SELLING A HOME

The most important decision a Seller can make is to hire the most qualified, experienced, full-time Realtor with expertise in the location of their property. Your agent will be your representative in marketing your home to the public. This will include advertising on the MLS and internet, in the local papers and magazines and on printed color brochures and mailings. It also includes answering the phone and returning calls! You'll want to be sure you are receiving the best service possible and top quality advertising verbage and photography. When interviewing agents, be sure to ask specific questions about what exactly they promise to do to market your home and ask to see examples of their brochures, ads, internet advertising, etc. You'll want to ask them for copies of everything they do for you after you list your property with them to be sure they are fulfilling their promises and representing your property professionally.

Your Realtor will be representing you in contracts and in the escrow process. You'll want to hire an agent with expertise and experience to take you through the transaction without any problems.

Sellers enjoyed a long, approximately eight year period of an extraordinary "Seller's Market" with homes appreciating at an unprecedented pace ending around May 2005. While we expected to go through a "correction period", adjusting from the strong "Seller's Market", we did not expect the current financial situation affecting the entire country. There are many "REOs" (real estate owned or..bank owned homes) and "Short Sales" (homes selling at prices below their current mortgage. Sales are subject to their lender's approval.) In the areas most affected by REOs and Short Sales, home values have suffered.

Now we find a demand for homes and few to choose from. This is creating a "Seller's Market" again and, if this situation continues, home values may start to turnaround and appreciate once more. In some areas, this is already happening.

Interest rates remain low. Lenders, however, have tightened their qualifying guidelines making it more difficult to obtain a loan.

Please call me anytime with questions about Selling or Buying in San Diego County. If you have property in other areas of our country, I can refer you to the top agent in that area . Please call me at: 760-745-1621 or e-mail me at: cwaasdorp@aol.com