Home Selling

8 Reasons Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®

Not all real estate practitioners are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Here are five reasons why it pays to work with a REALTOR®. 

1. Navigate a complicated process. Buying or selling a home usually requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multipage settlement statements. A knowledgeable expert will help you prepare the best deal, and avoid delays or costly mistakes.

2. Information and opinions. REALTORS® can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, and more. They’ll also be able to provide objective information about each property. A professional will be able to help you answer these two important questions: Will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?

3. Help finding the best property out there. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market, and it will take some investigation by your REALTOR® to find all available properties.

4. Negotiating skills. There are many negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession, and inclusion or exclusion of repairs, furnishings, or equipment. In addition, the purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.

5.  Property marketing power. Real estate doesn’t sell due to advertising alone. In fact, a large share of real estate sales comes as the result of a practitioner’s contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, and family. When a property is marketed with the help of a REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.

6. Someone who speaks the language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with a professional who is immersed in the industry and knows the real estate language.

7. Experience. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. Even if you have done it before, laws and regulations change. REALTORS®, on the other hand, handle hundreds of real estate transactions over the course of their career. Having an expert on your side is critical.

8. Objective voice. A home often symbolizes family, rest, and security — it’s not just four walls and a roof. Because of this, homebuying and selling can be an emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll every make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you stay focused on both the emotional and financial issues most important to you.

Should you sell in a down market?

Q: Is now a good time to sell my house, before it loses more equity, or should I wait until house prices go up again? What’s the best time of year to sell?
— Rolando

A: A great location can trump factors such as unemployment rates, low or high mortgage rates, mortgage access and other variables.

For example, a classic home on a tree-lined block near a prestigious university will always be in demand, despite the economy. The same goes for a quaint house that overlooks a lake or forest or one with a mountain view.

As for “losing more equity,” odds are good at this point in the cycle that your home has lost most of the value — and equity — it’s going to lose, give or take a few percentage points. But again, that value is only what someone is willing to pay for it, not market averages.

Markets in most parts of the country are closer to turning around than tailing off, with some notable exceptions. So I wouldn’t let the anticipation of further losses force your hand. If you’re resolved to wait for a vigorous run-up in value akin to what we saw in the middle of the previous decade, however, your wait could be long and futile.

Again, don’t mistakenly base your marketing strategy on the health of the overall market. Things such as comparative sales or “comps,” investment potential, mortgage-lending standards and interest rates are important in determining your potential homebuyers. But the product on hand — your specific address — should be the chief focus.

An accomplished agent can help you identify your home’s relative strengths and show you how to emphasize them. But hire carefully.

As for the best time of year to sell your home, the stock response is still spring because that’s when most buyers emerge. This is largely because a spring purchase allows families to plan moves that won’t uproot their kids from their schools in the middle of the term.

Today, “spring” really means “late winter.” If you want to sell next year, have your house on the market and ready for showings by mid- to late February. Many potential buyers are starting searches as early as possible because they also must sell their current home to make the purchase work.

Who Profits From Short Sales

For home sellers who owe the lender more than their home is worth, it’s not as bleak as it might sound. Negotiating a short sale with the lender could be the solution.

This means the seller or the seller’s agent sells the home to a buyer at market, or slightly below market value, and the lender agrees to accept the proceeds as payment in full on the mortgage, even though the sales price is less than the existing encumbrances.

The downside is lenders are not required to negotiate discounted payoffs, and there is no guarantee your lender will let you do a short sale.

Who Makes a Profit on a Short Sale?

The question is if the seller isn’t making any money on a short sale, who is making money? Because you know that somebody is going to come out ahead. And it’s not going to be the seller. The truth is everybody under the sun will make money on a short sale except the seller.

