How do I set the price of my home?
What should I do to prepare my home for sale?
Who does the Realtor represent?
Who pays the Realtor?
What happens after the contract is signed?
What happens at the closing?

How do I set the price of my home?

The best way to determine price is to have a Realtor work up a Competitive Market Analysis on your property. As a member of the MLS system, we have access to almost all the properties sold and currently listed for sale within the area. We use this information to find homes comparable to yours that have sold in the past 6 months or are currently listed to establish a market price. Keep in mind that an overpriced home will generally stay on the market longer, and sell for less in the end. A home priced right is a home sold quickly.

What should I do to prepare my home for sale?

The first step is to look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer. As a buyer, in what condition would you expect the home to be? Two basic items are walls and floors: painting the walls, removing wallpaper to give the home a more neutral appearance, cleaning carpets (or replacing severely worn carpet), and polishing wood floors. There are two rooms that will benefit most from updating: the kitchen and the bathroom. Depending on how much money you are willing to spend, this can vary from painting to replacing items such as countertops, vanities or appliances. Just as important as the interior, is the exterior of your home. Suggested improvements include painting, minor landscaping, and general yard maintenance (mowing, trimming, raking leaves, etc.). Remember, many buyers like to drive by listings before deciding to make an appointment, and it is extremely important to have good curb appeal. And the most important tip of all: keep your home looking it’s best at all times. Contact us for additional ideas on how to make your house show its best.

Who does the Real Estate agent represent?

Missouri law requires that if you want representation, you must enter into a written agreement. Generally, Realtors represent the seller, unless a Buyer’s Agency exists between the buyer and their Realtor, or if a dual agency or transactional exists. For more detailed descriptions of the types of agency, contact us and we will send you the state-required pamphlet.

Who pays the Realtor?

Typically the Realtor fees are paid by the seller. This includes the fees of both the Buyers’ Agent and Seller’s Agent. In very few instances the buyer may be asked to pay the Realtor fees, but this is only if a Buyer’s agency has been signed and usually only in the case of a For Sale By Owner.

What happens after the contract is signed?

Between the time the contract is signed and the actual settlement or closing is reached on a house, the buyer and seller go through various steps. These include: a meeting between the lender and the buyer to work on financing, inspections, an appraisal of the house for the lender, acceptance of the buyer’s financing, final walk-thru inspection, and the actual closing.

What happens at the closing?

This is the time when the buyer, seller, Realtors, loan officer and title company representative sign all the final papers to transfer title from the seller to the buyer. At this time the buyer brings a check (usually a cashier’s check) for the down payment and closing costs and the bank brings the check for the amount of the mortgage, and the seller brings the keys to the house. The seller signs the deed over to the buyer and other documents realitive to Federal law are signed by both the buyer and the seller.Typically, when the seller leaves the settlement table he/she has a nice check to deposit.