“The market has evolved in the past ten years. Buyers have become more savvy, there has been a growth of new regulations. The ways to sell your house has changed dramatically. Let me help you with that and answer all your questions.”
DO YOU NEED A REALTOR TO SELL YOUR HOUSE?
Of course you don’t. But think about it: this is most likely one of your most important investments. Solo selling works, but team work has advantages such as more market exposure, a good market knowledge, more negotiating strength, and a competitive advantage over skilled and educated buyers. I have assisted clients and friends in selling over 80 homes in the Portland metro area during some rough market times as well as working with a team of committed client-focused folks from photographers, inspectors, handyman, title reps and a number of buyers who have helped contribute to the buyer’s mindset. As you sell a home, adopting a buyer’s mindset becomes a powerful tool.
Am I really a necessary part of someone selling their home? That constant question to myself has led me to make sure I understand and up to date with the current real estate market. Constant career education has been part of the fiber of my career leading me to join and maintain an active part in the Council of Certified Residual Specialists - a group of less that 3% of Realtors thoughtout the US.
HOW MUCH WILL SELLING YOUR HOME COST?
Isn’t it as simple as picking the price we want, putting up a sign, getting a buyer to agree and banking the money and moving on? After considering at all the factors in selling a home, and depending a bit on your location as well as the time of year, you can safely count on about 10% of the final sales price - whether you sell on your own or use a Realtor. When I sold my own home, I of course wanted top value so we brought in the landscapers, handyman, did our energy audit which resulted in some needed window and insulation updates. Realized that some deferred maintenance also needed to be done, so took care of all that. Thankfully I had a pretty good idea who my area competitors were (you got it - I previewed them all) so I was able to set a price that was I knew would catch some eyes. Then there were our closing costs themselves. Even though I was my own Realtor, we ended up paying 3% to our buyer’s agent. In the end our total costs of selling came close to about 4% above what I paid in Realtor costs. Let’s meet and share ideas how to get your best value.
“Communicating with Norm was a breath of fresh air. No matter what, he always had an answer or would obtain one for us, right then and there. Hey Norm, putting burgers on the grill for dinner, can you join us?”
I met Maya, Brian, Eryk & Scarlett Bowen in 2005. I am taking care of the family estate for 14 years. Brian's mom & dad, Dene & Bo, were my original clients and friends. When they both passed away, Brian asked me to continue taking care of the family properties.
MEET THE BOWENS
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO PREPARE FOR A HOME SALE?
Should I paint my entire house, remodel the kitchen, repaint the entire interior of the house, redo all the landscaping? These are all common questions I have have heard from my seller clients over the years. If you have kept your home in relatively good shape, if you have protected your investment you may not actually need to do all that much. If you have deferred maintenance items, then take care of them.
Clean out those gutters, clean up the yard (that does not mean pay hundred of dollars to totally put in an all new landscape), make sure your furnace is serviced regularly, clean those windows. - all just general things to keep your home looking presentable.
Now, if you know that your roof is in bad shape, sure, take care of that and get it replaced. If you have an old furnace, think about spending the relatively small amount and get a new one. Begin to look at your home through the eyes of a buyer and a home inspector. In fact, before you decide to just do a paint over, I would highly recommend that your spend the $400 to $500 for a licensed home inspector such as Dave from Front Porch NW who will spend up to 4 hours going through every inch of your home and then providing you with a complete list of recommendations.
If you are within the city of Portland, you will need to have an Energy audit done prior to listing your home. This energy audit will score your home on a scale of 1 through 10 on your energy efficiency. The test will them make some recommendations on ways to increase your energy efficiency that you can follow or decide to leave for the next owner. To schedule this test I personally recommend a company called Portland Energy Score.
As I mentioned earlier, as you begin to prepare for a sale, begin to look at your home as a buyer. Be critical of your property now rather than have a potential buyer being critical and then presenting you with low offers. I am also always available to meet with you, do a walk thru with you and provide my personal recommendations after looking at hundreds of homes representing both buyers and sellers. The whole goal of my meeting with you would be to see what we together could do to help you get the most dollar amount out of your investment.
Fred Bachofner is a home mortgage broker at Finance of America. Fred Bachofner knows Norm and works with him since 2014.
MEET FRED
“I have worked with a lot of realtors in my 25 years in the home mortgage finance business. Norm stands out with his compassion for his clients and his excellent guidance in both the home buying and home selling process. Both buying and selling can have its stressful moments, but Norm’s professionalism keeps the waters far less turbulent. Hey Norm, swing by the house for a cold one anytime you are in the area!”
I first met Fred about 5 years ago and was immediately struck by his gentle kind and unpretentious demeanor. He was one of the guys who invited me to join Rotary where I immediately was impressed by his genuine giving spirit. He does so much within our community.
As my wife Moni says: “He is one of the kindest men I have met”. She and I both feel he reflects an ethical and value system that goes beyond the ordinary.
I have worked with a number of mortgage guys, but Fred tops them all in terms of his going the extra mile for his clients. Many of them become his long-term friends. That in itself speaks volumes. Good words for him: Integrity - Genuininess - Community-minded - Kind - Oregonian - Old School Values - Service about self!