Tips for Selling Your Home in the Fall

Most people think spring and summer are the best times to sell, but selling in the fall has several distinct advantages. On today’s show Dave and Robert talk home selling tips for fall. See the short list below and listen to the show for all the details.

1. Even though it’s not spring or summer, you can still show what your home looks like in those seasons. Have your agent include photos of what your home and landscaping looks like during those seasons.

2. Use a Realtor that provides 3D tours of your home. A lot of buyers tour homes after they get off work. Once it’s starts to get dark earlier, they won’t be seeing your home in the daylight. A virtual tour will show them what your home looks like during the day when it’s light and bright!

3. Keep the leaves blown off your decks, patios and walkways.

4. Rinse the loose dirt off your siding before the temperature drops.

5. Embrace outdoor fall decorations to make your home have more curb appeal once your landscaping colors start to fade. Pumpkins and wreaths will add a pop of color.

6. Fall is a great time to really showcase how your house can really feel like a home. If you have a fireplace, leave it on for showings and add throw pillows and blankets to your couch. Creating a cozy vibe will make people want to move right in!

7. Make sure your home is light and bright! Open your curtains and blinds. Change out your light bulbs if necessary.

8. Make sure your color palette creates a bright and cozy feel. Neutral color palettes appeal to most buyers.

9. Consider investing in landscape lighting for those buyers who do showings in the evening.

10. Clean your windows to allow for the most light to enter into your home.

11. Remember to spend time on your basic home maintenance for the fall. Doing this will ensure your home is at it’s best!

12. Switch out your HVAC filters and deep clean any areas of your home that you might have forgotten about—the cabinet under your sink, cobwebs on your ceilings, your ceiling fan blades.

Avoid These Common Home Selling Mistakes

Home selling is one of those things that you just don’t do very often. It’s understandable if you don’t know every nuance of the process, but there are a few common mistakes that you must avoid! If your agent gives you advice on any of these things, it’s a good idea to listen to them. See a quick list of mistakes below and listen to the show for valuable insights from Dave and Robert.

1. Your home sells funny and you refuse to believe it!

2. Your home has way too much personality. Really customized homes can turn off buyers that don’t have the same taste. Neutral colors and decorations apply to a wider range of buyers.

3. Setting up cameras to spy on buyers. If you don’t disclose that you are video recording to those entering the home you can get in big trouble!

4. Don’t hang out at your house during open houses or showings!

5. Pricing your home based on feelings rather than fair market value.

6. Avoid keeping all your belongings in your house while it’s on the market. Packing up some of your stuff will help you house show better.

7. Being reluctant to spruce your home up before listing it. Certain small tweaks cost only a little money and can bring in big returns.

8. Using lack luster listing photos.

9. Not spending time on your home’s curb appeal. First impressions have a big impact!

Should you hire a friend or family member as your Realtor?

Once word gets out that you're looking to buy or sell a home, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get bombarded by friends and family asking you to hire them for the job. While it might sound like a good idea to hire someone you know and trust, hiring friends or family can actually turn your home buying or selling experience into a stressful and dramatic experience. Check out the short list below for advice on why hiring friends or family is not the best option for buying or selling your home. Listen to the show for Dave and Robert's advice on the topic!

4 Reasons to Think Twice Before Hiring a Friend or Family Member as Your Real Estate Agent

1. Your friend or relative has a biased perspective. Sure you want someone who is looking out for your best interest, but you also want someone who isn't afraid to tell you the truth when it's hard to hear. Telling hard truths about your home buying budget or your home's list price will be difficult for your friend because it could create tension in your personal relationship. It's much easier for someone who has a solely professional relationship with you to tell it like it is. They will care more about selling your house for top dollar than whether or not they will hurt your feelings!
2. Your friend or relative might not be an expert agent. Your home is one of your biggest financial investments. You need an experienced professional to help you with home buying or selling so that you can make the most of your investment. If your friend or family member is an inexperienced agent, let them practice on someone else! You want someone who knows the ends and outs of negotiating offers, contracts, and inspections. You also want someone who knows about upcoming listings and other homes similar to yours on that have recently sold.
3. The home buying or selling process can be tense. Negotiating repairs and closing terms can get emotional for everyone involved. A lot of times it takes an unbiased viewpoint to find a solution. And what if things get so rough that you need to fire your friend or family member? That's going to lead to some awkward family get-togethers in the future!
4. You will be revealing A LOT about your personal financial portfolio. If you don't want your friends or family to know the intimate details of your bank accounts or debt to income ratios, think twice before hiring them as your agent!

You Received an Offer on Your Home! Now…to Accept it or Reject it?

It's a great day for you as a home seller when you receive an offer on your home, but what should you do next? On today's show, Dave and Robert talk about what you should consider before accepting or rejecting an offer. It's not all about what price they offer! See the short list below and listen to the show for all the details, plus input from guest James Pulsipher with Fidelity Mortgage.

When considering an offer, the offer price isn't the only factor to consider! You should also consider:

1. The amount of earnest money they will deposit. This is a good indication of how serious they are about their offer. A higher amount of earnest money, makes an offer stronger.
2. The total number of contingencies. Contracts that have fewer contingencies are more likely to close in a timely fashion.
3. The amount of the buyer's down payment. A higher down payment most likely means the buyer has the financial wherewithal to make it to the closing table if anything comes up along the way.
4. The closing date the buyer is requesting. The buyer might need to close sooner than you are ready to move. On the flip side, the buyer might not be able to close soon enough for your circumstances. Keep this in mind!