One of the first questions most people ask when deciding to sell a home is, “what is my home worth?” And for clients who sell with me, I determine the value of a home through several criteria including, subdivision/area, square footage, in-home features, age, and external influences such as school district and proximity to desirable areas. The result is nearly always within 1% or less of valuation accuracy. This means you will get an accurate idea of what your house will sell for and make an informed choice when listing. 

As the top selling agent in Lafayette, I know exactly what buyers in the area are looking for and will guide you on how to increase the appeal your house has to potential buyers. This includes prioritizing both interior and exterior repairs and adding minor touches outside of your home to attract attention from people passing by. With my guidance, we will stage your home in a way that highlights its best assets, and I will task you with maintaining a high level of cleanliness throughout the selling process.  

And while disclosure statements are never enjoyable, they don’t have to be stressful when selling with me. Using my years of experience with the legal procedures involved in disclosures, I will assist you in writing a thorough disclosure statement and suggest improvements that you should make prior to placing your home on the market. 

Finally, when it comes time to present your property to potential buyers, I take care of it for you because buyers often feel more comfortable discussing the property without sellers present. You can feel comfortable knowing that I understand what information will be the most useful in representing your interests when speaking with buyers. 

With my proven experience as a realtor, you can trust me to thoroughly evaluate every proposal without compromising your marketing position. I strategically negotiate with potential buyers to find a win-win solution that is beneficial to all parties involved. 

Once you receive an offer you are happy with, I will help put together an effective agreement, which is a legal arrangement between you, the seller, and the potential buyer. I will assist you in keeping written records of everything, including all verbal agreements, by drafting all the paperwork for your sale and making sure that you have copies of everything. And lastly, you and the chosen buyer will be given a timeline to mark all remaining stages leading to the closing of the real estate contract. With continuous updates from me, you are sure to always be prepared for the next step. 

Inspections and Appraisals

While some buyers will hire multiple specialty inspectors, the majority of buyers will have the property inspected by one licensed property inspector within the time frame that was agreed upon in the effective contract to purchase. If the agreement is conditional upon financing, then the property will be appraised by a licensed appraiser to determine the value for the lending institution via third party. This is done so that the lending institution can confirm their investment in your property is accurate. 

The Closing Agent

Either a title company or an attorney will be selected as the closing agent, whose job is to examine and insure clear title to real estate. After researching the complete recorded history of your property, they will certify that – 

1. Your title is free and clear of encumbrances (eg. mortgages, leases, restrictions, or liens) by the date of closing. 
2. All new encumbrances are duly included in the title.

Contingencies

A contingency is a condition that must be met before a contract becomes legally binding. Before finalizing the purchase of your property, the buyer will go over every aspect of the property, as provided for by purchase agreements and any applicable addendums. Along with property inspections, these include:

• Obtaining financing and insurance
• Reviewing all pertinent documents, such as preliminary title reports and disclosure documents

Depending on the outcome, one of two things may happen:

1. Either each milestone is successfully closed, and the contingencies will be removed, bringing you one step closer to the closing; or
2. The buyer, after reviewing the property and the papers, requests a renegotiation of the terms of contract (usually the price).

When a renegotiation is demanded, I can guarantee that with my expertise and total commitment to every customer, we will find the best solution for everyone involved. 

Loan Approval

Consider requiring buyers to have a lender’s pre-approval, approval letter, or written loan commitment before accepting their offer. With only a pre-qualification or no documentation from a lending institute, sellers get no guarantees. Expect an appraiser from the lender’s company to review your property and verify that the sales price is appropriate.