When buyers start their home search, they are always looking for the perfect house to buy. After all, if you’re going to spend that kind of money, you certainly want what you want!
Unfortunately, what buyers soon come to realize is there is no such thing as the perfect house to buy. I’ve been licensed since the 1980’s, have bought several homes myself and I know as a buyer, you’re never going to love everything about a house.
How to choose the perfect house to buy
In an ever busy real estate market in Overland Park, once you’ve looked at around 10 houses in your price range, you should have a pretty good idea what you’re going to get for your money as well as what you like and don’t like. All of this is in the first phase of the buying cycle – the search.
After all, searching online versus in person are two entirely different things. Do you ever really see online the way it is in person? “I thought the kitchen was bigger than it really is!”
If you’ve seen 10 houses in person and haven’t yet made an offer on any of them, your requirements may need to be tweaked a bit. Since there is no perfect house to buy, you’ve got to figure out what you have to have and what you can give on.
What kind of house can you buy for $375,000 in Overland Park?
For example, I’m currently working with a couple who is looking to purchase in the $375,000 price range in Overland Park. That price range covers a lot of territory and lots of different age ranges of homes. They have seen lots of houses they “like” but not like enough to write an offer.
At this point, here’s what I know for sure:
She wants the perfect kitchen
He wants the perfect finished lower level
They both want the perfect master bath and closet
Other than that, I think they are somewhat flexible. I am showing them 2 houses today and 2 tomorrow. We are going to have that conversation this evening that when we find the kitchen, lower level and master bath and closet that they like, they need to consider making an offer.
When is it time to stop looking and start making offers?
As a result, they are probably not going to get the first house they put an offer on. So we’ll move into the second phase of the buying cycle of actually writing the offer. Many agents tell me that their buyers have actually written as many as 10 offers and have not won one yet.
In contrast, I always like to tell my buyers that after 35 years in real estate, I don’t need contract writing practice. Let’s offer a good price and other terms that might get accepted. You can look at houses from now until the end of time and never find the perfect house to buy. At some point, you’re just looking at houses which some people do as a hobby.
How to schedule a buyer consultation
If you are looking for the perfect house to buy in Overland Park or surrounding areas, I can help you eliminate much of the stress by taking you through the different phases of the buying cycle. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here to schedule your initial buyer consultation.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few months, you probably know that now is a great time to sell your home in Overland Park. Why?
There is limited inventory especially in houses under $450,000
It’s summer and a perfect time to relocate before school starts
Houses are bringing tens of thousands of dollars over market value
It just makes good sense if you are anticipating a move in the near future
I’ve been talking to my clients who have been in their homes for a number of years to see if now would be a great time for them to sell. I have found that most people aren’t motivated by the thought of selling their home for $30,000-$50,000 over what it’s worth.
On the other hand, I have other clients who can’t wait to sell their home in Overland Park for an overinflated price. It’s like winning the lottery. They know full well, that this market isn’t going to last forever. And they are stepping up to get in on the free money while it lasts.
To Sell Your Home in Overland Park, Do You Need to Prepare It?
This is a tricky question that everyone has their own opinion about. I will answer the question as a Home Stager. The better your house looks and the more emotional buyers become over your house, the more money you will get. That will never change. And that’s exactly why I started Overland Park Home Staging back in 2006. Buying a home is an emotional experience and people will always be able to justify what they just did when they know they overpaid for your house.
Once they see themselves living in your house, shopping in your neighborhood, and their kids attending that elementary school that’s within walking distance from the house, they are hooked. Money doesn’t matter anymore.
Problems with the Real Estate Market
The biggest problem with the Overland Park real estate market is choosing the right offer. Which offer is going to stay together and end up actually closing? There are so many variables that go into the winning offer. It’s not just about the price. Here are other things to consider:
Are the buyers fully approved or just prequalified?
Does their lender have a good track record of closing transactions and on time?
Is the buyer’s agent knowledgeable, available and a good problem solver?
If you are planning a move out of the area or moving to an apartment, now is a great time to sell your home in Overland Park. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here to schedule a FREE consultation so you’ll know just how rich you will be when you sell your home.
