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Sell My Home in Sunset Beach NC

March 1, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

When it comes time to sell your home or property anywhere around Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach or anywhere along the coast, you need to know that your agent will do everything necessary to create the most exposure for your real estate with as much profit in your pocket at closing as possible. You need an agent that not only knows the current market, which changes nearly weekly but the neighborhoods and the community as well.

Sell My Home in Sunset Beach NC

As a Brunswick County real estate agent, I stay up-to-date with all the current real estate trends, prices, and comparable sales and know how to price your property correctly the first time to get more buyers in the door and more offers on the table. Because I also work with buyers I know what buyers are looking for and can help you stage and set up your home properly to get the most interest from potential buyers.

More: The Cost of Selling a House

As your Sunset Beach listing agent, I am aggressive in pricing your home correctly rather than pricing it high and dropping the price as we go. If you’re serious about selling we need to price it correctly from the beginning. I will go through your home, offer staging advice, repairs, and updates that may need to take place before listing, and provide professional photographs to showcase your home in the best light, the best time of day, and for the most interest from buyers. Read More: 5 Questions to Ask Your Realtor®

Find out how much your home is worth

We start by looking over your home and discussing what you need out of the sale, how quickly you need to sell, and how much you can put into the home if need be. I don’t recommend spending more money when listing a property then you need to, but we do need to go over the seller’s disclosure form to make sure that you inform buyers of any potential hazards or issues. This is the time to be brutally honest. Anything found out later could result in a lawsuit. I will offer tips, suggestions, and advice to getting your home in top-notch shape. I recommend touring model homes to get a great idea of what buyers are really looking for an interested in. I will show you the homes that have recently been sold, similar properties on the market, and how to get your home in front of as many buyers as possible.

With my network of social media, website integration, and featured listing pages, your home will be showcased and displayed to a wide variety of buyer’s agents and buyers all across the country. Call us today and let’s get started getting your home listed and sold for the right price.

More Advice for Sellers:

Ways to Make Every Room More Appealing to Buyers

Great Words that Help Sell a House

Staging a Beach or Oceanfront House

Mistakes Many Sellers Don’t Even Know They Are Making

January 3, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Mistakes Many Sellers Don't Even Know They Are Making

We have talked to dozens if not hundreds of homeowners over the years that want to sell their property and are looking to do it quickly, efficiently and of course, for the most profit possible. But nine times out of 10 many of them are making a lot of mistakes along the way that they don’t even know.
Here are some very simple and common mistakes many homeowners make when they list and sell their property.

The agent can still receive a commission if they bring a willing and able buyer and the sellers choose not to accept the offer.

The homeowner is legally required to pay a commission even if they don’t sell the property but the agent brought a willing and able buyer. This might sound crazy but think about it. As an agent, I bring in a buyer that can legally and financially buy the property and at a full and honest price. If the seller decides not to sell to that buyer, the agent still should receive the commission because they have done their original job. Of course, there are always stipulations and unusual circumstances and the homeowner does have the right to refuse an offer, but the job was to sell the property and that is what the agent is trying to do. If the offer is too low or there are a multitude of problems with the buyer, the seller can reject the offer and hope for another. It’s a muddy situation but the goal is to sell the property and when it’s all said and done, ready to close and the seller just changes their mind, the agent is still due the commission.

Not disclosing everything you know about the house.

This is like cheating on your taxes. You can’t just conveniently leave out some minor damage the house had a few years ago or neglect to mention you didn’t have the septic tank pumped. If found out the homeowner could be seriously affected by a lawsuit or be out a lot of money in repairs. It’s best to just be honest and upfront. If the house has had a flood, tell them. If it’s had major renovations or repairs, say it. If it has lead paint and you know you, you have to say so.

Not planning the sale around tax benefits.

Forbes magazine said it best, “even a sale miss schedule by one day can cost you tens of thousands in extra taxes. Don’t be left a day late and many dollars short. Make sure you talk to your accountant to find out if any long-term capital gains tax breaks apply to you, and check your calendar to determine when they come into play.” [Forbes]

Of course, many sellers make simple mistakes such as overpricing their home, not doing proper cleanup or staging the home before listing, but these are items that most agents should inform their sellers of before listing. Homeowners can get lazy on the staging, especially if the home has been on the market for some time but it’s important to keep the home properly staged and clean because you never know when you might get a buyer.

For more information about selling your home in Brunswick Islands or Sunset Beach and the surrounding communities contact our office today.

