Home Seller’s Resources

Getting Market Value

Professional appraisers sum up their entire body of knowledge in three words - “Buyers Make Value.” We believe very strongly that it is a wonderful idea to have a home professionally appraised before putting it on the market.

• An independent fee based appraisal provides a clear picture of what a property is worth and why.
• The appraisal can be an invaluable tool when countering a low offer.
• The appraisal can help rebut a later low appraisal performed on behalf of the Buyer’s lender.

We believe so strongly in the value of getting an appraisal done before introducing the home to the market that we will reimburse the Seller for the cost of the appraisal from our fee at closing.

Pricing
As your real estate agent, we will give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms, and condition of competing properties.  These are the key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

When listing your property for sale, it is critical that we be candid with you. Most agents simply don’t want to tell the seller the true value of their home, if it’s obvious the seller wants more than it’s worth. By allowing us to be completely honest with you, you’ll save time and money. Consider the market analysis carefully . . . The numbers should make just as much sense to you as they do to us, the appraiser, and most importantly potential buyers.

Remember!  Your home is worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay for it. Sometimes the home is simply worth more to the seller than it is to the buying public. If the property has been on the market for more than 4-5 weeks, with few prospects coming to see it or those that have seen your home do not make a second or third visit and no offers have been submitted, you’ve been given a clear message that the property may not be worth what you’re asking for it.  What you do at that point depends on whether you really need to sell, and whether you’re working with a time limit.

If you’re not really motivated to move soon, you can always wait – years if necessary – and hope inflation will catch up with the price you want. The problem is that in that time, your home begins to feel shopworn. Buyers become suspicious of a house that has been for sale for a long time. If, however, you really do need to sell, we understand the marketplace and how to price it right. Talk to us.  There’s no point in saying, “We simply can’t sell our house.” It will sell when the price is right.

Preparing the Home for Sale

Each property has just one chance to make a great impression with a potential buyer. Keep up with cleaning and tidiness every day to ensure that the property is ready to be shown to potential buyers, even on short notice. In other words, keep the property in “Show Time” condition, so that it’s always ready to make the great first impression that can make the sale!

During the Entire Marketing Period

• Keep the landscaping neatly trimmed, weeded and free
  of debris and clutter.
• Add a new front door mat; keep walkways, driveway and front door entry area clean.
• Clean outside lighting fixtures; make sure the doorbell works.
• Repair anything that is not in proper working order, including loose doorknobs, broken door locks, leaking taps and toilets, squeaky doors, closets or screen doors that go off their tracks.
• Repair any broken windows, fogged or leaking windows or windows that don’t  open and close properly.
• Quiet squeaks or noisy appliance fans with a squirt of lubricant.
• Keep kitchen spotless and fresh smelling at all times — regularly grind a quarter of a lemon in the garbage disposal and keep fresh boxes of baking soda in refrigerator and freezer.
• Un-clutter kitchen counter spaces, pantry and cabinets and under sink area.
• Remove items hanging on the refrigerator.
• Make sure all kitchen appliances are spotless inside and out.
• Make sure all appliances and systems are in perfect working order.
• Keep bathrooms spotless and fresh smelling!  Place all personal care items out of sight.  Tile, fixtures, shower doors, tubs must be shining and immaculate.  Remove all rust and mildew stains; neatly re-caulk around the top edges of the tub, countertops, etc.
• Place dishes of potpourri in rooms throughout the house or add a drop of vanilla or bath oil on light bulbs for scent.
• Keep windows, windowsills and all light fixtures clean.
• Don’t forget the storage and car parking areas – keep them organized, neat and tidy.
• Keep all pet areas clean and odor-free; change litter box frequently!
• Secure jewelry, cash and other valuable.

Is all this a lot of work?  Absolutely!  But most of it will have to be done anyway as a result of the Buyer’s Home Inspection and/or the process of moving out of the home once it is sold.  Doesn’t it make sense to do the work up front to maximize the selling price and shorten the time the home is on the market?

Our Selling Services

Essential to getting you home sold is to put the property in front of as many interested buyers as possible. The more buyers that become aware of your home, the greater the likelihood of selling your home for the best price in the shortest time.

How does The Kush Group find those buyers for you? If it were as simple as advertising in the paper, it would be easy. Newspaper advertising only accounts for less than 3% of all sales and is declining. According to a recent National Association of Realtors survey, buyers come through the following sources:

• 40% Reputation of the company or Agent, or the Agent contacted personally
• 20% “For Sale” signs
• 18% Responded to an ad, but purchased a different home
• 8% Responded to an Open House, but purchased a different home
• 7% Referred by a Relocation Service
• 3% Bought an advertised property
• 3% Bought for a combination of reasons
• 1% Bought an Open House they saw

The advantage of selling through The Kush Group is that we have a number of proven, successful ways to attract prospective buyers.

