Hackers and identity stealers (in many cases one and the same) are on the rise now-a-days. This isn’t just a problem while in contract – it’s rampant throughout the real estate industry, especially rental scams.
Category: Home Selling
Death of a loved-one is never something that we want to think about; but for many of us it is a closer reality than we want to admit. Today I welcome guest author Lucille Rosetti. Lucille is an expert in the field of loss and bereavement and kindly agreed to pen a guest piece. She has a book titled Life After Death: A Wellness Guide for the Bereaved coming out this spring.
The decision to move from your home after the loss of a spouse, parent, or child is one of the toughest you’ll ever make. There are so many emotions that go along with moving, but when coupled with leaving a part of your life behind, it can be very intimidating. But a change of scenery and a fresh start may be just what you need to heal.
Is it time to go? After losing a loved one, there are so many reminders each day that things are not the same, even if the backdrop is. If you find it difficult to imagine yourself in that environment without your loved one, you may do well to give yourself a new place to call home. People move for many reasons, including, according to Unpakt, to get a fresh start and combat financial issues, which you may have if your spouse has passed away. When your reasons to leave outweigh your reasons to stay, you’ll know it’s time.
Cleaning and saying goodbye. One of the hardest parts of the moving process is cleaning out the home before packing your boxes. Combined with the emotional struggles associated with going through our loved one’s belongings, this can be almost crippling. In order to move forward, you’ll need to let go of some personal belongings. Start with items that don’t have any direct emotional connection, such as old shoes and books that haven’t been read in years. You may wish to donate clothing or household items to a local shelter or community center so that these things can bring joy to someone else. Purge as much as you can but hold onto sentimental treasures. Pocket Sense warns to be careful when tossing paperwork, as the decedent must have taxes filed on his or her behalf.
Once you decide which personal keepsakes to hold onto and which to donate or sell, consider hiring a cleaning service to help you clear things out before you pack. HomeAdvisor reports that the average cost for a one-time interior house cleaning is between $115 and $241 and takes about four hours.
Buying and selling, don’t go it alone. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to partner with a real estate agent that can help you manage the buying and selling process. U.S. News & World Report’s experts explain that there are several ways to effectively sell your home quickly. But since you also want to get the most out of your investment, you’ll also need the advice of a Realtor®, who can offer suggestions on which projects to complete and the best way to stage your house to make it as inviting as possible for potential buyers. On the buying side, an experienced agent can help you find a new neighborhood close to amenities that add value to your life. The agent can guide you toward financing options and will be able to point out issues you may not have considered, such as high homeowner’s association costs or proximity to higher-crime areas.
Another thing to consider when moving is hiring a professional moving service. This will help ease some of the pressure and ensure safe transport—or financial compensation in case of an accident—of your furniture, electronics, and other household goods.
While it’s overwhelming, know that things will settle down, and you’ll soon be able to see the horizon over the hills. Moving can offer you the chance to rebuild your life and write a new chapter for yourself. The biggest obstacle is overcoming your emotional attachments and letting go of the guilt of leaving your home. You deserve to be happy, and your deceased family member would encourage you to do what’s best for you.
This Psychology Today post by Kristen Meeholf offers additional advice on how to create a new life after loss.
Image via Pixabay
One of my all time favorite books. If you haven’t read it, make the time. It’s well worth it…but today’s blog isn’t about that. Today I want to talk about time wishing the offer process. There is often a lot of confusion surrounding what happens – in fact, I just went through a similar process where the time for the other party to respond expired…twice! There are a few key points to keep in mind. Some may sound rudimentary but you would be surprised at how the pressure of the situation can affect an individual’s sound judgment. But that’s what you have us there for, right?
- Just because you submitted an offer, doesn’t mean that it has been accepted: Simple, right? People generally only get confused about this part a little later into the counter offer process but I’ve seen it start at the very beginning. Buyer rights an offer and asks, “So what’s the next step? When and where do I give my deposit too?” Unfortunately, next step is to wait until we see what the seller says. Boiler plate language on the contract states that the seller has three days to respond.
- Three days starting…now? Yes, but this can get a little confusing…but it’s still better than it used to be. The day you submit an offer (or counter offer) is day zero. You then have three additional days to wait for a response. For example, if you submit an offer on Monday at 3:30pm, the seller has until Thursday at 5pm (close of business) to respond. Feels like four days, right? The waiting can be interminable. If your agent knows that offers are due on a certain day, you can always ask them to shorten the time frame to respond.
- What happens when time runs out? You’ve blown past day three and still haven’t received a response from the seller or buyer. Hopefully your agent is in contact with the other side so that you know what’s going on. But if they aren’t…what now? Officially your offer has expired. If the other side wants to accept it they can but you are no longer bound by it. You do have a couple of options. You have the right to leave your offer open and go into contract. You also have the right to walk away. Your offer has expired and it is no longer valid. Just because the other side wants it now doesn’t mean that you still do. Make sure, however, that your agent communicates to the other side your intention.
Real estate is not a zero sum game. It is meant to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. There are times when it is difficult to get all parties on the same page because of distance; some times parties aren’t as technologically savvy as others and so you still need a “wet” signature rather than a digital one. Just make sure that your agent is talking to the other side as well as you. Communication the most important assets in real estate.
Casey Stengel once said, “There comes a time in every man’s life and I’ve had plenty of them.” That is certainly true for trying to get a transaction closed in real estate. There are any number of ways to delay closing. My first mentor (who also happens to be my mom…in fact I got into real estate helping her with marketing) told me that there is a point in every transaction where it looks like things are going to fall apart. This was sound advice. It is a rare transaction where things breeze through.
There are several choke points in a transaction (as illustrated in the CAR info graph below) but I’ve found that the hardest is the request for repairs. Lorna Hines says that the true power in any negotiation is being willing to walk away, but the art is in never having to do so. Buyers frequently want more than the seller is willing to give. Here is where an agent’s negotiating skills come into play. The beauty of real estate is that it is supposed to be a win-win situation. Both sellers and buyers should walk away happy. If that doesn’t happen, then one of the agents isn’t doing his/her job.
Almost every home needs a little bit of staging to get things ready for market. Whether it’s decluttering or bringing in all new furniture, there is always work to do. Some times it is just a bit of sweat equity.
The white ceramic tile countertops in the kitchen is the item that I hear about the most from buyers. Thinking about selling? Contact me today and we can talk about a marketing plan that will sell your home for the highest possible price.