5 Questions You Must Ask Your Realtor®

November 21, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

If you’re considering selling your home in Sunset Beach and surrounding towns and cities in North and South Carolina, you need not just a good agent but a GREAT agent that gets the home sold and tells you the honest truth. Here are five questions to ask a potential realtor or real estate agent before listing your home.

#1. How many homes have you actually sold?

This goes beyond how many homes he/she has listed and not sold, or sold as a Buyer’s Agent. How many homes have you actually sold within the last year that you have listed? If the answer is few to none you may want to reconsider the agent. A great agent needs to know how to price the home correctly, how to set up and stage and market that home to potential buyers.

#2. How easily can I get a hold of you?

If simply setting up the listing presentation has been a slew of emails, unanswered phone calls or texts, this is only a red flag as to what the listing process may be like. Make sure you can get a hold of your agent quickly for answers to your questions, showings, and for potential offers.

#3. Can you be honest with me about the price?

This may be a hard one for many sellers to swallow. A good agent can answer most questions but a great agent can answer the tough questions. Being realistic about the selling price without just telling sellers what they want to hear is a step in the right direction to getting the home sold. Sometimes the sellers must hear the harsh reality of what their home may be worth in order to get it sold.

#4. How well do you negotiate?

This is also another red flag. If you’re Agent is wavering on price and seems a little weak even in the listing presentation you can be sure that this type of attitude will carry over into the negotiations. A strong, firm but respectful agent can get things done quickly and efficiently on your behalf.

#5. Do you help with relocation?

Not all agents have a moving van at their disposal to offer to sellers when it comes time to move but help with relocation, in general, can speak volumes. Does your agent have suggestions on what to do if your current home doesn’t sell? What happens if you have two mortgages or rent and mortgage? Can they help with community relocation information such as utilities, phone numbers, and school districts?

As a Sunset Beach real estate agent, it is my duty not only to help you get your home sold but also to help your move be as smooth and as stress-free as possible. Give me a call today and I would be honored to discuss a listing presentation with you, marketing strategy and an advertising plan to get your home sold quickly.

Cost of Selling a House

August 26, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

How much does it really cost to sell a house these days? This is one of the first questions I get asked when discussing listing a property with a homeowner. They want to know how much this is going to cost them and although there are additional Realtor® fees when listing and selling with an agent, there are still some costs related to selling regardless of how the homeowner actually sells. Here is the cost of selling a house.

After the housing crash in 2007 and 2008, we saw a lot of sellers paying buyers closing costs, especially for first-time homebuyers. However now, in the North Carolina real estate market, having a seller pay for closing costs could mean that the buyer will have a low appraisal. In a sellers market, homeowners typically accept over asking price offers, and if the asking price is already inflated, adding closing costs to the final number could seriously affect the appraisal. The appraisal may come in too low to cover the additional costs. This is why having a buyers agent and a sellers agent working together to negotiate for the proper value is essential.

Closing costs are not mandatory for the seller to cover unless the buyer is getting a VA loan. All VA loans require the seller to pay closing costs for both the buyer and the seller. This could include lender’s fees, courier costs, escrow and title fees and any other additional fees incurred with the purchase and sale contract.

How to Attract Luxury Home Buyers

Unless you are planning on selling the home yourself, you will incur real estate agent commissions. This is typically 5% to 6% of the total home purchase after the deal finalizes. Real estate agents will usually split the commissions down the middle between the agent that brought the buyer and the agent that listed and sold the property, however, this can be the same agent and the percentages could be slightly unbalanced. For instance: the listing agent could agree to accept 2% of the commission while the buyer’s agent receives 4% of the commission.

When selling a property, the homeowner will incur a prorated share of property taxes and potentially homeowners fees when they sell. Depending on when the homeowner sells and when taxes were paid, this could be a very small amount or a large amount if the due date is close by. Some states may be charged a local transfer tax as well to transfer the title from one homeowner to another. This taxes generally 0.01% to 2% of the sales price.

Read more: How to Clear Leins When Selling

Capital gains taxes may also be incurred if you make a profit on your home more than $250,000 for singles and more than $500,000 for married couples.

Title insurance. There are several types of title insurance that are purchased during the purchase and sale contract. Buyers will purchase their own title policy if they apply for a mortgage, but this only protects the lender. The seller will purchase a separate policy for the new homeowner and this could cost anywhere from $500-$1000.

Mortgage payoff. If you still owe money on your home you will need to pay off your current mortgage when you sell. The payoff amount could be different from the actual balance listed on your statement due to interest charges. You will need to get a formal letter stating the exact payoff amount so that escrow can facilitate this when you close.

