Sellers

What is a Comprehensive Market Analysis and how can it help me when pricing my home?
A key part of the marketing plan when selling a home is setting the list price. If a home is priced too low, it may cost you money. If a home is priced too high, potential buyers may be scared away. To determine the best asking price we at Daunno review the cost of recently sold homes, evaluate the competition and study marketplace trends. Using all available information, Daunno’s sales associates are trained to use this information to help you reach the right asking price. The report we write when this process is complete is our Comprehensive Market Analysis.

What are the key factors used when determining the value of my home?
Your homes value depends on many factors, including its style and size, amenities, condition and, of coarse, location, location, location. In addition, the value of your real estate investment can be affected by market conditions: interest rates, supply and demand, and the overall strength of the economy.

What are the benefits to a home inspection before a sale?
If you intend to put your house on the market, a home inspection could identify items that would be called out on a buyer's inspection. This allows you to be proactive in making repairs, thereby putting your house in a more sellable condition. If a buyer knows most or all of the defects up front, the defects take on their proper perspective. Conversely, if the buyer's inspection finds defects, they take on ominous proportions. Suspicion may turn into apprehension and eventually into negations or a deal that falls apart.

Why shouldn’t I price my house a little high, since I can always drop the price later?
That’s a strategy that sounds good – but, in fact, is more likely to result in a lower price. Here’s why. The first few weeks a house is on the market is when it will have the most activity. If a house is overpriced, it has to compete with houses at that higher price level, which are houses at that higher price level, which are almost certainly larger or have newer/more luxurious features.

So the overpriced home is unlikely to attract an offer. Worse yet, those first weeks are when real estate agents preview the house. If it’s overpriced, they may not even bother to show it to their buyers. Eventually, the seller will have to drop the price – and may end up with an even lower price because buyers will wonder why the house has been on the market so long and may factor that into their offer.

REMEMBER, Overpricing makes it difficult to get:
· Salespeople excited.
· Qualified buyers to view property.
· Interested buyers to make an offer.
· Lenders to provide sufficient financing.

What are the most important factors to consider when selling a home?

Actually, we believe there are two.
1.) Price: The first step is to price your home correctly. Use comparative sales information from your agent, or pay for a professional appraiser (usually $200 to $300), to objectively evaluate your home's worth. At Daunno, we offer Comparative Market Analysis’s to all of our clients.

2.) Condition: The second step would be to go through the inside and outside of your house and repair any obvious cosmetic defects that could deter a buyer. (See our Sellers Tips Section for more info.)

Should I Buy or Sell First?
If you’re buying another home don’t spend a great deal of time worrying about what will happen when you're selling one home and buying another. You're not alone. Agents, lawyers, and title and escrow companies have had plenty of experience in arranging contracts and loans so that the two transactions dovetail smoothly. It's best to list your present home for sale first. If you do find the property you want to purchase, you can always put in a purchase offer contingent (dependent) on selling your present one.

Can I sell my home myself?
Right now, over 10% of American homeowners handle their own sales. But in order to join the ranks of the successful ones, you need to realistically assess what's involved. The routine parts of the job involve pricing your house accurately, determining whether or not a buyer is qualified, creating and buying your own advertising, familiarizing yourself with enough basic real estate regulations to understand (and possibly even prepare) a real estate contract, and coordinating the details of a closing. The greatest downside is the demand on your time. Be careful and thorough. Mistakes may cost you the money you're trying to save.
The best reason for working with real estate brokers is the enormous amount of information they have at their disposal. Professionals know about market trends, houses in your neighborhood, and the people most likely to buy there. They also know how to reach the largest number of people who may be interested in your house. Real Estate Agents are trained in areas like screening potential buyers and negotiating with them.
Finally, they're always "on-call," and willing to do the things most of us hate: working on the weekends, answering the phone at all hours, and always being polite.

When is the best time to list a house for sale?
The "best" time to list your house is actually as soon as you decide to sell it. If you want to get the best price for your home, the key is to give yourself as much time as possible to sell it. More time means more potential buyers will probably see the house. This should result in more offers; it also gives you time to consider more options if the market is slow or initial interest is low.

Is there any seasonality to the market?
Peak selling seasons vary in different areas of the country, and weather has a lot to do with it. In our area of the country, late spring and early fall are the prime listing seasons in many areas because houses tend to "show" better in those months than they do in the heat of summer or the cold of winter. And of course, people like to do their house shopping when the weather is pleasant. But keep in mind that there are also more houses on the market during the prime seasons, so you'll have more competition. So while there is seasonality in the real estate market, it's not something that should dominate your decision on when to sell.

How long should it take to sell?
Average listing times vary from 30 to 180 days, according to market conditions in a particular region, town, or even neighborhood, and of course, price, terms, condition, location, accessibility and exposure play an even greater role. Selling in any market is easier if you keep time on your side. Most professionals will tell you that allowing yourself at least six months will put you in a position to get a better return from their marketing efforts.