Let’s look at who profits from short sales:

• Existing Mortgagee Gains An Advantage But Not Necessarily a ProfitThe existing lender avoids filing foreclosure, avoids carrying the property on the books when nobody bids at the auction and avoids the time on market looking for its own buyer.
• Listing Agents and Buying Agents Profit From a Short Sale.Granted, the agents may take a hit on the commission because the lender will insist on a fee reduction, but the bottom line is the agents and their brokers get paid for selling the property.
• Title Companies Profit From a Short SaleThe tile company issues an owner’s title policy in favor of the new buyer and an ALTA policy in favor of the new lender. In some states, title companies provide abstract services instead, but, regardless, they get paid.
• Escrow Companies Profit From a Short SaleIn states where escrow companies act as an independent third party in real estate transactions, these companies come out ahead, too. They get paid by the lender or the fee is divided between the lender and the buyer.
• Real Estate Lawyers Can Profit From a Short SaleSellers of short sales should always seek legal advice before entering into a contract to sell on a short sale. So, the lawyers get paid. Some lawyers specialize in negotiating short sales and charge for that service.
• Tax Consultants and CPAs Profit From a Short SaleSellers of short sales should always seek tax advice before entering into a contract to sell on a short sale. There could be tax ramifications due to debt forgiveness.
• The Internal Revenue Service May Profit From a Short SaleThe IRS will collect its fair share if the lender issues a 1099 to the seller, providing the seller is subject to taxation on the short sale.
• The Buyer May Profit From a Short SaleIt is likely the buyer purchased the property at or a bit below market value, which lowers the buyer’s basis in the property and lowers its future taxation by the tax assessor. As a result, the buyer’s mortgage payment is reduced because the loan is less.
• The New Lender Makes a Profit on a Short SaleThe new lender makes money because a new loan generates new business and new revenue. A new loan pays the underwriter and loan processor as well.
• The Appraiser Profits From a Short SaleEven though the property may be selling for less than market value, the new lender will require that the buyer obtain an appraisal. Appraisers can earn $250 to $650 for an appraisal.
• The New Mortgage Broker Profits From a Short Sale.If the buyer’s loan involved packaging by a mortgage broker, that person will be paid points on the loan. Plus, the YSP could yield even a bigger paycheck to the mortgage broker.
• County Tax Assessor May or May Not Profit From a Short Sale.In areas where property is reassessed upon sale, the tax assessor will continue to collect property taxes on a timely basis and perhaps at a higher assessment value due to the resale value. Refinancing a loan does not ordinarily affect tax assessments.
• Insurance Companies Profit From a Short SaleThe buyer’s insurance company picks up a premium for insuring the buyer and the new home. In addition, the insurance agent earns a commission on the homeowner insurance policy.

However there is one really good reason for a seller to do a short sale. Short Sale Affect on 

Repair Requests on Home Buying and Selling

Requesting Seller Repairs

Every house needs repairs. There is no perfect house. If a house were perfect, everything would break or fall apart at the same time. But as it is, the envelope of a home: its roof, floors, walls, windows, structural support members, all have different life spans. Although, today, many appliances seem to stop working as soon as the warranties expire. But if you're looking for a perfect house, you can stop home searching now. It doesn't exist.

It doesn't really matter whether the home is newer or older, a home inspection is still likely to turn up a list of repairs. An older home, of course, will likely generate a longer laundry list of repair items. The objectives are to figure out which repairs are serious or safety issues and to determine whether a seller will honor a buyer's request for repairs.

Get a Professional Home Inspection

Sellers will be reluctant to listen to or negotiate a request for repair from a buyer without receipt of a home inspection. I've had inexperienced agents refuse to give sellers a copy of the home inspection until after the request for repairs was agreed upon; however, that's like putting the cart before the horse. Besides, sellers will be more agreeable to making repairs if they see other deficiencies on the report that a buyer didn't request.

Every buyer should hire an independent and qualified home inspector to conduct a home inspection before buying a home. Not every state certifies inspectors, but most reputable inspectors will belong to a trade association. Ask for those credentials.

Don't ask your cousin or a friend to do this for you. There is little recourse available if your cousin or friend misses defects, plus a seller won't accept your friend's opinion.

Older Plumbing and Wiring

- Ungrounded Electrical.

Homes built before 1960 often have ungrounded wiring and polarized receptacles. These are two-plug outlets. You cannot change out a two-prong for a three-prong outlet without grounding the receptacle or installing a GFCI. Check your city code requirements.

