Information for Sellers

It is the one thing that almost everyone does at one point in their lives, sells their home. This can be a very confusing time, filled with many questions and few answers. It is hard to understand all of the questions you may have about selling your home. Fortunately, Northern Ohio Realty can help.

Northern Ohio Realty can help you with all of the questions you have about selling your home. We have many years of experience in the real estate industry.

Let's begin the home selling process so that you can understand how easy and hassle-free Northern Ohio Realty agents make it for our valued clients.

Choose a link from the list below, or follow them step–by–step to learn more:

• Preparing to Sell your Home
• So You're Ready to Sell your Home
• You're Ready to List
• Determining Property Value
• Getting Your Home Out There
• Selling Your Home
• Saying Goodbye to Your Home
• Surviving the Move

The first question you might want to ask yourself is, “why do I want to sell my home?” Do you need more space? Are you an empty nester looking for a smaller space? Have you accepted a job in a different part of the country? All of these questions affect the potential sale of your home and the negotiating process of that sale.

You may also want to begin making a list of the entire interior and exterior projects that you want to complete before placing your home on the market.

Contacting a Northern Ohio Realty Agent will point you in the right direction, too. Our agents have the knowledge and understanding of the industry. They can provide reliable information and get you moving in the right direction towards the sale of your home.

Assessing your home is the key to beginning the home selling process. You may want to ask yourself, “What would I like to see or not see if I were touring this home as a potential home buyer?”

Problems like chipped paint, dirty walls, windows and doors, unfinished remodeling projects and cluttered garages are all areas for home selling improvement. Treat the sale of your home as you would with any day living in your residence. Neat, tidy and organized works!

Remember you are hiring someone to manage the marketing of your home. While your agent would love to sell your home there is a 4-1 chance your home will be sold by someone other than your listing agent. Your agent will likely not be the one who sells your home but they will be the reason your home sells. Getting your home sold is their job.

Before you list your home, it is important to do your homework on the real estate companies in your area.

1. Since nearly 75% of the buyers start their search for a home on the Internet, search the Internet for your local real estate companies.
2. Review each company's Internet site to see which has the best Internet marketing program. Is it an integrated marketing program designed to drive traffic to your home's page on the Internet?
3. Speak with each company about their Internet traffic
4. Talk to people. 9 times out of 10, someone you know has sold their home and can point you in the right direction and provide a credible recommendation.

When choosing a real estate agent, do not be afraid to meet with a few agents. After all, they are competing for your business and this is what makes the real estate industry successful. To be fair and get an accurate comparison, be sure to ask each agent the same questions.

Feel free to ask them the following questions:

• How will you mobilize the real estate community?
• What professional certifications do you hold (ex. Certified Residential Specialist - CRS)?
• What services will you provide for me as my agent?
• Do you have an integrated marketing package for maximum exposure?
• Will my property have a unique Internet address?
• How will you represent my property?
• Can you provide a market analysis for my property?
• How will you determine the price of my home?
• What is the fee for your services?
• Can you provide me with a “net sheet” showing me what I can expect to net form the sale of my home?
• Explain the paperwork that I need to sign.
• What is the timeframe for listing my property with you?

There are a number of factors that go into determining the value of a home.

• It is realistic to compare the homes in your area and the asking prices of those homes.
• The law of supply and demand always comes into play. Do you live in an area with increasing job opportunities or an increasing supply of homes?
• Owners needs greatly impact the selling price of a home. Does the owner need a quick sell or do they have time to wait?
• Where the owner positions their home on the market relative to their competition will dictate the amount of time it will take to get their home sold.

Only a qualified Northern Ohio Realty agent can provide a fair market analysis of the homes for sale in your area. A Market Analysis is usually free and without obligation. For more information on how to receive a FREE Market Analysis that will help you properly determine the value of your home, contact Northern Ohio Realty by clicking here.

There are a number of different ways that an agent can drive traffic to view your home:

• Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
• Open Houses
• Websites/Internet
• Print Advertising
• HOMES™ Magazines
• Marketing Strategies

The Offer

An acceptable offer depends on many different things:

• Is the proposed offer near the asking price?
• The timeframe of the seller – Does the seller have another house payment? Insurance?
• Does the owner have enough time to wait for the agent to bring them more potential buyers?
• What if the home is listed and never receives an offer?
• What if several offers are received at the same time?

Negotiating

This negotiating process can at times seem very complicated. However, if you are represented by a Northern Ohio Realty agent, your agent will reduce the stress experienced by many.

During the negotiating process of the sale of a home, the seller can react in one of three different ways:

1. Accept the buyer's proposed offer
2. Decline the buyer's offer
3. Make a counter–offer

The closing process is always changing. It is even referred to “settlement”' or “escrow” in different parts of the county. With increased technology, most closings are completely automated and both parties do not have to be present at the same time to sign.

Closings usually take about 30 days to complete. This mainly depends on the buyer's loan approval, successful home inspection completion, and various lender conditions (ex. title search, title insurance, termite inspections, surveys and appraisals).

The closing process is the transfer of the title of the property from the buyer to the seller. The buyer will title and a deed to the property, while the seller receives payment for the property. The amount the seller receives is based upon the amount that is still owed on the mortgage, any outstanding fees or taxes and any additional closing costs. All legal papers are filed with the local recorders office.

Your Northern Ohio Realty agent will scrutinize the closing statements to make sure that the document is in order and conforms to the contract for sale.

Moving can be one of the most emotional times in your life. The thrill of something new … new career, a new neighborhood, a new home. While this may sound great to some people, for others, these changes can be an emotional rollercoaster.

There are many resources out there. You may want to consult your Northern Ohio Realty agent for guidance.