in mind, I want to dive in on a couple different scenarios thatyou might be facing.PetsWhen it comes to pets and showings, there is an ideal world scenario,remove the pets during the showing. is obviously does not apply toanything in a fish tank container, but dogs and potentially even cats shouldbe removed. We have been in houses where there was a dog locked up in a

cage, barking its head off, growling and baring its teeth. Let me tell you, thebuyers couldn't wait to get out of the house, and you wouldn't want that tohappen to yours. You also want to hide any signs of a pet living there, as oneof our ultimate goals is to have the buyer envision themselves in the home.We want to make sure the dog bed can slide underneath your bed and takethe dog bowl dishes out of the kitchen. Yes, I am a pet lover myself, butwhen it comes to selling your home, some people are very particular aboutpets.Many people have pet allergies, so you want to make sure that there isdefinitely no pet odor lingering in your home either. Keep wall plugins andcandles on hand. Just one word of caution: ere's a fine line between usingscent tools and making it feel like you are masking it. A good airing out ofthe house will always help, along with a nice scented candle.Cats can be a little bit trickier just because they tend not to like to be caged.Oentimes they hide and the stress of people coming in and out might alsobe of concern for you for your pets. In this case, maybe you want to considerbringing your pets to a pet daycare facility or to a family member or friendfor the day while showings are happening and you can maybe take a fun carride with them during evening showings. Remember, this is not against yourpet, but simply to make your home more attractive to more buyers.KidsNo overnight doggy daycare facility that accepts kids? No problem! estruggle with kids, especially smaller ones is more related to nap schedulesand cleaning up toys for short notice showings. Want to know what makes iteven worse? When we just had a major holiday and the children’s playroomsare literally overflowing with toys! Yikes! It cannot just be our householdthat feels like this, right? First rule of thumb when getting ready to startshowing your home: Make sure you have packed away a good portion of thetoys, and baskets and bins will be your best friend. You want to make sureyou have everything big packed away! Why? Because sticking things in abasket is easy enough for the kids to do and it will help you out greatly aswell if you have a little bit of help when it's time to get the home ready forshowings. Also, awarding the children with certificates has been a great tool

for our team. Praising a child aer they've kept their room extra clean hashelped out mom and dad many times before.Tenants / RentersHaving a tenant occupied property poses a new set of obstacles you have towork with. Having an agent do the heavy liing for you might be in the bestinterest as you are able to put a buffer between you and the tenant. Mosttenants are not very fond of opening the door to complete strangers lookingat the home and the home will typically not show as good as an owneroccupied home. Don’t worry, with the right agent and plan of attack eventhis hurdle can be tackled with ease!Work SchedulesRemember a time when people would work at a workplace? Yeah, it seemslike a long time ago. Now, many people are actually working from home. Ifyou have a work schedule where you are working from home, how do youhandle showings? On one hand, we ask our sellers not to be present, whichby the way is purely for your protection, to avoid any small talk with thebuyer agent who will squeeze you for every ounce of information that youare willing to reveal, but remember when I said in the beginning of thischapter, everything is fully customizable? If you have work hours with callsthat can absolutely not be moved and you are unable to work anywhere else,the timeframes you need secured can be blocked so that no showings can bescheduled.Now, obviously this is not a promise, that somebody might not show upearlier than their scheduled showing window, or run late, but it is a prettygood safeguard. In an ideal world, we love for our sellers to be able to have atemporary second office location at their disposal. Sometimes this can be ata family member's home, a coffee shop, a local library or something similar.Weeeeeekend - But you are literally homeless!It's the weekend and everybody wants to see your house, but what are yousupposed to do? You're not supposed to be at home, yet there are so manyshowing scheduled that you wonder if you'll ever get to stop in for lunch.e weekend is when the majority of buyers typically tend to look at homes.

