Archive for Overcome the Seller's Objections

Tips: Sell Your House for the Maximum Value

March 5, 2009 at 3:56 pm · Filed under Overcome the Seller's Objections, Want to sell your home?, buy sell home ·Tagged ,

Any homeowner would want to get the maximum value when selling their home. However some people mistakenly pay huge amounts of money and undertake complete repair and renovation jobs in an attempt to make the house more appealing. Consider yourself lucky if you ever do recover that money from the sale of your home.

It’s a lot of little things, combined with only a few big ones that make the difference between a house that is so-so and one that is irresistible.

Start with the Exterior

First impressions count and the first thing your potential buyers are going to see is the exterior of the house and the garden. Chances are they may decide to drive past your house if they see an unruly garden and an unpainted house. So make sure your garden is well tended and cared for. Mow the lawn, water the plants and place your pots with flowering plants within plain sight. Make sure the exterior of your house is spotlessly clean and that includes the driveway, front porch, shutters and window screens.

Take pains to ensure your front door and the surrounding area look absolutely clean. Give the door a fresh coat of paint if need be. Your customers will have a lot of time to have a good look at the front door and the surroundings while they wait for you to answer the door bell.

Lead the way in

Giving your interior walls a fresh coat of paint is undoubtedly the best way to increase the market value of your house. Neutral colors such as antique white or off white give your rooms an elegant and sophisticated quality that is unmatched. Get your carpets and drapes professionally cleaned. Replacing old and worn out fixtures with brand new ones is an inexpensive investment that will most likely reap you rich rewards.

And now, those three most important words that can make or break your sale- Clear The Clutter. Now is a good time to throw away items that have been lying around and have never been used. Clean out and organize your closets. The client’s wife will most likely want to see what the clothes cupboard looks like.

Its Showtime, folks!

D-day is finally here. Your potential buyers are due to come over and inspect your home later today. Make good use of your morning and put the final touches to make your house look even more appealing. Remember your buyers are looking for a house they can call their own. So go ahead and make your home an inviting place to be in.

Again, first impressions count. Give your potential buyers an impressive first impression and everything else will fall in place. Fill your home with the delicious aroma of baked cookies by actually baking a batch of cookies just before your clients arrive. Nobody, but nobody can resist this reminds-me-of-home aroma. Fresh flowers, strategically placed add color and joy to any room.

Keep all your windows and curtains open to give the house a bright airy look. If it’s a late winters evening, switch on all your lights and keep the fireplace going, so your house looks and feels warm and cozy.

Once again- Clear the clutter! You’ll be amazed at how much has accumulated since the last time you undertook this exercise. Put away shoes that clutter your doorway. Pickup up strewn clothes and socks and throw those in the laundry basket or better still, hide them in the car for the day. Whatever you do, just do not throw all the picked-up stuff into your closet or any cupboards. Remember the client will most likely want see the interior of all the cupboards and wardrobes.

Spray the carpets, drapes and furniture with an odor-removing spray to erase all traces of cigarette smell and pet-odor. Hang fresh, clean towels in the bathrooms and kitchen. Make sure the bathrooms are spotlessly clean and inviting. Placing a few bric-a-brac in each bathroom gives it a more personal touch.

Now that you’ve got the house ready, sit back, relax and wait for the door-bell to ring announcing the arrival of your buyers.

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Home Improvement Tips: Bathroom Renovations

February 5, 2009 at 4:24 pm · Filed under Best Way to Find Deals, Buying Real Estate, Buying an Appartment, Overcome the Seller's Objections, buy sell home

One of the most popular areas of a house to renovate is the bathroom. There are many different ways to renovate a bathroom, from small surface changes to completely gutting the room. With some forethought and elbow grease, there are renovating techniques the do-it-yourselfer can accomplish, while saving money at the same time.



The first rule in any renovation is to start with a budget, and stick to it. After a budget is set, one must decide on how serious of a project the renovation will be. Surface alterations can be done fairly quickly and cheaply, while rearranging the layout of the bathroom, such as moving the toilet to a new location, will be more labor intensive, and require a contractor to move plumbing lines. A complete tear out is the most difficult, as well as money and time consuming, but is sometimes necessary if several years of moisture has begun to rot the bathroom’s wooden framework.



Hopefully moisture hasn’t penetrated the bathroom’s joists and studs, but it’s quite possible that drywall will have to be replaced. Today there is moisture resistant drywall called greenboard. If a wall is being replaced inside of the shower, a cement backerboard must be used that moisture cannot penetrate.




Many bathroom renovations revolve around the shower or tub. For the do-it-yourselfer, installing a prefabricated shower enclosure or tub is possible. The other option is a tiled shower or tub, which involves building a frame from scratch, and is best left to a professional carpenter. Though prefab showers were once fairly basic, today there are a variety of styles, colors and textures from which to choose. The units can come in one solid piece, to minimize assembly, and also panels if the complete unit can’t fit through the bathroom door (which is the case with many older homes).



