When selling your house, there are a few key things you can prioritize to have the most significant impact for a faster sale:

1. Make Buyers Feel at Home

Declutter your home! Pack away all personal items like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. Make buyers feel like they belong in the house. According to the 2019 Profile of Home Staging by the National Association of Realtors, “83% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”

Not only will your house spend less time on the market, but the same report mentioned that, “One-quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between 1 – 5%, compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged.”

If you don’t have time or the budget to stage the entire house, the four rooms you should focus on are the Living Room, Kitchen, Master Bedroom, and Dining Room.  For example, for the dining room, make sure the dining table is the right size, and the paint is light and bright.  For the master bedroom, make sure all of the clothing is appropriately hung and have unnecessary furniture removed.  The kitchen should appear decluttered and functional, and the living room should have the accessories kept to a minimum.

2. Keep It Organized

Since you took the time to declutter, keep it organized. Before buyers arrive, pick up toys, make the bed, clear off the fridge, toss the newspapers, and put away clean dishes. As mentioned above, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms to stage to attract more buyers. Put out a scented candle or some cookies fresh from the oven. Buyers will remember the smell of your home.

3. Price It Right

More inventory coming into the market guarantees there will be some competition. You want to make sure your home gets noticed. A key to selling your house is ensuring it is Priced to Sell Immediately (PTSI). Proper pricing means you’ll be driving more traffic to your property and ultimately creating more interest in your home.

To help give you an idea of your home’s value, we have on our website a calculator to see what homes have been selling for in your neighborhood. Click here to see the current list of homes that have sold near you, then give me a call, and we can discuss the price of your home.

4. Give Buyers Full Access

I know that we all have busy lives, but one of the top four elements when selling your home is access. If your home is available anytime, that opens up more opportunities to find a buyer right away. For some buyers, especially those relocating, time is limited. If they cannot get into the house, they will move on to the next one. Let’s chat about how we can make your home accessible.

If you want to sell your home, in the least amount of time, at the best price, and with as little hassle as possible, you need to enlist the help of a seasoned real estate professional. Let’s connect today to determine what you need to do to sell your home as quickly as possible. (928) 916-1921.

Price per square foot is a real estate concept that is easy to understand but equally easy to misuse. The formula is pretty simple: To determine the price per square foot, you take the house’s sale price and divide it by the house’s square footage.

Price per square foot is useful in looking at broad market comparisons, such as comparing one entire metro area to another or looking at an area’s average change over time. It is not, however, accurate in figuring out the value of your home. 

Why? Unfortunately, the price per square foot fails to consider the most important factors when pricing a home.

First and foremost, it makes assumptions about the home’s amenities. We all know the quality of materials used in home construction and the condition of the home’s appliances and other features can dramatically impact a home’s value. A kitchen with Italian marble surfaces versus one with pressboard countertops will have completely different values. Price per square foot in a given neighborhood will blend these homes and produce an average.

Second, the price per square foot assumes locations are identical, but in almost any metro area, there are up-and-coming neighborhoods as well as neighborhoods in decline. Price per square foot near an abandoned industrial zone will vary considerably from one near a well-established downtown district with an excellent walkability score.

Third, even the simple calculation of price per square foot can influence how the total number of square feet has been calculated. If one has a garage converted into an in-law suite, and another home doesn’t, which square footage is valid? And what about the house or lot size? Sometimes above or below-grade lots can influence the price per square foot as well.

Compare Subdivisions

One of the things I love about technology is information.  Our website offers Market Trends for each of our towns, as well as area subdivisions.  The reports outline the number of properties for sale, new listings, days on the market, and average sale prices.  Take time to click around and look at different areas; it is quite fascinating.

We also offer information about Price per Square Foot. For example, the average price per square foot in American Ranch in Prescott is $433, the average price per square foot in Forest Trails in Prescott is $352, and Prescott Ridge in Prescott Valley has a per square foot price is $606. (These are prices at the time of publication, click on each area to view the current numbers.)

Resources and Tools

Price per Square Foot helps compare areas, but when it comes time to set a value for your home, we have other tools to help you determine that number.

When valuing a home, we work hard to get an accurate value that considers dozens and dozens of factors. If you would like a real estimation of your home’s value in its current condition and location, we would be happy to help. We have resources and tools available that take into account numerous variables to arrive at an accurate value. Get in touch today, and we will show you what goes into determining the optimal value for your home: (928) 916-1921.

