Tag: selling a home

5 Unexpected Costs of Selling Your Home in Rancho Santa Margarita

Posted on | by Cuselleration

The costs of selling your home in Rancho Santa Margarita can be quite unexpected. These costs can be a bummer if you did not know about them beforehand and they can really make the expected profits take a big hit. Let’s take a look at these surprising costs you didn’t know existed.

1. Light and Heat

Believe it or not, you have to cater for these expenses if you are selling your home while it sits empty. You would not want your potential buyers encountering a cold and dark house when they come to prospect, would you? No one wants to fumble around while checking out the rooms.

This also makes it easier for the person to tell if they like your home. A warm home is cozier and easier to settle into. Make sure that you leave the heat and light on before the sale or have a plan to ensure they are kept on when potential buyers and agents stop by. To have a rough estimate of how much this will cost, use statistics from your current bills.

2. Repairs and Landscaping

Run a quick maintenance check on your house to make sure that it’s in great condition for sale. Fixing damaged windows and repainting are some of the repairs that you might encounter. However, major remodels can be left out of the cost of selling your home as this can be left for the buyer.

If your home has a garden or a yard, you should expect to incur landscaping expenses among the costs of selling your home. While your home sits in waiting, the grass in the yard and the weed in the garden do not. As such, you should prepare to pay landscapers to trim the garden up for you if you cannot do it yourself.

One never knows when buyers will stop by and you always have to ensure that your home is in great shape in order to appeal to the buyers’ eyes. Since the yard is the first place they see, you should make a point of making it presentable every now and then.

3. Staging

This may be unnecessary, but can really impress buyers and even make them pay more for your home. Should you decide to stage (and here’s why you should know how to), prepare yourself to pay a decorator or an interior designer to help organize and maybe even refurnish your home.

You might also want to consider adding decorative items to your home to make it more appealing. Home staging can be quite expensive but totally worth it if you’re up for it.

 

4. Closing Costs and Home Warranty for the Buyer

Depending on your agreement with the buyer, you might have to cater for the standard costs that are associated with the closure of the deal. These fees include paying the escrow company, recording, and transfer of the property, insurance, among others.

Under normal circumstances, these costs may add up to between 2% and 4% of the total selling price.

To make your buyer feel secure about purchasing your home, it is wise to buy a home warranty on their behalf. This is a small service contract that would cover repairs to certain systems and appliances within the house during the first year of ownership. It would cost around $500.

This cost, however, does not match up to the benefits it accrues in terms of trust build-up between you and the buyer.

5. Pre-inspection Reports

This may not be entirely necessary. However, if you have lived in your home for a long time, it may have to fall into the costs of selling your home. This is because there may be some problems that come up that you are completely oblivious to.

It would be preferable to know about such issues and have them fixed before your buyer finds out about them and get upset about them. This would derail negotiations between you and you might end up without a sale.

As a home seller, you should be ready to face the cost of selling your home. Remember, meeting these costs guarantees that your home is sold quicker and with less of a fuss from your buyer. Some of these costs even guarantee that you get the amount you want from the house! Add value to your home by meeting these costs.

 

Give Us a Call!

If you’re still trying to figure out how to calculate the costs of selling your home, call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we can give you more tips that can get your property moving today!

4 Ways to Make Selling a Home in Coto de Caza Faster and Easier!

Posted on | by Cuselleration

In today’s real estate market where supply is slowly beginning to outstrip demand, selling a home in Coto de Caza isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be in the recent past. No need to panic, though!

Just because the balance is currently slightly tilted in favor of buyers, it doesn’t mean you cannot earn a hefty profit from the sale of your property. Just try and implement the following tips for generating interest in your real estate investment and boost your chances of getting the best price possible.

1# Get rid of all the clutter

Removing all the clutter before giving potential buyers a tour of the property is important for obvious reasons. Don’t forget that whether you are selling a home in Coto de Caza or elsewhere, you likely won’t be able to convince a buyer if they are unable to picture themselves in that space.

This includes removing all the junk, including some of the unnecessary furniture from the living space, and storing them in the garage. Note that getting rid of the clutter doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to empty your home of all your belongings and replace them with staged furniture instead. We have explained this in a previous article as well.

