Charlotte Real Estate & More

Think Like a Charlotte Real Estate Agent

Before putting your Charlotte home on the market, you will want to make certain that your home is in tip-top condition to ensure a quick sale.  The key to listing your home is a competitive price and ascertaining  you have what buyers are looking for.  The trick to that is to think like a Charlotte real estate agent.

To prepare your home to sell, here are five easy and inexpensive home improvements this Charlotte REALTOR® recommends:

1. Layout – Take an objective look at your home and stage your home accordingly.  Remove clutter and rearrange furniture so that potential buyers can envision each room’s purpose. Also, store any large or obtrusive furniture that disrupts walking flow or makes rooms look smaller.
2. Charm – Play up the unique features of your home. Refinish hardwood floors if they’re scuffed, remove excess objects from built-in bookshelves and clean unique light fixtures. It’s these irreplaceable elements that make your home stand out from other homes and hook buyers.
3. Hardware – Update all of your hardware. Changing out door handles, drawer pulls and light fixtures is an easy way to modernize your home while spending very little money.
4. Scent – Eliminate all bad odors like pet smells, stale cooking odors and cigarette smoke.  Just lighting candles or spraying air freshener won’t work.  Clean, deodorize and get rid of rugs or other cloth objects that still smell bad.
5. Curb Appeal – Spend some time sprucing up the yard.  Keep in mind that the exterior is the first impression buyers will have, and although the interior may be in mint condition, a lot-of-work lawn could instill a negative notion before your prospective buyers even step foot inside your home.

Buyers’ needs vary in every market. However, buyers will always consider these five features before they buy. So, stay one step ahead of the game and ensure your house is up to par with buyers’ expectations.

If you’re getting ready to sell your home and are looking for a Charlotte real estate agent who can help you sell your home fast and for top-dollar, I’d be honored to be interviewed for the job.  Give me a call today or email me to schedule an appointment.

Originally posted at www.iCharlotteRealEstate.com

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

Don’t Be So Emotional!  4 Mistakes Charlotte Real Estate Sellers Make

More than likely, you’ve cooked dinners, you’ve played games and you’ve made thousands of memories within the personally decorated walls of your home — and now you think you’re ready to move on. No matter the reason for selling your Charlotte real estate, getting emotional is normal. However, you need to keep those emotions in check, because they could be detrimental to closing the deal.

Emotional calls constantly get sellers in troubling situations that make them regret their split decisions. A snide remark, too-low offer or fixer-up request from the buyer can push your buttons, but you need to set your feelings aside in order to do what’s best for your financial future. Below are emotional mistakes that can stop negotiations and put you in housing hot water!

• Overpricing faux pas – Just because your sweat is worth a lot to you doesn’t mean that your property’s value will reflect the years of hard work, cleaning, upgrades and love you’ve put into it. Do your research. If there are comparable houses in your neighborhood at lower price points, reduce your listing price so that you’ll be a contender for buyers.
• Negative negotiating – Even though you may not want to entertain low offers, listen to your Charlotte real estate agent. He or she has been through hundreds of negotiations and is your best bet for closing the deal at a fair price.
• Personal injuries – Don’t let buyer biases get to your personal ego and cause you to reject a potential purchaser. Remember, you are selling this house and moving on; they’ll be able to do whatever they want once they own it anyway.
• Mourning the sale – The memories go with you, so don’t have any second thoughts. Concentrate on making new happy moments in your future home.

Don’t let sentimental seller’s syndrome cause you to blow a fuse, have seller’s remorse, or worst of all, lose a sale. Eliminate emotions from the sale process in order to draw in buyers, get your money’s worth and sell quickly.

If you need help selling your Charlotte real estate, call me or email me for more information.
 

Read more: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/charlotte-home-seller-tips-leave-the-emotions-out-of-the-equation/#ixzz1XYx6Wace

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

The Longer the Shelf Life, The Less Chance You Have of Selling Your Home

"HELP!  We've received an offer on our home...and it's WAY too low!  What on earth are we to do?"  I know it stinks and it just plain doesn't 'feel' right either.  Many sellers have the initial reaction to just ignore the buyer, exclaiming, "That is not even worth a counteroffer!"  That's definitely not where you want to begin in the negotiation process.  Here are a few points to consider instead.

I once had a buyer who made an Offer of $700K on a property that the sellers thought was simply TOO low because they had, one year prior to that, received an appraisal value at $775K.  We knew that the price that we were offering was right  on the money but, they insisted that we were WAY too low and they would not respond to our Offer.  Fast forward a year and a half and their home is still on the market and fair market value is now down to the point that the absolute HIGHEST amount which they can get on their home is $600K.  Would have, should have, could have, right?

Sellers, keep in mind that your very first offer may not be exactly what you were dreaming of--but, you simply must consider this offer.  Making a stiff or non-counteroffer is likely to have your first and quite possibly only buyers running for the hills!  How long are you willing to let your home languish on the market until the next, probably lower, offer comes in--if, indeed one does?  Bear in mind that a non-counteroffer was not what the buyer was expecting and they may be aware that they're bidding low and fully expecting you to counter back.  If you do not, they think you may be foolish and will move on to property choice #2. 

