First Time Home Seller (Part 1)

Buying a Crown Point, Chesterton, or Hobart home for the very first time can be a nerve-wracking experience.  There’s shopping and qualifying for a loan, saving for the down payment, finding the right house, and the brand new set of responsibilities that come along with home ownership.  This list is a condensed version of realty for sure, but I challenge you to compare it to the flip side, the downright intimidating list of to do’s for the first time home seller.

As a first time home seller the first thing you should do is contact a Realtor.  Just so we’re clear, yes, if you didn’t already know, I’m a Realtor and I’d love the opportunity to earn your business.  This is a plug, just not the shameless self-promotional kind; you need to work with a good Realtor even if it’s not me.  My suggestion is to call multiple Realtors, interview them to find out how they would market your property for sale.  You want to make sure you work with someone you are comfortable with, and who you trust.  The first benefit of working with a Realtor is they can help you price your home competitively right from the get go by showing you comparative properties for sale on the market today.  More importantly, they can show you what homes in your neighborhood are actually selling for (which is more crucial than the price sellers are asking for).  A Realtor will help you navigate all the necessary pieces to a successful real estate transaction including the contract to purchase, disclosures, showings, closing paperwork, inspections, and on, and on…I believe with all my heart, and all my professional experience, if you want to sell your home for the most money in the least amount of time with the fewest hassles you need to work with a good Realtor.  There, I said it.  Here are 10 great questions to ask any Realtor you are considering for the job.

To piggyback on the first point, price your home right in the beginning.  The economy is dictating a buyer’s market.  There are more folks selling homes than there are buying right now, which translates to higher supply, lower demand and thus lower prices.  That doesn’t mean you’re going to give the house away, it simply means you need to price your home competitively right from the beginning keeping in mind that the vast majority of showings will take place then too, in the beginning.

So, for starters:
1. Contact and work with a Realtor you trust
2. Price your home competitively from the beginning

Tune in next blog for Part 2 on tips for first time home sellers.