Selling Your Home? Do These Things Before You List
Selling Your Home? Do These Things Before You List Get ready for the beach – it’s summer! The time of year when our thoughts turn to swimming, frozen treats, and … moving? Yes – did you know that studies indicate 48 percent of moves happening between May and August.1
And sales are heating up. In May, the National Association of Realtors announced existing-home sales are forecasted to jump 3.5 percent in 2017, to its highest level in a decade.2 This increase is expected despite the probability of rising mortgage rates; the Mortgage Bankers Association is projecting that the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will be 4.7 percent by the fourth quarter of this year, up from 4.32 percent at the end of 2016.3 If you are considering a move this year and have a house to sell, here are some things you might want to do before your listing goes live. •
Itemize Your Projects. A fresh and clean home is much more appealing to potential buyers. Go into each area (be sure to include the garage and yard!) and make a list of projects that need to be done there. Do the carpets need to be cleaned? Could the walls use a fresh coat of paint? Make a checklist of all the projects, and assign a target completion date for each.
•
Declutter. Is your house starting to look like a feature of “Hoarders” on A&E? It’s time to declutter and remove those things not crucial to daily living. Sell unwanted items at a garage sale or donate to charity. If you have items you want to keep for your next place, consider renting a storage unit to house your stuff temporarily.4
•
Get a CLUE. There’s a free tool out there called the “Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange,” or CLUE. This is a database that contains information about insurance claims made, going back seven years. Only the owner of a property may access its CLUE report. Not only can you examine what’s in the report and get ahead of any inaccuracies, but you can also make copies of a report for potential home buyers.5
•
Interview Realtors. If you’ll be listing your house with an agent, it’s OK to ask for an initial interview. This is a great time to ask your potential Realtor about their marketing strategies and determine if your expectations and personalities are a good match.6 Content prepared by Jean Mathieu and Kara Stefan Communications
(Continued) “We invite you to visit our website to learn more about us. If you would like have a discussion about your particular circumstances and concerns, call us at 603-647-7166 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.” - Stephen Mathieu, Founder and President of Legacy Financial Solutions, and his wife, Jean Mathieu.
1361 Elm Street, Suite 100
●
Manchester, NH 03101
●
603-647-7166
●
[email protected]
1
Martin Panayotov. My Moving Reviews. Dec. 9, 2016. “Moving Trends 2016: Annual Moving Industry Snapshot.” https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/moving-trends-2016-annual-moving-industry-snapshot. Accessed May 19, 2017. 2
National Association of Realtors. May 18, 2017. “NAR Midyear Forecast: Existing-Home Sales Poised to Climb 3.5 Percent in 2017.” https://www.nar.realtor/news-releases/2017/05/nar-midyear-forecast-existinghome-sales-poised-to-climb-35-percent-in-2017. Accessed May 19, 2017. 3
Holden Lewis. Bankrate.com. Jan. 4, 2017. “Mortgage Rate Forecast for 2017.” http://www.bankrate.com/ finance/mortgages/mortgage-rates-forecast.aspx. Accessed May 19, 2017. 4
Dana Dratch. Bankrate.com. Feb. 2, 2016. “Before Your List Your House for Sale, Do These 6 Things.” http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/to-do-before-you-list-your-house-1.aspx#slide=1. Accessed May 19, 2017. 5
Heather Larson. Bankrate.com. May 14, 2015. “Want to Avoid an Unpleasant Home Insurance Surprise With Your Next House? Get a CLUE.” http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/clue-report.aspx. Accessed May 19, 2017. 6
Liz Alterman. Realtor.com. Sept. 14, 2016. “What Is a Listing Agent? Why a Home Sale Hinges on Agent’s Expertise.” http://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/interviewing-listing-agents/. Accessed May 19, 2017.
1361 Elm Street, Suite 100
●
Manchester, NH 03101
●
603-647-7166
●
[email protected]
And sales are heating up. In May, the National Association of Realtors announced existing-home sales are forecasted to jump 3.5 percent in 2017, to its highest level in a decade.2 This increase is expected despite the probability of rising mortgage rates; the Mortgage Bankers Association is projecting that the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will be 4.7 percent by the fourth quarter of this year, up from 4.32 percent at the end of 2016.3 If you are considering a move this year and have a house to sell, here are some things you might want to do before your listing goes live. •
Itemize Your Projects. A fresh and clean home is much more appealing to potential buyers. Go into each area (be sure to include the garage and yard!) and make a list of projects that need to be done there. Do the carpets need to be cleaned? Could the walls use a fresh coat of paint? Make a checklist of all the projects, and assign a target completion date for each.
•
Declutter. Is your house starting to look like a feature of “Hoarders” on A&E? It’s time to declutter and remove those things not crucial to daily living. Sell unwanted items at a garage sale or donate to charity. If you have items you want to keep for your next place, consider renting a storage unit to house your stuff temporarily.4
•
Get a CLUE. There’s a free tool out there called the “Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange,” or CLUE. This is a database that contains information about insurance claims made, going back seven years. Only the owner of a property may access its CLUE report. Not only can you examine what’s in the report and get ahead of any inaccuracies, but you can also make copies of a report for potential home buyers.5
•
Interview Realtors. If you’ll be listing your house with an agent, it’s OK to ask for an initial interview. This is a great time to ask your potential Realtor about their marketing strategies and determine if your expectations and personalities are a good match.6 Content prepared by Jean Mathieu and Kara Stefan Communications
(Continued) “We invite you to visit our website to learn more about us. If you would like have a discussion about your particular circumstances and concerns, call us at 603-647-7166 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.” - Stephen Mathieu, Founder and President of Legacy Financial Solutions, and his wife, Jean Mathieu.
1361 Elm Street, Suite 100
●
Manchester, NH 03101
●
603-647-7166
●
[email protected]
1
Martin Panayotov. My Moving Reviews. Dec. 9, 2016. “Moving Trends 2016: Annual Moving Industry Snapshot.” https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/moving-trends-2016-annual-moving-industry-snapshot. Accessed May 19, 2017. 2
National Association of Realtors. May 18, 2017. “NAR Midyear Forecast: Existing-Home Sales Poised to Climb 3.5 Percent in 2017.” https://www.nar.realtor/news-releases/2017/05/nar-midyear-forecast-existinghome-sales-poised-to-climb-35-percent-in-2017. Accessed May 19, 2017. 3
Holden Lewis. Bankrate.com. Jan. 4, 2017. “Mortgage Rate Forecast for 2017.” http://www.bankrate.com/ finance/mortgages/mortgage-rates-forecast.aspx. Accessed May 19, 2017. 4
Dana Dratch. Bankrate.com. Feb. 2, 2016. “Before Your List Your House for Sale, Do These 6 Things.” http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/to-do-before-you-list-your-house-1.aspx#slide=1. Accessed May 19, 2017. 5
Heather Larson. Bankrate.com. May 14, 2015. “Want to Avoid an Unpleasant Home Insurance Surprise With Your Next House? Get a CLUE.” http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/clue-report.aspx. Accessed May 19, 2017. 6
Liz Alterman. Realtor.com. Sept. 14, 2016. “What Is a Listing Agent? Why a Home Sale Hinges on Agent’s Expertise.” http://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/interviewing-listing-agents/. Accessed May 19, 2017.
1361 Elm Street, Suite 100
●
Manchester, NH 03101
●
603-647-7166
●
[email protected]