Simply put, while staged furniture can be great, they are not a convenient option for many house owners. Also, more often than not, they leave your home a bit too planned.  A better alternative would be to keep (and possibly rearrange) some of the furniture to give your property a balanced blend of personal and professional look.  Among other things, this approach will ensure that potential buyers get a rough idea of what it might look like if they were to move in there with their belongings.

2# Make it stand out in the neighborhood

Most people overlook the importance of making their property stand out from the rest of the neighborhood while selling a home in Coto de Caza. In order to differentiate your home and attract attention, consider having custom designs and additions such as high-grade windows, landscaping, or a new roof.

The idea is to enhance the aesthetics of the property as much you can without investing a fortune. In addition, any such enhancements will also ensure the ROI by adding more value to the home. Just make sure that whatever improvement you make is practical and makes use of designs and colors that easily appeal to a wider audience.

If possible, make the partial renovation to complement the amenities inside and around the main building. Just to put things into perspective, these may include building a patio or deck next to the backyard swimming pool (and other such features).

3# Show your home to potential buyers in a ready to move in condition

Important as it may be, aesthetics alone do not usually suffice while selling the idea of a “forever home” to a potential property buyer. Equally important is the state of readiness of the house. That’s why real experts recommend double-checking that the doors, electrical connections, appliances, and plumbing fixtures are not just in working order, but also in compliance with existing building codes.

By doing so, you will be able to emphasize the point that buyers will be able to move in almost immediately rather than having to spend a lot of time and money to get things sorted out. Needless to say, that’s a major bargaining point you can use to your advantage while selling a home in Coto de Caza, or for that matter in any part of the world.

4. It doesn’t hurt to sweeten the deal a bit

Offering freebies or terms that may sweeten the deal for buyers is another proven tactic of expediting the sale of real estate assets. Just try to do so without making too many compromises on your end.

For example, it is often seen that sellers who offer to pay credit worth a couple of thousand dollars or so toward closing costs can wrap up the deal quicker. Alternatively, some successful transactions also see the seller offering to pay 100% of the closing costs in order to grab the attention of potential buyers.  This is particularly useful in a down market where buyers are trying to get the most out of a deal. You, as a seller, should leave no stone unturned to give the impression that you’re giving them one.

Another important tactic to try out is offering a transferable home warranty. It costs relatively less (around $300 to $400 for a one-year policy), but can make a formidable impact on the buyer. After all, an offer like that will help them feel more at ease given that they will now be covered from any unwarranted issues in the future.

Selling your home at a price the price you deserve requires some serious work. However, if you follow the tips above to turn your property into an attractive option for potential buyers and make some minor concessions at closing, the prospects of you securing a sweet deal is bound to increase by manifold.

If you are selling a home in Coto de Caza and think you could use some help in closing a mutually beneficial deal for both parties involved, feel free to give us a call at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net today!

3 Reasons Why You Should Hire the Top Realtor for Finding a Home

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Quality is key, especially when you’re thinking of finding the top realtor for finding a home in your desired search area. There are many reasons why they are the best choice, after all they are a top realtor, but why wouldn’t an average agent do the trick? We’ll discuss the major reasons why.

Better Networks

Everyone knows that your network is your livelihood in business. This is particularly the case in the real estate world. When you’re the top agent for finding a home in a given town or area, you’ll have access to certain people that other agents won’t.

This means that you will be paying a little more for an exponentially better experience. This higher quality network will be able to bring you better homes sooner, make the process move faster, and get you a better price on the house and mortgage, and that’s just the beginning!

Paying for quality in the real estate market makes all the difference.

Better Listings

While it is true that everyone uses the same resources to list and sell a house these days, what most agents don’t have access to is the private home sales. All we mean by “private” is that people who have used a top realtor for finding a home will usually return to them when it comes time to sell their home.

This can be the difference between finding your dream home and just a home that you’ll be happy with.

These listings will eventually hit the market, but not likely before that realtor’s client list has had an opportunity to see the pictures and possibly even take a tour of the home. This means that by hiring the best, you will have access to the best homes in their service area.

That alone is an incredible reason to go for the best!

Peace of Mind

When you hire the best, you know that they’re the best for several reasons. You will probably have heard of them beforehand because they will have a bigger advertising budget and you’ll see their name around town.

You may or may not also know people who have used them before, which means you can simply ask them how their experience was.

Also, they don’t often get a reputation for being one of the best without having a long list of happy clients. Becoming the top agent in an area means keeping a TON of people happy consistently over the course of several years.