Having plans for your weekend to maybe explore while your home is on themarket or visit family and friends might be a great idea. We definitely wouldnot encourage you to host lavish barbecue aernoons during the time youare showing, simply because we wouldn't be able to show your home topotential buyers.HolidaysDon't you worry, I am not asking you to take the turkey down to the library.Our holiday showings tend to be a little slower anyhow, as buyers tend tolook less during that time frame as well. So don't worry, we can definitelymake sure that there's plenty of room for you to have time to prepare theturkey or get the ham ready. Sometimes our clients actually really enjoy thefact that they get to have one last holiday at their home before it sells, and itbecomes a more emotional holiday that they will cherish as a memoryforever.HousekeepingI have to tell you something funny! I show quite a few homes all year round.But one thing I never really paid attention to until I started writing thisbook. Washers and Laundry Hampers! We really do not see many laundrybaskets standing around when touring homes! ey are hiding! And it has agood reason! People do not (and I mean DO NOT!) want to see otherpeople’s dirty laundry. Makes sense, right? A closet is becoming your bestbet for making a hamper disappear. I've never entered a home where therewas a washer running either. Isn't this crazy? I've been selling homes forquite some time, but when it comes to certain things, such as laundry,people have a way of hiding it. But when do you do it? We suggest that youhave laundry running towards the end of the day, aer your last showing isdone, and throw it in the dryer early morning, before your first showingarrives, it should be finished. is is a great window for doing laundry. It canbe washed in the evening, dried early in the morning and put away. A nice,fresh smell of freshly washed laundry will also stick around.e other item people tend to struggle with is cooking. Heavy cooking odorscan be a huge turnoff for buyers, so obviously we want to be careful what weare making. If you are used to cooking with a lot of spices or you love to fry

food or cook in any other form that tends to leave a lingering smell, you maywant to reevaluate that recipe during the time you're on the market. You see,I love hard boiled eggs, but they do have a very distinct smell to them oncecooked, probably not the greatest smell for buyers to smell.Why is this a big deal? Well, a buyer's nose will tell the buyer's brain if this iseven something that they're going to like. If a house does not smell attractiveto a buyer, they will judge your home prematurely. I know it sounds reallysad, but our buyers today are unforgiving so we want to make sure that youare prepared.All right. How do you feel? Better prepared to tackle the time on the market?I truly hope so! Here is my final home prep list that will have you get yourhome prepped and show ready as quickly as possible every time there is ashowing.

CHECKLISTGet your Home Ready for Showings Fast When it’s time for showings you want the home to be in its best possiblecondition. For many of us this means getting it back to showing conditionsaer daily living. Here are some tips to add that extra touch and wow thebuyer.□Try not to be present. Buyers tend to feel watched when you arehome and have a hard time envisioning themselves living at yourhome if you are around□e Television and Radio should be turned off. is will allow thebuyer agent and buyer to talk free of disturbances.□Leave all your drapes and blinds open to allow the maximumamount of light into your home□Turn on all possible lamps (ceiling, side table lamps, under counter,etc).□Make sure all your beds are made and your laundry hampers are putaway□Have a basket handy for all miscellaneous items on the bathroomcounter. You can put the items in there and hid it inside the vanityuntil you need them again□Be sure there are no dishes in the sink and your counters are free ofclutter and wiped down□Keep the home at a comfortable temperature. Homes that are toocold are perceived as ‘not welcoming’ by the buyers□Have a big basket handy for children’s toys. Children can helpcollect toys while you tend to the other items on the list□Make sure your pet beds and bowls are put away if applicable

CHAPTER 7Working with Oers Congrats, one step closer. People are interested in your home, but it's farfrom a done deal yet. Remember, we talked about hiring a skillful negotiator.You want someone that keeps good relationships. If something was going togo south, your agent will work on securing you another buyer as soon aspossible from the previously interested ones if this is what you want to do.During the offer selection process, you will be evaluating some of the belowterms, and you'd be surprised to know our contracts have a multitude ofcontingencies built in. But don't worry, the highly skilled agent you selectedwill help you evaluate the offers carefully so you know you picked the bestone for you. Below are some of the most common elements that are beingreviewed.Loan TypeWhat type of financing is the buyer securing? Again, you have an agent byyour side that will advise you on the pros and cons of each possible loanscenario for your home. In general, any and all loan type are acceptable, butthere might be circumstances where one scenario will work better for yourultimate goal than another. Some of the most common loan scenarios areconventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, 403K loans, and of course, cashtransactions.Down PaymentYour agent will also point out the down payment amount to you for thebuyer's offer. Typically, this amount does not matter much during thetransaction as you will still receive the full amount of money that was agreed

