PHA Realty's Guide to Selling Your California Home

Whether this is your first time selling your real estate or not, our Home Seller’s Guide will walk you through the challenges you could encounter when selling your California home, and what you can do to avoid them. With these great tips and the professional guidance of your PHA Realty agent, we'll be certain to sell your home for as much as the market will bear and in as little time as possible. When selling your home, PHA Realty is committed to procuring the absolute best price! Selling your home is a team effort and in order to secure that peak price you and your agent will need to work together to make sure your home will shine. PHA Realty knows the potentially costly problems that can arise while selling your home and how to prevent them. Take advantage of this free real estate advice so you can learn from other sellers' past errors to save yourself time, money, and frustration. [cta-call-us-emailortext-us]  

Step 1 - Your Listing Agent

A knowledgeable PHA Realty agent will provide you with a real-world home value analysis. Our analysis is based on facts and figures, information we compile about the local market, your home, and other homes that are selling or have sold in your area. This information and how it affects your home's value will be explained to you at every step of the process. After our evaluation of your home, your agent will inform you of repairs or slight improvements that he or she thinks could help increase the value of your home without a significant investment. Your agent will tell you what your home is likely to sell for and why, and will show you how to "dress up" your home so that it stands out to buyers. When we market your home your PHA Realty agent will assist you with:

• Listing your home at the most profitable price
• Comparing market value of similar homes
• Marketing your home to the largest audience
• Protecting yourself against fraud and other criminal activity
• Negotiating the contract terms with your best interests in mind

After completing the sale process with your PHA Realty Agent, you will be empowered with the knowledge you need to navigate the real estate market and to procure the best possible price for your home.

Step 2 - Determining Your Home's Value & Asking Price

Every seller wants to sell their home at the highest possible price. As such, sellers will often overprice their home with the intention of lowering the price if it doesn't sell. While that might sound like a good plan, doing so can have the opposite effect, resulting in a sale price that is far lower than if the home had been properly priced from the start. It's rather simple: When buyers look at comparable properties that are priced far less than yours, they are going to immediately ignore your home in favor of the lower priced homes with the same features. If a department store sold the same shirt for two different prices, which one would you buy? You'd buy the lower priced shirt, especially if the difference in price was thousands of dollars. Your buyers are going to do the same. More importantly, agents are far less likely to show your home to their buyers if they know it to be overpriced. And you better believe they know when it is overpriced. Agents don't want to waste their time and certainly don't want to waste their client's time touring a home that is not properly priced. Agents only want to tour homes that their buyers are more likely to want. And if they can show their clients a similar home that's priced less, they will. In some cases agents may even use your home to help sell another comparable property, as the high price of your home will make a properly priced home more appealing to their buyers. Now they're wasting your time, showing your home to buyers they know aren't likely to buy it. It's important to attract real estate agents to your home because agents are the ones who market your home to THEIR buyers. Once an agent spots your overpriced listing they will overlook it. Even after you've dropped the price significantly agents will have already looked past your home. It won't be until you have dropped your listing price significantly that agents will renew interest. You'll find that this new price is likely below what comparable and properly priced homes have been selling for in your neighborhood. This is even true in the high-demand markets in California as well. Overpricing a home hurts the final sale price, period.

Get An Automated Home Value Estimation Right Now!

[home-values] It is true, you could overprice your home and just happen to get lucky and find a buyer who just has to have your home and is okay with paying a little bit more. That is possible. But how likely? What business are you in? How often do you come across a customer like that in your line of work? If your home is overpriced the odds are that it will take longer to sell. In some cases years, if the seller refuses to budge on the selling price. The houses with the best odds of selling quickly and at maximum profitability are the ones priced properly. The longer your home takes to sell the more money you'll spend on the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and any other holding costs. Couple that with the added stress of accommodating potential buyers and waiting for the property to sell, and that is quite the burden to bear.

Fact: As the Seller, you are solely responsible for the price your home sells for and the time it takes to do so.