A new realtor will definitely get some positive notoriety, but they won’t be called “the best” for years to come.

In other words, being a top agent also means being exceptionally qualified and experienced. That also usually means they have a great team working for them to make your experience both engaging and swift, if you’re looking to find a new or sell an old home quickly, that is.

Do I Really Need a Realtor?

The technology is getting so good that you can virtually do all of the tasks a real estate agent would on your own. This is great if you have tons of time on your hand to learn new about real estate, mortgages, financing, and so on.

The reality is, most people don’t have this kind of time on their hands, so it only makes sense to hire someone to do all of the leg work for you while you focus on other endeavors. Getting the top realtor for finding a home means paying for the expertise of someone who has learned the ins and outs of real estate for tens of thousands of hours longer than a new agent.

Get the Best!

If you’re looking for the top realtor for finding a home in Mission Viejo, Coto de Caza, or Rancho Santa Margarita, be sure to get the Kovacs Connection on your side! Feel free to call us at 949-350-0146, or you can email us as well at Debrakovacs@cox.net. We have tons of tips to help you and several services to offer!

Marketing Your Home in Coto De Caza To Make It Stand Out!

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Today, marketing your home in Coto De Caza using the newest digital marketing methods will give you the edge. It will also set your home apart, which will allow you to sell more easily.

Real estate marketing is changing in a big way today; gone are the billboards, the printed ads showing off your house and the direct mail.

It just doesn’t work like it did in the past.

Those who live in Coto de Caza know that their houses have a lot going for them because they are located in one of the most expensive and historic parts of Orange County.

Apart from luxury living, there are other exciting opportunities such as hiking, horse trails, parks, and pools. The question though is how to make your home stand out from the rest.

4 Ways to Increase Interest in Your Home

Space

Sometimes even the most quality items can cause a home to look cluttered. Solid advice for marketing your home in Coto De Caza is to look at your house from the buyer’s eyes. Too many items can make spaces look and feel cramped.

Color

Today, adding extra colors is considered as neutral when they work well in a setting. However, many times, the appeal of a house deteriorates when there are overly bright colors. Go with warm and inviting colors rather than striking ones.

This includes the outside of your home. Getting the best first impression means giving the outside a fresh paint job. This cleans and modernizes your home from the first moment they lay eyes on it.

If you want to change colors completely, you can even try the virtual paint programs. Many paint manufacturing websites have them for free use.

Artwork

Sometimes, even colors can be overlooked if there are art pieces placed in strategic areas throughout the home. Many people find themselves being “warmed” to a house by the lovely artwork. They start imagining the artwork in their new home, your old one!

Use art to its full advantage, mixing themes and styles. The appeal to the eye often causes more interest toward your home.

If you do not own a lot of artwork, and you want to buy some, you should ask for assistance from your realtor to know where and how to place it. Keeping it classy and appealing and making sure that you will want it to go in your new home is a good guideline to follow while you’re making your selections.

Staging

People who do research home staging tips claim that odd numbers make a better sale than even numbers when considering item placement. It’s hard to believe because most items come in even numbers. However, research shows that the eye is more attracted to an odd number of arrangements in the house.

Lighting is extremely important when it comes to staging, remember that some buyers will hit the streets to view your home and neighborhood at night. Installing light fixtures to enhance the ambiance of the home and modernize the exterior of the house in the day can do wonders!

What Marketing Your Home in Coto De Caza With Us Entails

  • Excellent home staging where we will make your home a space that people will want to live in. Through restyling, organization and top interior designs, we will create the most appealing version of your home for potential buyers.
  • Application of Drone videography which will show your entire property, showcasing the buyer the neighborhood in which they will live and offer valuable insights on what it will be like to live in your old home.
  • Real estate photography will allow buyers to imagine themselves living in their new house via high-quality photography.
  • 3-D tours will be created for buyers to “walk” through their new home and connect with it digitally.
  • Marketing on social media which will give your home exposure to a much larger audience.
  • Optimization of Trulia, Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor which is where most people are looking for property online.

Marketing your home in Coto De Caza can ease things up a great deal if you are in the best hands possible; ones that will solve your every problem and question.

We’ll help You!

If you want to market your home and you need more tips, feel free to call us at

949-350-0146 or you can email us too at Debrakovacs@cox.net. Selling and marketing your home in Coto De Caza can be easy with the Kovacs team on your side!

