Selling During An Emotional Time

While selling a home can come with its own set of sentimental feelings and mixed emotions, it is particularly challenging for most people when they must sell a home due to unfortunate circumstances beyond their control. Whether it be a divorce, death of a loved one, or any other emotionally difficult situation, there are a few key factors to keep in mind.

1. Give yourself grace. This is a challenging time and it’s okay to spend time gathering your thoughts and putting together the necessary paperwork you may need.

2. Do your research first. It’s important that those who have any interest/ownership (including any known  lienholders) in the home be identified. If there is an estate involved, we advise you to contact an attorney specializing in this area.

3. Please be aware that your real estate professional will need to visit the home in order to ascertain its current condition, any potential maintenance and/or repair issues that need to be addressed prior to selling, and the key features and amenities of the home. Our goal is to provide you with a realistic snapshot of the potential value of the home on the current market and changes that may increase that value.

4. Keep us in the loop. There may be a lot of moving pieces as you are selling your home and dealing with an emotional situation. Remember that we are here to help thus, if there is a change in circumstances or you have a new development, please keep all parties informed.

Although this may be an emotional and challenging time, surrounding yourself with experienced professionals who can take some of the burden and offer empathetic and insightful input can make all the difference.

Navigating the Multiple Offer Landscape: Seven Steps to Crafting Winning and Compelling Offers in a Seller's Market

Anyone who has purchased a home recently can probably attest to the frenzied atmosphere propelling an overwhelming amount of buyers to compete for a limited amount of inventory. Back-to-back showings, multiple offers on one property, and sought-after properties going under contract within hours have become par for the course. So how does one actually get an offer accepted in a seller’s market? Here are a few ideas to help.

1. Set your expectations. With few exceptions, be prepared to offer the asking price or more for a property. ”Lowball “ offers will usually be dismissed first. If you are looking for a “deal”, consider homes that have been on the market awhile and may require repairs and/or updates.

2. No blind offers. Ensure that you view the property prior to submitting an offer. In this market, blind offers hold more risk for sellers and you want to do everything you can to remain competitive.

3. Make the offer as clean as possible. Try not to include anything that will require a seller to think twice. The more straightforward and the less you ask the seller to contribute, the better. Your realtor can advise you on items that may need to be included.

4. Don’t forget the preapproval. The listing agent needs to ensure you are preapproved, serious about closing the deal, and have the purchasing power to buy the home.

5. Make sure you review the paperwork to ensure everything is correct. You would hate for your offer not to be considered because of a typo or omission. Also, read the fine print on any listings and your agent should be reading the private remarks carefully.

6. Don’t forget to back-up! Back-up offers are often overlooked tools in this climate. A backup offer allows you to be the next offer in line should the original offer terminate for any reason.

7. Send a love letter. Include a letter to the seller indicating your interest in the property and introduce yourself to the seller. Hearing your story could convince a seller that you are invested in their property and will make it your home. Consult your realtor for specific laws and regulations governing this practice.

We understand that it may be challenging when you are competing with others for a limited amount of homes however, people are still buying homes and presenting winning offers. With a little motivation, creativity, and a positive outlook, you can craft an offer that gets you into your dream home.