REASONS YOU SHOULD LIST
WITH OUR COMPANY

WE HAVE FOUR OFFICES IN GLADWIN TO BETTER SERVE ALL OUR CUSTOMERS

SUGAR SPRINGS – Sugar River Rd , just West of the Golf Course
WIXOM LAKE – M30 next to Strykers Marina
WHITE STAR – M61 just east of M30 corner
GLADWIN – Downtown across from the County Bldgs

STREET TRAFFIC IS DIRECTED TO OUR OFFICES BY THE BILLBOARDS ON:

US10 MIDLAND , M-18 BEAVERTON , M30 & KNOX, M30 WEST BRANCH, M61 WOODEN SHOE, M61 DOWNTOWN, & M30 SUGAR RIVER RD.

WE MAINTAIN THREE WEBSITES. THEY ARE:

www.smithmiller.com
www.century21.com
www.northernmichigan.com

IN ADDITION, SIX OF OUR AGENTS HAVE WEBSITES
WHERE OUR COMPANY LISTINGS ALSO APPEAR

WE ADVERTISE LOCALLY IN THE FOLLOWING :

GLADWIN COUNTY RECORD
GLADWIN COUNTY BUYERS GUIDE

&

OUR FULL COLOR MONTHLY CENTURY 21 MAGAZINE CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT GLADWIN COUNTY

WE ADVERTISE STATEWIDE IN THE FOLLOWING :

REAL ESTATE NORTHERN DIGEST
REAL ESTATE MARKET PLACE
WOODS ‘N’ WATER MAGAZINE

OUR RECOGNIZED GOLD POST

MEMBER OF THE CLARE-GLADWIN BOARD OF REALTORS
MEMBER OF THE MIDLAND BOARD OF REALTORS

For A Quicker Sale

Make Sure Your Home is Exciting

We don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Most buyers look for homes that are well cared for and bright.

In general clean and spiffy.

CHECK LIST OF FASTER SALES

Lawns and yards – remove clutter, cut grass, edge walks, trim hedges, weed gardens.
Front of house – paint, fix or wash railings, steps, storms, screens and or front door.
Other exterior – side or back door, gutters, wash windows.
Garage – straighten up, paint, fix or wash doors and windows.
Plumbing – repair drippings faucets, leaky toilets.
Heating/Cooling – clean exterior of unit.
Lights – replace all burned out bulbs, faulty switches.
Halls and stairs – remove any clutter to give wide appearance.
Hardware – oil hinges, tighten door knobs, faucets.
General condition – dust, wash, paint, fix defects as required.
Consider feeling of spaciousness – store unneeded items to “enlarge” room size.

THESE ITEMS ARE SUPER CRITICAL

Kitchen – stove, refrigerator, sink should be spotless, all work space clear.
Bathrooms – neat, spotless and fresh. Repair broken putty around tub.
Closets – untidy or over crowded closets suggest inadequate storage space.

HOW TO HELP OUR AGENTS

Children, pets and adults can keep buyers from feeling at ease while they look through a home. For showings please be out of the house if possible.
Tell us which rooms benefit from sunshine or cooling breezes.
Tell us what you like about the house, the yard, the location.
Turn on all lights, or let us turn them on, for the entire showing.
Open drapes in the daytime, close them at night.
Strong cooking or smoking odors can ruin a sale. Make sure your home is fresh for showings.
Small signs highlighting the special features of your home will make sure buyers see all the benefits. We appreciate your ideas.

The Sniff Test

The sense of smell is powerful. When prospective buyers walk into a house, it is better for them to smell freshly baking oatmeal cookies rather than kitty litter.

You may not notice odors that others may pick up as soon as they walk in the door. If your house is for sale, ask a friend or neighbor to give it a “sniff test”. If there are offensive smells, how do you get rid of them? Sometimes there are obvious and simple solutions – a good scrubbing, the old vanilla-on-the-light-bulb trick or throwing out the dog’s special chair. You can temporarily declare your home a “no smoking” zone. You may need professional help for cleaning carpets and drapes or deodorizing wall and wood floors. Your Realtor will be able to provide you with a list of cleaning services which can assist you in making you home smell clean and fresh.

Negotiations

The beginning of negotiations is usually the end of many months of hard work for the buyer or seller. The work ahead requires skill in order to maintain a strong position.

Sellers can lose their advantage if they do not counter an offer that a buyer has made. Even if the opening offer is beneath what the seller feels is reasonable, it is advisable for the seller to respond with a slight reduction from the asking price. The most important component in negotiating is good communication.

The best way to handle a low offer is to counter it with definite terms that are favorable to the seller. A counter offer has two advantages: 1) it keeps the buyer interested, and 2) it moves the negotiation forward and gives the buyer the opportunity to submit another offer that the seller is more likely to prefer.

Contingency Contracts

Buyers walk into your home and fall in love with it. There is one problem – they will have to sell their home before they can buy yours. Their offer contains a contingency clause which makes the purchase dependent upon selling their present home. Should you accept such an offer?

