Give the allowance at closing or do the work ahead of time?

Allowances............ Carpeting, painting, landscaping etc. Let's face it we all "live" in our homes and things over time start to get warn down. A lot of people have a hard time finding time to maintain their home. Over time, deffered maintenance kicks in. In our house we make a list of things at the beginning of the year that need attention. Whether it be re-painting base boards or banisters, carpet cleaning, exterior work, re-caulking bath tubs and showers, the list can go on and on and often is overwhelming. When we go into a listing presentation these are all things we look at, they are all things potential buyers will look at and that will affect the value of your home. Especially in today's market a well maintained home is important to buyers, they have so many choices available to them and often a well maintained home will stand out. Our recommendations to our customers is NO allowances for carpet or painting, get the work done prior to listing your home. One reason is the home will show much better with the new carpet then with the old and a couple samples laying out. Buyers have a hard time visualizing, they also don't want the hassle of getting a bunch of work done after closing. People like their home to be move in ready. The other reason is you will often get more for your home if these items are done prior to placing it on the market than you would get if they weren't done. Sometimes allowances can not be avoided, and we understand that as well. You may have a problem animal in the house or other situations that make it a much better option to offer the money up at the closing table and let the buyers take care of it after closing. Allowances can often present a problem with lenders at closing, so make sure to talk about all of these issues with your Realtor, before making your final decision. A little work before can often help your home sell faster and who wouldn't appreciate that in this market!

To have a free, no obligation market analysis done on your home emailed to you click here and fill out the form.

There is more to this For Sale By Owner business than I ever thought!

"I must’ve been crazy trying to sell by myself!”
“There’s more to this ‘For Sale By Owner’ business than I ever thought.”

Home-Selling Fact:
Fewer than one in five homes are sold through newspaper ads.
The majority of homes sell through the Multiple Listing Service that real estate agents have access to. Without an agent who can place your home in this listing, your chances of selling go way down.

Some adventurous home-sellers start out trying to sell their homes themselves, hoping to save money on commissions. “After all,” they think, “how hard can it be?”

It isn’t long before they discover all the headaches involved in selling a home. They get mired down in the details—writing and placing ads, making up flyers, getting all documents and paperwork in order, and contacting an escrow company. They realize they don’t know all the legal requirements for selling a home… how to weed out lookers from buyers…how to set the right price for their home…or the best way to prepare their home for showing.

In the meantime, their home sits on the market—with no interested buyers.
Eventually, they throw up their hands and say “Enough! I’ve got to do something or I’ll never sell my house.”

By that time, they’ve lost a couple of months, and may have to reduce their price just to get an offer. This doesn’t have to happen to you!

How to Sell Your Home Quickly
You can now get a free report that helps you through the home-selling process.
Learn how to price your home correctly and the right kind of marketing approach to use today. Get tips on whom to consult and the right way to prepare your home for the best presentation. Plus, learn extra steps to take that dramatically improve your home’s appeal to potential buyers.

Get Your FREE
Home-Seller’s Report Today
Before you put your home on the market, read this report. It will save you countless hours of frustration. For your FREE report, the Ten-Step System for a Successful Home Sale, call The Colorado Success Team at 303-901-6558 today.

“What do I need to disclose about the house I’m selling?

Isn't it the buyers responsibility to get an inspection and find out what's wrong?

The days of buyer beware in real estate are long gone. Today’s consumer-oriented laws put more responsibility on the seller. Failing to disclose problems with the home can have serious consequences.

If a buyer discovers a major problem with the home after they’ve moved in, they can demand a rescission of the deal. That means the seller has to pay back the money and take back the house. While such an action is not that common, sellers can avoid legal problems by disclosing anything wrong with the property up front.

But it gets trickier—you must disclose all defects in the property, whether you’re aware of them or not. How can you disclose what you don’t know? Conduct a thorough inspection yourself or hire an inspector.

Most agents will help you complete a disclosure sheet, which lists defects or problem areas in the house. This list is presented to potential buyers when, or sometimes before, they make an offer.

Your agent should also be able to help you find a qualified inspector. Be sure to get the inspector’s report in writing—never accept a verbal report of “Everything’s okay.” That doesn’t protect you if a problem arises later.

Free Information for Home-Sellers
Now, a free report shows you a charted path on getting the most for your home quickly.

It tells you what buyers look for when they come through your home. What repairs do you need to make? How can you make your home stand out from all others on the market? You’ll also learn how to choose the right REALTOR.

How to Get Your Free Report
A new, special report, the Ten-Step System for a Successful Home Sale, is available now to home-sellers as a public service. To get your FREE copy, call The Colorado Success Team at 303-901-6558 today.