Smudging your home is an ancient spiritual practice and ritual that we use to cleanse a home, rid it of negativity and prepare it for its new occupants. Above all, it’s an actual sage burning ceremony that works for sellers or buyers depending on their specific needs.
Who is home smudging designed for?
It can be for sellers who want to rid their home of negative energy, buyers who want to know that the home they bought will be filled with positive energy, or for residents who want to remove bad vibes from their homes.
The very first smudging I did was in 2008 when I listed a home where a murder with a chain saw had been committed. Needless to say, it was a gruesome situation. Even though a couple of years had passed since the incident, I learned about smudging because I was having bad feelings just being in the home. I studied the practice of smudging and took it upon myself to perform a smudging ceremony once a week while the home was on the market.
Other reasons sellers smudge:
There was a break up or divorce
One of the occupants went through a long illness
Someone passed away in the house
A dramatic event occurred at the house
Turbulence in the family
The home had been vacant for awhile and had stale energy
Buyers love the art of home smudging for similar reasons:
Smudging helps to purify and redirect the energy in the home
It’s a natural disinfectant
Removes any negative vibrations, pains, fears, anxieties and uncertainties that could be lingering in a home
Sage is known to boost your mood, improve memory, focus and help with insomnia
Smudging is a quick and easy fix to prepare the home for the new buyers. Furthermore, they can move in knowing all negativity has been released and the environment is filled with positivity, love and light.
Our process of smudging your home
We prefer to smudge the home after the sellers have vacated and before the buyers move in. An unoccupied home is the perfect backdrop to rid a home of any previous negative energy. But either way, occupied or not, we can smudge your home to your satisfaction.
There are as many different ways to perform a Smudging Ceremony as well as different products to use. We prefer using white sage as our main tool for the ceremony. Our intentions are always set first. Then we ask why we are there and what you want to specifically accomplish with the home smudging. The final preparation step is to always smudge ourselves first before we smudge the house.
The art of smudging can be done with your hands or with a feather. We use a feather to direct the smoke from the sage to clear the space. In our Smudging Ceremony, we say different prayers to rid the house of evil spirits. We will get very specific with the prayers if we know “the story” of the house. We go room to room as we smudge. The process is slow and mindful and each smudging ceremony usually takes about 1 hour.
Will one home smudging do the trick?
That depends. As previously stated, I smudged a house once a week for about a month back in 2008. We’ve had buyers purchase a home where the previous owners had been battling through a divorce for the past couple of years.
With this type of negative energy flowing throughout the house for so long, we would recommend at least 2 smudging ceremonies. The 1st should be once the house is vacant before the buyers move in and the 2nd one about a week after moving in.
Those 2 smudgings will remove any negativity from the house as well as the new owner’s things. Furthermore, that will clear the air of the occupied space by the previous occupants and allow the buyer’s possessions to go through a good smudging as well.
Is smudging your home right for you?
While smudging your home may seem a bit weird and confusing to many people, it’s merely a way to remove bad juju from a home and replace it with light, love, and joy. Especially when buying a home, you never know what went on behind those closed doors. You may discover the previous residents were horrible people who did terrible things.
Smudging is a sacred, religious and spiritual practice to many Native American tribes. For that very reason, we have high regard and respect for the process. We believe smudging works to rid a home of its demons.
You can start off life in your new home with a clean slate knowing the bad energy has been moved out of the house to make way for your positivity, love, and light. It’s a small price to pay for a large investment and a fresh start!
Personal Smudging Ceremony
Due to the recent chaos with Covid and unrest in the world, we offer our Personal Smudging Ceremony to rid negativity from your mind, body, and spirit. Much like a home smudging, the purpose of the ritual is to allow the smoke from the white sage to carry off all negativity, fears, and attachments and be replaced with light, love, and joy.
We use White Sage, which is a natural healer for your mind, body, and spirit. Furthermore, its leaves are rich in compounds that work to turn on your brain activity, raise your mood, reduce stress, and relieve pain. It’s even been proven to be a solution for insomnia!