on in the offer. However, there are scenarios where a higher down paymentcan come in handy, especially if the market is a hot sellers market that letsyou dictate your own prices.Closing CostIs your buyer asking you to cover any of their closing costs? If so, what is thereason? Is the buyer trying to retain funds to make some needed updates?Or are they tight on assets? You want to have this evaluated just so you knowthe best possible offer for you.Earnest MoneyEarnest money can have many different names in different states, earnestmoney, good faith money, due diligence money, but regardless of what it'scalled, it has one purpose: Give the seller a piece of reassurance that thebuyer is serious. We oentimes use the term: “Put your money where yourmouth is!” or “Having skin in the game!”. Earnest money is most oenrefundable but there are rare instances where a buyer can potentially loseearnest money during the transaction. While there's no ‘standard amount’for earnest money, it is recommended to make the amount show that thebuyer is serious.Closing DateNow we are talking about some real dates that will change your future.Closing date is one of them. e closing date is the date the property willactually transfer over to the buyer and you no longer own it. e nice thingis that you can plan ahead well in advance! Closing dates do happenMondays through Fridays and many times we do suggest the sellers aretaking off during closing day if they cannot pre-sign paperwork. Whileclosing should take no longer than one to two hours, we want to make surethat you do not feel rushed and have all the time you need to ask all possiblequestions that you have on your mind. Remember, that you can pick aclosing date that's convenient for you. Everything is negotiable. But theclosing date should be picked during the offer acceptance process so allparties are aiming for the same date.

Home to Sell or CloseYet another contingency on most of our contracts is a question where we areasking if the buyer has a home to sell or close. A home to sell means that thebuyer has to sell their current home in order to buy this one. It might ormight not be on the market yet. A home to close means that the buyer ofyours already secured their own buyer for their property and they'recurrently going through the ‘under contract process’. While this is a stepbetter than the home to sell contingency, it still is not a done deal so youwant to discuss all the possible scenarios with your highly skilled real estatenegotiator by your side and the correct agent will bring you as much detailsas possible about your buyers contingent offer as possible.Rent BackJust think: You can potentially sell your home, make all the money you wantin a hot market, and then still live in it. Can this be real? Yes, it is true. Werefer to it as a rent back. Now a rent back typically comes with withholdingof funds in case damage occurs when you move out. A rent back period canbe compensated or free to you. Now you might wonder why somebodywants a rent back. Well, rent backs have been popular in very fast pacedmarkets as this will help the sellers prepare for the move and not feel rushedfinding something new.Financing TermsI know we already talked a little bit about financing but I want to point outthat financing is not just based on loan type. Having an interest percentagecan be a great tool for you to see how serious your buyer is about pursuingyour property. A good agent will stay in touch with the interest rates to makesure that you are selecting an offer that has a viable interest rate used ontheir contract. e reason is simple. If the interest rate goes above thecontract rate the buyer might have a way out of the contract. So ensure youare having a diligent agent working on your behalf that knows what to lookfor.Additional Provisions

1. Additional provisions can be many. Two of the most common onesthat we have in real estate are a buyer who is asking for a homewarranty to be provided at closing at the cost of the seller. Homewarranties are typically there to cover major mechanics, furnaces,boiler, air conditioner, water heater, appliances, etc. ey are used sothe buyer has a peace of mind for the first year or two that he or shewill not need to pay out of pocket for new ones. Home warranties aremany times used when the home has older appliances andmechanics.2. e other additional provision we want to discuss is the as-isparagraph. And boy, is that paragraph loaded. Now here is the basicsof it. e buyer is still allowed to have an information-onlyinspection. Just because they're buying a property as-is does notmean that they are waiving their rights to an inspection. ey canstill have the inspection, look at the inspection report, and thendecide if they want the home or walk away. Remember, if the buyer isnot fully in love with your house, he will typically almost always takethe easy road out and walk away. e information only inspectioncan reveal a multitude of things. If these items are minor codeviolations or any of that nature, the as-is paragraph will stipulate thatthere's not much you can ask for to be fixed. Personally, on our teamwe believe a home needs to be safe for our buyers in order to be sold,and even if we are going to buy a home as-is, we always recommendour buyers put in there that even though it is bought as-is, we areexcluding for structural, radon, and mold related items that arefound. Knowing what the other side considers as-is and setting clearboundaries from the very beginning will help pave the way for bettercommunication throughout the transaction.Multiple OffersWhat do you do when you have received multiple offers? Do you go with thehighest one? Maybe! Do you select the one that has the strongest financingin place? Maybe! Do you pick the offer that lets you stay in the home foranother 3 months for free? Maybe! e Multiple Offer Situations soundgreat but can be stressful! Not only do sellers feel the pressure of selecting