Price per square foot is a real estate concept that is easy to understand but equally easy to misuse. The formula is pretty simple: To determine the price per square foot, you take the house’s sale price and divide it by the house’s square footage.

Price per square foot is useful in looking at broad market comparisons, such as comparing one entire metro area to another or looking at an area’s average change over time. It is not, however, accurate in figuring out the value of your home. 

Why? Unfortunately, the price per square foot fails to consider the most important factors when pricing a home.

First and foremost, it makes assumptions about the home’s amenities. We all know the quality of materials used in home construction and the condition of the home’s appliances and other features can dramatically impact a home’s value. A kitchen with Italian marble surfaces versus one with pressboard countertops will have completely different values. Price per square foot in a given neighborhood will blend these homes and produce an average.

Second, the price per square foot assumes locations are identical, but in almost any metro area, there are up-and-coming neighborhoods as well as neighborhoods in decline. Price per square foot near an abandoned industrial zone will vary considerably from one near a well-established downtown district with an excellent walkability score.

Third, even the simple calculation of price per square foot can influence how the total number of square feet has been calculated. If one has a garage converted into an in-law suite, and another home doesn’t, which square footage is valid? And what about the house or lot size? Sometimes above or below-grade lots can influence the price per square foot as well.

Compare Subdivisions

One of the things I love about technology is information.  Our website offers Market Trends for each of our towns, as well as area subdivisions.  The reports outline the number of properties for sale, new listings, days on the market, and average sale prices.  Take time to click around and look at different areas; it is quite fascinating.

We also offer information about Price per Square Foot. For example, the average price per square foot in American Ranch in Prescott is $433, the average price per square foot in Forest Trails in Prescott is $352, and Prescott Ridge in Prescott Valley has a per square foot price is $606. (These are prices at the time of publication, click on each area to view the current numbers.)

Resources and Tools

Price per Square Foot helps compare areas, but when it comes time to set a value for your home, we have other tools to help you determine that number.

When valuing a home, we work hard to get an accurate value that considers dozens and dozens of factors. If you would like a real estimation of your home’s value in its current condition and location, we would be happy to help. We have resources and tools available that take into account numerous variables to arrive at an accurate value. Get in touch today, and we will show you what goes into determining the optimal value for your home: (928) 916-1921.

The dream of homeownership is about more than just a stable place to live, exempt from landlords’ whims and decisions. For many, homeownership is a piece of the wealth-building picture, essential to a future retirement or financial independence. The idea is pretty basic: You purchase a home and pay it down while hoping the home’s value increases over time. Generally speaking, this is what happens over time. As you go, you build what’s called “equity.”

What is Equity

Definition of Equity is “the market value of a homeowner’s unencumbered interest in their real property—that is, the sum of the home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property.” If you were to sell your home and pay off the mortgage’s balance (and any other debts, such as home equity credit lines or liens), the cash you would have leftover is your equity. Your “equity position” changes over time due to a variety of factors.

As you’ve probably noted, your home equity position’s most significant variable is the home’s actual market value. A variety of factors can influence your home’s value, including the market demand for homes in your area, local amenities, schools, your home’s particular features, upgrades you’ve made, condition issues, plus quite a bit more. So how can you tell your equity position?

First, you need to know what you owe on your home. Finding the amount owed is as simple as checking your mortgage statement to see your principal balance. This number can differ slightly from your actual payoff amount due to closing dates, interest, and other issues determined during the sale. For this calculation, your principal balance is the number you need to know. If you have any other debt on the home, you need to add the value of this debt to the principal balance (this might include credit lines, liens, or second mortgages.)

Home Value

Next, you need to know the value of your home. Zillow and Trulia sites use “automated valuation models” to give you an approximate home value. These models are generally not very accurate when it comes to your home’s value as they exclude many crucial factors. Often, they come in quite a bit higher. They can, however, give you an idea of general changing trends in your market over time.

Hiring an appraiser is one way to determine your home’s value from a more bank-like perspective. While an actual sale may be above the appraisal, this thorough, conservative option is an excellent way to go. The downside? You may have to pay up to $500 for the assessment.

Knowing the correct value of your home is crucial when it comes to selling your home. Having a home priced correctly is one of the number one reasons homes sell fast. On the flip side, a home priced too high can cause the house to sit on the market too long. The right price is vital. Get in touch today if you want to learn more: (928) 916-1921.