3 Reasons Selling a Home Is Easier Than Ever

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Selling a home is a process, but it has become easier than ever in the last few years. There are several reasons why, but we want to talk about three main tools that you can utilize now to make selling a home much easier.

Technology

Everyone knows that technology is an absolute game changer in the world, but its impact on the real estate industry has been huge. In the past, every house put on the market would have to go up through printed media like newspapers.

While this isn’t altogether a bad route to go if you want to increase your awareness of your home, it is being seen by fewer and fewer people these days. Online home listing websites are now the best and most used tool for selling a home quickly.

The other reason online listings are great is that they allow you to see what homes similar to yours are selling for. Using this information will aid you in setting up your initial price when putting your property on the market.

Another great tool to use is social media. You can post on your social media page about putting your home on the market and ask your friends to share it. You might just be able to reach a buyer just using this tool.

Using your Facebook or other accounts can even be ramped up by using their advertising tools. Advertising is best left to your realtor, but that might be one of the many online tools that they will implement when putting your home on the market.

If you aren’t utilizing the internet, you need to do so today!

More People Than Ever

The population of the world continues to grow, which is great if you’re trying to sell a home because everyone needs a place to live! Knowing this fact, it isn’t hard to see why the old open house method is still so effective.

Utilizing for sale signs and an open house is still one of the most efficient strategies to find a buyer that we implement when selling a home in Coto De Caza, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Mission Viejo.

The main reason it works so well is that people want to see things first hand. It’s very similar to buying groceries. Most people are fine with buying most things online, but when it comes down to picking out fresh produce, you want to handle it yourself to make sure you’re getting the best quality.

The same can be said about real estate.

Finding a beautiful looking home online and buying it doesn’t make sense, especially with the magic angles that photographers can use to make a room look bigger than it actually is. When it comes down to it, everyone wants to see a home first hand.

The truth is, people still find signs on houses they want to look at by driving around in neighborhoods they want to live in. Use that!

Put the for sale signs up and have the open houses, you never know how many people will walk up off the street to take a look. This happens at least once with almost every open house we do!

Realtors are Always Improving

Not only are there more real estate agents now than at any time before, but they are also better trained! The advances in technology have made it easier to get a top notch education in real estate much more accessible.

The number of highly trained and effective realtors is higher than ever, which means finding a good one isn’t as complicated as it used to be. Years ago, you had to search through ads or hope your family had a good referral. Now, the number of quality realtors is much higher, and so is the number of available homes out there.

Thanks to condos and new housing developments, the market is continuing to thrive and grow evenly with the number of new realtors out there. What that means for you is that you won’t have agents trying to steal you from another agent like was more common when the market took a turn several years ago.

The stability of the housing market today means that you’re able to find high-quality realtors to aid you in selling a home in pretty much every area you could imagine in the US!

We Want To Help!

If you’re thinking of selling a home this year and could use more information, please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we will give you more details on everything that we offer!

3 Ways to Find A Property in Mission Viejo

Posted on | by Cuselleration

It’s not hard to find a property in Mission Viejo if you know what you’re doing. Unfortunately, most of us don’t! That’s more common than most people think, but we’re going to arm you with some information to make your home search much easier.

Searching Online

First and foremost, we suggest looking for homes online. This works for you in two major ways; you’ll see what the advertised prices are and get a feel for what home styles are are available in the areas you’re looking. When trying to find a property in Mission Viejo, we suggest looking at an MLS site (multiple listing service.)

The huge benefit to searching MLS is the granddaddy of home information. In fact, they contain information that no other newspaper or online listing will have. You can sign up for emails through an agent, but even these emails won’t be very detailed when compared to the information that an agent will get from the website.

This is just the way it is, but you will be getting a more inside scoop on what is available than you would on other consumer websites. This brings us to our next big tip…

Get A Realtor

Hiring a realtor is going to be the number one way to find a property in Mission Viejo, for the exact reason that we just talked about. They have access to resources that the average person just doesn’t. The other important thing they can do for you is help you find a home by your preferences.

Knowing what type of home you like and what you require from your home is a crucial step in the process. Not knowing these details is ok, that’s why getting a real estate agent is so important. Talking about the styles you like and the needs of your home will allow them to narrow the search scope so that you’ll only be looking at homes that are a good fit.