the right offer, but buyers are also pressured into making decisions. And thisis where it is crucial to drill down on someone’s motivation. We have seen alot of deals fall through for other agents because their buyers had buyer’sremorse. eir agent didn’t care enough to tell his client that it was okay towrite an offer based on their comfort level. If you are offering $20,000 -$100,000 above asking price for a home, it is essential to love the home. Youragent will be helping you in the decision making process. e final decisionwill always be in your hands but getting all the facts is what ensures that atransaction closes without unnecessary hiccups to you. Moving is stressfulenough and an uncertain buyer does not need to be on your mind on top ofeverything else.

CHAPTER 8Closing the Sale Before I dive into all the nitty gritty of what happens in between contract toclosing, I have a question for you. What do you think is the biggest dealkiller when it comes to real estate transactions? If you guessed real estateagents, you are correct. Remember we talked about the types of negotiators.Real estate negotiation can become emotional and heated, and it is vital thatyour agent is completely objective to the transaction. Emotions,competition, ego and attitude have no place in a real estate transaction as itmany times hurts the sale of the property and contracts can go south reallyquickly. So make sure you are equipping yourself with a true superhero as anagent who will always make sure their fiduciary responsibilities are fulfilledto their client because it is not about the agent. It is always about you.Once you go under contract, you Will most likely have the buyer do a homeinspection on your property. e home inspection process can take severalhours and you should plan to not be present due to liability reasons. You donot want to overhear a licensed home inspector telling you all the things hefinds as this would put you at risk needing to disclose it to future buyersshould the deal not go through.Minor RepairsRemember we also talked about getting your home market ready and how itis important to present a well-maintained home, as this will give off thefeeling that everything is in good working condition to the inspector, as wellas the buyer. Some of the basic maintenance items we covered were:Do you have smoke and CO2 detectors installed?

Has your furnace and air conditioner been serviced lately?Are all your windows opening?Are any of your faucets leaking or are the drains slow flowing?Do any light bulbs need to be replaced?Are your blinds in good working order?Do all your doors close and latch properly?Here's the thing. A home inspector will always find something that is not upto code, that is not done correctly, or is considered a minor repair. Andthat's okay. We do not expect our properties to be perfect, but we do expectthem to be safe. So if you have items in your home that are consideredunsafe, you might be looking at a second round of negotiation for repairs orcredits. Of course, there are also exceptions to that, such as marketconditions. In a hot seller market, you will likely get away with not doingany of the repairs, or if you decided to sell the home as-is, (meaning that thebuyer can still do an inspection, but will not be requesting any repairs -discussed in Chapter 7). e home inspection process should not scare you.Having an agent by your side that knows what to look out for can be a hugepiece of reassurance. And aer attending hundreds of inspections, we knowwhat it is a home inspector looks for to make sure our clients are advised inthe best possible way.Major repairsI also want to cover some of the major repairs. What is considered a majorrepair? Major repairs can be scary. I had a client once who did not knowthere was a major fault with their property. ey had a huge structuralproblem in the basement that they were not aware of until the buyer camethrough with a home inspector. So when it comes to major items, there arereally only three that we will discuss here: structural, mold and radon.StructuralStructural items are obviously a huge one as this can influence the entirehome in itself and you will be hard-pressed to find a buyer that is okaymoving forward, unless he got a deal on the property and it is compensated

in price. If you are aware of it, it is a good idea to either get an estimate inhand before you head to market or consider fixing it before you even list thehome.MoldDon’t be alarmed! Mold is one of those things that we tend to find quitefrequently in homes and the homeowner is completely unaware that it's eventhere. Bathroom fans venting in the attic are probably the number oneculprit for mold growth. And don't worry, this is nothing to freak out about.e real estate agent you carefully selected will have resources available tomake sure that this can get handled without any hiccups, so you are safeduring the time you are still living in the home and the buyer is receiving asafe home. Sometimes mold spots can also be treated with a solutionavailable at the home centers if the spot is small enough.Radone last item we want to discuss is radon. Radon is a gas emitted from theground, and there is really no rhyme and reason to where to find it. Nowwithin the last decade, radon has been linked to cancer research, which isnow making it an environmental hazard. And it is important that it will getmitigated. Radon levels above 4.0 require mitigation, which comes in theform of adding a fan to the outside of the house connected to a PVC pipethat draws the gas outside the house and up into the air. is only applies forhomes up to the third floor as radon is a gas and evaporates into air thehigher up you go. Your real estate agent will have licensed radon mitigationsystem installers, as well as testing companies, that are available to you.You know how the old saying goes: Do not make an elephant out of a fly.And I tend to agree. It's important to have buyers and sellers guided in thisprocess. You'd be surprised how many times we have attended an inspectionthat mentioned reverse polarity and anti-tip brackets behind a stove orglobes for light bulb covers in closets. All of these are super easy items andmany of them can either be addressed prior if you are getting your homeready for market the right way.

