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It
is important to set out in writing the reasons that are motivating you to
sell your current home. You might ask yourself, "Why am I selling my home
and what do I expect to accomplish?"
If
you have a growing family and you need more space you may be under
less pressure to get your house ready to sell than if you were, let's say,
moving to a new city due to a career opportunity. Explore your short and
long term goals and decide how selling your house fits into those goals.
Doing this will help you to establish a time management path for selling
your home.
I can save you time and money by
applying my expert knowledge to your particular needs and setting a
realistic time frame for the process to proceed in the process of selling
your Asheville Home. I can explore all of
the variables within your individual goals and how best to achieve them in
this local Asheville Real Estate market.
Work with me, your real estate agent, to
map out the best path to achieve your objectives and set a realistic
time frame for the sale of your luxury home.
As your broker-realtor we will need to
sign a contract between us that spells out all the particulars and
protects your rights as the owner. The contract is called a
"listing agreement."
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What is a "listing agreement"? |
The listing agreement is a contract between the seller and the
listing broker. It sets out the conditions of the listing. While the
details of the agreement can be negotiated, a listing agreement
generally includes the following:
(1) the length of the listing period -- as the seller you'd want to
be able to switch brokers if the sale does not happen as quickly as
you like, while the broker wants to have the listing period as long
as possible, recognizing that it often takes a fair amount of time
and effort and expense to generate other broker interest and a sale,
and that if the time is too short s/he loses the commission.
(2) the desired sales price, as well as a price that might be
accepted;
(3) the amount of the commission -- while the commission rate is
generally "standard" within a community, there are
exceptions including the price of the home that make it possible to sometimes negotiate different rates up
front -- such as 3% to the listing broker and 3% to the buying
broker. However, if the rates are too low, the listing broker may
not want to do all that is necessary to "push" your house, such as
advertising it heavily, while the selling broker may prefer to sell
her prospects a home that carries a higher commission than she'd get
on your home.
(4) any exceptions to the commission. For example, would there be a
reduced fee (or no fee at all) if you sell the house on your own, or
you sell it to a friend who expressed interest? Generally the broker
will insist on you naming any such persons in the listing agreement.
The seller should pay very careful attention to the listing
agreement. It is a
critically important document to the seller. Once a broker produces
a willing and able buyer, assuming all conditions are met, the
seller owes the broker his or her full commission unless the terms
of the listing agreement provide otherwise (for example, "The
commission is payable at close of escrow and is conditioned upon the
close of escrow"). If for any reason the seller chooses not to sell
(perhaps s/he wants to hold out for more money, or a proposed job
transfer falls through), the commission must still be paid unless
the terms of the listing agreement are negotiated otherwise. |
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Also, it's never too earlier to Plan For Your Move |
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Short of your employer footing the bill for a move out of
town, there are only two options when it comes to packing up
and relocating:
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Hiring a moving company to do the job.
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Doing it yourself.
While both options require a cash output, it’s possible to
avoid paying more than you should by anticipating,
and budgeting for, those "hidden" moving costs that
can pop-up unexpectedly and bite you in the pocketbook. The
key word here is "preparedness."
Though paying professionals to handle your move sounds like
your least stressful option, it will also cost you more in
transportation and labor charges. Recognize, up front, that
movers paid by the hour might not work quite as fast as
you’d prefer, while those paid by the job could rush the
move to get to their next location -- a scenario that could,
in the long run, cost you in mishandled, damaged property.
The type of contract you choose should be decided upon only
after consulting moving company representatives and/or
former customers.
Do your research
While the moving cost of any long-distance move is
federally regulated based on weight and distance
traveled, be prepared for fine-print charges, which can add up
quickly. For example:
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A transportation surcharge if
the moving company compensates its movers for work performed
in metropolitan areas where labor rates tend to be higher.
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Charges for moving heavy items
such as riding lawnmowers, snowmobiles or that baby grand
piano.
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Additional charge for
specialists brought in to disconnect gas mains or
disassemble pianos and pool tables.
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Additional charge if the movers
have to walk more than 75 feet from door to truck or need to
use stairs or an elevator.
Also, if the moving van is too large to fit down your narrow
street, or is thwarted by low hanging wires or branches, the
movers may need to shuttle your furnishings out on a smaller
truck first-- a situation which can become very costly. Always
look for, and discuss, possible “hidden” costs with the moving
company’s sales representative.
Of course the above pitfalls can be avoided by doing the job
yourself, but self-moves come with their own set of hidden money
traps. Never mind the stress and physical labor involved, there
may be loss of income from time spent renting a truck, moving
furnishings, driving the truck to a new location and unpacking
again.
Here
are several more considerations to look out for when going it
alone:
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Are you insured?
Having an accident while driving a rented truck could put
you at risk unless you’ve purchased truck insurance from the
rental company. Chances are, your automobile policy does not
cover commercial vehicles. Check with your insurance agent.
- Do you have an Insurance Rider?
Property damaged in transit may not be covered under your
homeowner’s policy. You may have to purchase an insurance
rider that covers contents. Again, check with your agent.
- How’s The Truck?
A poorly maintained rental truck could break down in
transit, forcing you to pay for repairs until the rental
truck company can reimburse you. A breakdown could delay
your move, throw off your schedule and cost you money. Never
drive off the lot with a truck that looks too old, runs
badly or seems poorly maintained.
- Bring Cash.
Allow extra money for hotels, restaurants, gasoline and
tolls. Have extra cash on hand for any contingencies.
- Damage Control.
If you’ve damaged your home while moving out, the incoming
family might want some of their investment returned. If
you’ve damaged a rental property, the landlord might pocket
your security deposit to cover the cost of repairs.
The bottom line is to do your research and compare the moving
costs of hiring professional movers versus going it alone.
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