Providing Excellence, Education, & Expertise in Real Estate
Your Navigator Through the Buying & Selling Process
Let Gayle Macomber-RE/MAX Select be your navigator, advocate, and educator throughout the buying and selling processes. Our realty company understands how stressful and confusing these processes can be, so we make sure you are equipped with accurate and helpful information. Serving Slidell, LA, and St. Tammany Parish, we make sure to aid in finding you the perfect home!
The Selling Process
Gayle Macomber-RE/MAX Select explains the home selling process by elaborating in eight different steps. Learn more about this process below.
What is the home selling process like?
1. Define Your Needs
2. Name Your Price
It’s often difficult to remain unbiased when putting a price on your home, so Gayle Macomber’s expertise is invaluable at this step. She will know what comparable homes are selling for in your neighborhood and the average time those homes are sitting on the market. If you want a truly objective opinion about the price of your home, you could have an appraisal done. This service typically costs a few hundred dollars.
Remember, you’re always better off setting a fair market value price than setting your price too high. Studies show that homes priced higher than 3 percent of their market value take longer to sell. If your home sits on the market for too long, potential buyers may think there is something wrong with the property. Often, when this happens, the seller has to drop the price below market value to compete with newer, reasonably priced listings.
3. Prepare Your Home
Most of us don’t keep our homes in “showroom” condition. It’s time to break out of that owner’s mindset and get your house in tip-top shape. The state of your home will affect how quickly it sells and the price the buyer is willing to offer.
First impressions are paramount. Gayle Macomber can help by taking a fresh look at your home and suggesting ways to stage it, making it more appealing to buyers. Here are a few of her top recommendations:
- Remove family photos, mementos, and personalized decor. It helps the buyer visualize the home as their own
- Make minor repairs and replacements. The goal is to make a phenomenal first impression, and leaky faucets or broken screens don’t do that!
- Remove any clutter or knick-knacks. We want to make sure your home looks as spacious as possible; clearing that clutter helps a ton!
4. Get the Word Out
5. Receive An Offer
6. Negotiate to Sell
7. Prepare to Close
Once the offer is accepted, you will need to make a list of what you and your buyer must do before closing. The property may need to be formally appraised, surveyed, inspected, or repaired. Depending on the contract, you may pay for all, some, or none of these items. Gayle Macomber will act as your advocate when dealing with these aspects. If each procedure returns acceptable results, the sale continues. If there are problems, we may have to return to step six and reopen negotiations.
8. Close the Deal
“Closing” refers to the meeting where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. Gayle will guide you through the closing process to make sure all goes according to plan. She can mediate any last-minute issues that may arise. After closing, you should make a “to-do” list for turning the property over to new owners. Below is are some recommendations to get you started!
- Cancel electricity, gas, lawn care, cable, and other routine services
- Gather owner’s manuals and warranties for all conveying appliances
How do I price to sell & make a profit?
The asking price you set for your home determines the rest of the sale drastically. It will affect if you profit in the sale, how much you will profit, and how long your home will sit on the market. Gayle Macomber’s expertise is invaluable in helping you set a price. The goal is to find a price that the market will bear but won’t leave money on the table.
Time is not on your side when it comes to real estate. Time may be the most significant determinant in whether or not you will profit from the sale. Typically, the longer a house stays on the market, the less likely it is to sell for the original asking price. Because time is of the essence, make it easy on buyers. Be flexible in house showings and avoid putting contingencies on the sale.
Pricing your home to sell promptly requires objectivity. It is important not to confuse how much you value your home versus what buyers are willing to pay. Don’t confuse value with cost; avoid placing too much emphasis on home improvements when calculating your price.
How can I increase my home’s appeal?
You have one minute to create a winning first impression. Here are some simple ways Gayle recommends to maximize your home’s appeal.
Exterior
- Keep the grass cut
- Remove all yard clutter
- Weed and apply fresh mulch to flower beds
- Apply fresh paint to wooden fences
- Tighten and clean all door handles
- Clean windows inside and out
- Powerwash home’s exterior.
