Insights
A Few Insights Into Selling Your Home
When you are selling your home, getting a 2nd offer can dramatically increase your sale price. I’m a big believer in promoting the heck out of my listings so that we get your home in front of as many potential buyers as possible ... because, if potential buyers do not know about your home, then they can’t fall in love with it and make an offer.
Marketing Your Home
The most active buyers spend time every day on Zillow, Realtor.com and other websites looking for new listings – we LOVE these buyers because they are ready to go and will often-times try to make a pre-emptive offer that may exceed your expectations.
An even bigger group of buyers, however, are not as aggressive and I invest a lot of money in reaching out to these buyers as well – we want to reach BOTH groups of potential buyers. I’ve sold a lot of homes to friends of neighbors and by tapping my network of other Realtors. I have 400 agents in our group and over 3,000 Realtors in the Walnut Creek, Danville and Lamorinda area that I make special announcements to. I also reach out to over 20,000 Realtors in San Francisco, the Berkeley/Oakland Hills, and other parts of the Bay Area. When I send special announcements to neighbors, it’s because they already love the neighborhood and will become our enthusiastic Ambassadors in telling their friends and family about our listing.
My goal in marketing your home is to get us on the radar for potential buyers – they will see our listing, come in and have a look and get excited about your home possibly being “the one” to raise their family in. It’s a very exciting process to be a part of.
Good Photos = More Interest
When agents and potential buyers are zipping through the listings, I want your house to jump out as a “Must See”. I use MIKE SWAN PHOTOGRAPHY, one of the highest quality Photographers in the Bay Area. I attend most photo shoots with Mike, and together we take several hundred photos of each house - for every 10-photos, we get a really good one, and for every 100-photos we will usually have a sensational one - just the right light and just the right drama to “wow” them. We do aerial photos as well as the Matterport 3-D Tour. The Matterport lets you “walk-thru” the house and zoom in on any detail you want. Your most interested buyers will play with this - its very cool. Mike also has a nifty GPS system he uses to generate a very accurate Floor Plan, complete with room measurements and total square feet. I hand-pick the best photos to showcase your home.
Magic Words
The right words set the stage for the right buyers. The description I write needs to get buyers the information they need to get excited about your home as quickly as possible - we only have a second or two to capture their imagination and create that first impression. With just a few words I get to convey the essence and energy of your home, while also addressing the location, condition, schools and value. What I write is what they see on the MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, homes.com and hundreds of other real estate websites.
Inspections & Fix-Ups
Whether you have a stunning, $2-million house or an all original fixer-upper, I’d suggest getting inspections before going on the market. WHY? because it will usually get you a faster sale and a higher price. I have handled hundreds of inspections and have seen every issue from termites and dryrot, to leaking roofs and sagging foundations. I can help you make decisions on what to do if the home you are selling has any of these challenges. I can usually give you approximate costs and have Contractors that I can bring in to give us quotes. Work done beforehand is much less expensive than work done while in escrow.
​
IF NEEDED, Many of my contractors
will let you pay in escrow
Staging and Prep
Some homes are stunning with the Seller’s furnishings. Some homes just need a bit of “de-cluttering”. Some need cheap-and-cheerful paint and flooring. Some will need mini-makeovers that take a bit of time to complete. Some homes need the full staging treatment.
My clients love that I have so many resources and can get fix-ups done quickly. At our first meeting we can usually put together a list of items that need attention and are worth doing - we can also talk about the items that aren’t worth doing. I can coordinate the repairs - getting quotes for you and scheduling the ones that you want to do.
My Stager is DRESSED-TO-SELL in Concord - they’re one of the biggest in the Bay Area and they have their own trucks, furniture and crews. After a home is deep cleaned and prepped, they can completely transform it in 1-day!.
Disclosures
ALL homes are sold in 100% as-is condition, subject to the buyer’s inspections and review of the seller’s Disclosure Package.
Good disclosures are even more
important to your sale than Painting,
staging AND photography - COMBINED
WHY? Because of lawsuits. 100% of lawsuits after close of escrow are against the Sellers. The majority of these lawsuits are from disclosure issues - things that were known to the Sellers, but not disclosed to the Buyers during the sales process.