Another important thing to consider is your plans for the future. You may not have any plans cemented in your head yet, but a realtor knows the questions to ask to better place you in a home that will fit the needs of your future household.

If you don’t have kids but are planning to, or you plan on getting an English Mastiff and are looking at homes without a yard, your realtor can steer you in a direction better suited for your family down the road.

Be Honest With Yourself

Being honest about your wants and needs is the most important thing about the home buying process. It is, of course, important to be able to make enough to pay the mortgage, but if you know in your heart that you are going to be spending big on lavish trips or shopping for a wedding, that might be something you want to do before signing a mortgage. The last thing you want to do is set yourself to fail.

Another thing that happens often is people get wrapped up in a good deal and don’t consider the possibility that they might be unhappy in that home. Getting a home at a steal is incredible when it happens.

But, if it doesn’t fit the needs of your future household or catch your interest, then maybe your should pass. The only time we think that it is a good idea to go ahead and get a property that you aren’t interested in living in is if you’re planning on flipping it or renting it out.

Lastly, don’t buy a fixer-upper home if you don’t have the know-how or capital to fix it up! It might be fun to find a property in Mission Viejo at a huge discount, but if you’re planning on doing a “Do It Yourself” renovation, and you have no experience in DIY home repairs, you may want to rethink the situation.

Buying product to fix a home can add up, especially if errors occur and you need to buy it a second or third time. Also, if you haven’t done a home makeover and are hiring someone to do it for you, just know that quotes on the home renovation tend to always be under the actual amount and they don’t typically stay on schedule.

That’s just the nature of home improvements because once you start, you generally find more issues than you thought were there at the onset. Do yourself a favor and be honest with yourself and your expectations before going all in!

We Can Help!

If you’re still trying to find a home in Mission Viejo and need a little help from a professional, please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we can discuss your future dream home!

How to Get the Best Realtor in Rancho Santa Margarita

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Whether people are buying or selling their first or tenth home, they always want to know who the best realtor in Rancho Santa Margarita is. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is not easy. The reason it is so difficult is that there are no specific criteria to judge who is the absolute best in real estate.

Take two different real estate agents, one has the quickest sales, and the other has the highest customer satisfaction in a given town. Each is qualified in their own way, and both of their clients are likely satisfied. So, can you say one is better than the other? No, because the one that is the best depends on what qualities you are looking for in an agent.

In other words, you need to figure out what characteristics matter the most to you and make your choice based on your criteria.

What is Their Specialty?

Some realtors are great at selling homes, others at finding and negotiating the best price for your perfect future home, then there are buyer’s brokers, dual agents, discount brokers, and e-brokers. What does all of that mean?! Let us help.

Realtors

Regular realtors typically make their commission on the sale of a home, which means they will often keep quiet about any problems with the property and try to sell homes as quickly as possible. This is great if you’re selling because that means that they have your best interest in mind.

Buyer’s Broker

For buyers, a buyer’s broker is probably the better option. This means that they will be on the buyer’s side, and they will do everything in their power to find you that perfect home you’re looking for. As a buyer’s broker, they will actively search out any problems with a home to ensure that you aren’t buying a lemon.

The thing to be conscious of is that you will either be paying them a commission based off of the price you buy the home for, or an hourly wage for their help. The best thing about hiring them is they will keep everything you say confidential.

Dual Agents

Dual agents can work for they buyers or sellers and typically work in a conventional real estate office. This means that confidentiality that you get with a buyer’s broker does not apply for them. That doesn’t mean you can’t trust them, but it does mean that information you give them about your interest in the home can potentially be shared with the owners.

To save yourself from being represented by an agent that is helping you buy, and the owners sell, look for a Split Agent. They may do the exact same job as the dual agent, but they don’t represent both parties in any transactions.

Discount Brokers

Discount brokers will typically save you money, but you will be trading your time for it. Discount brokers don’t charge as much on commission, but they also don’t offer the same level of marketing resources that a conventional realtor would.

E-Brokers

E-brokers don’t own a location, which saves them a great deal on renting a business property and allows them to charge less. This means that you will be doing the majority of the legwork yourself, like finding homes that you might like, and they will just set you up with someone to show you the homes you’re interested in.

Knowing what you need, what you’re willing to pay, and how much time you’re willing to spend to save money are the main things to consider when choosing a realtor type.

