Home Selling Realtor in the Fort Riley, KS Area
Thinking About Selling Your Home? From initial consultation to closing, Mathis Lueker Realtors will be by your side every step of the way. We are dedicated to providing you with friendly service, professionalism, attention to detail, and ultimately, smooth transaction resulting in your complete satisfaction.
MARKETING
YOUR HOME
With years of experience in the Junction City, Fort Riley, Manhattan Area Real Estate Market, Mathis Lueker Real Estate has devised a marketing program to ensure your home will receive maximum exposure in the Junction City Area Market Place.
This marketing program reaches all levels of buyers from the buyer who drives around through neighborhoods looking for signs and open houses or the technologically advanced buyer who searches properties only online viewing visual tours before even calling a home selling realtor in the Fort Riley, KS area. Our 24-7 Marketing plan markets your home 24 hours a day 7 days a week. What the consumer wants today is information quickly, easily and honestly and without the traditional hassles. Successful marketing hinges on this concept and this is exactly what our marketing plan offers.
OUR
PRO-ACTIVE MARKETING PLAN
Our marketing begins right in front of your home with a Mathis Lueker for Sale Sign. The optional attached brochure box offers 24 hour advertising to prospective Buyers. It contains fliers with basic information about your home. Also attached to our sign, is a “direct line” rider to allow Buyers a direct call link to your listing agent.
The Mathis Lueker Real Estate name has a very strong recognition factor… potential Buyers immediately will recognize the name for quality and integrity.
The MLS and our Websites
We promote your home 24 HOURS A DAY to the entire real estate industry and the world through the multiple listing service and the Internet. Hundreds of people visit our Website and email us with requests for more information regarding listings and local area real estate. Many of these people have become our buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors over 80% of buyers search for homes on the internet and then use a REALTOR.
MATHIS LUEKER REAL ESTATE has a large internet presence
www.mathislueker.com has a direct link to all of our visual tours and a link to all of our listings. This site allows us to immediately contact potential Buyers who log on.
www.realtor.com is one of the most highly searched websites on the internet. Your home will appear on this site with photos and a section highlighting the features of your home.
www.zillow.com Zillow is the a real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help.
www.homes.com shows all of our listings as well. This site contains pictures of your home and featured information.
www.kspropertyads.com The real estate multiple listing service. We email property information to a large pool of prospective buyers. In addition we use the reverse prospect search feature on the MLS. This allows us to match your property with the vast resource of buyers in the system and proactively notify other agents and their buyers the moment your homes information is entered in the system MLS also has a list of Open Houses available to the internet savvy consumer.
www.home-guide.net Listings are posted here from our monthly home guide publication, which is a comprehensive booklet of Junction City area listings.
The sites listed above are just the beginning. Our listings are found on hundreds of sites across the web.
Local Media Publications
Mathis Lueker regularly advertises in the Junction City Daily Union, including a weekly ad every Sunday and often daily through the week as well.
The Mathis Lueker Real Estate Office advertises in a variety of publications. Some of them include The Junction City Area Home guide, and The Fort Riley Post. All these ads direct a potential buyer to our website where your home is being advertised.
Please ask your Mathis Lueker Home Selling Agent for additional information of our internet, print, and community based marketing activity.
Visual Tours
Mathis Lueker Realtors ensures that each of the homes they list have a visual tour. This gives a potential buyer a glimpse inside your home. The slideshow tour of your home is attached to our MLS and Mathis Lueker website. This allows a buyer to decide whether or not a home meets their needs and cuts down on ineffective showing appointments.
Seller Reports
So many sellers complain that they do not know what is going on with their homes. Mathis Lueker will provide prompt feedback regarding showings, and your listing agent will remain in close contact with you throughout the Selling process.
Listing Appointment
When you first make a listing appointment, a member of Mathis Lueker will ask you to compile a list of documents pertinent to the property and sale. Meanwhile, we will study recent neighborhood sales (“comps”) and begin to determine the proper price range to market your property.
By the time the listing appointment arrives, both you and a member of Mathis Lueker will be well prepared, but there is a lot to do. A member of Mathis Lueker will want to tour your house and yard to become familiar with it. If your home has features, tell us about them; they’ll help sell your property. Be specific about schools, transportation, shopping, and parks and recreation opportunities. Prospective buyers are always comparison shopping, and features of your home and neighborhood that set it apart from others may make a difference.