Your decision should be based on several factors. Is their home being professionally marketed at this time, or are they trying to sell it themselves (a risky proposition!)? How long has it been on the market? Is it overpriced? If the house doesn’t sell, can the buyers take out a bridge loan or make other arrangements to get to the closing table? How important is timing for you? Will the buyers agree to let you continue marketing your home and accept a non-contingent contract (and void theirs) if their house does not sell? Contingent contracts often work out well, but you need the help of a professional to weigh the pros and cons.

Personal Property

When you purchase a property, it usually includes the land and everything attached to it, such as buildings, trees, shrubs, etc. Most buyers are only interested in purchasing the real estate, not the owner’s personal property. What happens when personal property has become a part of the real estate – is it actually a “fixture” which now passes with the real estate?

There are three tests which usually need to be satisfied. Has the personal property been permanently annexed to the real estate? Is it intended to become part of the real estate? What is the local custom? Fixtures may include: shades, heaters, ranges, screens, storm windows, lighting fixtures, etc. To save misunderstanding at the closing - and perhaps the sale – it is important that the seller spell out specifically in the sales agreement what will go to the buyer as part of the real estate.

Selling Before Buying

Timing can sometimes be difficult if you have to sell a home before you can buy another one. Most people need the equity from the sale of their first home for the down payment on the new home. If your present home goes on the market first, you may be concerned that it will sell before you find the one you want to buy. If you find the perfect home before your present home is under contract, the sellers may be reluctant to accept your offer, and you may be too nervous to sign a contract.

It is a good idea to sit down with a good Realtor for some professional advice before you begin your search. It will probably be necessary to be flexible on the closing date because it is usually easier to find a home that you want to buy than to sell your present home. If your have found the house your want, your can ask the lender about arranging a short-term bridge loan that can make it possible for you.

Tax Relief

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 allows married taxpayers to exclude from capital gains taxes up to $500,000 in gains from selling a home (singles could exclude $250,000). This change exempts over 99 percent of homes sales from capital gains taxes and dramatically simplifies taxes and record-keeping for over 60 million homeowners. Taxpayers can use this exclusion every two years.

Homeowners can now consider several new options. Many people find themselves at an empty-nester stage (no children at home) in a four or five bedroom home with a large equity. For many of these people, their home has been their major investment and this new law will allow them to unlock the equity. They may help their children buy a first home, purchase that vacation dream-home or make other investments for retirement.

Consult your tax advisor for your particular circumstance.

Real Estate Repairs

In most real estate transactions there are a few responsibilities that the sellers have to handle before the closing, such as repairs. The deadline for completing these obligations usually coincides with the actual closing. Many sellers barely make that deadline. Those who wait until the last minute to handle these matters may miss the deadline altogether or pay high rates in order to get a plumber, roofer or electrician on an emergency basis.

Your buyers will probably get a structural inspection done after the contract is ratified. Within 10 days of the contract’s acceptance by all parties, the inspections should be scheduled. Even though sellers usually know well in advance what is needed, they sometimes put things off until the buyers have finalized the loan approval process. Since these repairs will have to be made anyway, it is a good idea to get them done promptly.

Home Conditions

Most purchase agreements contain language that requires a home to be free of trash and debris and “broom clean” at the closing. While this language is not precise, the general idea is that you should convey a clean house to your buyers, in the same condition that you hope to find your new home.

When the movers leave with your furniture, you may even want to consider hiring a professional cleaning service to thoroughly clean the home. It is crucial to leave your house as clean as possible for the new owners. This includes getting rid of any leftover junk in the storage spaces. When the buyers show up for their final walk-through, they will feel much better about finalizing the sale if everything sparkles. This will set up a positive mood for completing the transaction and help to minimize any disputes at the closing.

The Seller’s Net Sheet

When you consider what price you should accept for your home, there are two important factors that will influence your decision. The first factor is the basic sales price. The second and more important is the amount you will actually receive from the proceeds at the closing.

It can be a little confusing, but you Realtor will prepare a seller’s “net sheet” showing what your expenses will be. This will aid you in determining who pays what and when and can help you to focus on the details of the sale.

A seller’s expenses will include brokerage fees, real estate settlement fees, title insurance fees, special assessments and in some cases the buyer may ask you to pay some of the loan fees. Local real estate taxes will be pro-rated for you and the buyer, and you may be asked to place funds in escrow for payment of your final water bill. Subtract you mortgage balance any home improvement loans and other liens against the property that will be paid at the closing to come up with your final figures.

Your Realtor will help make sense of the confusion by going over all these factors with you when you list your home for sale and again as offers come in.

Closing Statements!

Your house is under contract and scheduled to close in a few weeks. What can you do to make the transfer of ownership as easy as possible for you and your buyers?

Keep in close contact with your Realtor so that you will know if there are any changes in the closing schedule. On the day the property changes hands, your house should be empty, clean and ready for the buyer. Contact all of the utility companies to let them know that you are moving and give the service company the buyer’s name (the buyer must follow up with call to confirm). Don’t turn off the gas or electricity because the buyers need to confirm that the appliances are in working order. Let your insurance company know ahead of time that you are selling the house and arrange for your coverage to be transferred to your new home. The most important thing is to start the process well in advance in order to avoid any last minute complications.