The smoke from the sage cleanses everything it touches and has direct communication with our Creator. With your intentions and goals for healing, combined with our Ceremonial Prayer Ritual, you will start a daily practice of reciting your personal affirmations to deepen what we created.
Our most requested service
Our most requested ceremony is smudging the home and one of the residents. On average, about 8 out of 10 personal smudging ceremonies that we perform are centered around health-related issues. Whether it’s a recent diagnosis or surgery, our clients understand the importance of removing all the bad juju from their home as well as their spirit. In addition, as everyone knows, having the right positive attitude is the most important attribute for healing.
If you or a loved one has encountered ill health, unmanageable stress, anxiety from a break-up, insomnia, or just negativity in general, a Personal Smudging Ceremony can work for you, too!
Get the combo!
Our Combo Personal and Home Smudging Ceremony is the best deal! Likewise, it will remove the contaminated demonic forces, stale or negative energies, fear, sadness, uncertainty or anxiety about the future, or just plain bad spirits that may be lingering in your environment and your mind.
We work with your intentions to promote new beginnings, purify the mind, body, and spirit, and transform all energy from negative to positive.
How much does a smudging ceremony cost?
Personal Smudging Ceremony (for one person) – $125
Home Smudging Ceremony – $125
#1 Best Offer – Combo Personal and Home Smudging Ceremony – $200
Each extra Personal Smudging Ceremony is $75 if performed while we are there.
ATTENTION REALTORS – ask about our Preferred Realtor Program that can save you $$$ on your next Home Smudging Ceremony. It makes a great housewarming gift for your favorite buyers!
How do I order a personal or home smudging?
Schedule your personal or home smudging by calling or texting (913) 515-3250 or contact Melinda here.
SO CUTE in Cherokee Hills and ready for a fresh new start. Lovingly maintained and cared for over the years, this sweetheart of a home is clean and move-in ready. It has so much to offer if you are committed to a little sweat equity. There are hardwoods under the carpet and with a fresh coat of interior paint and some new window treatments, this home could come to life in no time. There’s a large, treed, and fenced yard and 24 x 16 deck just off the kitchen. Priced under market value so don’t miss your opportunity to trade a little work for money and bring your imagination and best offer this weekend! Refrigerator, washer and dryer stay! Seller would like a quick close!
Listed for $215,000, Zillow’s Zestimate for 9421 Knox Drive was $228,163. Click below to find out why you should never, ever rely on Zillow’s numbers. After all, Zillow is a computer program.
They may also offer to buy your home but when you click on the link below, you’ll discover why you should never believe their values. My seller was certainly happy she hired me to sell her house over Zillow.
What’s the real scoop?
9421 Knox was vacant and had 76 showings (because we allowed it) and 20+ offers. It SOLD for CASH and closed in 10 days! If you have a home to sell and care about your money, I can help you too!
If you’re just curious about what other houses are selling for in Cherokee Hills, get your home’s value here by entering your address. It’s up to date comparables direct from our local Multiple Listing Service. Easy peasy and we don’t sell your information!
Or if you want to know what your house would potentially sell for in today’s real estate market, call or text Melinda direct at (913) 515-3250 for a quick 15 minute walk through evaluation of your home. There’s no obligation, you can ask all of your “Should I” questions and you’ll be able to determine the right time to sell your home.
What you really need to know…
No two real estate agents are the same. Choose an agent who is getting the results you want. Call or text me now at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here and sell your home while the market is RED HOTTTT! It won’t last forever!
From recent freezing temperatures, warmer weather is just around the corner and here are my best tips to prepare your home for spring.
While shopping over the weekend for fresh, new accessories for my new listings, I went into Home Goods to see what they were featuring this spring.
First of all, I love the feeling I get when I walk into Home Goods. They know how to get you in the mood to shop. It’s the same trick I use for all of my new listings. Home Goods and I both know we’ve got a short time to grab the buyer while they are present and either they’ll buy or they’ll move on. I call it the 10 second rule. It’s based on grabbing the buyer within 10 seconds of entering a house.
