YOU R

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YOU RHO MEYou’ve replaced the light bulbs, scrubbed the

�oors and touched up the walls in preparationfor your open house. If you think you’ve got

everything under control, think again. When sellers puttheir homes on the market, they often make mistakesthat can become serious obstacles to a sale. Makesure you don’t fall into any of these traps.

Not hiring an agent. People who sell byowner (FSBO) may think they’re saving themselvesmoney by going at it alone. But in the long run, ifowners let their homes linger on the market formonths — or even years in some cases — theyare wasting time and losing money.

Not recognizing a good offer. You mayhave heard an agent say, “The �rst o�er is thebest o�er.” But often, sellers want to hold out forbigger and better. So they pass on the �rst o�erand then, down the road, when the bigger num-ber doesn’t come through, they regret turningdown the �rst one. So the rule of thumb is, if youget an o�er and it’s close to or above your mini-mum sales price, do your best to close the deal.

Not leaving your home during a show-ing. No prospective buyer wants the seller loom-ing over his shoulder or following him around thehouse. It is much easier for a buyer to imagineliving in a place if the current owners aren’tthere. Go see a movie, shop or visit friends —do anything but hang around the open house.

Not deodorizing a home that smells. Afterliving in a home for years, you may not noticesubtle (or sometimes not so subtle) smells,whether they’re from pets, smoke or food. Odorstend to cling to carpets, curtains and furnitureand once you’ve grown used to them, you thinkthe smell is neutral. This is where a second opin-ion is critical. Have a trusted friend or neighborcome to your house and tell you if there are any

odors. If there are, make sure to eliminate thembefore your open house.

Not making your last mortgage pay-ment before closing. Even if you’re closingon the second day of the month, and your mort-gage is due on the �rst, you must send in yourpayment. Sometimes sellers erroneously think thatthey can skip that �nal payment once they havesigned a contract to sell their home. If you skipthis last payment, you may incur late fees andmissing it may a�ect your credit history. Don’tworry about losing money for the weeks you’renot living in the house. When the escrow o�ceror attorney produces the closing documents, thenumbers will be calculated based on the pay-ments that have been received by the lender.

ODORS TENDTO CLING TOCARPETS,

CU RTAINS AND

FURNITURE,AND ONCE

YOU’VEGROWN USED

TO THEM, YOU THINK

THE SMELL ISNEUTRAL.

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REAL ESTATE BLOOPERSel ifr

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Sahran ShaoulBroker Associate

913-269-0000

The Choice Is YoursWhich agent is right for you?

Choosing a REALTOR® to help you sellyour home may feel like an arduoustask. With so many REALTORS®

eager for your business, it can be difficult toknow which one you can trust. One way tonarrow down the field is to look for a REALTOR® with credentials that can help bothyou and the buyer feel at ease through-out the entire transaction.

An agent who is a CertifiedResidential Specialist (CRS) is aproven leader in residential realestate. CRS agents are in the top 4percent of agents in the country. Theyoffer years of experience, demonstratedsuccess and advice to help you make smartdecisions about selling your home.

CRS agents have both a high volume ofsales and high number of transactions, aswell as advanced training in areas such asbusiness planning, real estate investing, mar-keting and technology. As additional peace ofmind, CRS agents must maintain membershipin the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL-TORS® and abide by its Code of Ethics.

The real estate market is tough, fast-pacedand competitive, but with a CRS agent byyour side, selling your home becomes anenjoyable experience.

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I LOVEREFERRALS!

Do you know someone who is thinking about buying or selling a home?

Please mention my name.

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for legal or financial advice.If you are currently working with another real estate agent or broker, it is not a solicitation for business.

When it comes to being kicked out of yourhome for a showing, there’s no suchthing as an ideal time. But some hours

are clearly more convenient than others. Before you even sign your listing agreement,

make sure to tell your agent when your home will beready for showings and explain what times are off-limits. If you have young children, for instance, youmight want to cut off showings at 5 p.m. on week-days. If you work late and like to have your morn-ings at home for coffee and reading the paper, askyour agent not to start morning showings before 9.

But even after you’ve articulated your preferencesabout show times, keep in mind that the most flexi-ble sellers are often the ones who close the dealfastest. You can set time limits, but then you’re limit-ing the chances of selling the house. It’s commonfor an interested buyer to want to return to see ahouse at night or check the noise level at differenttimes of day, so it is in the seller’s best interest tobe accommodating.

PERFECT TIMING