Carlie Back Team | Real Estate in Phoenix's South Mountain and Laveen Villages

“It’s just a Short Sale, no one expects it clean.”

This is a a quote from a listing I had a few months ago. I couldn’t help but cringe when he said this. Yes, you’re in a financial situation where it is best to Short Sell the house, but let me explain why it is still a good idea to do some cleaning, painting, and gardening.

If your house already has a foreclosure date set, it is CRITICAL to be as timley as possible on everything. This will include finding a buyer ASAP! A lot of people out there cannot look past the dirt and grim to see the house for what it truely is. This means that your house that might have been Perfect for the family that just walked in to see your home, but their first impression was the black marks on the wall, cob webs on the ceiling, the over grown plants and weeds growing in the front and back yards, the clutter in the house, and those liquor bottles proudly displayed over the kitchen. Lets get this house sold, as fast as possible, to have this head ache go away.

The bank wants $130,000 but the current buyer wont go past $125,000 so they walk. Well the good news is that you know that your house in it’s present condition is worth $125,000, the bad news is the bank wants more and is not willing to settle. We need to increase the value of your house, but you are in the current situation you are in because you don’t have much money and need to get out from under your mortgage. Time to pull out the broom and mop. Pull those weeds, sweep your porch, clean the walls, get all the cludder out of the house, or make it look nice and tucked away. If your carpets are dirty and the vacuum doesn’t seem to be working, rent a shampoo carpet machine at your local grocery store. Some people look at a dirty carpet and think it needs to be pulled out, when in actuality all it needs is to be shampooed. This could be all that is needed for the next buyer to come in and not see a $125,000 home, but a $130,000 home!

So if you are looking to do a Short Sale. Let’s get the process done and over with!

I have been impressed with MSNBC’s reporting on the housing market of late. They are presenting well thought out, researched, and written articles on the real estate market and what people can expect to see. I just read an article talking about the market and how sellers can try to stand out, selling their home faster, and hopefully for a little bit more than the compatition.

They mentioned things that our team has been practising for a while now, that we have found to help sellers sell.

#1 Price Accordingly. Very few people will pay more than what the market indicates is a fair price these days. So this is key.
#2 Not a Foreclosed Home. Traditional sellers are at an advantage over banked owned (REO) homes because there is still someone living on the premises that is taking care of the property. This translates to a higher price because it is less hassle and head ache for buyers.
#3 Make it look good. This has always held true. People like to see a clean house because they like to think that is how their house will be when they move in. Some people are not able to look past the cludder, dirty carpets, and stained walls. So spending a little money to get those carpets shampooed, paint the walls, and decludder can really help!
#4 Good pictures. This is very important. The pictures that are to be put on the internet and flyers need to look good, which takes more effort than people might think. We have all seen a professional photograph and the ones we took ourselves. Our team is very familiar with what it takes to make a house look good in pictures, and can truely make a hosue shine!
#5 Leasing. This is not a bad idea at all in the current market. A lot of people just can’t qualify for financing from a bank, so leasing your home to someone coudl be a great way to gain some income from the property.

Read the original article here.