Realty Executives Midwest
Sometimes people inherit a home they simply need to unload and other times they don’t want to make the effort to make repairs or tune up the home’s curb appeal. For these home owners looking for a quick sale, they often think selling a home “as is” is the way to go. If you’re like most folks, you might think the “as is” sale means “take it or leave it” and “what you see is what you get.”
But an “as is” sale isn’t necessarily a cakewalk. It doesn’t mean you’re completely exonerated from taking some responsibility for the home’s condition. While advertising a home “as is” lets buyers know they’re likely to have to do some work, it also broadcasts that the home is probably going to be a relatively good deal, provided they’re willing to take on repairs.
“As is” doesn’t relieve you from disclosing problems with the home. What you know about, you must disclose by law. Failure to do so could get you into hot water. If you know about a problem but hope it slips by the buyer’s inspector, you’re at risk.
And that’s another thing: “As is” homes still go through the inspection process. While your “as is” sale may indicate your unwillingness to make repairs, it doesn’t mean the buyer won’t ask you for compensation based on condition issues. You may not come out of pocket, but it could come right off the top of your listing price, so keep this in mind. What’s more, once these conditions come to light you generally must disclose them to future prospective buyers if the current one bails.
With any luck, your “as is” buyer will be a cash buyer, but if not, prepare for the appraisal. Banks don’t want to loan money unless they deem the value of the home is acceptable. If the appraisal comes in low, your buyer may find themselves without the funds necessary to meet your price.
While selling “as is” may seem like a viable alternative to bringing a house up to its full market potential, recognize there are some trade-offs. Go in informed and you’ll find the process much easier to navigate.
Whether you’re looking to sell “as is” or not, we're happy to help you get the best price possible for your home. Let’s talk when you’re ready!
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Screen addiction is real, and it’s not just adults who are suffering from the impulse to reach for that phone or tablet. It’s also taking a toll on kids. Even the parents of Silicon Valley giants are raising their kids with a dose of low-tech mindfulness.
If you’re looking for ways to track and manage the amount of time you spend staring into your magic screens, you might want to check out the browser extension “Waste No Time” and the mobile app “Moment.”
According to the website, “WasteNoTime is a browser extension which is designed to help you manage your time spent on the Internet more efficiently. Time Tracker feature gives you reports on what web sites you spent most of your time. Instant Lockdown feature allows you to focus on your work for a period of time with limited Internet access. Time Quota feature automatically block selected web sites when you have spent a preset amount of time on them each day.”
As for Moment, “Moment is an iOS app that automatically tracks how much you use your iPhone and iPad each day. If you’re using your phone too much, you can set daily limits on yourself and be notified when you go over. You can even force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.”
There’s also Moment Family to “manage your family’s screen time from your own phone and set up time for your entire family to be screen-free using family dinner time.”
If you want to break the cycle of screen addiction, check out these apps.
We love to use tech to help our clients improve their lives. We also use it to help market and sell homes. Let us show you how!:
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Summer is an ideal time to tackle outdoor renovation projects. From driveway paving to sidewalk repair, the fair weather can be an ideal time to not only enjoy the outdoors, but take some time to improve the curb appeal and value of your home.
One common outdoor project? A new fence. Whether you’re looking to install a decorative wooden garden fence, a chain link border for your pets, or a substantial privacy fence, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind before you begin:
Best of luck with your summer project!
If you’re looking for a home with more land or new fences installed already, give us a shout. We can help you find the ideal property:
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
If you’ve been searching for a home or have been considering selling your home, you may have heard the term “pocket listings” from real estate agents or even friends and family. What is a pocket listing? Where did the term come from? How are pocket listings being used today to buy and sell homes?
Pocket listings are homes which are for sale but not yet widely advertised or entered into typical MLS databases. Often an agent will enter into an agreement to sell a home, but will first reach out to their personal and professional network to see if anyone may be interested in a quick, private purchase. Ideally, the agent knows someone or another agent who has a client interested in the home and the whole process of listing and marketing the home is bypassed.
Originally, pocket listings were typically used for extremely high-end luxury properties with a limited pool of buyers, or with celebrities or other buyers/sellers who wished to avoid any publicity surrounding their transaction. But that’s changed a lot in the past few years, especially in competitive markets where there are eager buyers and relatively little desirable inventory.
You might think pocket listings would restrict the sale price of the home. After all, won’t a good home publicly listed attract lots of buyers, resulting in competitive bids? It depends. Once a home is listed in an MLS database, the home is officially on the market. The longer a home sits on the market (i.e. the higher its “days on market” number is), the greater the possibility the home will see price reductions or low-ball offers.
The pocket listing can be a very useful tool for exploring the level of interest in a home. A savvy agent with a good network will often reach out to their database in order to get a sense of whether the listing has real potential. It’s also a great way to drum up excitement about a house, especially if the agent conducts small, exclusive broker showings of the pocket listing. Pocket listing also gives a wary home seller the chance to see if it’s likely the home will sell for a price they can accept.
Experienced agents with deep connections in the community are the go-to choice if you’re interested in discussing the possibility of buying or selling via the pocket listing approach.
Thinking of listing quietly? Want to see if there are any homes out there which are just about to come to the market? We are happy to help you navigate a pocket listing situation. Get in touch today:
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Realty Executives agents are real estate experts. They have the education and expertise you need to navigate through the process of buying or selling a home. From listing at the right price to making the best offer, our Executives have witnessed the best - and most regrettable - decisions homeowners and homebuyers can make. Every day, they are immersed in every aspect of real estate that includes comparable home price analysis, property surveys, credit reports, open houses, HOA agreements, lenders, title companies, homeowners’ insurance, walk-throughs, terms of sale or purchase, repairs, concessions and closing documents. Let our accomplished Executives help navigate you through the process of buying or selling a home.