Don’t Let an Agent Buy Your Listing

The best realtor in Rancho Santa Margarita will not tell you that they will sell your home for much higher than their competitors or what the market price is at the moment. A realtor that makes these promises is trying to push the buttons that make you act without thinking.

Going with them will only benefit themselves because the promises they made you are false, and you will be stuck with someone who is willing to stretch the truth just to get business. If they are willing to lie about something like that, what else will they lie to you about? These are the realtors that make you feel like real estate is a shady business; stick with an honest realtor, and you’ll enjoy the entire process!

 

Interview More Than One Candidate

Now that you’re armed with the information you need don’t just pick the first realtor that seems ok. If you want the best realtor in Rancho Santa Margarita, you’re going to need to interview a few to see who fits your needs.

You’ll want an agent that can do the job, but also one that fits your personality and does things ethically. You ought to consider seeing them in action at one of their open houses if the interview goes well. You might be between a few agents, even after interviewing several, but going to an open house might just be the information that you need to make the right decision.

Let’s Get Started

Getting the best realtor in Rancho Santa Margarita is easy, just give us a call at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net so we can help you today!

What Are The Costs of Selling Your Home in Southern California?

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Do you want to sell a home? You’ve probably asked yourself about what would be the cost of selling your home. This article is going to help you with everything that you need to know in order to do the math yourself. However, don’t forget to first learn how The Kovacs Connection’s 21st Century Real Estate Marketing Plan can set your home apart from others and earn you more.

Let’s get started!

When a real estate agent comes to list your home, they are going to have a net sheet with them. A net sheet shows approximately how much the seller will be paying or receiving during the sale. In total, the seller needs to pay between 6-7% of the purchase price of the home.

So, now you’re probably asking yourself what do these costs include. Let’s break down each one of them in detail. In order to explain how the whole process goes, we’re going to use a $500,000 home as our example.

Commissions

The most common commission charged is between 6-7%. In case of a 5% commission, 2 ½ % goes to the agent that the seller hires to sell the home (listing broker), and then the same amount goes to the agent that represents a person that’s buying a home (selling broker).

The selling agent actually brings the buyer, which can be a bit confusing, but that’s just the way it is. There are some cases where the listing broker can make a deal with the seller by offering a reduced commission if they are able to find and represent both the seller and buyer of the home.

If it comes to that, then that situation is called a dual agency. Okay, now let’s take that $500,000 home. If the commission is 5%, that is going to come to $25,000, which means that each side is going to get $12,500.

Brokerage Processing Fees

Most Real Estate offices are going to take from you between $300-$500. That is if you are running the transaction through one of these offices.

Title Charges

The home seller will need to pay approximately $1,320 for Title Insurance on our $500,000 home. But, that is the insurance policy that a seller buys in order to ensure a clear title. There are also some other Title Fees which, when combined, will cost the seller an additional $100.

Escrow Fees

Both sides of the transaction pay their own escrow fees. In this case, escrow fees are going to cost $1,500. We reach that number by taking a fee of $250 and then adding $2.50 per one thousand of the full price of the home. A seller is also going to pay a documentation fee of $75, a loan payoff fee of $50 per loan payoff, a wire fee of $25, and an archive fee of $50.

Governmental Retrofit (Los Angeles County)

A Retrofit certification needs to be performed on homes that are being sold in Los Angeles County. This can get pretty expensive for the seller. The cost of this depends on what needs to be installed in a home.

HOA (Home Owners Association) Transfer Fees

This applies only when the seller has HOA’s involved. The cost of these documents can vary, but some of them can even cost from $300-$400. But, the buyer of the home is going to want to get these documents, so they can review them and determine what the HOA is going to expect of them. In turn, the buyer can decide if they want to buy the home with the particular regulations.

 

Termite Inspection

Some time ago, this was the seller’s responsibility. But, as of November 20, 2014, the termite inspection needs to be done by the buyer of the home. However, if it happens that the buyer’s termite inspector finds some damage that was done by the termites, he can ask you to perform the needed repairs or give credit for the needed repairs to be performed.

Flood Certification

The seller has to have the home certified because that way they can show the buyer how much it’s going to cost them to buy the flood insurance. This certification can be pretty expensive. It can cost the seller $500. It can also cause some issues for the seller while trying to sell their home.

Home Warranty

The buyer has the option to ask for a home warranty. However, the seller is not required to purchase a home warranty plan. But, it would be good to do so because that would be a good faith gesture by the seller to the buyer. The warranty plan for one year generally costs from $350-$550.