Home Goods is bright, full of happy music, and the colors throughout the store are outstanding. Furthermore, it’s such a pick-me-up and an incredible feeling. I love their bright cheery dishes, pillows, springtime furniture and outdoor cushions. It makes me want to buy everything in the store and give my own home a spring makeover.
I also love Home Goods for doormats and front door wreaths. They are bright, colorful, and full of life. The spring season is the best time for a change. It’s like starting over new again. In addition, you get a new lease on life and your home deserves this as much as anything. For that very reason, you will reap the benefits from your mini spring home makeover.
How to Stand Out
This week while working on a couple of houses, I thought about what would make us stand out from our competition. Both houses had substantial front porches so I decided with the new season and the energy in the air, I wanted to focus on the porch and really hone in on the curb appeal to draw people inside.
As a result, at one of the houses I added a new spring doormat, a fresh wreath and added new pillows to the homeowner’s glider. The most fabulous part of this house was the screened-in back porch! After all, who doesn’t want a porch? My buyer, Ashley, (what’s a girl to do with a pedestal sink?) bought a house with a porch and without that pedestal sink a few years ago. I hope she’s taking time to enjoy her porch – especially this upcoming spring season!
Here are My 11 Best Tips to Prepare Your Home for Spring
Paint your front door
Add an expensive pot filled with colorful flowers next to the door
Find a pretty new wreath and hang it on your front door
Get some new house numbers
Change out your mailbox (if it’s on the house) or paint it to match the color of your door
Add some dark mulch to your flower beds
Shop somewhere like Home Goods and buy a few new colorful accessories for inside
Buy some new pillows for your couch
Paint a room (or the entire interior of your house)
Throw out last year’s outdoor cushions and get some new brightly colored ones that will cheer you up on a daily basis
Buy a new umbrella for your outdoor table
We had a cold winter in Kansas City. Therefore, it’s time to live life to the fullest and enjoy spring. Whether you’re selling and want to create the model home look or dwelling and need help zinging your home into spring, you can call me direct or text me at (913) 515-3250 or get started here.
Everyone wants to know just how many offers does it take to sell your home in Overland Park.
The local real estate market is so crazy in certain price ranges, but come on, how many offers do you really need to sell your house? Some agents like to brag about how many offers their latest listing received. It’s the best way to boost their ego and they think it will make all sellers want to use them to sell their home as well.
Other agents like to take advantage of the hot market. They will actually let offers stack up for a couple of days before presenting them to the seller. While there is nothing wrong with doing that, it does tend to make other Realtors and their buyers mad. When buyers make an offer, they like to know whether they are going to get the house or at least be considered. Wouldn’t you if you were a buyer? They don’t like waiting a couple of days to find out they had no chance of their offer being accepted.
What’s the best game plan?
There are many options an agent can employ when strategizing their game plan to sell your home. Each agent thinks their plan is the best and is unique to them. From what day is the best day to list your home for sale, to how many offers they will accept, to the number of days they will collect offers.
But after all, how many offers does it take on one house? Some agents say it’s in the best interest of their seller to let the offers pile up. Why? What’s the most any house is going to sell for? We’re in Kansas. This is not California. A $300,000 house in Overland Park is not going to sell for $350,000. How much can you push the price up before the house doesn’t appraise for the price offered – maybe $15,000?
Home buyers are desperate to buy
Today’s buyers are desperate to buy a home. With low inventory and reasonable prices in the local market, most buyers have lost out on more than one house. When I tell a buyer that they probably aren’t going to get the first house they make an offer on, they look at me with dismay. After losing out on many houses, they make crazy offers on houses that really aren’t worth what they are offering.
For example, a friend of mine told me her neighbor’s house had received 14 offers and sold for $22,000 over the asking price. When we researched that, the sale price was only $5,500 over the list price. 14 offers??? Really?
Did the house sell for $22,000 over asking and the appraiser didn’t see the value? Or did the seller exaggerate the sale price to my friend? If the house actually did sell for $22,000 over asking and it didn’t appraise, then the seller probably was forced to reduce the price to the appraised value.
