When Selling Real Estate

Archie Thomas has gained much experience over the past 60 years and has helped many sellers complete the sale of their home. It’s important to feel comfortable and trust the Agent you’ve chosen to most likely sell one of the most valuable items you’ll ever sell. As an experienced and trustworthy Agent we will work diligently on your behalf by offering the following:

We will do a comprehensive market analysis of the surrounding homes in your area that have recently sold and compare them to your home. This will enable us to come up with a “Fair Market Value”. Some sellers have a figure in mind as to what price they believe their home is worth. Your Agent will perform the necessary research to come up with a price you agree to be fair to both, yourself and a potential buyer. Of course, we will always try to get the most we can for your home but it is our duty to be open and honest with you if the price you had in mind is too high or even too low for the market. Our goal is to bring you the most interested buyers possible and we can accomplish that with the price listed appropriately.

Once a fair price is determined, we will draft a contract for signature(s) and then get busy focusing on the sale of your home.

The first item on the agenda will be to take professional photos and aerial shots with our drone to give buyers an inside and outside tour of the home and property. For Sale and directional signs leading to your

home will also be set in place.

Room measurements will be taken and a description of your home and property will
be creatively summarized to showcase your listing.

Once we have everything ready to go, your property will be listed on multiple sites
including, the RMLS, USA-MLS (which reaches across the entire United States),
Realtor.com, Zillow, Facebook Market Place, Archie Thomas’s Facebook and Website,
and in print each month in the Coast & Country and Buyer’s Guide giving your listing
exposure to millions of people searching in your area.

The First Impression Means Everything

Before any potential buyers come to view your home we highly recommend these tips to get your home in tiptop shape…

Curb Appeal

The exterior of a home & the surrounding property is the first thing a buyer notices upon arrival. Make it count!
a.) Does the house need exterior painting?
b.) A quick power wash can make vinyl-sided homes look new again.
c.) Is the front door welcoming and in good condition?
d.) Mailbox in good shape and standing upright?
e.) Spruce up the yard, cut the grass, rake the leaves or shovel the snow, whichever is necessary to keep a
decluttered path to the front door and garage.

Cleanliness

The biggest turn-off a buyer has is walking into a cluttered, dirty house. Nothing sells a home faster than being clean!
a.) Start by Organizing Rooms & Closets –
Some buyers will open every door & drawer if they are seriously thinking of buying.
b.) Dust, vacuum, mop floors, and declutter as much as possible.
c.) Remove any stains from carpeting.
d.) Clean bathrooms, tubs, toilets, sinks, and hang fresh towels.
e.) Wash the windows, blinds & wipe down cupboards.
f.) Have the kitchen sink free of dishes and wiped clean & dry.
g.) Remove any marks from appliances & mirrors and leave streak-free.
h.) Paint walls if necessary to give your home an updated, clean look.

Maintenance

Everything in working order?
a.) Furnace and air conditioning units cleaned.
b.) Air returns, vents, bathroom & ceiling fans are dust-free.
c.) All lightbulbs and switches work properly.
d.) Most importantly - Have a fresh, clean home for buyers to walk into!

Your Home Is Looking Great, Let's Get It SOLD!

If an interested buyer contacts Archie Thomas about your listing, we will always accompany the buyer and never leave them alone in your home. If the buyer is working with a different Agent, it is their duty as well to remain with the client at all times giving you peace of mind.

An Offer Comes In - What Happens Next?

The Selling Agent will write the offer and present it to the Listing Agent, who will then present the offer to the Seller for discussion.
If the Seller agrees to the offered price, signatures will be obtained from both parties and the transaction will move forward.
If the Seller chooses to counteroffer what the buyer has suggested, the Listing Agent will send the countered price back to the Selling Agent who will then contact the buyer. At this time, the buyer can choose to accept the Seller’s counteroffer, counter back again, or walk away from the sale. Agents on both sides will work to keep the sale alive by weighing the pros and cons of the offer to their client.

A Mutual Price Agreement Has Been Met!

Your Listing Agent will coordinate with the Selling Agent to obtain signatures that both parties are in agreeance with the contract. Your Agent will go over the contract with you to make certain you do not object to any contingencies the buyer may have included. Some contingencies may be a home, well or septic inspection, or a financing contingency to make sure your home appraises out for what the buyer has offered.

If any of these contingencies do not meet the requirements, the buyer has the right to back out. This is where your Listing Agent will help with negotiating the issues at hand and hopefully, resolve them to allow the sale to go through.

Contracts Are Signed - Moving Forward...

Your Listing Agent will send the Purchase Agreement to the Title Company to begin the Preliminary Title Commitment Process.
Meanwhile, unless the buyer of your home is paying with cash, they will be busy with their Lender setting up appointments for the appraisal or if they chose to have any type of inspection now will be the time to have these scheduled.
A home inspection can usually be set up within a week and the buyer will receive the results immediately after a thorough inspection has been completed.
An Appraiser’s schedule will determine when they can come out and will usually take 1-3 weeks for the Lender to receive their report.
If there are no issues with the inspection or appraisal, the parties will sign off on the contingencies and the Title Company will move forward with their duties.
Title companies generally act as the combined agent of the insurance company, the buyer, the seller, and any other parties related to a Real Estate transaction, such as Mortgage Lenders.
The Title Company also reviews Title, issues insurance policies, and facilitates closings where they will obtain signatures on all closing documents, as well as receive and distribute payments related to the conveyance transaction.
After the parties have signed all the documents, the Title Company will record documents that need to be recorded, such as deeds and mortgages, in the local county land records office.
Time to breathe! Your house is sold and your proceeds are given to you after the closing…CONGRATULATIONS!