You could sell your home tomorrow if you listed it for half the price of the other homes in your neighborhood. Conversely, you could list your home for twice what it's worth and wait and see if the right buyer comes along to buy it. You'll probably be waiting a long time. Why would you want to do either of those things? Price your home properly and you will find that it sells quickly and with little hassle. To get you started, we can provide a complete, no-obligation evaluation of your home. Find out what your home is worth from an experienced PHA Realty Agent. [cta-tell-us-your-goals-seller]

Step 3 - Prepare Your Home's Appearance for the Buyer

When showing your home to potential buyers it's crucial to understand that they are looking for a home, NOT a house. As buyers tour your home it's important to appeal to their emotions. Only after you have captured their emotions will they begin to consider the logical factors involved in their search for a new home. It is unlikely that your home is the only home a buyer will see and the other properties they look at may be professionally decorated or staged. This is your competition, so it is imperative to make your home shine in order to stand out and make a great impression with potential buyers. The first step to selling your home is to make the buyer feel like they are HOME.

The Home You Live in Is NOT the Home Your Buyers Should Be Viewing

When selling your home it is important to understand that it needs to look different than it does when you are living in it. Yes, it is your home, but your goal is for it to be THEIR home. This means preparing your home's appearance in a way that allows buyers to envision themselves living in it. Your home should appeal to all of a buyer's senses and your personal belongings and lifestyle should not get in the way of that. It's easier than you think. Here are a few tips to that will help your home catch the buyer's eye.

You only get one chance to make a first impression

Your home's appearance is the first impression buyers will have and if that impression is a negative one it is unlikely they will take the time to consider your home much further. In order to make a good first impression you should put yourself in your buyer's shoes. What will they see when they first arrive at your property, or your neighborhood? Go for a short drive around your community and then return to your home as if you were the buyer. What is your first impression of the property?

• Look at your house and the property with a critical eye. How does it look? Imagine you've never seen it before. Are there any problems that stand out with the roof, paint, siding, windows, or landscaping? Remember that your buyers are going to be spending a large sum of money to purchase your home, so they will be paying attention to the details that you may have easily overlooked.
• Tour your home as though you were the buyer. Slowly and methodically walk through every room in your home. Pause in each room and concentrate on what you see, smell, and hear. Look at the carpet, the walls, and the light fixtures. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Listen for any noises that might make a buyer wary. If anything stands out to you, it's definitely going to stand out to a buyer.
• Get rid of the clutter. Clutter will only distract your buyers from seeing the favorable features your home has to offer. You want buyers to be able to easily envision their possessions in your home. So pack up and remove any items that will prevent them from doing so. Don't let your belongings get in the way of buyers seeing your home. And don't just throw everything in the garage, either. They'll be looking there too.
• Have your home cleaned by a professional cleaning company. Cleaning your entire home from top to bottom is a lot of work, but it is always necessary. It will make a difference in every room and your home will sell faster and at a better price.
• Pets can get in the way of a sale. Your pets may be adorable and fun, but they can also distract buyers and they are often an immediate turn off for those who don't have pets. Remove your pets whenever there are buyers touring your home and do everything you can to remove any odors or stains they may have caused. You may not notice such things, but your buyers will, even if they have pets themselves.
• Make sure the buyer is able to see your home. A well-lit home is an absolute must and is far more inviting than a dark, claustrophobic cave. Have all your blinds and curtains open and turn on all the lights when showing your home. Not only will buyers be able to see your home better but the rooms will feel more open and spacious.
• Turn off anything that makes noise. The television should always be turned off along with any other appliances that make noise. These things will only distract the buyer from your home, which is what they are there to look at.

Get a better idea of your competition. See what other homes for sale in your area are listed for using our powerful Property Search Tool.

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Don't Limit Your Nevada / Placer County Home's Exposure

The most obvious and ubiquitous marketing devices in real estate are classified ads and open houses. These techniques are frequently used by agents and do have their advantages, but they are limited in their rewards. To be successful when marketing your home requires a great deal more. Open houses are great... for the agent. Not so great for the seller as less than one percent of homes are sold as a result of an open house. Instead, the agent uses the open house to attract future buyers they can represent. Furthermore, less than three percent of people have purchased their home because they saw it in an ad. At PHA Realty we excel at selling homes in Placer and Nevada County because we use a variety of marketing techniques that are unique to the requirements of your home. We have a well-tested plan for selling your home. Get in touch with us now and we'll share with you the elements of our strategy.

Contact PHA Realty to speak with an experienced and knowledgeable California real estate agent to learn more about how we'll develop a customized marketing plan to sell your home in Placer / Nevada County.