- Ensure all gutters and downspouts are firmly attached and functioning.
- Paint the front door.
- Buy a new welcome mat.
- Place potted flowers near the front door.
Interior
- Evaluate the furniture in each room
- Remove anything that interrupts “the flow” or makes the room appear smaller (consider renting a storage unit to move items off-site.
- Clean and organize cabinets, closets, and bookshelves
- Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans
- Shampoo carpets
- Remove excessive wall hangings and knick-knacks
- Repair all plumbing leaks, including faucets and drain traps
- Make minor repairs (torn screens, sticking doors, cracked caulking)
- Clean or paint walls and ceilings
- Replace worn cabinet and door knobs
- Fix or replace discolored grout
- Replace broken tiles
- Replace worn countertops
Details for Showings
- Turn on all the lights.
- Open all drapes and shutters in the daytime.
- Keep pets secured outdoors.
- Buy new towels for bathrooms.
- Buy new bedding for bedrooms.
- Replace old lamps or lampshades.
- Play quiet background music.
- Light the fireplace or clean out the ashes
- Infuse home with a comforting scent
Set the dining room table for a fancy dinner party. - Vacate the property while it is being shown
The Buying Process
Finding the perfect home is a journey. Let Gayle Macomber be your guide! Below are helpful resources for buyers looking for homes in Slidell, LA, and surrounding communities.
What is the home buying process like?
1. Decide to Buy
While there are many reasons to purchase a home, wealth building ranks relatively high. Here at Gayle Macomber-RE/MAX Select, we call home ownership the best “accidental investment” you can make. When done right, home ownership becomes an “intentional investment” that aids in financial security. Equity buildup, value appreciation, and tax benefits are a few of the many economic reasons to own a home.
2. Hire Your Agent
3. Secure Financing
4. Find Your Home
5. Make an Offer
6. Perform Due Diligence
7. Close
8. Protect Your Investment
8. Protect Your Investment
Throughout the home-buying process, you and Gayle Macomber have spent a lot of time together and have gotten to know one another. Keep in touch with your agent, don’t throw all that trust and rapport out the window! Gayle can still help with many aspects after you close on your home. She’ll provide her knowledge on handling your first tax return as a homeowner, finding reputable contractors for home remodeling, or even helping your friends and family find homes.
Make sure to maintain your home by keeping it clean and watching for signs of leaks, damage, and wear. Fixing minor problems early on can save you big money later!
How can a real estate agent help me?
Gayle Macomber-RE/MAX Select helps you with the entirety of both the home selling and buying processes. Gayle will educate you about your market, analyze your needs and wants, guide you to homes that fit your specific needs, negotiate on your behalf, and will solve any problems that may arise.
How do I decide how much house I can afford?
Your lender decides what you can borrow, but you decide what you can afford. They make qualification decisions based on averages and formulas. Only you understand the nuances of your lifestyle and budget. Leave a little room for the unexpected, especially for all the new opportunities your home will give you to spend money, from furnishing to repairs.
Historically, banks use a ratio called 28/36 to decide how much borrowers could borrow. An approved housing payment couldn’t be more than 28 percent of the buyer’s gross monthly income, and his or her total debt load, including car payments, student loans, and credit card payments, couldn’t be more than 36 percent. As home prices have risen, some lenders have responded by stretching these ratios to as high as 50 percent. No matter how expensive your market, though, we urge you to think carefully before stretching your budget quite so much.
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Pay Rent Online
While we understand that renting is a viable option for your housing, we highly encourage you to begin your home search today. If you can pay rent, it most likely means you can purchase a home. It may seem intimidating at first, but Gayle can help guide you through the home buying process today!
Have more questions about the home selling process?
Gayle Macomber-RE/MAX Select
Phone Numbers
Business: 985-268-0077
Mobile: 985-290-2573
Fax
985-649-9792