This is how you avoid paying double commission:
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1) Ask your original agent to put in writing that the contract you two have is officially terminated. There is a one page form provided by the California Association of Realtors that can be used.
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2) Wait until the listing contract expires. The listing agreement says when the contract ends. Look for that date and wait until that time passes. Then you are free and clear to hire another agent after that date.
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If you do not do either one of these, you are still under contract with your original agent.
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That means when your new agent sells your home, you have to pay the new agent her commission, and the original agent his commission.
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Now you know how to avoid this common mistake.
Favorite Encino condo to sell this week
Original asking price: $474,995
Sold price: $475,000
I used to live at this complex many years ago... so it was a lot of fun helping out an old neighbor sell their unit 😄
Best remodeled home to sell this week in La Crescenta
Original asking price: $919,000
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Sold price: $875,000
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This #LaCrescenta property was sold BELOW the appraised value! 😝
Why should we get pre-approved for a home loan first?
If you don't show me a pre-approval letter when submitting an offer on one of my listing, YOU WILL BE IGNORED.
Condo buyers demand move-in ready units
Condo buyers are very different than single family home buyers.
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Typically condo buyers want something they can move into right away. There are a couple of reasons for this...
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1) Condo buyers are usually younger and don't have enough money for a downpayment and renovations.
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2) Have you ever tried to remodel a condo? I have. It's a nightmare! Cutting up wood and granite countertops usually takes place outside. But when remodeling a condo, all of that has to be done inside the unit, leaving all the dust and dirt. At the end of the day, It looks like a bomb went off! Not to mention the crazy amount of noise the power machines give off in a confined space.
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I can't believe I ever did it!
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But even if your condo is not move in ready, there are 3 things that your unit might have that will still make it acceptable to buyers.
When selling your condo, always check if your condo complex is FHA approved
FHA approval for your complex means that you can sell your unit to a buyer who only needs to put down 3.5%.
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This is great news because there will be a lot more competition to buy your place.
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I currently have a listing in Encino, CA... you may remember this city from the movie #EncinoMan. Its a large city in Los Angeles.
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Guess how many complexes have FHA approval in all of Encino? Only 3! The complex that I am selling the unit in is one of the three. This is HUGE!
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Buyers who can only put a small down payment have no choice but to consider my listing for purchase.
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Had I not known the complex was FHA approved, my seller would have lost his competitive edge.
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And it's so easy to look it up!
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When you are interviewing agents to sell your home, you know you have found a good one when they tell you at their listing presentation if your complex is FHA approved or not.
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That’s what I did with the owner of my current listing 😉
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Is your complex FHA approved?
The most expensive home in North Hollywood to sell this week
Compared to selling prices in the rest of the San Fernando Valley, this looks cheap!
How can I guarantee that my home appraisal doesn't come in low?
. Here are the top 3 ways to get the highest appraisal possible:
. #1 Clean your home like you are having your entire family over for Thanksgiving dinner. The appraiser will see that it is a well kept home.
. #2 Put together a list of all the improvements you have made to your property over the years. Give that list to your agent, and she will give it to the appraiser.
. Those 2 items will leave a huge impression on your appraiser.
. The 3rd is a bit more complex and will have to be discussed in another video...
To sell your home for top dollar, have your house cleaned as if you are having everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner
If you are preparing your house for showings or even for the appraisers visit, your home needs to be spotless.
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Clean it as if your entire judgy family will be coming over for Thanksgiving dinner and judging every little thing you have done to your home.
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Clean, clean, clean... if you want top dollar for your home.
With our Flexible Commission Listing, you have complete flexibility... from "Full Service" to "Do It Yourself"
Most brokers will charge you the same commission fee no matter how your home sells... even if you find the buyer.
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With the Flexible Commission Listing you have complete flexibility, from "Full Service" to "Do It Yourself".
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When you are ready to talk about selling your home, contact our office by phone or text at (818) 860-1790.
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FlexibleCommissionListing.com for more info.
Probate Sale Vs. Trust Sale
. Here is what happens when you put your home in a Trust...
. A Trust lawyer will give you a form to fill out. On this form you will add general info like who is in charge of your Trust, what properties are part of the Trust, what stocks and bond are part of the Trust and a few other extremely important items.
. The lawyer then types up all that info into a Trust. . You go down to the lawyer's office with the person you assigned to be in charge of the Trust and sign the forms in front of a notary.
. Poof!
. All of your properties (along with other important items) are now in a Trust! It's pretty easy and not very time consuming.
To see what your home is worth you have to run the comps.
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That means you need to research all the comparable properties that have sold in the area to help determine what your property is worth.
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Only look at sold homes within 1/2 a mile, have similar living square footage, and lot size.
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Then look at pictures to compare the condition of the home.
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Finally, look at those homes selling prices.
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That will give you a rough estimate as to what your home is worth.
Episode 15 of The #AskDanielLosAngeles Show
In episode 15 of The #AskDanielLosAngeles Show, I answer the following 4 real estate questions:
1) How can I figure out how much my home is worth?
2) Whats the difference between a probate sale and a trust sale?
3) What are some of the weirdest things you have heard buyers say when taking a tour of one of your listings?
4) The buyer for my home needs to get an appraisal done on my property. How can I make sure it doesn't come in low?
We have over 9,500 followers on Instagram... come join us! @DanielLosAngeles
Over pricing your home never wins
If you overprice your home, no one will come to take a tour.
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No tours mean no offers.
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No offers means your home will sit on the market for months.
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Then what?
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Do you take it off the market and try again in a few months?
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Do you lower your asking price?
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Either way, you lose.
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Get it done the first time. Be realistic about what your home is worth. Base the price off of market data.
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Get a lot of showings.
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Get multiple offers.
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Win.
Multiple offers on your home always leads to more money in your pocket
The old strategy was to price your home a little high so that you have negotiating room. Although that might work sometimes, this idea is all but dead.
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With websites like Zillow and Trulia, technology has changed the game.
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Home buyers are searching "up to" what they can afford. So if their budget is $800K, their saved search in Zillow is set so that they get a notification when a home $800K and lower hits the market.
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So if you priced your home at $825K with a strategy of having negotiating room, you lose.
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You lose because your home will never come up in a $800k home buyers search and they will never get a email notification from Zillow. In other words, your home doesn’t exist.
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What will happen is that you will stay on the market for 30 days... then drop your price to $800K. NOW you show up in their searches. But by that time your listing looks old and stale.
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Buyers will ask "Why hasn't this property sold? Is something wrong?".
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Price your home at $800k from the start and you would probably get multiple offers and drive up the selling price.
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Multiple offers always gets you more money in the end.
