Real Estate Advice From Lisa Udy, Broker Of Platinum Real Estate Group In Providence Utah

With so much talk about selling Cocoa real estate, with whom, and various options you can chose from, it is easy to understand how one can become quite confused about the different listing contract possibilities when selling your home.

As websites throw out words like “exclusive,” “open,” and “net listing,” it is no wonder people begin to think, “an exclusively open net listing” sounds like the best option out there. However, when the types of listing contracts are broken down one by one, it becomes easier to decipher which selection is the best option for you and your home.

Types of Listing Contracts

One option provided to the seller is the open listing. This listing is very similar to a “For Sale by Owner” option; however, it includes a small difference. If a real estate agent finds a buyer for the owner, the seller then agrees to provide the agent with a commission of some sort. This option proves to be quite beneficial for the home owner; however, very few real estate agents will agree to this contract as the seller is allowed to back out at any time. It also does not guarantee a commission to the agent if the seller finds his or her own buyer.

Exclusive Agency

Another type of listing contract is that of an exclusive agency listing. Agents will often not use this option as it forces them to work individually on a particular home. This means that no other agents are able to sell the home, and thus it makes the process quite difficult at times. Also, this type of listing contract allows for the owner to sell the home as well–potentially leaving the agent with no commission after spending a great deal of time and energy into selling the property.

Exclusive Right To Sell

Another form of listing contract is an exclusive right to sell listing. This form of contract is the most popular among the real estate community for obvious reasons. Regardless of who sells the property, the owner or the agent, the agent will still receive commission. However, after a set number of days, the owner is able to change agents if the house has not sold—usually within 90 to 120 days.

Net Listing? It’s Illegal!

A form of a listing contract, net listing, is often found to be quite illegal as it leaves a great deal of room for deceit by the real estate agent. In this type of listing contract, the seller states what he or she would like to get for the home. The agent then adds a value he or she would like to receive for a commission. Although this proves to work in particular situations, some agents have been accused of not disclosing the home’s actual value if they sell it for far above the seller’s asking price. Thus, many agents, as well as owners, will avoid this form of contract.

Multiple Listing Contract

The final form of listing is a multiple listing tool. Although this is not necessarily an in-person contract, it is a contract made with the multiple listing services. This site shows homes that are being serviced by realtors, real estate agents, and other professional sellers. Thus, a seller is highly encouraged to create a contract with such a site. If they do not, they are at a great disadvantage as far as marketing and selling their property. It becomes quite difficult to sell a property if it is not listed on one of these highly sought after real estate sites.

When selecting the best option for you, it is best to take your time and decide what is most important to you with regards to the commission of the agent, the amount of time it takes to sell your home, and in whom you trust. Getting all of this settled upfront will make your selling process more smooth and successful.

This article was provided by Mitch Ribak a Palm Bay Florida real estate agent who also helps many sellers sell their Melbourne real estate with the latest in technology as well as one of the largest home buyer databases in Florida.

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Arguably, there has never been a better time to buy a home.  There are tons of homes on the market, and prices will never be better.  Mortgage rates are low, which makes home affordability at an all-time high.

Is Your Home Description Raising Interest or Eyebrows?

But for sellers, this buyer’s market makes it harder and harder to sell. And although there is a lot of inventory for you to compete with, having the right home description for your listing can help to get it off the market faster.  After all, the goal of your home description is to raise interest in your home.  You don’t want your listing to raise eyebrows instead!

Homes that are described with superlative words are usually just the opposite.  Can a property really be “the best”?  That claim is more than a bit subjective.  While a home description should, obviously, put the home in its best light, if the seller is going overboard in their description, they are really doing the listing no justice.  Many would-be buyers expect to see the best and find the home to be a big disappointment.

Don’t Underprice Your Home

Homes that are underpriced will also set off a red flag.  Many times, a Realtor will suggest that a homeowner price their home on the low end so that offers from multiple buyers will inflate the price.  But this strategy does not always work, since many buyers do not want to get into a bidding war.  And sometimes it serves to attract buyers who are unqualified to buy, and then the house ends up not selling at all, although the home will be devalued in the process.

A better idea is to price the home accurately from the start, using an appraisal, home inspection, and current comps.  Bottom line, when home shopping, if a price is too good to be true, it likely is.

Where are your photos?

