Frequently Asked Real Estate Questions

How can I find the price of my house?

While there are some sources online that will give you a rough estimate of what your home's value is, there is no automated way of generating an accurate valuation of your home without an inspection of the property and the neighborhood.  Just like an with an appraisal, a well-qualified Realtor should come out and take measurements of the rooms, notate the finishes throughout your home and make note of any projects and upgrades that you have completed since living in your home.  Other factors, such as adjacent open space areas or parks may increase the relative value of your home while backing up to a major street may have a negative impact.

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How to sell my home without an agent?

There are usually a couple of different reasons why some homeowners choose to sell their homes without the help of a professional.  The most common reason is that there simply isn't enough equity in the home to afford the help of an expert.  Statistics show that homeowner who uses a professional Realtor will on average net more profit and sell in a shorter amount of time than those who go it alone.  Here are a few tips to help you sell your home on your own.

1. De-Clutter your home.  Remove photos, Nick-knacks, and generally make your home look like a model home in the Parade of Homes.
2. Have professional photos and video taken.
3. Publish your high-quality photos and videos to as many internet sources as you can find.  (I typically syndicate my listings to well over 1000 different websites)
4. Make it easy for a potential buyer to see your home.  Since you won't have access to the MLS, you should hold open houses every weekend.  The best day of the week tends to be Saturdays and the best times are from about 11:00 am to about 3:00 pm.  Go to your local lumber yard and pick up as many open house signs as you can and place them in a manner that will help potential buyers find your home. 
5. Be willing to pay the buyer's agent.  

How to sell my home for top dollar?

There are many things that you can do to ensure that you are selling your home for top dollar, but the most important thing is to prepare your home so that you generate the most interested buyers.  Follow these steps to maximize profit when selling your home.

1. Start by giving both the interior and exterior with a fresh coat of neutral paint.  The current trend for interior paint is a light grey body with white trim.
2. Make all the needed repairs.
3. If your bathrooms and kitchens are outdated, consider updating these rooms or even remodeling.  Be careful not to overspend if you choose to remodel.
4. Clean up the landscaping and yard
5. De-clutter your home.  This is often one of the most overlooked aspects of getting a home ready for top dollar.  Think of a very nice hotel room or a new construction model home.  The general rule of thumb here is to have your closets and pantry very well organized and only fill them with about 1/3 of what will fit.  Negative spaces create a feeling of space.  Don't forget to remove excess wall art and photos.  You want prospective buyers to be able to envision themselves making your home theirs.  You don't want them to feel like they are visiting your home.
6. Staging - The concept of de-cluttering carries over to your furniture as well.  If your furnishings are nice, you should simply remove excess.  Again, think about 1/3 of the space filled.  If your furnishings are eclectic or don't match, consider professional staging. This expense is one that many home sellers are reluctant to incur, but it can easily create a good return in most cases.
7. Have a professional take high-quality photos and video of your home.
8. Market the professional photos and video to as many sources as you can.  A pre-listing marketing campaign that is started about a week before you allow anyone to tour your home will maximize the potential of your prospective buyers seeing your home at the same time.  This strategy is to isolate the demand with a focus on a particular day.  When buyers are tripping over each other to see your home, there is a greater likelihood of multiple offers.  When there are multiple offers, you maximize your net profit.
9. Consider all aspects of the offers.  In many cases, the highest offer will not create the greatest return.  There are many other factors that you must consider. For instance, what happens if your home doesn't appraise at the contract price? 

How to find a good Realtor to sell my home?

Finding a good Realtor to sell your home is fairly easy.  Remember, the time that someone has done a particular job isn't the best indicator of their ability to do that job well. 

1. Look for someone who listens to your goals and offers strategies to help you achieve those goals.  If your goal is to sell your home as quickly as possible, make sure that your Realtor isn't overpricing the home and is suggesting strategies to eliminate the amount of work that you have to put into the house to get it ready to market.  If your goal is to maximize your return, make sure your Realtor is helping you follow the 9 steps listed above. 
2. Make sure that the Realtor has done the necessary research and has presented it professionally.
3. Make sure that it is easy to communicate with your Realtor.  The most common complaint against Realtors is that they are not responsive to their clients.
4. Make sure that your Realtor is truly working in your best interests in mind and not theirs.  

How to sell my home as-is?

Selling your home AS-IS is achievable, but this must be approached with finesse and care.  There are some creative ways of successfully selling your home "AS-IS," but the first step is to get under contract with a buyer.  The most important thing to do is to NOT publish the home "AS-IS".  This will stop many potential buyers from even looking at your home.  As the seller, you don't have to fix any of the items that the buyer objects to.  Keep in mind that most buyers don't make offers on homes lightly.  The buyer liked your home enough to make an offer that was acceptable to you, so you know that they want to buy it. Make sure that you are not pricing your home as if it were in great condition if it needs some TLC. 

How much would it cost to build a home?

Many variables determine the cost of building a new home. Some questions that will have a major impact on the answer to this question are:

1. Is the home is an established new build community?
2. Is the home to be built on land that you purchase in advance (not in the established community)?
3. Are water and sewer nearby or will those services need to come from an extended distance?
4. Will the new home needs a well and/or a septic system?
5. Do you already have blueprints and architectural design completed?
6. Is there easy access to the land for the construction equipment?
7. How expensive are the fixtures, flooring, Kitchen, and bathrooms?

Since there is no way to answer the general question of "How much would it cost to build a home?" without first answer at the seven questions above, you should discuss your goals with a builder or Realtor who has experience as a builder (Mark J Main has experience as both a home builder and developer, so he is well suited to guide you in this process).

How to price your home to sell fast?

Pricing your home to sell fast is a fairly straight forward process.  The first step is to have a professional and detailed market analysis of your homes present market value completed.  Most Realtors will conduct a comparative market analysis free of charge.  Be sure that the Realtor who you have to do this for you understands neighborhood dependent variations in value for area unique features such as the value of a walk-out basement or the value of stucco siding.  Once you have determined the present fair market value of your home, you are ready to determine the price to list it to sell your home fast.  As a general rule, you should list your home at about 5% Below the value suggested by the analysis.  Not only will you sell your home fast, but you will probably get an offer that is higher by at least 5%.  WIN-WIN for you.

First time home buyers, how to get started?

Coming soon

How to choose a Realtor, first time home buyer?

Coming soon

How to sell a house from out of state?

Coming soon

How to buy a house with no money down?

Coming soon