But in the end, if you’re the seller, don’t plan on using that $22,000 extra money on your next house until you determine you are actually going to receive it. If your house doesn’t appraise, you may not have the money you were hoping for and it could sure screw up your next purchase in a hurry.
How many offers does it take to sell your house?
Here’s my strategy when I list your Overland Park home for sale. My goal for my listings is to get 3 great offers the first day on the market. Everyone will have a final chance to bring their best and final offer by the end of the day.
That’s exactly what happened with my house in Leawood South. My sellers ended up with $12,425 over their asking price. (In the end, they took the lowest offer but it was a cash deal and it closed in 2 weeks – with no appraisal).
Don’t expect agents and their buyers to wait around for a couple of days to hear whether or not they got the house. Buyers today certainly don’t want to miss out on another house while you’re busy collecting offers. Your best offer could end up walking away because they found another house.
If you have a great house that’s priced right and looks good, you only need one great offer in this market. You’ll keep everyone happy and save yourself unnecessary stress.
Call me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here to see what it’s going to take to keep things stress-free when selling your home. I promise not to bring you 20 different offers that I have to present. I won’t put you through all that. 3 great offers will accomplish the same exact thing and in much less time.
The typical Overland Park home buyers use the 10 second rule when they arrive at your house. What does that mean? It means, that within 10 seconds, the buyers have made a decision whether or not they are going to buy your home.
Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how many homes I see that have terrible curb appeal, porch appeal and entry appeal. Sellers who don’t think these things are important should think again.
What today’s home buyers want
Furthermore, today’s home buyers want to be impressed. Why? They are getting ready to spend their entire life’s savings to buy a home. It’s a place they will make memories for themselves. So many of these home buyers are moving from apartments that are pretty impressive. If they have a gorgeous rental, they certainly expect to be impressed with a house they are going to buy.
Therefore, buyers want to know the home they are considering buying has been well maintained. At a recent panel I was on for first time home buyers, their biggest fear was buying a money pit. That means if you are selling, you had better step up your game because today’s buyers are looking for a reason not to buy your house. They are looking in every nook and cranny for something that isn’t right. They are eliminating all of their options until they find that perfect home with the Goldilocks effect.
Consequently, Overland Park home buyers have already decided about your home long before they reach your front door. Even more, they have researched everything they possibly can online. They’ve done an aerial view, they know what your street looks like and your next door neighbor’s house. When your house is ready, the buyers will come.
Finally, here’s what they really want to see when they get there:
A good street
A well maintained neighborhood
Respectable looking homes
Awesome curb appeal
Perfection at the front door
And a “wow” factor as they enter your house
When home buyers fall in love with your home
In addition, to please today’s Overland Park home buyers you’ve got to have that “you had them at hello” scenario. It all comes down to the details. Let it begin in that first 10 seconds and keep it going as they walk through each room of your house. When they’re done with their tour they’ll be saying, “We have to have this house and we’ll pay more money for it.” That’s how smart sellers are winning at the 10 second rule with today’s picky buyers.
Think this is foolish? As a result, buyers can take your house or leave it? With that attitude you’ll surely be on the market awhile. It’s not the new way to sell your house. You’ve got to change with the times or take your chances of not winning the home selling game. The choice is yours. Remember, not all houses sell. Will you be one that adopts the new rules to sell your home and adopt the 10 second rule as part of your home selling strategy? Selling your home is simple – but it’s not easy.
I’ve been helping home sellers with their 10 second rule since 2006 when I started my home staging business. If you’d like to incorporate it into your home selling strategy, call me direct at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.
While I’m all about doing everything you can do to sell your home faster, will St Joseph sell your home? Burying a St Joseph statue in your yard has never been anything I suggest. In addition, if you’ve ever used one of these statues and swear by them, then your house was probably on the market for some time and you probably finally got it priced right. But the folk custom that came to be that sellers should bury the statue in their yard as a sign of prayer asking to find a buyer for your home is pure folklore.
