Providing Excellence, Education, & Expertise in Real Estate

Your Navigator Through the Buying & Selling Process

Let Gayle Macomber- Keller Williams Realty Professionals 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!

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The Selling Process

The process of listing your home and selling it can be complicated. Explore our resources below to learn more about the process and how Gayle Macomber can help you sell your property for the best price.

What is the home selling process like?

Gayle Macomber-Keller Williams Realty Professionals explains the home selling process by elaborating in eight different steps. Learn more about this process below.

1. Define Your Needs

Write down all the reasons for selling your home. Why do you want to sell, and what do you expect to accomplish with the sale? For example, you may need a larger home for your growing family or relocation for a new career. Establish if you’d like to sell your home in a specific time frame or make a particular profit margin. Gayle Macomber can help you identify these needs, map out the best path moving forward, set a realistic time frame for sale, and help achieve your home selling goals.

2. Name Your Price

The next objective is to determine the best possible selling price for your home. Setting a fair asking price from the outset will generate the most activity from other real estate agents and buyers. To determine this price, consider the condition of your home, compare prices of other homes in the neighborhood and the state of the overall market in your area.

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

You’re ready to sell, now what? Gayle Macomber will set up a personalized marketing plan for your home. Her plan includes a variety of tactics ranging from internet marketing to open houses to agent-to-agent referrals.

5. Receive An Offer

Once you receive an offer from a potential buyer, Gayle Macomber will first determine whether or not they are prequalified to buy your home. If so, then you and Gayle review the proposed contract, ensuring what is required of both parties to execute the transaction. The contract should include: legal description of the property, offer price, down payment, financing arrangements, inspection rights, & more. Once reviewed, you have a choice to make. Do you want to accept the contract as is? Accept it with changes (a counteroffer)? Or reject it? Once both parties have signed a written offer, the document becomes legally binding. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to address them with your real estate agent right away.

6. Negotiate to Sell

Most offers to purchase your home will require negotiations. Gayle Macomber is well versed in the intricacies of contracts and protects your best interests throughout the bargaining. She knows what each contract clause means, what you will net from the sale, and what areas are easiest to negotiate. Once both parties have agreed on the terms of the deal, the real estate agent will prepare a contract.

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

Have more questions about the home selling process?

Give Gayle Macomber a call today!

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?

Gayle Macomber- Keller Williams Realty Professionals explains the home buying process by elaborating in eight different steps. Learn more about this process below.

1. Decide to Buy

While there are many reasons to purchase a home, wealth building ranks relatively high. Here at Gayle Macomber- Keller Williams Realty professionals, 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

The typical real estate transaction involves at least two dozen separate individuals: insurance assessors, mortgage brokers and underwriters, inspectors, appraisers, escrow officers, buyer’s agents, seller’s agents, bankers, title researchers, and several other individuals whose actions and decisions have to be orchestrated to perform in harmony and get a home sale closed. You need to determine the best real estate agent to help navigate this process; choose Gayle Macomber. She will educate you about your market, guide you to the perfect home, negotiate on your behalf, solve any problems that may arise, and much more.

3. Secure Financing

While the concept of owning a home is exciting, the thought of taking on a mortgage is daunting. Many first-time homebuyers may start confused about the process or nervous about making such a significant financial decision. Gayle will be by your side throughout this entire process. From choosing a mortgage specialist to making a loan application to getting an appraisal, she will help educate and advocate for you.

4. Find Your Home

So you’re pre-approved, the house search begins! While hopping in your car and driving around town is exciting, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, the search becomes exhausting. Gayle makes sure to sit down with you and carefully assess your values, wants, and needs for both the short and long term.

5. Make an Offer

When you were searching for your dream home, you were a dreamer. Now that you’re writing an offer, it’s time to become a business person. Alongside Gayle Macomber, you need to approach the process with a cool head and realistic perspective. The three major components of an offer are price, terms, and contingencies.

6. Perform Due Diligence

Unlike most major purchases, once you buy a home, you can’t return it if something goes wrong. This is why homeowner’s insurance and property inspections are a must. A homeowners insurance policy protects you against loss or damage to the property itself, as well as liability in case someone sustains an injury while on your property. The property inspection should expose any hidden issues that a home may have. The primary concern is structural damage, don’t sweat the little details. If the worst-case scenario turns out to be true, it may be time to walk away from the purchase.

7. Close

The final stage of the home buying process is the lender’s confirmation of the home’s worth and legal statute. This entails a survey, appraisal, title search, and a final check of your credit and finance. Gayle will keep you updated on how everything is progressing. Ensure you stay in control of your finances, return all phone calls and paperwork promptly, and communicate with your agent once a week.

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- Keller Williams Realty Professionals 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!

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Have more questions about the home selling process?

Give Gayle Macomber a call today!

Gayle Macomber- Keller Williams Realty Professionals

2053 East Gause Blvd. Ste 100
Slidell, LA, 70461

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Phone Numbers

Business: 985-646-4028
Mobile: 985-290-2573
Keller Williams: 985-649-6333

Fax

985-649-9792

Email:

gaylemacomber@bellsouth.net

Business Hours:

Open every day from 9 AM- 7 PM

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