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Understanding the Local California Market Value of Your Home

It is easy to assume that the price your home appraises for is what it is worth. However, this is not necessarily the case. The purpose of an appraisal is usually for financial institutions that desire mortgage and loan information. Therefore in an appraisal prepared for a money lender, there may be issues other than simple market value that will come into play. They have different goals in their appraisal. On the other hand, a buyer will look at factors such as foreclosures, distressed sales, bankruptcies, divorces, and fluctuations in the area. The perceived value by the buyer will therefore be somewhat different from that of a financial institution. For this reason, the appraised value of the home doesn't definitively determine the market value. It is important to understand what prices the housing market will bear and to price your home accordingly. We will provide you with all the information needed to make a reliable and reasonable determination of the local California market value of your home. To accomplish this we will gather information about recently sold homes in your area (market history), homes pending sale in your area (market activity), homes for sale in your area (competition), and unsold listings (market rejects). A licensed and friendly PHA Realty agent will answer any questions you may pose about your own house and its value, using a combination of market facts.

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Be Aware of Your Rights & Obligations

If you don't understand your rights and responsibilities, the laws and regulations of real estate can be a nightmare. The contract to sell your home is a legally binding agreement and should not be taken lightly. You should never sign a contract if you aren't fully aware of its contents. As the seller you will have a number of important obligations to meet in order to complete the sale. If done improperly, or not at all, you may run in to some serious problems that can be quite costly to resolve. Before signing the contract you want to know what repairs and closing costs you will be bound to by the contract terms. The contract may prevent you from selling the home in its current state, delaying the sale until the completion of certain repairs or improvements. There may be deed restrictions or local zoning restrictions on your property and you will need to have a thorough review of your title to assure there are not "clouds on title" that would limit or inhibit sale of the property. If you sell your home without proper awareness of these issues you could end up spending thousands on unexpected legal bills and fines, or on expensive last-minute repairs. Your PHA Realty Agent can help you identify and avoid these issues before they become costly problems.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us right now if you'd like to learn more. Contact us to find out more about your rights and obligations when it comes to selling your home.

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Know Your Rights When Signing with a California Real Estate Agent

Your best interests should always be the highest priority for your real estate agent. Although this is usually the case there will always be agents who put their interests before their clients', or are looking to take advantage of uninformed sellers, or simply aren't doing a good job. It's important to know your rights when signing a Listing Agreement with an agent as you may find yourself stuck with a brokerage that isn't looking out for you. Whether you're not getting the marketing exposure you expected or your agent is impossible to get in touch with, an agent that isn't living up to your expectations can make the process of selling your home very frustrating. You should be able to fire your agent under these circumstances, but if your Listing Agreement binds you to that brokerage, you may find yourself stuck dealing with another agent at the same office. Possibly even an agent that you didn't choose and don't know. The broker who runs the office doesn't want to let you out of your contract so instead they assign you to another agent. And you'll remain stuck with this brokerage until your contract expires. Don't let this happen to you.

PHA Realty's Guarantee for Sellers

That is precisely why at PHA Realty we offer a 100% guarantee of our services. Our priorities are your priorities. We want your home to sell for as much as possible, as fast as possible. And, if at any time, you should be unhappy with the services provided by your PHA Realty agent, don't hesitate to let us know. If we cannot remedy the issue to your satisfaction, you are well within your rights to fire us! No questions. No hassles. No headaches. Ever!

Accepting An Offer and Closing the Deal

This will certainly be the most time consuming part of the process in many, though not all, cases. Every home and every home sale is 100% unique. Never once in the history of real estate have the same buyer and seller sold and bought the same piece of real estate on more than one occasion. No two sellers are alike, no two buyers are alike, and no two pieces of real estate are alike. How the sale of any piece of real estate goes is always a changing mixture of those elements, along with various other environmental factors like the economy and our personal lives. How the sale of your home will go will depend on all of these factors and the routes that are traversed can vary widely in their options, decisions, and difficulty, though ALWAYS with only one of two outcomes; either we successfully sell your home, or we don't. It will always be our goal to achieve the former of those two outcomes but sometimes the latter can not be prevented.   If you have specific questions about the aspects of the contract and closing process it would be best to discuss those questions or concerns with one of our agents or associates. Whom ever you get in touch with they will either be able to answer your questions directly or they will pursue the answers from one of our more experienced Realtors or Brokers. [cta-call-us-about-selling-your-home]

Don't get stuck with a real estate brokerage that isn't looking out for your interests. Contact us now to learn more about our services and our guarantee.

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