SELLER'S ROADMAP

Charles Pool Real Estate is dedicated to making the sale of your home a simple and profitable experience. We want to prepare you with answers to some of the important questions we hear from our sellers.

Thinking of Selling?
Why sell?
Why are you selling your property? Do you plan to move to a larger house, to another neighborhood, or to another city or state? Knowing your intentions make it easier for us to determine the most appropriate option for your specific financial and real estate goals.

When should I sell?
You should establish a time frame. If you need to sell quickly, we will speed up the process by giving you a complete market analysis and action plan. If there is no pressing need to sell immediately, we will thoroughly review the current market conditions and find the most favorable time for you to sell.

What is the market like?
Our real estate experts have the knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills to arrive at the best market prices and terms. We will keep you up-to-date on the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and conditions of competing properties.

How do I optimize my finances?
Before you decide to sell, you should give serious consideration to your financial situation and future possibilities. Our qualified agents will help you assess the estimate your potential proceeds and determine effective tax savings and estate planning strategies. We ensure that you use your finances to their fullest potential.

The Charles Pool Difference
What we do to provide quality services for buyers:

Explain the entire selling process.
Use multiple listings and other sources to show how much buyers are paying for a home like yours.
Show you how to improve the marketability of your home.
Give you proven tips to make your home more appealing.
Keep you informed of all activities to sell your home.
Place our "For Sale" signs on your property to attract potential buyers.
Place information about your home through our multiple listing service.
Arrange for a tour of your home by our associates, so they can see its features and benefits.
Qualify buyers before showing them your home.
Promptly advise you of all offers.
Explain the closing process in detail, so that you have a good idea of your estimated net proceeds.
Keep you informed from contract ratification to closing.
Help obtain an advance equity loan, if this option becomes desirable to you.
We'll work to ratify a mutually acceptable, complete offer-to-purchase and give you a signed copy.
We'll attend the closing to help explain all details.
Above all, we'll work for you by marketing your home to obtain the best net proceeds, in the shortest possible time, with the least inconvenience to you.

Preparing to Sell

I’m a first-time seller. How do I value my home?
We combine our considerable market knowledge with research on recently sold, comparable properties to make a recommendation on a fair asking price for your property.

Should I make any cosmetic repairs to help my home sell?
Minor changes may get you more money. Before you begin, we will share tips and proven techniques to make your home more appealing to buyers.

How will you advertise my home?
We use the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), all forms of media including newspaper, TV, radio and web advertising, open houses, yard signs and many more effective ideas to showcase your property.

How will my house be shown?
We will arrange for our associates a private tour that highlights the property’s features. All agents will make appointments through our office. We give you advance notice of all showings and minimize any inconvenience.

Getting your house ready to sell
Keep your home uncluttered and well-lit from top-to-bottom. We will check your property before it is listed to see how you can improve the staging.

De-personalize it: You want buyers to view your house as their potential home, so put away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, and souvenirs.

De-clutter: Clutter affects the way buyers see a home. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter. Let your agent help you, too.

The kitchen is a good place to start. Get everything off the counters and clean out the cabinets. Put the dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used in storage.Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible. Homebuyers want to make sure there is enough room for their stuff, so you want to promote an image of plentiful storage space.
Closets accumulating thing you may not think of as clutter. Pack up clothes and shoes you rarely wear.
Storage areas should be as empty as possible so that buyers can imagine what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential.

Plumbing and Fixtures: Sink fixtures should look shiny and new, so clean them or buy new ones where needed. Make sure knobs are easy to turn and faucets don't leak.

Ceilings, Walls and Painting: Check ceilings for water stains. Check the walls for areas where dirt has accumulated. Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. Choose an off-white color that helps your rooms appear bright and spacious.

Carpet and Flooring: Hire a good carpet cleaner. If you do choose to replace your carpet, pick something inexpensive in a fairly neutral color. Repair or replace broken floor tiles.

Windows and Doors: Make sure windows open and close easily. If not, a spray of WD40 often helps. Replace any cracked or broken windowpanes. Do the same with the doors make sure they open and close properly, without creaking. Be sure the doorknobs turn easily, and that they are cleaned and polished.

Odor Control: Purchase an ozone spray that removes smells without creating a masking odor. For those with cats, be sure to empty kitty litter boxes daily. For those with dogs, keep the dog outdoors as much as possible. Sprinkle carpet freshener on the carpet on a periodic basis.