While there is nothing bad about ungrounded wiring, it's not a good idea to plug in sensitive electronic equipment such as computers or televisions to an ungrounded outlet, much less appliances that draw a lot of power such as microwaves or newer refrigerators. Many homeowners run Romex from the electrical box to new receptacles for these items.

While some sellers will agree to rewire the house, the majority of them will adamantly refuse. If you do not want to buy a house with ungrounded wiring, do yourself a favor and look at newer homes.

- Galvanized Water Pipes

Most homes built before 1970 have galvanized steel pipes. Over time, minerals in the water supply can cause a build up inside the pipes. If you see low-water pressure, build up could be your problem. Galvanized pipes can also rust and leak.

Many home owners do not replace galvanized pipes but repair them when they leak. It is not unreasonable to ask a seller to repair a leaking galvanized pipe. Few sellers will replace all galvanized pipes with copper, CVPC or Pex.

- Orangeburg Sewer Pipes

Ask your agent if other homes in the neighborhood have had Orangeburg or "tar paper" sewer pipes. You can hire plumbing specialists to insert a camera down the sewer line to look for tree roots or find out if the sewer line is Orangeburg. If so, these types of pipes last about 50 years before they disintegrate. Ask for a sewer inspection. Replacement of sewer lines is expensive, but it's an item many sellers will replace.

Roofing

Sellers will often provide a roof certification for the buyer, which is issued by a roofing company. If the roofing company recommends repairs, the certificate will not be issued until the repairs are made. Sometimes sellers will offer a cash credit for a new roof, if it needs to be replaced. Many home inspectors do not inspect roofs.

HVAC Systems / Water Heaters

Age is a good indicator for determining when heating and cooling systems need to be replaced. Check with city code enforcers to find out if you will need a permit and today's standards requirements. It's not unusual for a buyer to request new systems, but it is expensive to replace. The average life expectancy of a furnace is about 20 years, and 10 years for a water heater.

Cash Credit or Repair

Sometimes buyers are better off asking for a cash credit on a repair item instead of asking the seller to replace or repair. The seller has no vested interest in the home once it is sold, and might not hire the most qualified contractor or do the repair in a manner that is satisfactory to a buyer. Before asking for a cash credit, check with your lender to determine if a cash credit is allowed.

Closing Tips

Above all, unless the home is brand new, do not nitpick small items. Address major issues and safety issues. Do not make repair requests for items that could have been readily ascertained on your initial inspection such as cracked sidewalks, bad paint jobs or uneven floors. Otherwise, the seller will feel you should have asked for those items in the purchase offer.

Smart buyers will ask the seller to pay for a home warranty. Home warranties cover major defects for a year and provide a buyer with peace of mind.

In closing, if the home has foundation problems or a wet basement, you might want to think twice about pursuing a purchase on this type of home.

Get Ready for a Home Inspection

Some local governments require that the seller provide the buyer with a detailed home inspection while giving the buyer the option to obtain her own inspection. In other parts of the country, the seller provides only disclosures and the buyer pays for her own home inspection. Whether you're producing a seller's home inspection for the buyer or expecting the buyer's home inspector to show up on your doorsteps, it's best to be thoroughly prepared.

1. Clean the House

This sounds so simple yet home owners often overlook this tactic. Home inspectors are people first and inspectors second. As people, they carry preconceived ideas of how well a home has been maintained. Clean homes say you care and take care of the house.

2. Be On Time Because the Inspector Will Be

Sometimes home inspectors are early. If an inspector makes an appointment with you for 9:00 a.m., have the house ready for inspection at 8:30. It's also common for inspectors to start on the exterior of the home, so leave the shades down or drapes drawn until you are dressed. More than one unprepared seller has been "surprised" by a stranger stomping around in the back yard.

3. Leave the Utilities Connected

The home inspector will need to turn on the stove, run the dishwasher, test the furnace and air conditioning, so leave the utilities on, especially if the house is vacant. It's impossible to check receptacles for grounding and reverse polarity if the power is turned off. Without utilities, the inspector will have to reschedule, which could delay the closing of your transaction and the removal of the buyer's home inspection contingency.

