Before putting your home up for sale, it is important to make the necessary adjustments to make sure your home sells for the price you want in a buyers market.

The following are some helpful tips from The Lawhead Team on selling your home for top dollar in a buyers market:

• First and foremost, what is your home worth? It is important to find a Realtor® who works the market in the area you are looking. If you are looking at North San Diego County, The Lawhead Team can help! You can look online to see what homes in the area are selling for but remember while selling prices are public, seller concessions are not.
• Housing markets change and are different depending on the area you are in. In a buyers market what you need to find out is the demand for a house like yours in your area. What are pricing trends?
• Who is buying and selling in your area? It is important to find out what your competition is in a buyers market, who are the buyers and why are they shopping.
• Get an appraisal from a certified professional appraiser. It is important to look at your comparables as well and together they can give you a very good idea of what your home is currently worth before listing it in a buyers market.
• Is now the best time to sell? While it is difficult (next to impossible) to predict the market, you may want to decide if waiting a few months to put your home on the market may be advantageous when it comes to getting the most for your home. You also want to make sure that once you sell your home it makes sense to buy another home in the desired location you are looking during a buyers market.

The Lawhead Team would like to share some tips on how you can save money when you are selling your home.

1. Find a good listing agent – If you want to squeeze every dime possible out of selling your home it is important to hire the right listing agent. Check around and interview various real estate agents to find out who is going to do the best job.
2. Price your home right – The longer your home sits on the market the less it is worth according to the buyer’s eyes. Price the home in line with comparable sales and that will get buyers interested enough to see it. Go tour open houses in your neighborhood when selling your home to look for trends and note what makes one home more appealing than another.
3. Prepare your home to sell – Consider getting some work done to your home that has been overdue. It may cost some money up front but you may be able to get more back in return. Set aside a certain amount you can afford for repairs and sprucing up the home. You may want to consider hiring a home stager. If you cannot afford it, study some books on staging your home when selling.
4. Examine the fees – Make sure to study the list of fees buyers and sellers are expected to pay. All these costs are usually negotiable when selling. If the buyer is asking for 3% towards closing costs, consider increasing the sales price to compensate.
5. Close closer to the first of the month – Closing closer to the first and not the end of the month could save a lot on interest charges when you are selling your home. Keep in mind however FHA loans are excluded from this.

Have questions on selling your home? Please call The Lawhead Team, “Because Two Lawheads Are Better Than One!”

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your house appealing to buyers. In order to sell your home quickly and for the amount you are asking, follow these helpful tips to preparing your home to sell:

1. Enhance your home’s curb appeal. Spruce up the look of the yard by performing regular yard maintenance. Mow the yard, edge the lawn and add some colorful flowers and plants.
2. De-clutter your home so a potential buyer can picture themselves living there. We recommend removing personal items like toys, papers, magazines, makeup products, family photos and any knick-knacks.
3. Repaint if you have colorful walls. Make everything look cleaner and fresher with whites and light tans. Lighter colors also make a room look better and brighter.
4. Make sure your home‘s floors are clean. If you have carpet, you will want to get them professionally cleaned. For tile and hardwood, use a floor shiner. If your flooring shows a lot of wear and tear, you might want to consider new flooring for your home in order to make it more appealing to buyers.
5. Turn on every light in the home to brighten it up. Open your blinds or curtains to let light in. If you are showing the home at night, make sure to turn on all lights outside so the home is easy to find and the paths are well lit.

Just like anything in life, first impressions are very important. When selling your home, you want your potential buyers to get the best first impression possible.

• Your listing price doesn’t match your home. If the home you are selling requires some work such as maintenance and upgrades, don’t think you can just slap on a huge price tag and expect to sell it in days. The first week your home is on the market will be when it will get the most traffic. When selling make sure your home looks it’s best to give the best first impression possible.
• Your personal items are still cluttering your home. No matter how sentimental your items are, they are going to need to be taken down sooner or later when you sell. When selling your home make sure to de-clutter.
• You only have certain times potential buyers can view your home. When a new home comes on the market, potential buyers will want to see it right away. When selling, always make sure your home is available to show at anytime.
• You linger around when people come to look at your home. If you are selling, leave when potential buyers come by to look at the home. Your presence can make buyers uncomfortable and leave without truly considering it.
• You fail to mention any problems with the home. Disclose any major repairs that need to be done. Don’t let your deal fall through when selling because you have a leaky roof or your AC doesn’t work. In most cases potential buyers will hire a home inspector and these problems will surface one way or another.

If you are looking to sell your home, most likely you want to get top dollar for your home. Unfortunately simply slapping a “for sale” sign in the yard won’t always work to get that cash in your pocket for your home.

The Lawhead Team would like to share some helpful tips to get your home ready to sell and make it appealing to potential buyers.

There are some simple things you can do that won’t cost much money at all in order to sell your home. Remember, your home will not always sell itself. A simple coat of paint can really do wonders and turn a potential buyer into the new owner of your home.

Do you smoke or own pets? If so, a potential buyer will be able to tell when they walk into your home. If you want to sell your home, take some steps to make your home unnoticeable to the nose that you smoke or have furry friends living there. You may not think so, but this is a huge deal to potential buyers.

If you want to make potential buyers fall in love with your home, do the following:

• Clean – Make sure your home smells nice and fresh and put some elbow grease into cleaning your place up.
• Pack – You’re going to move anyway so start de-cluttering your home and put some stuff into boxes. This will make your home look bigger plus you’ll be getting a start on moving.
• Daily Maintenance – Make sure there aren’t dirty dishes in the sink, hang up any clothes in your closet and put away all your toiletries on the bathroom counters.
• Curb Appeal – The outside of your home is the first impression a buyer will get when you are trying to sell your home. You may want to plant new plants, re-paint or stain your front door and make sure all your lights work.

Need help putting your home on the market? Please call The Lawhead Team and we will be happy to help you!

Whether you are buying or selling a home, getting a good deal is definitely a top priority. And asking the right questions can be vital to getting the price you want.

No doubt about it, selling a house or trying to buy one can be stressful.  The Lawhead Team will be on your side for all your buying and selling needs.

Hooking up with the right agent can be one of the most important decisions you make.  Making sure they have enough experience under their belt is a top priority.  When looking at real estate location is key.  Make sure you find an agent who is an expert in your neighborhood, understands the neighborhood and has plenty of experience selling in that area.

When home buying and selling it is important to consider the following questions:

How Are You Going To Price My Home?
Agents should do a comparable market analysis of similar homes in the neighborhood.

What’s Your Marketing Plan For My House?
A broker should post a property on a multiple listing service and market it aggressively online.

Is My Home Ready To Sell?
Your home’s condition is key. Homes should be move-in ready.

What Can I Afford?
You may qualify for a high amount than you actually want to pay. It’s important to check with a mortgage broker and get pre-approved.

What Do I Want?
Make a list of the things you want and don’t want in a home.

How Long Has The Home Been On The Market?
The longer a house sits, the more chance the seller will cut the price to make the sale.

For all your home buying and selling needs, consult an expert – The Lawhead Team.