Transfer Taxes

The home seller needs to pay State and local transfer taxes. In Los Angeles County and Ventura County, these taxes cost approximately $550.

Natural Hazard Disclosure

A Natural Hazard Disclosure costs approximately between $85-$125. These reports are very detailed, and they are actually very interesting to read.

Requests for Repair

The cost of selling your home can increase if there is any damage in the home. That is because the buyer has the opportunity to inspect the home to see if there is anything that needs to be repaired. If they find something that’s damaged, they can ask the seller to either perform the needed repairs or give credit for the repairs to be done.

So, to make the cost of selling your home as small as possible, it is important to tell the buyer everything they need to know early on in the transaction.

Paying Off the Mortgage

In case the seller didn’t pay for the home in full, it is vital that they pay off the balance of their loan or mortgage. If the seller happens to have any liens on the home, then these will need to be settled, too.

As you can see, it is not always possible to precisely calculate how much would the cost of selling your home be. But, it is very easy to approximately calculate costs.

It may seem like quite a bit of fees to digest, but the correct pricing will get you on the right side of a sale (the one that makes you a healthy profit.) We hope that this article will help you understand the calculation progress, so you can sell your home with no stress.

While you’re selling your home, it’s likely that you’re looking for another home to move to. Be sure to check out our Featured Communities to give you a better idea of what’s out there!

Need Help?

This guide should be able to answer most of your questions, but if you need more help please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we can help understand the costs of selling your home in today’s market.

6 Ways to Sell Your Home Like A Pro!

Posted on | by Cuselleration

You have been on the market for months now, and you cannot figure out why the heck everybody is selling their homes and yours has been listed for months with no buyers. Is there something that you are doing wrong? Well, there most certainly is something that you are not doing.

So, we are going to take a look at the things that you should do before you even consider putting up your house for sale. The ways to sell your house are not hard to understand or implement and you will have an easy time doing it.

1. Appearances Sell

Your house might be a dump, but there are things that you can to do that will make it appear perfect. First of all, you need to start with a fresh paint job. That will make everything from the walls, the ceilings, and the windows look smart!

A home is only as good as it looks and it should be a beauty in the eyes of whoever sees it. The lawns and the fences are supposed to be trimmed and well watered. Try to make the house like new and worth putting on a realtor’s catalog.

2. Clearing Out

One of the ways to sell your house is to make sure that you clean it out. We have noticed as of late that when people want to buy a house, they will first look around and they tend to shy away when they find old tattered furniture in there.

This has caused many changes in the market that will help you get the furniture out quickly and make sure that the house looks better than ever when combined with your new paint job. Also, any house looks bigger than it is if there is no furniture inside.

3. Reasonable Prices

We know you want to set your home above the market price, everyone wants the most money they can get out of their residence. What this really does is leave you with a house you no longer live in with two mortgages sucking you dry!

All that will happen is you’ll get more losses in the time you’re waiting that will not be covered by the price you will eventually HAVE to sell at to attempt to break even.

So, start with an ordinary and reasonable price that will attract people. Of course, you shouldn’t be giving it away, but try to be economical. Remember to be practical and make sure that the houses being sold around you can’t compete with you much.

There is also a nifty tactic called charm pricing, it’s not entirely new but it’s likely a new term to you. What you do is, you don’t price your house at 500,000 but at 499,999. The price subconsciously attracts people, hence the name charm price!

4. Timing the House Hunters

There are many more ways to sell your property apart from the paint jobs and the charm pricing, and good timing is one of them. During the fall and spring, many people are going around and looking for houses. At this time, kids are finishing the school year, and people have not gone on vacation yet.

The house hunters among us are going around looking for a deal during the time when many are struggling to make ends meet (hint: spend less on holiday spending if you don’t want to be forced to sell your home under similar terms!)

However, you will have only this one chance to sell at your preferred asking price. The considerations that you make on timing should maximize the likelihood that your house will sell.

You have one big shot, make it count!

5. Being in Top Form

Buyers are usually hesitant to buy houses when you have not gotten an inspection recently. Remember, they want exactly what you would want when you are buying a house. This means you need to make sure that your home has been inspected and that you are in top form.

Getting proper renovations done where necessary will also make the advertising pictures reveal the house in a positive light and will make the property look bigger and better. Inspection, renovation, and maintaining appearances are your guiding light to a big sale.