4. Provide Workspace Around Furnace and Water Heaters

Remove boxes, bookcases, furniture and anything else blocking access to your furnace, air conditioner and water heater. The inspector will need three to four feet of working space to inspect these items.

5. Keep Pilot Lights Ignited

Many home inspectors will refuse to light pilot lights because they are not covered for that type of liability. If your pilot lights are not lit, then important items such as the water heater, gas stove or furnace will not be inspected and the buyer could delay closing until those inspections are completed.

6. Provide Access to Attic and Garage

The inspector will need to get into your basement and / or attic as well, so keep a path cleared. Move boxes away from the walls. Vacuum spider webs.

7. Leave Keys for Outbuildings & Electrical Boxes

Leave the remote controls for your garage door opener or a key if the garage is unattached to the house. Unlock the covers for your sprinkler system and electrical box. Leave a key for exterior building access.

8. Clear Away Brush from Exterior Inspection Points

Nobody expects you to shovel a tunnel around your home if snow drifts are blocking the foundation but, in the winter, do provide a path around the house. In the summer, cut down dead tree branches and clear brush from the foundation. Move trash cans away from the house.

9. Provide Repair Documents

Make available to the home inspector all invoices and documents regarding remodeling projects or new items such as a roof or furnace. If you've upgraded the electrical from ungrounded to grounded, installed a new dishwasher or repaired a leaky faucet, find the paperwork. It will give the buyer peace of mind to know those items were reinspected.

10. Prepare to be Away for Three Hours Minimum

Often the buyer will accompany the home inspector, and buyers feel uncomfortable asking questions if the owner is present. Try to schedule a time for the inspection when you can be out of the house, and take the children with you. Crate your pets if you cannot remove them from the premises.

Doing the Final Home Inspection Walk-Through

What's a Final Walk-Through?

Final walk-throughs are not a home inspection. It's not a time to begin negotiations with the seller to do repairs, nor is it a contingency. A final walk-through is an inspection performed anywhere from a few hours to five days before closing, and its primary purpose is to make certain that the property is in the condition you agreed to buy — that agreed-upon repairs, if any, were made and nothing has gone wrong with the home since you last looked at it.

Buyers are often pressed for time as the day draws near for closing, which means buyers can be tempted to pass on the final walk-through. It is never a good idea to forego the final walk-through.

Vacant Homes

Sellers often move out before closing. Ever watch HGTV's House Hunters and try to guess which home the buyers will choose? Well, I'll let you in on a secret. It's the vacant house! Trust me, nine times out of 10, it's the vacant one. That's because they film the show backwards, starting with the house the buyer purchased, just before it closes escrow.

Now, in situations where the seller has already moved out, it is even more imperative that buyers conduct a final walk-through. Problems arise when homes sit vacant for any period of time. For example, when termite companies test showers, they plug the shower drain and let the water run. Guess what happens if the termite inspector forgets to remove all the paper over the drain and doesn't completely turn off the shower handle? A small drip, drip, drip can turn into a flooded bathroom. You don't want to find out your home is flooded after you buy it.

Case Example

Let's call these clients Angie and Carl. They were a few days away from closing on an adorable California bungalow. This house was owned by a local sportswriter who had been transferred to Phoenix, and the owner left shortly after putting the home on the market. The home inspection went smoothly, and the home inspector did not note any items that required immediate attention. In fact, there was nothing about this situation that was cause for alarm.

The day Angie and Carl arrived for the final walk-through, they were advised to turn on all the lights, run water and make sure the stove worked, all those sorts of logical precautions, but these buyers were engrossed in other spur-of-the-moment distractions and "new home" excitement. Instead of listening to their agent's advice, they were discussing their sofa placement and which window treatments they should buy for the living room. Although it is not within my scope to perform a final walk-through for clients, it was apparent that the buyers had no interest and would likely, if given the chance, have waived the final walk-through. I could hear them in the back yard talking about how far the present decking could extend before striking the fence as I wandered around the house turning on lights, and then I hit the handle on the toilet. All of a sudden Angie screamed. I dashed into the back yard in time to witness a geyser — water gushing from the ground! And it smelled.