The most important forms are - the Seller Property Questionnaire and the Transfer Disclosure Statement. These two forms should be supplemented with a simple dialog of improvements that you’ve made over the years, along with any issues you’ve had with the house, pests, neighbors, etc. Doing your own repairs or additions without permits is fine - the important part is pointing out details so that potential buyers can understand the property as best as possible. My clients love that I take the time to review these with them in-person and don’t just send them a copy to fillout and email back.
Showings
Showings are one of the most important parts of the sales process ... you’ve invested a lot of time and money in getting everything “show-ready” ... Buyers cannot buy your home until they see it and get a sense of how it would work for their needs.
This is an exciting time for house-hunters as well - they’ve searched through dozens (or hundreds) of properties and have selected a few that have potential and are worth having a look at. Getting these buyers to visit your home in-person is the goal of our marketing investment.
If your home is vacant, Showings and Open Houses are easy - but - if you are still living in the house, it can be extremely intrusive and we talk about the best safety and security procedures.
5 ways that we can handle showings
1. MOST PRIVACY and SECURITY
I can be there for all showings. Agents for qualified buyers contact me and I meet them at your home for access and hosting.
2. CONTROLLED ACCESS
Use this approach when your house is occupied and you are home most of the time.
The buyers agent must have a confirmed appointment with you. You put the lockbox out at the scheduled time and take the lockbox back inside after the showing.
3. FULL REALTOR ACCESS
The lockbox is attached to the door or gas meter and buyers agents can access it from 8am to 8pm. This works best if your house is vacant during the day. I can also program the lockbox for specific hours - or require a confirmed appointment.
4. OPEN HOUSES
I sell a lot of homes from hosting Open Houses - this is the best time to see the most potential buyers and reduces the need for private showings later in the week. Open Houses also create a sense of urgency when buyers see other buyers. These are usually done on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm.
5. BROKERS TOUR
Held on Tuesdays, 10am to 1pm.
​
​
​
I’ve hosted HUNDREDS of Open Houses and I LOVE doing them
WHY? BECAUSE Open Houses sell homes
It’s fun to see “your buyer” when they first walk in the door - they have a different look and ask different questions than casual visitors. When I’m there to answer questions, a slight interest can quickly turn into a “must-have” buyer. I know every inch of Pleasant Hill - all the hiking trails, dog parks, schools, neighborhoods and current competition. I know construction costs and have great ideas on improvements. Buyers love this information.
Million-Dollar Listings
Our average home price in Pleasant Hill is now $1,145,000 for an average 1,753 square foot home in good condition. The new homes at Boyd and PH Rd (used to be Molino’s Raviolis) are selling for over $2-million. Same story for some of the larger homes - a 3,000 sq ft home can be over the $2-million mark, depending on the neighborhood and condition. With Pleasant Hill values running about $653 per sq ft, you will definitely want to validate the square footage shown on public records. An appraisal will have this info and I can give you a GPS calculation as well. If you have a stunning home, I can help you set the record for the highest price in your neighborhood - or in the city. A $2-million home in Pleasant Hill is perfect for people with kids in private schools - much more house for the money than Lafayette - which is only 5-minutes away.
Fixer-Uppers
You do not need to do sny improvements
in order to sell your home
You will usually make a bit more money by doing a few fix-ups and selling to an end user - but - you may want the simplicity of selling to someone who will close escrow quickly and take it “100% As-Is”. I have a lot of experience in Fixer-Uppers and know the costs for just about any improvement you can do - from foundations to roofs, painting, flooring, new kitchens and bathrooms, windows - I’ve done them all. If you have a Fixer-Upper, give me a call and I can help you look at your options.
Rental Properties
Many of my clients also have a rental property or two - I’ve sold dozens of these and am a good source of info on Leases, Proformas, Cap-Rates, 1031-exchanges, DST’s (Delaware Statuatory Trusts), CRT’s (Charitable Remainder Trusts) and other options that you can take to your CPA. No sign goes on property - I attend all inspections.