6. Get a Realtor

A real estate agent is a tour guide. They know where to find the buyers, how to persuade them to buy, and how to get you the best deal that will ensure a financial gain. So, when it comes to finding ways to sell a house quickly, hiring a realtor is the most successful method.

If you get a good one, you will experience the joy of an easy sale with no problems.

The last part of our article on ways to sell a house is mentioning advertising so people know the house for sale is paramount. A good realtor should be doing that for you, but if you need more information we have you covered.

Contact Us

We hope our tips have been helpful in getting you ahead of the pack. These tips may seem obvious sometimes but people often overlook or ignore most of these guidelines.

This guide should be able to get you there, but if you need more help please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we can show you more ways to sell a house or condo today!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/rusticpic

5 Signs You Are Terrible at Marketing Your Home

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Buying and selling property is so common nowadays that you can find houses for sale in newspaper advertisements or even on Facebook. The price of a property may be a large factor in whether you’re able to find a buyer.

Nonetheless, marketing plays a huge role as one of the deciding factors, and you just might be doing it all wrong! Read on to find out why you may be bad at marketing your home.

1. Using a badly photographed image of your home

Have you ever seen a blurry picture of a house and thought to yourself “I would love to buy this house”? Probably not.

Most potential buyers generally do an online search of houses they would like to buy in certain neighborhoods. The first thing that would catch their attention is visuals. A good photo is crucial if you intend to make a sale anytime soon.

A good photo is not necessarily just a high-resolution photo, though it helps a lot. You also have to photograph various parts of the house.

Prospective buyers want to see not just the front or the back of the house, but also the bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen and even your swimming pool if you have one.

This is a real example of how you should market your house.

2. Failing to leverage social media

Digital marketing is, no doubt, one of the most efficient ways to sell anything, including your house. Instead of spending your time liking photos of cute puppies on Facebook, you should use Facebook as a platform in marketing your home.

There are a few ways to do this. You can join Facebook groups that are solely for buying and selling of property. More precisely, if your property is in California, you should find a specific group for properties in California. Doing so will get your house listed in the eyes of targeted prospective buyers.

Another way to market your home is through Facebook advertisements. A great thing about Facebook ads is that you can target an audience of your choice. This means that ads can even be displayed based on locality, which narrows down your audience. Furthermore, Facebook Ads is quite cheap to use. A mere $10 can get your post to reach thousands of users. If you want to succeed in selling your house, a small investment may be necessary.

3. Not putting a proper signage

Listing your home for sale on social media, or on websites like Craigslist is only one form of promotion. You should implement physical advertising as well. You would want your neighbors to know that you’re selling your home by putting on proper signs. Word of mouth spreads faster than you may think. You never know if your neighbors are itching to buy your house as an investment property.

Furthermore, signs can be a useful way of marketing your home, especially if there are people driving by the neighborhood looking for a new place to stay. Sometimes, all that you need to make a sale is the right timing.

4. Failing to perform home staging

Firstly, if you want your house to look favorable to potential buyers, you need to de-clutter. Listing your home for sale is only the first part. The next step is letting potential buyers view your home. If you wouldn’t want to buy a house that looks like a hoarder owned it, more likely than not, buyers won’t want to either.

Tidy up everything that does not look presentable. Rather than keeping everything, throw away items that you no longer need. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t used it for a year or more, get rid of it.

Apart from getting rid of clutter, you should also get your house repainted and your interior done by a professional. Having a proper home staging done by a pro increases your chance of selling the house by a large margin.

5. Choosing the wrong real estate agent

Getting a real estate agent is the common thing to do if you have no idea how to sell a house or its procedures. However, not all agents act in your best interests. You need to find someone whom you can trust and rely on as you may need to work together for a few months.

It may be better to find an agent who has at least a few years’ experience though that’s not mandatory. You should interview several agents to determine who the best fit for the job is. You must also ensure that the agent has the requisite license issued by the relevant state.

If you happen to be looking to buy or sell property located in the Orange County, The Kovacs Connection might be the right agency for you. They employ a great marketing plan which includes drone videography, exceptional home staging, and social media marketing, amongst others.

Let’s Talk!

Marketing your home may seem daunting to first-timers. However, as long as you follow the right steps in marketing your house, you should be able to sell within a few months. Please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net so we can help you today!