Columnist: Thinking of selling your home?
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Thinking of selling your home in the near future? Here are some things you will want to do.
Hire a good, full-time agent that will tell you the truth about what you need to do to sell your house. Now if you have seven rooms and you have seven different paint colors and they say that is great, do not hire that agent.
You have what I call a “rainbow house,” and you will have to have another “rainbow person” come to buy your house at “rainbow prices.”
“Rainbow buyers” are about 2 percent of the market. These people also have to be looking for a house your size and in your price range — a real long shot. As a result, you will sell your house at a big discount.
Next, if you have not cut the boxwoods in seven years, guess what? You may want to cut them and, while you’re doing that, put some pine straw out.
Walk through your house and you notice seven light bulbs are blown, put new ones in. The torn vinyl in the kitchen your wife has been wanting replaced for three years, let’s get it done.
I mentioned paint before — you know if you have not painted in seven years, let’s get a fresh neutral paint job done. Now you have your clothes that you have not worn in 13 years, let’s make a trip to the Salvation Army and let some needy person have them.
Folks, I know all this is common horse sense but trust me, we need more horse sense.
Interest rates are still wholesale at about 4 percent. Before you get a contract on your home, make sure they use a local loan officer that you can talk to.
With those Internet banks you get a different person, not from the USA, each time that really does not care about your deal. You will be much happier if you take my advice on this. I had someone the other day that wanted to use their friend’s bank in Arkansas.
When I made the other agent compare to a local bank, closing costs were $1,500 cheaper. All banks are not equal.
Most importantly, get a good local agent that will answer your questions. Please have some questions, if they are negative look for a positive agent. You will thank me later.