After visiting with you and reviewing the property, a member of Mathis Lueker will help you set an asking price for the house. The basis for your selling price it its market value, commonly defined as the amount a willing buyer will pay, and an amount acceptable to the seller. The best indicators of market price are the comps that a member of Mathis Lueker researched before meeting with you. A rule of thumb is that homes priced more than 5% over market value won’t sell. That’s because a buyer who feels your home is overpriced will more readily buy “more house” elsewhere for the same amount.
MARKET ANALYSIS
The role of Mathis Lueker in Pricing
There is no “exact price” for real estate
We don’t tell you what we think your home is “worth”
THE MARKET DETERMINES VALUE- TOGETHER WE DETERMINE PRICE.
We will show you a range of prices being paid for homes in your area that are comparable to your home.
You determine the price based on the factors you control:
1. Market Time
2. Condition of the Property
3 The Comparables
The Real Value of Your home is based on Facts
A good REALTOR will show you the facts regarding the price your home will sell for. The most revealing fact is the price buyers have been willing to pay for homes similar to yours. These are called comparable sales and are available to every REALTOR in our area.
We will research
Homes closed in the last 90 days – 2 years in the surrounding area
Homes pending, but have not closed yet to give us a good idea of immediate value
Homes on the market to determine the degree of competitiveness
Once we have collected all necessary data, we compare each of the homes to your home’s features. Comparisons done in such detail will produce an accurate price range to list your home competitively in the market.
The basis for your selling price is its market value, commonly defined as the amount a willing buyer will pay, and an amount acceptable to the seller. The best indicators of market price are the comps that Mathis Lueker representative researched for you.
The secret to getting the most money and the quickest sale with the fewest problems is to price your home properly.
The facts are available and they are clear and convincing. The best way to select a REALTOR is to find the person with the best plan for marketing your home.
SELLER NET PROCEEDS
Once we have determined the proper marketing price for your property, your Mathis Lueker home selling agent in the Fort Riley, KS area will provide you with an Estimate of Seller’s Net Proceeds. This will give you a good idea of costs sellers normally pay and what you will likely receive in terms of monetary proceeds upon completion of the sale. A net proceeds estimate will be provided with each offer that comes in… this will allow you to make your best decision.
A general list of closing costs may include: broker’s fee, title transfer and recording costs, homeowners association packet fees, utility escrow prorated to closing date, tax pro-ration, termite inspection and treatment, if needed.
Staging Your Home
Get ready for the Buyers! All factors being equal, the home that makes the best visual impression often sells the quickest. Use your common sense as to what a buyer would most like to see.
Start outside the home. Trim your lawn and shrubs. Clean up the yard, including tools and toys and look for signs that the house might not be well-maintained - things like loose shingles, sagging gutters, cracking caulk on windows and doors, and even peeling paint can afford to dress the home with new door hardware or seasonal decorations, that helps too.
Inside the first impression will be of the entryway. Make sure it’s well-lit and welcoming, especially at night. Give visitors a pleasant aroma, a sense of clean carpet and walls and an attractive, neutral color scheme. A coat of paint is often the best investment to make in a house you’re selling.
In living areas, shoot for a clean lived-in, cozy atmosphere. Get rid of worn furniture and add lamps if rooms are too dark. Set flower or arrange furniture in the most welcoming manner.
A critical area for homebuyers is the kitchen. Don’t show your house before the stove and refrigerator are spotless, especially if they will be conveyed to the buyer. Clean eating areas and make sure that all the appliances work and are squeaky clean. If you wouldn’t be comfortable eating off a counter or table, chances are the buyer won’t be able to imagine it either.
Likewise, make sure your bathrooms are spotless. As well as cleaning counters surfaces, check for rust or lime deposits, which not only look bad but indicate problem plumbing. Don’t forget to clean toilets and close the lid before showings.
Bedrooms are personal areas, and you want to make especially sure they are clean and inviting. Show the true size of closets by removing unnecessary items, and make sure the furniture gives the impression of space and comfort. Open the window to let fresh air in.