Optional costs to selling your home include a home warranty, paying for staging, home repairs and any replacements needed. These may be included as enticements to get the property sold.

For more information on selling your specific home and exactly how much it would cost contact our office today.

How to Clear Liens When Selling a Home

July 28, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

You are ready to sell your house. You’ve prepped everything, talk to a listing agent and now you need the title search but, the title company comes back with a unique and strange red flag; the title search shows a lien that you didn’t know about. What can you do?

How can you not know about a particular lien your property? Well, it has happened. Take for instance a situation where we tried to sell a property and the title search showed a lien that the owner did not remember that should have been paid off in 2013. The tough part is the original bank that lent the money to the homeowner no longer existed. This mortgage was sold several times over the years and the last known bank cannot find any trace of the lean, so how do we go about clearing the lien from the title?

Many times you might not recognize particular loans or liens on a title because it was made with a certain bank and that alone has since been sold to different banks or absorbed. The first thing you need to do is try to remember as much as you can about that particular lien or loan. Use the Internet to track as much information about the original lender as possible. If it is the same lender and the lenders out of business you may need to find all the documentation from the original loan and collect any proof that it might’ve been paid off.

Easy Tips to Making Every Room More Appealing to Buyers

June 3, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

The Buyer’s Appeal is the only thing that matters when listing and selling your home. You want your house to appeal to all the buyers, everywhere. So how can you do that in today’s market? There’s retirees, singles, families, professionals… how can you appeal to all of these at once?

Here are 5 key tricks to making every room in your home more appealing to home buyers.

#1. Start with the front entry.

This is the make or break picture for your home’s listing. This first image of the entry of your home or the front snapshot of the house itself is going to be a key image that homebuyers see on the MLS, in flyers, on social media and in print. If this image does not draw them in they will likely pass it by. Buyers can tell within the first five seconds if they want to know more about the house from this first image.

Instantly welcome them in my having a clean the front yard, a yard that matches the neighborhood and doesn’t stand out as an eyesore, clean lines, trimmed yard, bushes and flowers, neatly mulched flowerbeds, a striking front door and a focal point that draws your eye inward. Remove any additional clutter from the front porch and even in the front room. Remember, when buyers tour your home they will be with their buyers agent and usually one or two other people. You want to make sure this area is as clear and open as possible. If they feel crowded or cluttered, it’s going to give them a sense of uneasiness throughout the entire house.

#2. Make the kitchen inviting.

Kitchens are typically at the top of buyers lists. If you can win a buyer over in the kitchen, the rest of the home usually won’t be too difficult. Make sure your kitchen appliances are updated or at the very least perfectly clean and shiny. Make sure that if you have stainless steel appliances there are no fingerprints or smudges. Update the countertops if necessary, install new shelving or cabinetry if possible or at the very least install new hardware and clean the cupboards carefully. Grimy grease and sticky residue can add up quickly in the kitchen. Make sure it is bright, fresh and clean. Take everything off of the counters and then put just one or two items back such as a bowl of fresh lemons which screams fresh and bright.

#3. The living area should exude comfort.

Whether you have one living room or three, each main living area should offer comfort and appeal to buyers instantly. These rooms should look like you want to stay a while, curl up on the couch with a good book or bowl of popcorn and watch a movie. Fluffed up accent pillows, conversational areas, a cozy fireplace as a focal point all add to an ambiance and create a setting for just about any buyer will be attracted to. Remember that focal point and draw the eye inward to where you want them to go either to a center coffee table with the dramatic centerpiece, a fireplace large entertainment center.

#4. Create a master retreat for the bedroom.

The bedroom should offer serenity, comfort and peace. Warm lighting, a night table with the book and some glasses set the scene for a calm and relaxing evening. Make sure there is ample space to move around in the bedroom and then should be the focal point in this room. Make sure your bed is well-made with matching bedding, soft textures and plush pillows.

Modern house bathroom interior with simple and expensive furniture.

#5. The well appointed bathroom.

Bathrooms should also exude a sense of peace, calm and a spa-like setting. Fresh greens, potted green plants or bamboo can add a calming sense and fluffy towels, area rugs and decorative baskets complete with spa-like toiletries make a statement that this is where you relax and can feel refreshed.

All of these things add appeal to all types of buyers. It’s the story you’re telling when a buyer enters each room. Set the stage and tell that story so buyers can’t help but rush to make an offer.

Sell My Home in Sunset Beach NC