For that very reason, I actually decided to team up with St Joseph when I asked my seller, Melanie Dillon, if she buried one in her yard. Her response was they didn’t need to because they had St Melinda. Yes, St Melinda sold their Overland Park house the first day on the market a few years ago (it’s what I’ve always done) – when there was actually some inventory to sell.
No matter what the inventory is, there are only 3 reasons your house will sell. And St Joseph is not one of them.
It’s priced right
It looks spectacular
You have the right agent
There really are no gimmicks when it comes to selling homes. Never have been. Even praying doesn’t work. Me teaming up with St Joseph is a gimmick – in all reality, I don’t need him. Above all, too many agents focus on things that don’t really matter when it comes to selling houses.
Here’s my secret sauce
If you start with a realistic price and create a product worth that price, you’ll get more money every time. That’s exactly why I learned the art of home staging 10 years ago. At that time, houses that were for sale didn’t show well. Many of them still don’t show well because sellers and their agents don’t understand what home staging is and how it works.
The right price and a great look will boost the right priced home every time. But even in today’s market, savvy buyers will not buy a house that’s overpriced. They will however pay you more for a house that’s priced right and that they can see themselves living in. For that reason, buyers must get emotional about your house and if they don’t, they’re not going to buy it. My job, as your home stager, creates that emotion. My job will sell your home for more money.
Will St Joseph sell your home?
No! If you’re set on selling your house with St Joseph buried in your yard – you need to rethink things. Obviously, your house hasn’t sold for one of the above 3 reasons. What is it that isn’t working for you? If your agent is telling you it’s the market, they are lying.
There’s a Melinda-ism I may have jacked from someone else…you make excuses or get results but you don’t get both. If you want to sell your house, quit making excuses, make the changes necessary and you’ll get results.
There are buyers out there but you’ve got to give them what they want. If your house is on the market and not selling, look at the pictures online. Does it compare to the house you want to buy? If not, get a new price, new look or new agent.
I get calls from people around the country who can’t sell their house. When I see their homes, I understand why their house hasn’t sold. The time spent buying the St Joseph statue and burying it could be time better spent on figuring out why your house hasn’t sold and making the necessary changes.
If your house hasn’t sold and you need help understanding why, ask St Melinda at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here. Time is of the essence in real estate and every day your house is on the market is costing you thousands of dollars!
If you are selling your home this winter, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Keeping it ready for showings though can be challenging especially when it’s snowing outside.
Bad weather poses a problem for agents, buyers and sellers. But if you think you won’t get any showings in this cold weather, don’t ever underestimate home buyers and their agents.
In February 2011, I had a listing sell in Overland Park the day it snowed 2 feet. The sellers were out of town and nothing had been shoveled. As most people were hunkered down at home, I had a showing scheduled. Those were some serious buyers. I did call the buyer’s agent and ask him if he was crazy and told him to take a shovel with him. He shoveled his way to the front door and they bought the house.
Here are 3 helpful tips for winter home selling
Be sure to clear your driveway and front walk when it snows – if you want buyers to come into your house make it easy for them to get there. Don’t expect them to trudge through a foot of snow to get into your house. You may think they’re crazy for looking on a snowy day but everybody has their reasons. They might be in from out of town to buy a house. It’s not their fault it snowed. If they’re out looking at houses in bad weather, they are obviously very serious buyers.
Have a big rug inside your front door – with snow on the ground, it’s more than likely going to end up in your house. Having a large, washable rug inside your front door will give your buyers the opportunity to remove their boots without worrying about tracking snow through your house. If there is room, you might also include a small chair in case they need to sit down to get their boots back on. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness and you will appreciate them not tracking snow through your house.
Keep your front door lock lubricated– there has always been a problem with front door keys freezing in the lockbox and breaking off in the lock. If your key doesn’t work easily, you’re probably going to end up with a broken key in the lock.