Once you are all done negotiating any potential inspection items, it's timefor the buyer to move into full gear on the lending process. is time willnow feel very slow to you as there is not much happening. We personallymake it a point to reach out to the buyer's lender every week and during allmajor milestones, such as appraisal, underwriting review, clear to close andscheduled closing, in order to make sure that you are up to date oneverything that is happening during the time your home is under contract.Most agents will simply disappear until day of closing, at what point theyresurface to collect their commission check. How frustrating is this? ereare a lot of moving pieces and staying on top of the fact if the buyer made awritten loan application, and if the conditions are being cleared is a vital stepfor your agent to follow up on. Dropping the ball here can lead to lostmarket time, hours of frustration, unplanned hiccups, and even potentiallyin a lost opportunity if you cannot successfully sell your home. Remember,who you work with matters!Chances are you already started packing your home when you prepared itfor the market. We do tend to live with more items than necessary forshowings. So now it's time to start packing some more of the things that youdo not necessarily need in the next 60 days. If you live in a seasonal climate,this might include packing away the winter or summer clothes. Maybe it'stime to slim down on the shoe selection and keep only some essential pairsout for the next few weeks. Packing away outdoor items, camping gears,anything that you do not need, it's a great idea to start packing boxes overthe next few weeks and store them in a place that they might not necessarilybe in your way. For most people, this tends to be the garage or a sparebedroom, but we've also had instances where sellers were renting a storageroom, or they had a pod delivered early from one of the pod deliveryservices, such as Pods or Pack Rat. ese pods tend to be inexpensive andcan be moved from A to B without much hassle. One word of caution: Makesure you schedule your delivery and pick up of those pods in advances, asthey tend to book up pretty quickly during busy season and you do not wantto be le with a stranded pod in your driveway when your buyers are aboutto move in and potentially pull up with their own pod or moving truck.

I'm including a handy moving checklist at the end of this chapter as wellbecause during moving week, it can feel like a lot of things are coming yourway at once. And between work, life, children, pets, moving, etc thingsmight get overlooked.Final WalkthroughShortly before closing, this might be the day before, the day off or even a fewdays before the closing date, your buyer will have a final walkthrough of theproperty. Remember your buyer has not been at your house most likelysince they wrote the offer and are very excited to see it. Nothing puts adamper on a buyer's mood than still seeing all of the seller's furniture itemsduring the final walkthrough, unless of course you negotiated a rent back.Buyers, however, want to see the place empty and clean in most instances.Now you do not have to go crazy about cleaning your home, but envisionhow you would like to receive a new home. Make sure that the fridge iswiped out, the kitchen is clean, and typically we do advise our sellers it is agood idea to stay at another place the day before closing so you do not feelstressed about trying to roll up the air mattress and getting last minute itemsout the house the morning of closing. Here is a pro tip: Consider putting abottle of wine or champagne on the counter with a personal note to thebuyer. is tends to put even the most negative inclined buyer in a goodmood and will help you avoid nit-picky conversations during thewalkthrough process.Make sure that your utilities are remaining on for the walkthrough as well.is tends to be the number one delay we see with closings that sellers havedisconnected utilities prematurely. Remember, the house is still yours until itis successfully transferred to the buyer. In order to be safe, we dorecommend utilities to be disconnected the day aer closing. Many timesyou can call ahead to get that scheduled for the day aer closing in advance.During the final walkthrough, your buyer will also look at any potentialrepairs you negotiated to make sure that they were completed. It is a goodidea to keep copies of receipts out on the counter if they have not alreadybeen sent via email to the buyer site for review prior to the walkthrough.You should also keep a copy of the receipt on hand for your own records.

