You are ready to sell your house. Congratulations! I am sure you’ve visited my website (www.stephenburchard.com) and downloaded the step by step guide, preparing you to sell your house. BRAVO!! With a buyer lined up? Terrific!
So, you may be thinking, why do you even need a realtor? You’ve already done everything. Right? Wrong! There is so much more to be done. If you want this sale to go smoothly with no hiccups or stress, consider working with a realtor – even if you already have a buyer lined up.
There are three parts to a house sale: the offer, the terms and contingencies and finally the closing.
The Offer.
- A written offer is required.
- Offer must be compliant with all state and local laws.
- Buyer’s earnest money (deposit) must be kept in escrow with a third party, such as a title company to keep it safe throughout the home sale process.
Terms of sale and contingencies.
- What stays with the house and what do you take with you when you move? Sounds simple, but have you taken a look at everything in your home? Do you want to take Grandmother’s mirror or that chandelier you and your beloved spent so much time picking out? Other items such as appliances need to be detailed in the paperwork as items that “convey” or not with the house when purchased. Realtors do this every day and have the paperwork you need to make this step easy for you.
- How is this sale being financed? Is an appraiser required by the lender? How do you get the appropriate appraiser for you?
- A realtor knows all the right questions to ask and has all the correct forms to provide you.
- A realtor will ensure that the terms of sale and contingencies are clearly outlined for both parties.
The closing.
- Completing all of the paperwork: review, sign and file. Sounds simple, but there is a considerable amount of paperwork when you close a home. If anything is missed or completed incorrectly it could cause issues with the sale.
- A realtor will help you coordinate all the logistics of the closing, make sure nothing is missing, schedule the signing and ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Remember me, when you have any questions or are ready to make a move either to sell or buy your next house. I am Stephen Burchard, The Desert Bowtie Realtor, taking the (k)nots out of real estate.
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