Additional tips that agents appreciate
Do yourself and the buyer’s agents a favor. Go to the hardware store and buy a graphite spray (for about $5) that is specifically made for door locks and spray it into the lock. DO NOT USE POWDERED GRAPHITE OR WD-40. These do not evaporate and will tend to make the lock even dirtier and literally impossible to work.
Even with showing restrictions, give the agents a bit of a break on the time frame when showing your home. They might need a little extra time to get there which might get them off schedule a bit. Showing houses in bad weather always takes more time.
Do these 3 things and you’ll be way ahead of the other houses for sale that those motivated buyers may be looking at on a cold, snowy day in Overland Park. Little niceties pay off!
If you want to learn more tips and nice things you can do when selling your home this winter, call or text NICE to (913) 515-3250 or contact me here. I have a whole list of things I do to help my sellers stand out from their competition. Why be average when you can be SOLD FAST and get more money?
When your house sells with multiple offers and for $35,000 over asking price, everybody wants to know…will the house appraise? Before accepting that very attractive offer, you need to ask yourself lots of questions.
First of all, waiting to look at all offers after being on the market for 3 days is probably going to be your first problem. Don’t be greedy. You know what your house is worth…if you sell it for $20,000 over asking price, will the house appraise? Probably not. Don’t blame the appraiser. He’s just doing his job. Don’t expect him to put some unrealistic value on your house when it doesn’t exist. He’s working for the buyer and the lender. He’s going to say, “Show me the comps you used to arrive at this price.” Do they exist?
Appraisers need proof. In order to complete their paperwork and assign a value to your home, they need to be able to show 3 other comparable properties that have sold for your selling price in the last 3 months. There again, ask yourself…will the house appraise?
I sold Rick and Karen’s house by the end of the first day on the market to a cash buyer and for $15,000 over asking – with no appraisal. Cash buyers don’t require appraisals because there is no lender involved.
In that same transaction, we had one offer of $23,000 over asking that was going to be financed. As an experienced Realtor, I thought that one was going to be a problem and shared my concerns with my sellers.
How important is the appraisal?
Your appraisal is going to be done very late in the game…maybe a couple of weeks before closing. If this is the case, you still need to do everything you can to make your house look its best. Impressing the appraiser is especially important if your house sold for over asking price.
The foremost thing on your mind should always be will the house appraise? While the appraiser is still going to compare apples to apples, I’ve had them tell me, “That house sure does show well.” BINGO! That will usually raise the price to an extent. That’s where home staging comes into play. The showings may be over, but next to your showings to nab the perfect buyer, the appraiser’s opinion of your home is the next most important showing there is. Get this one wrong and it could not only botch your sale, it could make a big difference in your next purchase.
Understanding the home selling process
Have a plan with your agent before your house comes on the market. IFTTT, is what I call it. If this, then that. Work through some scenarios of what might happen. If you have a brand new agent, they may not have enough experience of what will happen. But an experienced agent should be able to walk you through what to expect when your house sells with multiple offers, without multiple offers or with offers less than asking price.
Have that discussion before you come on the market and definitely before you’re running high on emotion and you’re unable to make a good decision based on facts. My average house sells the first day on the market because I set it up to happen that way. It’s part of my marketing plan so I pretty much know what’s going to happen, I expect it and share how it’s going to happen with my sellers. So, the details may change but my sellers are never surprised because we already had that conversation.
What are your expectations when selling your home?
It always surprises me when sellers have no clue what’s going to happen when they sell their home. It’s not your fault…you might be a first time seller or repeat seller. It doesn’t matter. Real estate changes constantly and your agent should inform you of what to expect when your home comes on the market.
Having a game plan is a big part of will the house appraise? You should always think things through before you make some potential huge mistakes. If your house doesn’t appraise for the price it sold for, be ready for that as well. Don’t make your next transaction dependent on every dime you’re expecting to receive on your house. You might not get what you thought and could end up not having enough money to close on your next home. I hear horror stories other agents tell. The job of your agent is to guide you through a successful transaction. Remember, the results you get will be because of the agent you choose. Choose carefully!
If you are selling your home, want a smooth transaction, a house that appraises, and more money in your pocket, call me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.
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