If I hadn't depressed the flushing mechanism on the toilet, we would never have had subsequently discovered that the sewer line had tree roots growing in it. The following day we received an estimate of $5,000 to fix it. Since we were a few days away from closing, we had time to withhold that money from the seller's proceeds and order the work completed.

Here is a list of items to check on a final walk-through:

• Turn on and off every light fixture
• Run water & look under sinks for leaks
• Test all appliances
• Check garage door openers
• Open and close all doors
• Flush toilets
• Inspect ceilings, wall and floors
• Run garbage disposal and exhaust fans
• Test heating and air conditioning
• Open and close windows
• Make sure all debris is removed from the home

When the Home is Occupied

Sometimes sellers don't move out until the day the transaction closes or even a few days after closing. In those situations, I recommend that buyers do a final walk-through in the presence of the seller. Why? Because the seller knows all the little quirks about the home and can answer questions the buyers may have.

A good question to ask a seller is:

What is the one improvement you've always wanted but never got around to implementing?

This is also a good time to ask the seller for a forwarding address so the buyers can send mail. It's smart to stay on good terms with the seller and, in some parts of the country, like California, buyers almost never meet the sellers. Moreover, because you never know when you might need to get in touch with the former owners, the final walk-through is an excellent opportunity, as strange as this may sound, for the parties to say hello.

Home Selling Mistakes

Home Sellers' Biggest Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

People say the best days to own a boat are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it. That's not true when it comes to home ownership, unless, maybe, you live on a boat. The best days in home ownership are when you buy a home and all the way through until the day you decide to sell.

Lots of home owners cry when they sell. Before the ink is dry on the listing agreement, eyes often swell with tears, and we're not talking about the listing agent. That's because sellers have developed relationships with their homes. Homes hold treasured memories. It's common for sellers to be very emotional about their home. Some are overcome by seller's remorse. However, some sellers weep for a different reason. They sob because they can't sell their home.

Home is Priced Too High

• By far, the worst home selling mistake a seller can make is hanging the wrong price tag on a home. If the home is priced too high, buyers won't look at it. If it's priced too low, sellers worry that they'll give away profits.
• Pricing a home to sell is an art. Part of the market value is based on comparable sales, but other factors to consider include market movement, demand, the home's location and its condition.
• If the home is overpriced, buyers might submit lowball offers, which tend to result in an immediate offer rejection. These extremely low offers tend to infuriate and insult sellers.
• Some agents deliberately overstate the value of a home and push a seller to sign an overpriced listing. There are many reasons why agents do this, but the bottom line is sellers lose a competitive edge when later reducing the price. The bottom line is sellers who "test the market" get stung.

The Home is in Bad Condition

• Getting your house ready for market goes beyond making the beds and washing dirty dishes. Although I've seen plenty of homes with toys scattered throughout and dishes piled in the sink; buyers can't get out of those homes fast enough. There are at least 10 essential steps to take to preparing the home for sale.
• Some homes need updating and quick fixes. Doing repairs before resale can boost chances of quickly selling. If items are broken or buyers see deferred maintenance, they wonder what else is wrong. It's more expensive, actually, not to fix the house.
• Dressing your home for showings is called staging a home. Think of the process like arranging flowers in an attractive vase. If you or your agent lack the vision or ability to stage, consider hiring a professional home stager.

Home is Marketed Wrong

• Whenever I see a badly shot photograph in MLS, and perhaps it's the only photo, I want to shake the agent and scream, "What are you thinking?" But agents and sellers make plenty of marketing mistakes.
• The battle cry of frustrated sellers is: "Why isn't my home selling?" These are likely sellers who are not employing marketing strategies designed to expose a home to the largest pool of buyers. Here are 10 good marketing tips that take the guesswork out of selling your home.
• Once a buyer has entered a home, the marketing continues. To increase the chances that a buyer will entertain an offer, here are 10 home showing tips.

