Ryan Ward's Blog: Selling

About 15 changes have been made to the Purchase and Sale Contracts for residential real estate in Georgia for 2007. Some of the changes are more significant to parties involved in the transaction so we will cover the important changes here.

The biggest change that was made is in the method of payment section of the contract. Under the old sales contract, a buyer had until up to the day of closing to qualify for the loan and this did not provide any protection for the seller if the buyer could not qualify at the last minute. Sellers could have moved or purchased another home and been left to clean up the mess. The new contracts have a financing contingency period. This places more responsibility on the buyer to obtain a loan in a negotiated time period. If…

Possibly the most contentious part of a discussion between a seller and a real estate agent happens over the suggested price for a home. Certainly this is understandable, as the ultimate sales price reflects how much money a seller stands to net when the transaction closes. When you list your home for sale, the most important factor for determining whether your home will sell is the list price. Here are some important reasons why:   The First Week is Very Important - When your home first goes on the market, many agents and buyers will have an interest in your property that only lasts a short time. Even more buyers have notification emails so that when properties that meet their criteria come on the market, they will be notified. If your home is not… Read Full Post

Cold days, bare trees and brown grass can make it hard for your home to shine in winter. If you have your home for sale or will place your home for sale during the winter months, there are many things that you can do to make your home stand in a crowded market. Make sure your home has excellent curb appeal to showcase it and elevate your home above the competition.

Plant Flowers - There are many beautiful varieties of flowers that look their best during the cold winter months. Depending on your climate, pansies, mumms and lambs ear add wonderful color and stand out against the brown backdrop. Remember to plant something green to remind buyers of warmer times.

Remove All Leaves - Make sure you don't have any remaining leaves floating across your yard.…

The decision to list your home for sale can be a difficult and trying time in a changing real estate market. After all, it is no longer enough to place a sign in your yard and have your home listed in the Atlanta MLS and expect a buyer to show up and pay full price for your home. Now that the market has shifted from a sellers market to a more balanced market, the competition your home will face every day has increased. Buyers have a larger selection of homes to choose from and sellers are no longer entertaining multiple offers nearly as often as just one year ago. The time to prepare your home for sale is before you have it listed. Find out what the most important strategies for a succesful sale are and do them before it is too late and potential buyers…

With all of the advertising you see today that promises to tell you the value of your home, you may find it interesting to know that the value of your home that is given to you by these companies is of absolutely no value to anyone who has any say in whether or not a buyer can obtain a loan to purchase your home. That’s right – these values are 100% worthless. For you, as a seller or someone who is looking to refinance your home, the only assessment of value that carries any weight whatsoever is that of the appraiser who is hired on behalf of a lender to determine fair market value of your home. Furthermore, the only person who can influence the valuation of an appraiser is a licensed real estate agent or broker, armed with facts and information that is… Read Full Post