Sure, it's tempting to stand your ground and wait for that dream offer to come in but, consider the amount of time that your home  has been on the market.  If you're running into the 'months on the market' rather than 'days on the market' then you need to seriously consider that first offer.  Don't bury your head in the sand--you must understand the realities of the current market and how it is trending.  Ask your agent to perform a market absorption analysis for you; the details contained within can be eye opening for you and help you to realize that you should not be selling with emotions.  Rather, this is a business transaction.  This first offer is certainly worth serious consideration. 

Days on the market have an impact on the buyer in ways which you, as a seller, may not be aware:  the longer the shelf life, the fewer potential buyers are going to come through.  Self life erodes your homes market value just as much as your neighbors home which sold at a foreclosed amount does--especially in a buyer's market!  Buyers begin to wonder, "What is wrong with the house that has caused it not to sell?"   What factors are keeping it from selling?  Is it price or is there something underlying that others have discovered before us? 

Take a long, hard look at that first offer.   If you don't consider this offer, how long will it be before you are able to garner another offer?  How long are you willing to wait?  How much lower are prices going to go before you do get another offer?  How much more in mortgage, tax and insurance payments are you willing to pay before you finally Close on this home?  What is this waiting period going to ultimately cost YOU in the long run?

Don't allow greed to stand in your way of moving on with your life.  Remember, you're going to come out better when you purchase your new home--you'll then be the buyer in a buyer's market! 

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

Four Charlotte Real Estate Mistakes Sellers Make

Is your home is just sitting on the market month after month?  Have you only received ridiculously low offers or none at all?   You very well may be committing one of several common seller slip-ups.  Some homes almost sell themselves, but if you don’t have that amazing home in the perfect location, you’ll need to be especially careful that you’re not committing one these four easily-avoidable Charlotte real estate mistakes.

1. Your home is priced too high:  If no one’s even looking at your house, it may be priced above market value. Check out the competition, and reevaluate how badly you need to sell. If you’re unwilling to drop the price to get buyers through the front door, maybe it’s not a good time for you to sell.
   
   
2. Your house isn’t marketed properly:  Make sure you and your real estate agent are doing everything possible to get the word out about your home.  Include all of your home’s best assets and many flattering photos in your online marketing. With most home buyers starting their search on the Internet, if your home doesn’t look good online, they may be crossing your home off their list even before giving it a chance.  Remember the first impression, whether online or in person, is imperative.
   
   
3. You’re not getting buyers through the door:  If your Charlotte real estate just isn’t selling, it may be because your agent isn’t doing enough to get buyers through the door.  Make sure you have detailed and open discussions with your agent from the beginning.  That way you’ll each know exactly what you expect from the other.   If you’re not getting the results you want, talk with your agent and put a plan in place to reach your goals.
   
   
4. Your home is in less than good condition.  Make sure all of the necessary repairs have been made. Clean!  Remove as much clutter from your home as you can.  You want potential buyers to come in and imagine themselves living there.  Don’t distract them with your personal items or make them want to run right back out of the door.  Be sure your Charlotte home for sale is 'show-ready.'

If you need help ensuring you’re not making a common Charlotte real estate mistake, give me a call or email me.

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

Ditch the 9s When Pricing Your Charlotte Real Estate

Most, if not all, Charlotte real estate buyers start with an Internet property search.  Even buyers who are working with real estate agents start the weed-out process via the World Wide Web. 

Because real estate has such a strong virtual presence these days, smart internet marketing (including price setting) is an absolute must for selling your home quickly.  Here are a few pricing techniques to maximize the number of potential buyers who find your home when they search for Charlotte real estate online:

• The theory of the 9s - Most real estate search engines have parameters that filter listings based on $25,000 or $50,000 price blocks. For instance, you can search for houses valued $150,000-$200,000 or $200,000-$250,000. Many sellers don’t seem to take this into account.  Instead, properties are listed using the same marketing techniques that grocery stores use to sell you a gallon of milk — they use a lot of 9s in the pricing to make it look less expensive. However, today’s buyers aren’t going to be fooled by that system. 

• Spanning markets - While you might think listing your house for $399,900 will make buyers see your home as a bargain, you might actually be losing out on a lot of interested buyers. When buyers search for houses from $400,000-$450,000, your property won’t show up, so you’d be better off upping the price a little to $400,000.  Then you’ll expand your potential buyer base because it will show up in property searches priced $350,000-$400,000 AND searches priced $400,000-$450,000, thus capturing TWO pools of buyers rather than eliminiating one altogether--and with only $100 in your price!

• Pros and cons of under-pricing your home - If you’ve priced your property somewhere in the middle, like at $309,000, common sense might tell you that lowering the price $9,000 to price it at $300,000 would be undervaluing it.  However, getting many more buyers through the door will certainly help your property sell faster. While I do not recommend purposely under-pricing your home, if you did happen to undervalue it, buyers will notice and you might end up with a multiple-offer situation allowing you to get even more from your property.

Don’t resort to out-dated, discount pricing marketing tricks that might actually be hurting your chances of a fast sale at top dollar. 

If you need help pricing your Charlotte real estate, I can help.  Call me today at or email me for more information. 

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.