Keep stairway and entryways free of clutter.
We live in an area where VA and FHA loans are frequently used by Buyers. Get through the process faster, by making sure you have handrails on all staircases, all electrical outlets near a water source are GFI protected, scrape, prime and paint any evident peeling paint.
A few more suggestions
· Wash all windows inside and out
· If it has been more than a year since the carpets have been cleaned, now is the time to have that done. Bare floors should be waxed and polished.
· Put bright lights in every socket. Buyers like bright cheery rooms.
· DECLUTTER – clean out closets, cabinets and drawers. Closets should look like they have additional room to hold more. Get everything off the floor and don’t have shelves piled full to the ceiling.
· Make sure rooms are not overcrowded with furniture. Select pieces that look the best and store the rest.
· Keep the kitchen sparkling clean! Make sure that all appliances are clean at all times. Straighten cupboards that appear cluttered and keep floors gleaming.
· If you have limited counter space in the kitchen, keep unnecessary items put away.
· Keep children’s toys out of the front yard, off sidewalks, and away from the front porch.
· Clean ashes out of the fireplace. Do you smell the fireplace? If so, you have a creosote build up and need to call a chimney sweep.
· If you have a pool, it needs to be sparkling and free of leaves.
For Those Willing to Go the Extra Mile
· If your house is the least bit dated, change out the wallpaper in the entry, kitchen or bathrooms and replace outdated light fixtures. These things will greatly add to your home’s desirability.
· Put a fresh coat of paint on the interior and or exterior walls where needed.
Showing Your Home
· When you leave the house in the morning or during the day, leave it as if you know it is going to be shown.
· Fill the house with pleasing scents, such as potpourri or candles. Vanilla is the best. Don’t overwhelm a buyer or let them think you are trying to hide something.
· Make sure all the lights are on and window treatments are open.
· Turn off the television.
· Keep pets out of the way- preferably out of the house. Many people are uncomfortable around animals and may even be allergic to them.
· Leave your premises. Take a short break while your home is being shown. Buyers are intimidated when sellers are present and tend to hurry through the house. Let the buyers be at ease, and let the agents do their job.
· Be sure that all mail and any documents that may indicate why you are moving are out of sight.
Even though you spend your valuable time readying your house for a sale, the selling itself is the job of Mathis Lueker Real Estate. It is also our responsibility for marketing the house to appropriate audiences and bringing in buyers to view the home.
When can I expect showings on my house?
After all the advertising and marketing activity, Mathis Lueker and other selling brokers will begin bringing prospects to visit the house. You’ll be notified in advance, and the visits will usually be made by appointment. We will make every effort to give you as much advance notice as possible. However, sometimes agents do call with short notice. Use the notice to tidy up and make available the property profile you’ve prepared. Even if the showing is short notice, it’s a good idea to accept every visitor appointment possible – you never know which prospect will want to make an offer on your house.
Should I stay or should I go?
While you’re understandably anxious and eager to know what a potential buyer thinks of your home, experienced brokers will tell you that the best situation for a buyer is to view a home without the present owner in it. You don’t want the buyer to feel like an intruder, so find an excuse to leave the house or, if that’s not realistic, greet the prospect but then keep yourself in the yard or part of the home where you’ll be out of the way. Keep your TV or radio off, clear the pets out of the house, and leave questions and answers to the selling broker unless you’re asked a specific question. And by all means, leave price and other negotiations to the showing agents; that’s their job.
What if someone knocks at my door stops me in my yard and wants to see my home?
If a prospect calls you or visits unexpectedly, get their name and phone number. It’s in your interest to refer buyers to Mathis Lueker for an appropriate tour and sales information.
Security
Inside Your Home
Lock up prescription drugs (The number one item stolen from properties that are listed is prescription drugs.)
Lock up valuables-If it can be picked up, it should be packed up.
· Jewelry
· Guns and ammunition
· Cameras
· PDA’s
· Laptops and Software
· Disc Players
· Collections (Coins, stamps, knife’s etc.)
· Personal documents-Bank and credit card statements.
Unexpected Showings- We will call and give the date and time of every showing. If someone claiming to be a REALTOR shows up at your door unexpectedly and wants to see your home, you may ask for their business card. Refer them to Mathis Lueker to set up a showing.
