Selling Arizona Real Estate

Prepare for the market

         Preparing for the market is the first crucial step. Living in a home, and marketing a home for sale are very different. Daily cleaning regimens, minor repairs, and deferred maintenance can mean substantial dollars to your net proceeds, not to mention your market time. Drive 1 mile in any direction across the valley and you are bound to spot a sign for a new development or master planned community. A properly prepared and staged home will be able to compete even with the builder models. I can help by providing a list of suggested areas of improvement or I can refer you to a home staging professional who will detail exactly what should be done to give the best possible first impression to potential buyers.

Setting the price 

            Now that you are prepared for the market it is time to analyze your competition. Competition is extremely high among sellers and those with the best products and prices capture the sales. Proper pricing from the beginning will determine if a home sells or if it languishes on the market for months, only to run the risk of becoming just another expired listing. To price a home properly you have to know your product and your competition. I help by preparing a Comparative Market Analysis which shows who your competition is, average market time, and what buyers are actually paying for similar homes in your area.

Marketing plan

            According to the National Association of REALTORS® more than 80% of home buyers begin their search online. So it’s no coincidence that my home marketing plan is based heavily on attracting the attention of these internet savvy home shoppers. I use a proven blend of traditional marketing pieces and the latest technology to customize a marketing plan which will showcase the features and benefits of your home to only the most qualified home buyers.

Receiving an offer

            Once an offer comes in, I review and analyze the price and terms to determine your estimated net proceeds from the sale. I will also generate a few counter-offer options you have to increase your net proceeds or provide more favorable terms to you. I will explain each paragraph of the contract so you know what each means and can move forward with the confidence of knowing what your obligations and protections are during the sales process.

Negotiate contract

As your agent I owe you a fiduciary duty, the highest standard of care imposed at either equity or law. I am obligated to put your interests first, even ahead of my own, throughout the course of your home sale. So you can rest assured my only goal is to negotiate your best price and terms.  

Coordinate inspections/appraisal

         A wood-destroying organism inspection is required by most lenders before they will fund your purchase. This inspection looks for any active infestations or conditions conducive to an infestation, both of which must be corrected before the sale can occur. The second is a home inspection. Home inspectors are well trained in all major components of a home and can usually spot potential problems within the initial 3 hour inspection. They will then deliver a report of their findings with suggestions of items to be repaired, replaced, or inspected further by a specialist. An appraisal will also be ordered by the buyer's lender to ensure the property is worth at least the agreed upon sales price.

Negotiate repairs

         Inspectors are obligated to report all of their findings on the inspection report, regardless of how minor the issue may seem. I help you by negotiating the right balance of seller repaired items and items the buyer can repair after moving in, to keep the sale moving forward as smoothly as possible.

Coordinate move-out

            I provide you with a checklist of items that are typical when preparing to move. Items such as switching the utilities to your new home, coordinating movers with the date of possession, address change with the postal service, etc.

Final walk-thru

The final is usually conducted without the help of a professional inspector. The purpose of a final walk-thru is for the buyer to re-inspect the home ensuring the property is in reasonably the same condition as when they agreed to purchase it, and to ensure the requested repairs have been completed to their satisfaction. The final walk-thru is usually scheduled to occur 2-3 days before the close of escrow.

Signing

A day or two before the home is scheduled to close the escrow company will call to schedule the signing. The signing will consist of tax reporting forms, and ownership transfer documents. The escrow company will prepare all of the documents necessary and send me a copy of the settlement statement (form HUD-1) for review. The settlement statement is an accounting document showing who paid for what and the amounts of each. This is where you will see the itemized costs, both to you and the buyer, of your home sale.

The Close of Escrow (COE)

   After signing the closing documents the escrow company will package the loan documents and send them back to the lender for review. A typical lender in Arizona will hold the documents for 24-48 hrs before authorizing the release of funds to the escrow company. Once they receive the funds and release authorization from the lender the escrow company will record the sale and transfer ownership to the buyer. They will also send out your proceeds from the sale, whether by wire transfer or mailed to your new address. When I receive the call from the escrow company that they have completed the transfer I will release the keys to the buyer.