Open Houses – How to Hold a Successful Open House

Selling a House at an Open House

Open houses. The professional real estate community appears split on whether it's a good idea to hold open a house for sale; although, I don't really understand the negative thoughts. It doesn't make sense to blatantly announce that no house should ever be held open, yet agents say it. Why would an agent want to restrict market exposure for a listing?

Common sense says it's smart to expose your home to the largest number of buyers, and getting buyers inside to preview a home is a huge hurdle to jump. It's like keeping the house for sale a secret and saying, "Sshh, let's not tell anybody about this house or invite them over to see it because it just might sell!"

A side benefit for an agent to hold open a listing is the real estate agent might receive buyer leads just from being in the right place at the right time. Yet some agents have actually said, "Well, that open house sold my listing, so I better not do that again!" The successful real estate agents I know report that at least 20% of their sales, or one in five homes, sell through an open house.

Why Some Agents Don't Hold Open Houses

There are many reasons why some houses just aren't suited for an open. Here are a sampling of those reasons:

• Too many listings. Agents can't be in two places at the same time.
• Too much inventory to pull in buyers driving through the area.
• All the homes in the neighborhood look the same.
• Inclement weather discourages venturing outside.
• Home doesn't show well; too messy, smelly or cramped.
• Off the beaten path of traffic.
• Condominium in the center of a complex that is hard to find.
• Agent apathy.

Hosting a Successful Open House

Assuming your home is presentable, spotless from top to bottom, priced correctly and located in a high traffic area, here are tips to improve the odds your house will sell at an open:

• Advertise online (newspapers are a waste of money). Write colorful, descriptive ads and place them in web classifieds or open house directories, too. Post Internet listings everywhere.
• Map Your Open House Signs.

1. Attach strings of balloons to each open house sign.
2. Find the busiest intersection closest to your home and put an open house sign at that corner.
3. The arrows should point buyers in the right direction.
4. Place a sign every few blocks until you end up at your house.

• Remove all vehicles from the driveway. Ask your neighbors to help out by not parking in front of your house.
• Open all the drapes, blinds and window coverings –– let in that light.
• Do not put spices on the stove to simmer without offering cookies, and do not, under any circumstances, use an air freshener because many people are allergic to synthetic odors.
• Turn on every light in the house, except lights that produce noise such as exhaust fans without separate on / off switches.
• Turn on soft music on each floor to help set a mood.
• Have available four-color flyers filled with quality photos and reasons for a buyer to purchase your home.
• Put out flyers that contain financing options so buyers can readily determine their monthly mortgage payment.
• Serve refreshments and snacks or, depending on your budget, maybe a catered lunch.
• Create a bulletin board of seasonal house photographs so buyers can see what the home would look like at another time of the year. This is especially helpful to showcase gardens during the winter.
• Set out all documents pertaining to the house:

1. Inspection reports
2. Appraisal or comps
3. Major repairs & warranties
4. Blueprints for additions or future possible improvements

• Be upbeat, cheery and greet each buyer who enters the home. Find out what the buyers are looking for and, if possible, show them why your home fits those requirements.
• And finally, ask for feedback. Ask each buyer what they thought of your home and would they consider buying it. Agents and sellers are hesitant to ask for a buyer's opinion, so just grit your teeth and ask. It's the only way you're going to get a direct answer, and the answer just might astonish you. They might decide to sit at the kitchen table and write an offer. It happens more often than you would think!

Home Marketing Tips – How to Market Your House

When real estate markets transition from seller's to buyer's markets, agents tend to put a lot more money and work into selling listings. However, I believe that employing strong marketing techniques is just smart business, regardless. In seller's markets, good marketing can bring higher prices and, in buyer's markets, it could mean the difference between sold or expired. Good marketing might not sell your house, but it will make the phone ring. Because if buyers don't call, you won't sell.