ClosingClosing tends to happen in so many different ways and here is what werecommend. Speak with your real estate agent on what is most customary inyour area. Many times a closing is geared towards a buyer, as a buyer will besigning many important loan documents. Sellers could potentially have theoptions to pre-sign days in advance and do not need to attend closing. Ofcourse you can be present during closing, just be prepared that it might be alittle bit more waiting around as the buyer is signing the loan documents,which tend to be a lot more than the seller's documents. e day of closing isalso when you will receive your funds for the sale of your home.You've done it. Congratulations. You have successfully closed your homeand it's time to move on to the next chapter. Remember, selling a home is anexperience and it's our job to make sure that you are enjoying it every stepoff the way. If you feel stressed out during the process, lean into yourcarefully selected real estate agent. We do hope that we get the opportunityto serve you and your family in the near future.

FINAL CHECKLISTMoving Checklist 8 Weeks OutSo, you’re 8 weeks out! Close, but not too close. It’s important for you to startplanning ahead for every aspect of your move. e good news? We’ve gotyou covered. We’re not going to lie, there’s a lot to do to prepare. Yet, you’llbe thankful you started early and had this epic moving checklist to ensureyou stay on top of your to-do list.□Create a “moving” file or folder on Google Drive to store quotes,receipts, and records related to your move. For example, how muchis Dan the mover quoting you? Was that price for 10 or 15 boxes?You’re not going to be able to remember all of the details. So throwthem in a document for easy reference.□Schedule in-home estimates with an insured moving company.Make sure you hire someone you feel you can trust, asking yourfriends and family for referrals is a great idea!□Create a realistic budget for moving expenses. We know you want tohire professional movers, but that new sectional and that winefridge, but priorities, right?□Read over documents from your movers before signing anything.Don’t let contracts intimidate you by learning about the documentsyou’ll be receiving ahead of time. We can’t emphasize enough howimportant this is.□Request time off work for moving day. If you can, plan to take offand move on a Friday. at gives you the rest of the weekend to getyourself organized. Nice tip, right?

y g p g□Plan a garage sale. en, donate anything le that you couldn’t sell.□Plan how to move fragile or unusual items, such as guns, pianos,fine art, pool tables or safes. e list goes on and on. e moversyou hire may not be qualified to move some larger (or moreexpensive) items, so you may need to hire a specialty mover to dothe job. Make sure you’re aware of exactly what the movers youhired will and will not move.□Confirm that your moving company is licensed and insured byverifying their Department of Transportation number (also referredto as a DOT number).6 Weeks OutWhen you’re six weeks out from a move, it’s important to make sure you’regetting all your ducks in a row. If you’re moving out of town, you’ll need todo things like spend time with family and friends. en of course, you needto begin to organize your belongings (and life in general). ere are dozensof tasks that must be addressed in this time, so keep reading our epicmoving checklist to discover all you need to do. Don’t worry, six weeks isplenty of time to get it all done.□Make time for friends and relatives before moving day. Squeeze in afew last memories is your current home by throwing a simpledinner party. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to do the trick.□Collect free boxes from restaurants, liquor, grocery, and officesupply stores. You can also pay a visit to your local bookstore. eyhave more boxes than they know what to do with and will be morethan happy to hand them over for free.□Take photos of all electronics before unplugging them. is will helpjog your memory when you’re reconnecting things such as your TVand stereo.□Put all your hardware in labeled baggies for easy furniturereassembly.□If you’re moving into an apartment, find out if there are any movingday requirements.□Address minor home repairs before moving out. If you live in an

apartment, this might be the difference between getting yoursecurity deposit back, or not.□Measure doorways, stairways, and elevators to make sure all yourfurniture will fit. Measure twice – move once!□Last but not least for this section, pack a little every day. You don’twant to find yourself packing all of your belongings the nightbefore.4 Weeks OutFour weeks out – you’ve officially hit the one-month mark! Now’s the timeto start gathering important documents that you’ll need to bring with you toyour new place. You should also start doing things like selling and donatingitems. It will be a lot easier to complete items on your moving checklistwhen you’re not bogged down in possession that you neither want nor need.Confirm parking options for your moving truck – you may need apermit for moving day.Use or donate items that you can’t pack or sell, such as frozen foods,bleach, and aerosol cans.Gather all financial and legal records in one place.Gather birth certificates and passports for everyone in your home.en, carry important documents on your person during your move.Find a landscaper and snow removal service in your newneighborhood.Pick up clothes from the dry cleaner.Compile medical, dental, and optical records for everyone in yourhome.If you’re moving out of town, find a new doctor, dentist, and vet inyour new neighborhood.Update your voter registration!If you’re moving long distance, plan your route and book hotels.