Outside
Make necessary repairs.
· Broken window panes
· Broken window locks
· Door locks- This is both a security issue and a marketing issue. If the lock is too difficult to operate, repair it or replace it. A Realtor may give up if he or she can’t get the lock open.
· Sliding door- If you are having difficulty with the sliding door locking, cut a 2x4 or broom handle to fit behind it.
More Information
The Offer
When an offer does come in, you’ll receive a written and signed contract worksheet from your listing agent. The presentation will include the date, and name of the buyer, as well as the sales price that the buyer has offered and the amount of earnest money they’ve offered. The offer will also include financing terms, proposed closing date and occupancy date, plus contingencies on which the offer is conditional.
You will have three options at the offer presentation. You may accept the offer as written, make a counter offer that alters the proposed price, terms or contingencies. Either one of these options will result in sending the contract back to the buyer, either as is or with amendments. You may also choose to reject outright the proposal. However, an offer of any kind is an opportunity to sell the house, and you should think about a counter offer before making an outright rejection.
What if we receive more than one offer?
Multiple offers will be presented to you in the order registered with the broker. Read each offer through and ask questions. You don’t need to take action on any offer before you receive and review all active offers. If you choose to accept or amend any offer also rule on the other offers, denoting them as backup offers in the order you prefer them.
Why is the price higher than the asking price on our offer?
Another possibility when receiving offers is that one of them will be for a price higher than you’ve asked. Some buyers choose to make their offer stand out above others by bidding up the property. If this is the case, feel free to accept or amend the offer, but to remove any questions, be sure to include separate statement that requires the buyers to acknowledge that they’ve offered more than the asking price, and possibly asking the reasons for the higher offer. Buyers may also choose to include their closing costs in their purchase price.
The Accepted Offer
When you and a buyer settle on a contract, you’re entitled to a earnest deposit that is held by the broker and shows the buyers good faith. That’s your guarantee that the buyer intends to make the purchase. Hopefully, though, the sales process will then proceed through the appropriate stages. The brokers will help the buyer arrange necessary financing while you address all contingencies. More participants will enter the sales process at this point, such as home and termite inspectors, appraisers, title companies and attorneys. Mortgage acceptance usually requires between one and two months, so there’s a bit of down time before all the documents and certificates are in order.
Upon approval of financing, a closing date will be arranged. You have a voice in when this will be, as does the buyer. Your listing agent will help you get necessary documents in order. Once a closing date is approved, you can safely begin the process of moving. You’ll want to make your move as simple as possible. Get rid of anything you don’t want or need to move. (A garage sale is a good way of doing this.) Don’t forget about your food, which you probably not want to take along with you, especially if your move is a long one, and begin trying to use the items you have stored in the freezer and pantry. Collect pertinent records for yourself and your family too. A checklist for this chore might include insurance documents that will protect you and your property during a move (check with your insurance company to ensure you’re covered in the period between residences), school and medical records, and any family documents that are important to you, like birth certificates, wedding certificates, and baptismal records. The buyer will take possession of the property at settlement, so make plans to clean and vacate the house a day before closing. This is also likely the day the buyer will make a final inspection. During this walk-through, the buyer will check that the property is in the condition specified by the contract. Expect them to try all of the home’s lights, plumbing, appliances, furnace and air conditioner, sink disposal, and water heater. Knowing this, it’s a good idea for you to test all of these things before the buyer arrives. To prevent any hold-ups at closing, correct any deficiencies before the buyer has a chance to learn of them.
Make plans to have water, electricity, and gas shut off as of the date of closing. It is important that those stay on until closing has occurred so that the Buyer, appraiser, and possible home inspector can perform necessary checks.
The Closing
Finally, you’re ready to officially transfer ownership to the buyer. Closing day will be a series of signing papers and reviewing documents. But you’ll have your listing agent and title company representative to assist you.
Settlement costs may seem confusing, but your listing agent and title company representative should make it as simple as possible for you. You should understand what you’re paying.
Lastly, you’ll transfer the house keys to the new owner. Once the title company representative disburses funds to you and the brokers, the lender and title company will review the papers and approve the sale.
CONGRATULATIONS!! You’ve sold your home!!
