Page 42 - Flathead Beacon // 2.24.16

KELLEY’S MARKET TRENDS 43 FLOOR SPACE 43 Real Estate
CSommon Selling Questions
“Choose neutral paint colors and remove any family photos,” says Johnson. Give would-be homeowners a blank canvass that they can mentally ll with their loved ones and themselves.
Q: Should I be present when buyers view my house?
“No,” says Johnson. “There is not any situation in which this is appropriate. Having the owner in the house makes the buyers uncomfortable. They feel as though they can’t make comments or ask questions that could be o ensive. The owner – who has a history and attachment to the house – has the tendency to argue if a potential buyer makes a comment that could be a little negative. This can turn o buyers and lose you o ers.”
Q: What is the agent’s commission?
While the commission can vary, it is typically 6% of a home’s sale price – and that’s usually shared with the buyer’s agent. But what’s implied by this question is “What are Realtors doing to earn that fat check?” Here are some facts to keep in mind: Unlike lawyers who get paid by the hour, or doctors who are paid by the appointment, listing agents don’t get paid unless they make a sale. For every hour an agent spends with a client, he or she will typically spend nine hours on aver- age working on that client’s behalf doing everything from networking to nding potential buyers to lling out paperwork. And no, not all agents are created equal. Since most contracts last for a year, Real- tor Susan Ratli recommends that sellers “interview three agents prior to selecting one to represent them. It’s no di erent from choosing an attorney, accountant, or the doctor who will deliver your baby. You want to be sure that you trust that person and are comfortable with them.”
Do you own 5-50 acres
of land and want to learn basics of weed management?
ELLING A HOME YOU’VE LIVED in and loved over the years isn’t exactly like unloading your collec-
tion of old LPs on Craigslist. It’s hard. It’s emotional. And above all else, it’s compli- cated. A slew of questions will likely pop into your head throughout the process – and possibly keep you up at night.
Since people on the selling end of a deal have a lot on their minds today we’ll tackle the most common questions that real estate agents hear from sellers – along with some answers, of course.
Q: How much needs to be done to my house before putting it on the market?
“Many sellers have extreme anxiety over the thought of having to clear out and x up their home, so much so that it can prevent them from putting the place on the market in the rst place,” says Alyssa Blevins with Pierce Murdock Group. But in most cases, there’s no need to panic here – or to overshoot your goals. “Very often, there’s far less to do than homeowners think.” So before spend- ing months and millions ( guratively) upgrading your place – or just throwing up your hands and giving up before you begin – show your home to a realtor. You might be pleasantly surprised by your current sales prospects.
Q: How much is my house worth?
While the median house price in 2016 is $228,000, the exact price of your own home will depend on its size, neighbor- hood, and lots of other factors. Further complicating matters is your own skewed perspective: We tend to mentally in ate our home’s positives and airbrush out the aws that are all too apparent to the cold, calculating eyes of buyers. “People always seem to compare their house to
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the most expensive sale in the neighbor- hood,” says Mary Ann Grabel, an agent at Douglas Elliman. Instead, look at the prices of similarly sized homes that have recently sold in your area – data that agents call comparative market analysis, or “comps.” Then, price your place strate- gically. “If you price too high, the home is likely to linger on the market,” says Gra- bel. Meanwhile, pricing low can have major upsides, resulting in multiple bids that could ultimately jack up your price. So, do your homework. Then, discuss a number with your Realtor that feels right – and is realistic.
Q: How long will it take to sell my home?
Right now, nationally, houses spend around 100 days on the market before they sell, although the time varies wildly
based on area and price. So, price compet- itively and make sure that you and your Realtor are getting the place in front of as many eyeballs as possible. “The higher the exposure, the faster the o ers,” says Felise Eber, a real estate associate a l- iated with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. Spread the word through your own social networks – real ones and virtual ones. You never know whose pass- ing it along to that special someone will lead to a sale.
Q: Is staging really important?
On average, a staged home sells 88 percent faster – and for 20 percent more money – than a home that’s left as is. The reason it works, of course, is it gives buy- ers a “stage” onto which they can play out their home-owning fantasies and envision themselves living in your home.
August is conserva on month—a me to celebrate local conserva on e orts across Montana.
On Haskill Creek, near White sh, the Flathead Conserva on District has restored 1,200 feet of riverbank, with a mix of vegetated soil li s, conifer and willow fascines, and riparian plan ngs.
Before
A er
By addressing severe streambank erosion and instability along this stretch of Haskill Creek, we have reduced sediment loading by 138 tons/year, improved ood plain stability, provided shade to the channel, and reduced the cover of reed canarygrass
s weeds.
$6.40 INITIATION
FEE
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FEBRUARY 24, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
STAN IS A SENIOR CITIZEN
NOXIOUS
HIS BIRTHDAY GIFT TO YOU...
...PROOF THAT FITNESS WILL SLOW DOWN THE AGING PROCESS!
PLUS:
FREE: Monthly 1 hr personal training
FREE: Classes
FREE: Family use on Sundays FREE: Wise advice from Stan
Steam Room, Hot Tub and Sauna, Therapy pool
WEED WORKSHOP
thursday March 3
· Weed Identi cation · Integrated Weed
Management
· Chemical Labels
wednesday March 9
Safety Demonstrations: · How to Calibrate
Backpack & Boom
Sprayers
· How to Dress Safely
Kalispell Athletic Club
Big Club Feel, Small Club Appeal
www.kalispellathleticclub.net 752-2880 • 770 West Reserve
6:30-8:30 p.m. | FVCC campus
Arts & Technology Building | Room 139 FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information, call the Flathead Conservation District at (406) 752-4220.