10 Things to Avoid if You Want to Make the Most Money for Your Home

When you go to sell your home, you want to make sure you get as much money back as possible on your big ticket investment! Today Dave and Robert talk about some key things to avoid if you want to maximize your home sale price. Who doesn't want to get the most money for their home?! See the short list below and listen to the show for more details!

1. Follow your agent's advice! A good listing agent will assist you with pricing, marketing, negotiating and guiding you through the contract and closing process. If you don't trust an agent, don't hire them!
2. Don't neglect important home repairs before you go to list your home. Stay up-to-date with your home maintenance and you won't have a long to-do list when you sell your home.
3. Don't settle for less than professional photography and a virtual tour. Photos are your home's first impression online and you want to make sure that impression is a good one!
4. When in doubt, start with a lower asking price. Multiple offers could push your final price up! Starting your price out too high could mean your home sits on the market.
5. Don't be restrictive on showing times. Be open to the greatest number of potential buyers that you can!
6. Keep your home tidy for showings.
7. Fresh carpet and paint make a huge difference! Don't underestimate their power!
8. Don't be present for showings. Leave your home when a showing is scheduled.
9. Don't let pets spoil your showings either! Take them out for a walk during showings.
10. Don't ever look at an offer with a closed mind. As a seller in this market you are negotiating from a place of power, use that to your advantage. 

Beware of These Home Selling Myths

When you go to sell your home, brace yourself for the onslaught of outside advice you'll hear from friends, family and even strangers! While their advice is well intended, beware of common home selling myths that can end up costing you a pretty penny in the long run. Read the short list of myths below and listen to the show for all the details!

1. Myth: You should only sell your home during the spring and summer.
   This isn't necessarily the case! Selling your home during a non-peak time of year could actually give you an advantage. The bottom line: there isn't really a bad time of year to sell your home. Sell your home when you're ready!
2. Myth: The market is slow right now, so it's better to wait.
   Of course you want to sell your home when the market is hot, but the market can change daily. It's hard to predict what the market will do! If you're ready to sell, then there's no better time to do it then the present!
3. Myth: Don't stage or fix anything up. You're moving out!
   Buyers don't want to fix things! They'll just move on to the next house if your house has too many fix-up items.
4. Myth: You don't need professional photos. iPhone photos look better than ever now!
   You only get one first impression! The first thing people see are photos of your home and you want them to look great! Professional photos are a must.

How Appraisers Determine Your Home's Property Value

Getting your home appraised is just one of the many steps in getting your home sold. Even though almost every home gets appraised during the selling process, you'd be surprised how little people know about appraisals. On today's show, Robert and Dave go over some of the basics. See a short explanation below and listen to the show for more details, especially a call-in from James Pulsipher who explains more about the relationship between mortgage lenders and appraisals.

Appraisers will take a walk around and inside your home, then use either a sales comparison or cost approach to determine your home's value. The sales comparison approach is used for 98% of homes in the valley. The appraiser uses similar, recently sold homes in your neighborhood plus the condition of your home to determine your home's value.

What appraisers look for:

• Materials that were used to build your home
• Condition of your foundation
• Any obvious signs of disrepair
• Overall upkeep of your home
• Your home's amenities that set it apart from other properties
• Major upgrades in your home

Tips for Selling a Home with Pets

Do you have a dog, cat, hamster, hedgehog, or any other pet? Then this show is for you! Robert and Dave talk about how to sell your home if you own a pet. See the short list below and listen to the show for all the details!

Image Credit: Well Pet Coach

Eliminate Pet Odors!

1. Throw open the windows and air your house out

2. Scrub the house down with odor neutralizing products

3. Wash drapes and upholstery--these tend to hold in smells

4. Have professionals clean your carpet and flooring

5. You might need to replace carpet if odors are still present after cleaning

Keep Your House Smelling Great!