Another type of home listing that will always raise your eyebrow is the listing that is absent all photos.  Why bother?  It is so frustrating to see a home just listed online without even a single photo to help tell its story.  How can you pique anyone’s interest with just a description alone? At least a dozen photos of the property, at minimum, can go a long way towards selling your home.

There are some reasons that sellers do not have photographs of the property available, such as wanting privacy, but that’s not going to help sell your home.  Would-be buyers naturally assume that there are some problems with the home when photos aren’t present with the listing.

Be Careful With Your Description!

Recently remodeled? An additional eye-brow raiser is when the home is described as having recent renovations.  Recent updates can be a good thing, but it can also make the home buyer wonder if the home is actually a “flip”.

Many buyers steer clear of recently flipped homes, which oftentimes mean that renovations are carried out without proper permits.  Buyers want to know that you are living in or have recently been living in the home, and that any work that you have had done on the home was undertaken properly and is “up to code”.

And finally, for distressed properties, it is important that the listing contains language regarding transaction details.  For example, if it is a short sale, has the lender approved of a price?  Would-be buyers need to know the transaction details before they can really get excited about buying your home.

This guest blog was provided by Linda Wise who helps home buyers purchase real estate Merritt Island. You can also check out Linda’s website to search for sunny Florida homes including real estate Titusville and real estate Cape Canaveral.

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If you have lived in your house for a few years, it might need some “spiffing up” to get it ready to sell. While your home is structurally in tact and has several great features, a potential buyer does want to see your home at its best.

They actually feel more comfortable purchasing a home that seems to have been well maintained. And, they are more impressed when the home has a little sparkle to it.

Getting Your House Ready to Sell

It is good to keep things in balance, however, because you don’t want to overspend as you are trying to straighten up your home to sell. The idea is to put a little money into it where needed most in order to move the home. A Realtor can give you great advice based on his/her own experience. They know what appeals to buyers and what makes homes sell most quickly at a higher price. So, ask your Realtor how much you should spend, how you can improve the exterior of your home and its curb appeal, and ask for tips on improving the appearance of the inside of your home.

A Realtor will help you stay focused on fixing the things that really need to be fixed in order to sell the home. For example, while investing in a brand new roof might impress your potential buyers, you most likely will not get the money back when you sell the house.

Unless your kitchen is sadly outdated and almost not in working order, there is probably little benefit in installing a whole new kitchen. Most likely, you will not get that money back when you sell the home. Instead, potential buyers will be impressed by inexpensive touches such as, new and updated hardware on cabinetry and fresh painting done in neutral colors.

Don’t Forget To Spruce Up The Exterior!

In tending to the outside of your home, take care of your yard:  trim your hedges, pull weeds from your lawn and your gardens or flowerbeds, prune your trees, edge your lawn—water and cut it regularly. Also, take a walk around the outside of your home and look for cracks in the foundation, outdoor steps and walkways. Look at the outside lights, doors, windows, and gutters of your home.

Can you clean them up a little? Do you have a chimney? If so, is it in working order and is it clean? Take a look at your siding; you may need to repair or repaint some panels. Similarly, you could do a little repair or replace loose or missing shingles on your roof. If it is winter and snowy during the time that you are trying to sell your home, shovel and de-ice all of your driveway and walkways; also, feature pictures of your yard when it is springtime or summertime so that potential buyers can see the beauty that surrounds your home when the snow is gone.

Create Curb Appeal

Or, if it is summer, it would be suitable to place a few beautiful potted flowers near the front door or on the deck, and while you’re at it you could add a fresh paint of coat to the front door. Try to keep your garage door closed while your house is on the market, and certainly don’t have extra cars or RVs all around the curb of your home; those should be stored somewhere else during this time.

These suggestions are minimal in cost and maximum in impact upon your potential buyers. And that is the goal—that you attract potential buyers by increasing the beauty of your home without having to put money into the home that you are about to sell. Obviously, there may be some features of your home that absolutely need to be replaced or repaired in order to get your buyer to make an offer, but some of that can be worked out once you have attracted your home’s next owner. Take your Realtor’s advice, and move forward!

If you’re interested in learning more about selling a home, you can visit Aaron Seekford’s real estate Arlington VA website where you can search MLS listings in Arlington Virginia. You can also check out the competition in the local Arlington VA neighborhoods.

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