• As a partner with Ponte Vedra Club Realty, we are equipped and empowered to do whatever it takes to best serve our clients. 60% of the buyers have come to Ponte Vedra Club Realty because of our company reputation “As the Most Trusted Name Ponte Vedra Beach Real Estate” for 76 years. The Kush Group maintains contact with all past clients through our quarterly newsletter and weekly e-mails, keeping owners informed of listed properties. As a result we receive numerous buyer referrals every year.
• Ponte Vedra Club Realty is the top listing and listings sold company in Ponte Vedra Beach. As such we have more signs than any other Company and we receive multiple daily calls from interested buyers throughout the area.
• www.kush.com generates a continual stream of inquires about listed properties, all of which are on the site. Also, we find that buyers who pursue the market on the Internet generally have a very good idea of what they want and are serious about buying.
• Many buyers come through our affiliation with Ponte Vedra Club Realty.  Only Ponte Vedra Club Realty exposes each of our real estate listings to the nearly 140,000 annual guests of Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and The Lodge & Club via in-room television and our highly acclaimed Distinctive Real Estate magazine.

Ponte Vedra Club Realty has more productive agents on a per person production basis than any other company in the Ponte Vedra area. Consequently, our agents have extensive buyer contacts and leads who are informed of new listings as they come on the market.

Showing the Property

Before Each Showing:

• Open all drapes, shades and blinds and turn on ALL lights.
• Pick up clutter.
• Make beds and put away clothes and shoes.
• Give floors a quick vacuuming.
• Add some strategically placed fresh flowers.
• Place a dish of vanilla or cinnamon in a warm oven to create the aroma of fresh baking.
• Turn off the television and turn on music at low volume.
• Secure pets in the garage, yard or other secured area.  Even better, take them out of the house with your or arrange for a friend to keep them.
• Make sure all pet areas are clean and odor-free, including litter box.
• Make sure all trash is disposed of in neatly covered bins.
• Make the temperature comfortably cool.

The Actual Showing:

• The buyer’s agent will call us to set an appointment to show your home.  We will contact you to determine if the time is convenient and to arrange the details.
• The presence of the owner or family members makes the potential buyer feel like an intruder.  It’s best to leave the house while the buyers are touring the home.  If it is not possible to leave, excuse yourself and stay in one part of the house or outside.
• If the prospective buyer or their agent asks you questions, respond honestly but diplomatically refer additional questions to us.  It is best not to discuss price, terms, possession or other factors with the buyer or their agent.
• If a prospective buyer calls directly or comes by unexpectedly without an agent, get their name and phone number. Explain that it is not a convenient time and say you will have us contact them.  For your benefit and protection do not allow them in your home.

After Each Showing:

• We follow up with the showing agent to obtain feedback concerning the potential buyer’s feelings about how well the property fits their needs.
• We provide you with a weekly written report summarizing agent feedback.
• We evaluate the feedback and comments received from other agents that tour the property during our office and association caravans, to share with you ideas that may make the property more marketable.
• We discuss price reductions and other buyer incentives with you if offers are not being received within the first three weeks of listing the property.

Closing Day Checklist

Closing day is a big day. It’s the day when you finally get to take the keys and call your house your home or when the highly anticipated sale of your house is officially finished. “The real estate closing is the final stage in the process of buying a home,” explain the authors of The American Bar Association Family Legal Guide.

Typically, the closing (or settlement) agent is responsible for preparing and ordering all documents needed for closing. “Both buyers and sellers should expect to sign a lot of papers at the closing,” offer the ABA guide authors. “The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) will apply in any transaction in which a buyers is obtaining a federally insured mortgage from a financial institution.”
Following is a list of common needs. Many closing agents will call beforehand to remind you of what to bring, but if you are unsure of what you’ll need that day, don’t hesitate to ask.

Following is a list of common needs:

• Photo identification, such as a driver’s license or state-issued ID.
• Copies of your homeowner’s insurance policy, as well as other required insurance policies, such as flood insurance, including proof of payment. Most lenders do review these items prior to closing.
• Buyers should bring a cashier’s check for closing costs, plus any remaining payment. By law, buyers are entitled to receive a copy of their HUD-1 Settlement Statement, which itemizes closing-related services and their charges.
• Sellers should bring the keys to all the locks in the house, plus anything else the buyer may need or find useful, such as manuals for appliances left with the house, service logs for mechanical work, the garage door opener remote and a copy of the neighborhood’s covenant and restrictions.

Our Guarantee

We provide the following listing guarantee: Once we list your home, if during the listing period you feel another full service broker can better represent your interests, you may cancel the listing. It is that simple. Our objective is to get you the best price with the most favorable terms in the shortest time with the least amount of inconvenience possible.