Price to Sell this Summer in The Valley

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If you're thinking about selling your home this summer in The Valley, you want to be sure you're aware of how to price your home to sell. There needs to be a strategy, because there's a difference between the price you're trying to accomplish and the list price. Homes have a peak interest level in the first 30 days on the market, so it's important to price correctly from the get-go to capture buzz in the first couple weeks.

There are three scenarios of pricing a home.

Group A: Priced too high because they think it's worth more, and get less interest and fewer offers.

Group B: Priced right in the middle, and the home doesn't necessarily stand out. Buyers compare your home to other similarly priced homes.

Group C: Homes priced a little less than what we expect to get. We feel this strategy works the best. If we price slightly less, it shows well, you have good marketing, and you have a great agent on your side, so you're creating the perfect recipe for a bidding war.

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Homes have peak interest level in the first 30 days.

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You'll get more people coming through, and more offers, which drives the price up. There are more details that come into play of course. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Can Zillow Give You an Accurate Home Value?

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We’ve been getting the question “Is Zillow an accurate place to find my home’s value?” a lot, and today we are going to explain how it works and what it is useful for.

Here’s what Zillow is good for. Number one, it’s probably the most widely-used commercially marketed real estate search engine. Studies have shown that 70-75% of buyers visit the site. Zillow also offers an automated home value feature that they call a Zestimate. Zestimates are good jumping off points, but they’re just estimates.

Zestimates do not take into account your property’s condition, or all the recent sales in your area. The algorithm can’t determine any updates or renovations you have done, and oftentimes it uses sold data that’s over a year old.

When a professional agent like one of us comes to your home, we are going to take notice of every detail, and assess your home on the current market using the latest sold data and up-to-date information. This will give us the best indication of where to price your home to sell for top dollar.

These are all things that should be taken into account when trying to pinpoint your value. Zillow is a great starting point, but if you’re looking to make a certain amount of money on your sale, you definitely want to contact a professional. If you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to us via phone or email. We are always here to help.

How Can Security Systems Help Sell Your Silicon Valley Home?

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Today I have Angel Orozco from Skyline Security and he’s going to be talking about home security systems and how they can actually help your home sell in Silicon Valley. Skyline Security has been around for fifteen years and they specialize in all of the newer and more advanced security systems. Many of these are controlled via smartphones and they can be used commercially or residentially.

Technology is huge in security and Skyline offers fully automated technology. Using your phone to set your alarm is extremely convenient, and you can even lock doors with their app. You can secure your entire home from your phone. Motion sensors can detect movement and they also have sensors to detect glass breaking.

 
We have just formed a partnership with Skyline Security and anyone who buys a home from us will get a free installation from Skyline Security. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Angel.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Should You Sell Your Home Before Buying a New One?

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Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. 

If you plan on selling your current house and buying a new one, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.

The first question to ask is whether you need the equity from your current property in order to purchase a new property. If the answer is yes, we suggest you list the property you’re living in first, in order to have the purchasing power necessary to buy your next home.

If you have the cash in the bank to buy your next home without having to sell, it’s a great position to be in. In that case, you can go ahead and start looking at properties before you even list. However, you should be aware of the possibility that you might have two mortgages at the same time.

Regardless of what you end up doing, it’s crucial to be aware of market conditions. Here in Silicon Valley, it’s a very competitive market; there is a lot of inventory and there are a lot of buyers. In this situation, putting an offer on a home that is contingent on you selling your current home is not going to make you look as powerful as someone else who has already sold their home and has some money in the bank.

In this market, sellers need to be aware of something called rent-backs. Basically, a rent-back is a situation in which the seller asks the buyer to rent back the property from the new buyers. This agreement extends the closing so that sellers can remain in their house, while paying rent to the buyer, as they finalize their new living situation. Many sellers have found this to be a great way to purchase a new home without having to move more than once.

If you have questions about how you can make your move as smooth as possible, or if you have any questions about our local market, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to give you a hand! 

Is Your Silicon Valley Home Ready to Sell This Spring?

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The busiest selling season is approaching quickly. Today, we’ll go over five ways to prepare your home to sell this spring. These tips will help your property make the best first impression on potential buyers.

1. Paint the walls a neutral color and replace the carpet. Stick to beige and grays to appeal to the masses. Stay away from loud and bright colors.

2. Remove clutter. Depersonalize the property. Take down family photos and get rid of personal belongings. You’re going to have to pack them anyway, and with them put away, buyers can envision themselves living in the home.

3. Stage your home. If you’re still living in the property, we can do partial staging. If the home is vacant, we can fully stage the property. Staging will give the property a clean, cohesive design and create a nice flow for people walking through the property.

4. Add exterior curb appeal. The grass should be trimmed and shrubs should be pruned. Add fresh flowers and plants. Repaint the front facade, trim, and front door. This will do wonders for how your property shows online and what buyers see when they pull up to your home.

5. Get a home inspection. A home inspection will tell you if anything is wrong with the property. Then you can decide if you want to address those issues up front or make adjustments in the price before listing your home. It’s better to know what’s wrong with the home rather than finding out during negotiations with the buyer, which can save you thousands of dollars.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!