1. Photograph the Front

Most home buyers begin a home search online, so good photos are essential. Listings without a photo or with only an exterior shot are often passed over and ignored. Buyers are visual. Follow these tips and your house photo will look ten times better than the competition's: 

• Crop out sidewalks and streets.
• Remove vehicles from driveway / front of home.
• Shoot up-close & angled photos.
• Avoid shade on the house.
• Clear away vegetation blocking front door or path to door.

2. Exterior Photographs

If you own a condo or townhome without a yard, then take pictures of the clubhouse, pool, spa or tennis courts. If you have a yard, however, buyers will want to see it.

• Emphasize space and shoot long.
• Mow the lawn & trim bushes.
• Remove evidence of pets.
• Put away children's toys.
• Avoid shooting into the sun.

3. Interior Photographs

Take photographs of every room. Even if you suspect the room won't photograph well, shoot it anyway because the photo quality just might astonish you and be useable.

• Open drapes & blinds
• Turn on lights.
• Focus on interesting details like the condition of a wood floor or a fireplace mantle.
• Remove trash cans & close toilet lids in bathrooms.
• Use floral arrangements in kitchens & dining rooms.
• Avoid shooting into mirrors because your image will reflect.

4. Virtual Tours

Virtual tours aren't just to showcase million-dollar homes anymore. Every home should have a virtual tour, even if it's only two spins. Buyers love, love, love virtual tours. 

• A good virtual tour will grab a buyer by the hand and lead her from room to room, showing a 360-degree view.
• Depending on the tour company, you can add sound, music or an exciting, professionally written description that scrolls with the movement of the tour.
• Virtual tours can also include individual photos available for download or to print.

5. Signage

Signage encourages home shoppers to immediately call you or your agent. It's free advertising! If your home is a corner lot, put up two signs.

• Some homeowner associations prohibit real estate signs.
• Some HOAs allow only window signs.
• Try talking to a neighbor whose home is located at the corner of a busy street, asking for permission to put a sign in that yard with an arrow pointing toward yours.
• Agent signs should include the phone number of the closest office (if the brokerage operates multiple offices) and the agent's cell or voice mail number.

6. Print Advertising

Print advertising reaches buyers who read newspapers. Online ads reach the rest. If your neighbors say, "Everywhere I look, I see your home advertised," you're doing a good job. Puts ads in: 

• Major newspapers. Find out which days pull the most readers. Typically it's Sunday but some newspapers also publish "picture classifieds" on other days.
• Local newspapers. You can probably run a larger ad for less money that will more closely target those looking in your area.
• Real estate publications. Check on press date; can you wait?
• Every Web site you can find. Most online listings are free.

7. Direct Mail

If you're an unrepresented seller, you can buy mailing lists from list brokers. If you are represented by an agent, ask about a direct mail program. I prefer oversized four-color postcards because they are inexpensive to mail and eye-catching. Here are three places to mail: 

• Neighbors. Everybody has friends and relatives who might want to move near them.
• Agents who represent buyers in your neighborhood.
• Buyers who live in other areas and often relocate to your neighborhood.

8. Open Houses

Not every home is suitable for an open house due to location or other factors, and sometimes the only way to determine that is to try it. If nobody comes, that's probably a good indication. However, if your home is located near a high traffic area where buyers often swarm, then it's a good candidate. 

• Place open house signs throughout the area directing buyers.
• Advertise in the newspaper.
• Advertise open house times online.
• Invite the neighbors; they're going to come anyway.

9. Host Broker / Agent Tours

If you're planning to sell your home without representation, then skip this step. However, since most buyers are represented by an agent, it's a good idea to draw as many agents and brokers as possible to view your home.

• Agents who linger in your home will better remember details to later describe to buyers.
• The best way to entice an agent to hang around is food. Doesn't need to be expensive, sandwiches will suffice.
• As agents munch and network, the hope is they will admire your home and bring back a buyer.

10. Send E-Flyers

Technology has made it very easy to create and send electronic flyers. You can also include multiple photographs of your house. Costs vary but it's generally less than $100 to produce. Here are ideas for recipients: 

• Real estate agents who sell in your area.
• Friends, family and coworkers.
• Out-of-area brokers and agents who represent buyers in your area.