1. Light a mild smelling candle before showings

2. Control reoccurring pet odors after you've cleaned--crate your dog or keep pets outdoors if it's warm

3. Make sure pet hair doesn't start accumulating again--vacuum and sweep often

5 Tips to Help Your Home Make an Astounding First Impression on Home Buyers

Grand Junction Real Estate Advice

We make up our minds about people within seconds of meeting them. It's no different when you're selling your home. Buyers are making a decision about your home the very first time they see it. On today's show, Robert and Dave have 5 tips to help your home create a great first impression on buyers.

See the short list of tips below and listen to the show for detailed advice.

1. Break up with your home! Cut emotional ties with your home so it's easier to follow staging and remodel advice from your agent.
2. Focus on curb appeal. The front of your home is the first photo people will see online. It's important that they are enticed enough to click and see more!
3. Ask yourself, "If I was buying this home right now, what would I want changed?" Then change those things! 
4. Clean the clutter! Open up the space in your home by clearing it of any clutter.
5. Depersonalize your space. Packing up family photos and momentos will allow others to visualize themselves in your home.

Post Inspection Repairs: What to Request & Not Request

When you find the home you want, it's important to pick your battles with repairs requested post home inspection. We've seen many deals go sideways post home inspection when they don't need to! While it's nice for sellers to fix every small detail before you move-in, there's only so much sellers are willing to do, especially if the market is in their favor.

The purpose of a home inspection is to find out if there are severe structural or mechanical defects that will have a negative impact on the way a buyer can use their home. It's 100% okay to request repairs on items that fall into that category. In regards to other repairs, keep the requests below off your list if you really want to close on the home you love! 

Be sure to listen to the show to hear Robert and Dave weigh in on this list!

1. Avoid requesting repairs to any minor cosmetic issues: a deck that needs stained, a small crack in one bathroom tile.
2. Skip requests that ask the home owner to fix cracks in concrete floors. Concrete naturally settles and cracks without structure ramifications. If you see cracks in the walls however, be sure to review the inspection report to see if they have significant structural impacts.
3. Don't request any repairs that cost under $100. This will just make you seem really nit picky!
4. Leave off requests for repairs on any failed window seals. Be aware of these items when you see the home and account for how much it will cost to make repairs yourself in the offer you present.
5. Skip requests for loose railings or fixtures that aren't significant issues.

Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays

The holiday season is here! See the short list of tips below and listen to the show for more detailed advice from Robert and Dave. Use the advantages of this season to get your home sold this winter!

1. Hire a reliable real estate agent who will work hard for you during this time of year!
2. Price your home to SELL instead of making gradual price reductions after your home hits the market.
3. Make your curb appeal a top priority!
4. Keep your home safe for buyers (and your family!) by clearing ice and snow from walkways.
5. Don't over decorate! Creating clutter with your decorations will make your home seem smaller and less spacious.
6. Use simple, neutral and tasteful décor to create a warm, cozy vibe in your home.
7. Your holiday decorations should compliment your home's color palette.
8. Tone down light displays and keep the inflatable snowman in storage this year. Only use lights and decorations to accentuate your home's features, not hide them!

What should you expect from your real estate agent?

Today we’re getting into the details! What exactly is the role of a real estate agent in helping buy or sell your home?

A lot of people really don’t know what a real estate agent should be doing for them. And because they don’t know the role of a real estate agent, they often miss out on some of the benefits of having an agent that does their job well.

Maybe you just hire any agent because you think they all do the same thing, but really you miss out on some bonuses because you simply don’t know that they should be doing certain things for you? It’s hard to ask questions if you don’t know what questions to ask!

The road to homeownership—or getting your home sold—can be bumpy, and it’s often filled with unexpected turns and detours. That’s why it makes sense to have a great real estate to help guide the way for you.

A Great Agent Should:

1. Save you time!
2. Be very knowledgeable of your area.
3. Be an expert guide for your market and for the process itself.
4. Find the right price for your home.
5. Effectively promote and market your home.
6. Have a strong network of professionals and agents around them.
7. Advocate for you as a buyer or seller.
8. Assist you with negotiations.
9. Take care of your paperwork down to the finest detail.