Condos & Townhouses
Yep, sold a bunch of these, too ... the HOA’s (Home Owner’s Association) can be good - or not so good. Digging into the HOA documents will answer most questions about their solvency, their maintenance responsibilities and your risks for a special assessment. I can help you filter through the stacks of HOA docs to find the info that can make a big difference on the sales price.
Selling to Family & Friends
Want to sell your home to your kid? How about a neighbor or a good friend? Maybe your tenants want to buy the home they’ve leased for the last decade - or - your Landlord is offering to sell you their rental. I can put these deals together for you. I handle everything from reviewing the comps and contracts, to the inspections and disclosures - from setting up your loan and escrow to specialized help with an equity-share agreement or a Promissory Note, if you’re helping financially.
There are still quite a few steps in the process to make sure everyone is protected and has a happy experience.
Inherited Properties
If you are selling property as the Executor or as the Successor Trustee, you will want to get some help - I have a terrific CPA and Attorney I can refer you to. You may also want to get a copy of “The Executor’s Guide” from Nolo Press (www.nolo.com). Nolo Press is a group of Attorneys in Berkeley that produce extremely useful legal books. The Executor’s Guide has LOTS of info. If this is your first time as an Executor - this book can save you a lot of time and empower you with knowledge on how the process works. This is a really good book to buy at $27.99 for the eBook or $31.99 for the printed book.
For my part, I’ve helped quite a few clients through the sale process. It starts with getting copies of the Trust documents to the title company. I use Kelly and Raad (pronounced “Rod”) at FIRST AMERICAN TITLE in Orinda. Their legal department will need to review and approve the documents and chain of title so that we can sell the property without having to go through probate. First American Title has offices across the USA.
Revocable Living Trusts
About 50% of homes are not in a Trust. A Trust Attorney usually charges $1,000 to $5,000 or so to put a Revocable Living Trust together. This is money well-spent. Having a Trust empowers the people YOU choose to handle your finances if you die or become incapacitated.
If your parent or family member dies and their home is not in a Trust then you may need to go through probate in order to sell the house. Probate costs can be expensive - a $1-million estate, for instance, could cost $46,000 in fees for the Executor and Attorney, plus sales costs and filing fees. Do not transfer title or add a kid as a co-owner without talking to your CPA or Attorney - you could cost them a LOT of money if they sell the house after you pass.
​
Clearing Out Houses
When you’ve inherited a house, the next step is always physically and emotionally difficult. Clearing out a lifetime worth of memories is tough. Some of my clients want to handle all of the details of getting the home ready to market, and others prefer to hand me the keys and let me take care of all the prep work.
I can take over after you have had a chance to clear the family heirlooms and other items that are important to you. You can direct me on how you’d like to proceed with the furniture and other items. I can arrange an estate sale, free-cycle to families in-need, or as a donation to places like Shepherd’s Gate (a fantastic, non-profit, battered womens shelter in Livermore). I can also take care of the deep cleaning, trash hauling, shredding of financial records and any fixups needed to get the house ready to sell.
This Is Usually Tax-Free Money
For 2024 - the Estate Tax threshold is $13.61 million. This is the amount that can be transferred to heirs tax-free, which means most estates are pretty much tax-free.
A lot of other financial issues come up with inherited properties and a CPA is suggested. For instance, Prop-19 has an instant reassesment of value for certain property types - it adds a hefty Property Tax that you probably weren’t expecting.
Watch for Capital Gains Taxes
If you’re a couple that has owned your home for the last 30-years, you may have $50,000 to $100,000 of your equity wiped out from Capital Gains Taxes. If you’re single, that number could double. IRC-121 is the current law that gives you $250,000 or $500,000 of your gains tax free.
​
I can help you analyze your numbers and you can take this info to your CPA for review so you don’t get a surprise tax-bill after you sell your home. I also have a terrific CPA in Danville that can advise you on the more complicated sales - like inherited properties, partnerships and/or rental properties that have depreciation and deferred capital gains.