Can You Sell Your Home “For Sale By Owner”? Take this quick quiz to find out!

If you’re thinking of selling your home yourself, ask yourself these questions before you put your house on the market.

Consider the following carefully:
1) Do you understand all of the legal requirements for selling a home in your area?
___ YES ___ NO
Laws vary from state to state and can change yearly. And buyers can cause problems if you haven’t protected yourself with the proper warranties and seller disclosures.

2) Are you in a hot market?
____YES _____ NO
If not, you’re up against a lot of competition. And most other home-sellers have professionals working for them.

3) Are you willing to give up your weekends and evenings waiting for buyers to show up?
____ YES ____ NO
Buyers keep their own schedules and often want to see your home when it’s least convenient for you. If you have a sign out front, be ready to drop everything and show your home to people who stop in without an appointment.

4) Do you know how to weed out the lookers from the buyers?
____ YES _____ NO
Many people who want to see your home aren’t even remotely qualified to buy it. They’ll just waste your time.

5) Do you know how to handle tough negotiations? ____ YES ____ NO
When you get an offer that’s lower than you want, with terms you don’t understand, be prepared to make a reasonable counteroffer—or risk losing the sale.

Avoid Home-Sellers’ Headaches
If you’re planning to sell your home yourself, there are several important facts to be aware of. The Colorado Success Team has prepared a special For Sale By Owner help guide: Nineteen Most Commonly Asked FSBO Questions (and their answers). To get your free copy of this report, call The Colorado Success Team at 303-901-6558.

Secrets of Successful Home-Sellers

Selling a home takes more than putting out a sign and waiting for a buyer to show up. There are specific steps to take to successfully sell your home in the least amount of time and for the best price.

Over the years, home-sellers like you have discovered what works and what doesn't. Now, those tips and techniques are available in a free special report.

Avoid Common Home-Selling Traps
Many home-sellers don’t know how to price their homes competitively or how to prepare their homes for a quick sale, don’t seek professional help, and don’t know about one key step they can take to make a prospective buyer much more likely to buy their home.

If you fall into these traps, your home could end up on the market for months, instead of being sold in a few weeks. Fortunately, you can avoid mistakes that other home-sellers make—when you have good information.

Free Information for Home-Sellers
Now, a free report gives you a step-by-step system for selling your home successfully.
Pricing your home correctly is critical to selling your home quickly without “giving away the store.” However, many home-sellers base price on false assumptions. They assume original purchase price, all home improvements, and replacement cost factor in on the home’s value. Holding on to these misconceptions can make selling a home difficult.

This report shows you the way on pricing your home. You also need to know what buyers look for: What repairs do you need to make? How do you make your home stand out from all others on the market? Get a comprehensive checklist on preparing your home for sale. Learn how to choose the right REALTOR for you. The report includes a list of questions to help you find the agent who will sell your home quickly and with little worry on your part.

How to Get Your Free Report
This FREE special report, the Ten-Step System for a Successful Home Sale, is available now to home-sellers as a public service through The Colorado Success Team of Keller Williams To get your FREE copy today, just call 303-901-6558.

Six Top Home-Selling Mistakes Identified

Three of the top six mistakes
occur in the pricing of homes offered for sale. Sellers tend to base current market value on the following:
1) original price
2) added improvements
3) cost of replacement
instead of on a Comparative Market Analysis. They find that buyers don’t make offers and the homes don’t sell.

Condition becomes the next key factor, generating two of the remaining three mistakes. Sellers commit these two errors:
1) They neglect to perform minor repairs and touchups that greatly improve a home’s value to buyers.
2) They don’t replace worn or dated carpet or patterned wallpaper or paint over bright walls, which would increase appeal to buyers.
Their homes sit on the market for months, turning into “stale” listings that get passed up.

Many sellers are filled with misconceptions about what it takes to sell their homes. Why? They rely on the advice of friends and family when getting ready to sell their homes, the sixth top mistake. Often, this well-meaning advice is completely wrong. Yet sellers understandably place trust in those who they trust on other matters, rather than seeking out an expert.

Learn the facts that will make selling your home a smooth and pleasant experience, instead of a frustrating and difficult one.

FREE Help for Home-Sellers
The Colorado Success Team now offers a guide to help you avoid the common mistakes many home-sellers make. Valuable to anyone who is planning to sell a home, the Ten-Step System for a Successful Home Sale describes how to choose a REALTOR, how to price your home correctly, how to prepare your home for quick sale, and more.

To receive your own copy of this free guide, call 1-800-639-7755 and enter extension 2015 and request the Ten-Step System.