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The Home Listing Process
As a prospective home
seller, I’m sure you have a lot of questions. I am here to give
you the answers. If there is anything on this site that isn’t covered,
feel free to
contact me and I will respond as soon as possible.
The listing of your home
begins with me walking through your property while you tell me about the
significant updates and improvements you have made over the years. I’m
sure there are plenty of features of your home that you are proud of, and I
want to hear about them! I might snap a few pictures and measure for
room dimensions, but most important is what you tell me about your home… its
special characteristics. The information that is gathered during our
initial meeting will assist me in preparing a personalized report to show
you what’s happening in the real estate market right now, and how
that will relate to your specific property. Then, together, we can
determine the best price obtainable for your home.
Your report will also
include an estimate of the cash proceeds you can expect to receive from the
sale of your property, as well as a marketing plan designed specifically
for your home. Using the strong marketing abilities of Coldwell
Banker The Real Estate Group, Inc., I will show you how we will expose your
property to the widest possible market in order to obtain the best price, in
the shortest amount of time, and with the least inconvenience to you.
In addition to gathering
physical information about your home, I will need you, the seller, to
provide:
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A copy of your title policy or abstract.
Unless you purchased your home more than 30 years ago, you most likely
will have a title policy. When your property is listed, the title
company will provide a preliminary title check to assure us that there are
no conditions which could get in the way of our marketing efforts.
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Any information delivered to you by the
city or any other government agency calling for repairs such as streets or
sidewalks. For instance, the City of Appleton provides a
five-year improvement plan that we should sit down and review prior to
listing your property.
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A list of any items, other than personal
property, that you do not wish to include in the sale of your home.
Oftentimes, sellers have attachments to their homes that were received as
gifts or otherwise may have sentimental value (i.e. decorative mirrors,
garden bulbs or shrubs, door knockers, lighting fixtures, etc.) and it’s
strongly recommended that these items be removed and/or replaced before
any home showings begin. It’s all too common for buyers to see
something that sellers were planning on taking with them, and suddenly
your antique chandelier becomes part of the negotiations. Again,
anything you don’t want included in the sale of your home should not be
visible to prospective buyers.
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A copy of your prior year’s tax
statement. Your statement includes important information that is
needed to prepare your listing paperwork.
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A list of the appliances you intend to
take with you. Although most appliances (other than built-ins) are
considered personal property, many sellers include them with the sale of
the home for many reasons (too difficult to move, don’t match decor at new
home, inclusion makes home more saleable, etc.).
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Will the window treatments remain with
the house, or do you plan on taking them with you? It is important
to point out that drapes and blinds rarely fit the windows of your next
home, and often end up in storage. Unless you already know that your
window treatments will be effectively incorporated into your next home,
you’re better off leaving them behind.
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If your property has a water softener
that is rented, it is important that this is disclosed to any prospective
buyers to avoid any surprises after closing.
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If you are aware of any significant
property defects, such as a leaky roof, water in the basement, etc., you
will need to disclose this information in what is known as a Real
Estate Condition Report. The Real Estate Condition Report
protects you, the seller, just as much as it protects the buyer. As
long as you are completely honest in disclosing relevant information on
the RECR, the buyer will have no legal recourse over a defect after
the sale if the problem was listed in detail on the RECR.
The above information
will assist me in preparing all the paperwork necessary to get your house on
the market as soon as possible. We want this process to be as smooth
and efficient as possible, because there are buyers out there right now who
want to see your house!
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