Top 10 Home Showing Tips

How to Show Your Home to Buyers

When you show your home, you want to engage the buyer emotionally because the decision to buy is based more on emotions, and less on logic. Give the buyer permission to say, "Yes, I want to buy this home," by staging, accentuating your home's positive attributes, and do not draw any attention to the negative aspects.

Besides, there will be plenty of time after the deal is signed to talk about the drawbacks.

1) The Gracious Welcome

Although the buyer is a guest in your home, you want the buyer to imagine owning the home. You don't want to make the buyer feel like an intruder.

• Don't expect the buyer to remove her shoes, unless you are selling to a buyer for whom religious or cultural reasons mandate it. Otherwise, the presumption is insulting.
• Leave the house. The buyer won't talk about the house in front of you or open doors with you standing there.
• Don't pressure or hurry the buyer. Tell the buyer to take all the time that is needed.
• Leave a bowl of wrapped candy or other treats near the front door with a small note thanking the buyer for coming to see your home.

2) Check the Temperature

• Now is not the time to worry about your utility bill. If it's cold enough to wear a sweater to stay warm, turn on the heat.
• If it's warm outside, turn on the air conditioning. It's better to heat or cool the house a degree or two warmer / colder than usual and then set the temperature at normal. This prevents the heat or A/C from kicking on when the buyer is present, because some HVAC systems are loud.
• You want the temperature inside to be comfortable and to give the buyer more of a reason to linger, especially on hot or cold days!

3) Create a Mood

• Light a fire in the fireplace.
• Make it romantic by placing two champagne glasses on a nearby table.
• Turn on soft music. I used to play Enya until one day I heard it piped in at a mortuary.
• If you have water fountains, turn them on. They are especially useful for drowning out traffic noise.

4) Play Down the Scent

• Many people are allergic to certain scents and deodorizers, so don't spray the air or plug-in air fresheners.
• Don't burn candles or spray perfume in the bedroom for the same reason.
• If weather permits, open the windows — if there is too much noise outside, close them.
• If you're going to bake cookies or simmer spices such as cinnamon in water on the stove, put out munchies so buyers aren't disappointed. More than one buyer has said, "Oh, darn, I thought there were cookies in here!"

5) Play Up the Visual

• If you have seasonal photographs showcasing flower gardens, leaves bursting in color or a snow-covered lawn twinkling from street lights, then display them in a prominent position.
• Open all the window coverings to let in light.
• Keep blinds partially closed that otherwise show undesirable outdoor scenery such as a dilapidated fence or a nearby structure that obstructs views.

6) Light up the House

• Turn on every light in the house, including appliance lights and closet lights.
• Brighten dark rooms with few windows by placing spot lights on the floor behind furniture.
• Turn off TV.

7) Encourage Touching

• Drape sensuous fabrics such as velvet or silk throws over chair arms.
• Leave doors slightly ajar.
• If you have carpeting, vacuum in one direction.

Provide Thoughtful Cards

Attach printed cards to items and in rooms that provide further information the buyer might miss or might not know. You have so little time to make an impression.

• If you have an antique chandelier in your dining room, put a card on it that discloses its age and other important details.
• If you have removed the washer and dryer from the laundry room, attach a card to the wall describing the room.
• If your basement stairs are steep, attach a card to the railing that cautions buyers to watch their step.
• Take care when placing a card that says: "Not included in the sale." That will make a buyer want it, but you can play that later to your advantage.

9) Top It Off With Food

The best way to entice buyers to linger and notice even more details about your home is to offer them food. You don't need to cater a lunch, but finger sandwiches, cookies, soft drinks, water, desserts, all are welcome.

• Set out serving utensils, if needed.
• Provide plates, cups and napkins. They can be paper products.
• In plain sight, provide a waste receptacle.

10) Encourage Buyer Feedback

• Near the snacks, leave pens and a stack of preprinted questionnaire cards or a guest book to sign.
• Buyers will feel obligated to respond to your request after being fed.
• The showing feedback you receive will be invaluable.
• Allow buyer anonymity.

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