The exterior: A homebuyer’s first impression is based on the view from the real estate agent’s car, so take a walk across the street and take a good look at your house and nearby houses.
Is your landscaping average for the neighborhood? If it is not, buy a few bushes. Plant mature, colorful flowers to add a splash of vibrancy and color. Your lawn should be evenly cut, freshly edged, well watered, and free of brown spots. Rake up loose leaves and grass cuttings.

The back yard should be tidy. Keep your pool or spa freshly maintained and clean. For those who have dogs, keep the area clear of "debris." Remove swing sets or any elaborate play sets.
The big decision is whether to paint or not. If a paint job is in order, pick a color that fits well in your neighborhood.
If your house has an old, leaky roof, replace it; if you don't, you are going to have to disclose it and the buyer will want a new roof, anyway. Otherwise, wait and see what the home inspector says.
Polish the front door fixture so it gleams. Repaint or refinish the front door if needed. Get a new door mat. Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits properly.

Showtime
When the agent arrives with prospects:

Open the drapes and window shades to let in as much daylight as possible. If it happens to be night, turn on all of your outdoor lights, especially landscape and pool lights.
Open all the doors between rooms. Turn on all of the lights, including the lamps. Tune the radio to some quiet, unobtrusive music.
Pick up any newspapers or magazines. Clear counters of unnecessary items and put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Take out the trash.
If you have pets, make sure your listing agent puts a notice with your listing in the Multiple Listing Service. The last thing you want is to have your pet running out the front door and getting lost. Keep them out of the way when prospective buyers are visiting.
Make the beds and pick up clothes.
Put the toilet lids down.

When you leave the house in the morning, leave it as if you know it is going to be shown. You never know when the right person is going to look at it.

Accepting an Offer

What happens when we get an offer?
We promptly present all offers to you and work to obtain a mutually acceptable, signed offer-to-purchase. We will guide you through the process and attend the closing so we can answer any questions.

The price is not always right
Price is not always the determining factor when accepting an offer. The initial offer is usually not final, and there are terms and conditions that may influence the final outcome. We will help you thoroughly evaluate every proposal.

Negotiating the right way
We negotiate contractual terms to find a win-win agreement for all parties. You may have to deal with multiple offers before you find the one most suitable for you. We will help you make a thorough and objective assessment of each offer.

Stick to the schedule
Once you have chosen an offer, you will be given a timeline to mark every stage in the closing process. During the process we will keep you constantly updated so you will be prepared for the next step.

Inspections, Appraisal and Closing
Most buyers will have the property inspected within the timeframe agreed upon in the effective contract to purchase. Some buyers will wish to obtain professional opinions from several different inspectors who specialize in a specific area. If the agreement is conditional upon financing, then the property will be appraised to determine the value so the lending institution can confirm their investment in your property is accurate.

Contingencies
A contingency is a condition that must be met before a contract continues. For example, a buyer may include a contingency stating the contract is binding only when a qualified inspector issues a satisfactory home inspection report.
The buyer has the right to determine the condition of your property by subjecting it to a wide range of inspections. Depending on the outcome of these inspections, one of two things may happen:

Either each contingencies is removed, bringing you one step closer to the closing; or
The buyer requests a renegotiation of the terms of contract (usually the price).

Loan approval and appraisal
We suggest that you accept buyers who have a lender’s pre-approval, which is a better guarantee of loan approval than a pre-qualification letter. An appraiser from the lender’s company likely will review your property and verify the sales price.

Final walk-through inspection.
The final inspection takes place on either the day before or the day of the closing. The buyer verify that all is in working order and everything is the same as when the property was last viewed.

Cancel home services and utilities
We can provide a list of useful numbers for the termination of home services and utilities after the closing.

Be prepared
If an unforeseen glitch pops up -- if something breaks down or the buyers' loan does not go through --there is no need to worry. We have encountered these problems before and we know how to handle them efficiently and in a stress-free manner.

The closing
A title company or an attorney will be selected as the closing agent. After researching the recorded history of your property, they will certify that 1) your title is free and clear of mortgages, leases, restrictions or liens by the date of closing; and 2) all new encumbrances are included in the title. The closing agent will furnish a settlement statement, which details the financial transactions. The buyer(s) will sign, then you, then the closing agent, certifying its accuracy. If you are unable to attend the closing, arrangements can be made. If you are receiving funds from the transaction, you can either have the funds wired electronically to your financial institution or have a check issued to you at the closing. You should have all property keys and any other important information for the new purchaser at the closing.