Shop around for cable, internet, and phone bundles. en, scheduleinstallation and/or cancel your old services.Make sure your pets have ID tags for their collars.Request copies of vet records and get any necessary pet medication.If you’re moving out of the country, make sure your pets have allnecessary vaccinations.Make a moving day playlist to enjoy while moving and unpacking.2 Weeks Oute big day is almost here! You’re two weeks away from moving and it’s timeto update your accounts and records for your new place and address. Youalso want to take these two weeks before your move to plan ahead packing,meals, medication, pets, and children. Moving day is a BUSY one. Make sureto have everything on your moving list checked off for this two-week point.Trust us, you’ll be glad you did!□Create a moving file to organize your moving-related receipts andbills. You’ll want to keep a list of moving-related expenses to claimas a deduction at tax time.□Recycle or dispose of corrosives, flammables, and poisonous items.Make sure you’re disposing of toxic items properly.□Back up your computer. If something goes awry during your move,you’ll be thankful you have everything saved in an alternate place.□Set up trash removal and recycling for your new home, and cancelyour current service.□Remove light bulbs from all lamps you plan to move.□Moving far? Clean out your safe deposit box and any lockers youmight have at a gym or community center.□Fill your prescriptions.□To keep little ones safe during a move, line up a babysitter or makearrangements for a play date.□Find somewhere safe for pets to go during your move. Look intodoggy daycare or ask a friend to watch them for a day – whowouldn’t love to dog sit Fido, Fluffy or Muffin?

□Send out moving announcement. ere are plenty of creative waysto share your new address.□Change your address with loan providers, credit cards, banks, andthe payroll department at work. Also, remember to order newchecks.□Forward your mail.□Change address for Social Security benefits within 10 days ofmoving. Notify government offices, including the Social SecurityAdministration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the IRS.□Transfer your homeowners or renters insurance to your new home.Here’s what happens to your homeowners insurance policy whenyou move.□Cancel or transfer your membership at the gym, yoga studio,Crossfit facility, etc.□Update your address for newspaper and magazine subscriptions.□Transfer your utilities including water, electric, and natural gas.□Update your driver’s license.□Update your address with Amazon and any monthly subscriptionsboxes you receive.□Change your address for your auto insurance and car registration.□Clean outdoor furniture before it's moved.□Transfer your prescriptions to a new pharmacy, if necessary.MOVING WEEKe week has come! It’s time to make sure you organize your belongings,finish packing, and clean your old home. Make sure everything’s squaredaway early. It’ll allow for a stress-free moving day – and who wouldn’t wantthat?□Make sure you canceled and/or redirected scheduled deliveries.Remember that pair of shoes that was on backorder?□Clean your current home for the next resident.□Unplug your fridge and freezer to defrost the night before. Makesure you lay a towel in front of it to absorb any water that leaks.□Drain water hoses to your washing machine and ice maker.

□Empty oil and gas from grills, heaters, lawn mowers, and snowblowers.□Make sure nothing is hiding on shelves or in closet corners.□Watch the weather channel and prepare for rain or snow.□Pack an essentials box with everything you’ll need for your first 24hours in your new home.□Withdraw cash to tip your movers.□Clean your new place. A lot of times, the previous homeowners areonly required to sweep their house or apartment. Don’t you wantyour new place to be in tip-top shape and sparkling from head totoe?Moving DayMoving day is here! All your moving prep has led you to this very moment.You’ve checked off almost 100 items on this moving checklist to get you tothis point. On the day of your move, make sure you get an early start. Startthe day off right and get moving. e earlier you move in, the more time youwill have to start unpacking and settling into your new home.□Rise and shine! Set an alarm and get up early on moving day.□Protect your floors and carpets during the move.□ey’ve worked hard for you all day, so tip your movers.□Make your bed and unpack your shower curtain and toiletries. ismakes a nap and a shower so much easier.□Go grocery shopping. At this point, you’ve eaten enough take out.Having food in the house will also prevent you from unnecessaryspending.