Thinking of selling?
When I represent sellers my focus begins with helping them put their home’s best foot forward. Like meeting someone for the first time, houses don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression with prospective buyers.
From listing a home through the close of escrow I guide sellers through a complex maze that includes effective planning and marketing, inspections, negotiations, disclosures, reports, repairs, financing snarls, contract clauses and other aspects. My goal is always for my sellers to realize their goal.
All that probably sounds routine, but it is not, which is why 80 percent of all licensed agents are out of the business within five years of getting their license. I have been assisting sellers for more than thirty years. It would be my honor if you decide to have me assist you, too.
Following are questions I am frequently asked about selling.
Q: How much is my home worth?
A: The short answer is only as much as a buyer is willing to pay. And, you the seller directly influence a buyer’s decision as to how much they will pay. Ask Joanne
Q: Do I have to fix up my house or can I sell it as is?
A: The short answer is this depends on how your home shows right now, what price you’re willing to settle for and how long you want to be on the market. Usually the better a home shows, the higher the selling price. If you do not make your home attractive to buyers in the market, more than likely your competition will. That can mean you may lose a buyer, lose thousands of dollars in selling price, lose time, become stale on the market and ultimately sell for less than you could have.
Q: Do I have to have any inspections before I put my house on the market?
A: Yes and no. Think about this, if you have a termite inspection on your home before you accept an offer from a buyer you will know how much money will be needed to repair your home. That dollar amount will affect your bottom line. If you agree in a sale to provide a termite clearance, then you will have to pay for the repairs noted in that report. In a typical market, buyers look to sellers to provide a termite clearance at the seller’s expense. Since this can be quite costly, knowing the amount of repairs before accepting a buyer’s offer is critical. If on the other hand you are in a hot market area, where multiple bidders are abundant and wigwams are selling for the prices of mansions, then you might be able to sell “as is,” and make no termite or other repairs. In this case you would be wise to have a termite report on hand to provide a buyer so they know upfront what they’re going to be responsible for.
Q: Do I have to have my house staged?
A: Professional staging has proven to be an investment that really pays off for sellers. More and more houses on the market are staged, professionally staged. That has become the norm unlike a few years ago. Today buyers expect to see homes that look like Model Homes. Remember if you don’t meet buyers expectations other sellers will. Those sellers will get their homes sold. On the other hand you will probably be on the market a lot longer and end up taking a beating on your sales price in order to get yours sold. Or worse it doesn’t sell.
I hope you take time to get the scoop on me in the About Us section and learn about the Services I provide. Then I hope you contact me to represent you.
Please contact me on the Contact Joanne form or feel free to call me on my cell phone: 510-589-4794.
Thanks,
Joanne
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Joanne L. Gardiner, Broker, e-PRO Realtor®
California Department of Real Estate Brokers License Number: 00822285
California Department of Housing and Community Development Occupational License Number: SP1178511
Office: 510-429-4800
Cell phone: 510-589-4794
We serve the greater San Francisco Bay Area
Our primary service areas in the San Francisco Bay Area are: Hayward, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville, Fremont, Newark, Niles, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Ramon, Sunol, Oakland, Foster City, Burlingame, and San Mateo.
The types of real estate in which we specialize are: Single family homes, duets, condominiums, townhomes, garden homes, PUDs, manufactured homes, mobile homes, income property, investment property, tri-plexes, four-plexes, apartment property, and special use properties such as churches and mobile home parks.
The primary counties we serve are: Alameda County homes for sale, Contra Costa County homes for sale, San Mateo Country homes for sale.
Our strategic location and our expanded Multiple Listing Services (MLS) enable us to easily serve all San Francisco Bay Area communities. The next time you think of buying or selling, give us a call.
Our web sites:
http://www.californiasunshinehomes.com
Our sister site:
http://www.mobilehomelife.com