There are a wide variety of flooring options for bathrooms, but steer clear of wood floors which will warp from the humidity. Ceramic tiles are the most popular choice for bathroom flooring, as it’s completely waterproof when sealed properly. There are also almost limitless combinations of shapes, sizes and colors combinations of tiles and grout that will fit all tastes. All floors must be level before laying down tile, which can be easily achieved by mixing a self leveling compound that is then spread across the floor, evening out any inconsistencies.



A new sink or vanity can spruce up a bathroom as well. There are many popular styles, such as wall mounted sinks, pedestal sinks, and vessel sinks that are fairly easy to install. It’s often possible to use the current sink piping to reconnect to an updated sink which can drastically change a bathroom’s appearance.



Some of the most effective updating can also be the easiest to do. Changing all the hardware, such as drawer pulls, faucet handles, and shower heads, can make a great impact, especially when they are all pulled together with the same materials, such as stainless steel, bronze, or brushed nickel. The cheapest home improvement choice of them all- paint- can also give a bathroom a new feel. Ditching a bland, frameless mirror for a new, large one with a funky frame is also an easy fix.



Sometimes the cost of new bathroom features is the priciest part of a renovation, but looking beyond big box stores can save cash. The local craigslist may have a treasure being thrown out by another remodeler with a different taste. Ebay can work the same way. Buying discontinued tiles is another good money saving technique, but remember to pick up extras to replace damaged tiles in the future.



Most remodeling techniques can be learned, but a contractor may be necessary to deal with new electrical or plumbing lines- it will be worth the money for it to be done correctly, and they will follow building codes properly. Getting referrals from trustworthy friends is always advisable when looking for a good and efficient contractor.

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How to Overcome the Seller’s Objections When Buying Subject-To

September 26, 2008 at 5:52 pm · Filed under Overcome the Seller's Objections ·Tagged ,

It is my opinion that building rapport and getting your seller to feel comfortable with, dare I say “like” you, is the biggest step toward overcoming any fears or questions that they may have.

Whether sophisticated or not, some sellers ARE going to have questions and you had better be able to answer them in a way that satisfies them. While that may sound scary, remember, no matter how little you know the seller will probably know less.

The biggest edge you can give yourself, after having the seller like you, is being confident about what you are doing and how you do it. I know this will be hard at first but if you make yourself as knowledgeable as you can about sub2 and know the mechanics, you should do fine. You must show confidence in yourself and in your business. Remember, these people are trusting you to help them out of a jam on probably what was the biggest investment of their lives. While the sellers who are months behind or already have credit that is shot might be easy to convince, the ones who have different motivation might not be so easy.

Here are some of the most frequent seller questions we get in the order of their frequency and how we answer them:
Q: How do I know you will make the payments?
A: “This is our business and this is the way we buy most all of our properties. We would never jeopardize our reputation by NOT making the payments as agree. We do not get paid until we cash this loan out so you can bet we are working hard toward that end. If you like, your lender has an 800 number/website that you can check each month to be sure that the payment has been made as agreed. If there were any problem, you would know right away.”

If you have good credit, you may want to take along a copy of your credit report to show your good payment history. Just let them take a look; do not leave a copy with them. You can also take a list of references if you would like. The more professional references you have, the better. Attorneys, doctors, politicians, anyone you know who everyone knows are good to have on your list.

After you have done a few deals, take your reference letters. Former sellers who write glowing letters of recommendation are great ways to put potential seller’s minds at ease.
Q: What if we decide to buy another home?
A: “If you decide to buy another home, we will provide you with any documentation your lender requests to help you qualify. Canceled checks, closing statement, whatever you need to satisfy the lender that you are not and will not be responsible for making the payments on this home.”

This is something you should find out during the screening process. If your seller is planning on buying another home soon, you should let them know that it may be difficult to do within a year if their credit or debt to income is less than great. The exception to this is when the seller has already qualified for another house and the sale of the existing one is not a condition of the loan closing.

Most times this will be a non-issue as most of your sellers will have major credit issues like bankruptcy and pending foreclosure. For the ones that do not fall into this category, be sure and tell them about difficulties they may have in qualifying.
Q: When will you sell the house?
A: “We can’t give you an exact time frame for that. We may get a buyer within 30 days or the loan may go the full term. While we can’t guarantee exactly when it will cash out, what we can guarantee is that the payments will be made on time, every time for as long as we have the property.”

“Remember, we do not get paid until it cashes out, so we are trying constantly to get this completed.”

Never promise your seller a specific time to cash out. This is just something you cannot control unless you are prepared to cash it out yourself. I have had tenants I would have sworn were going to cash me out who flaked on me after 2 years or more in the house. You just never know. Don’t let your seller base their future plans on promises that you made that you can’t keep.
Q: What if the person you put in the home tears it up or does not pay?
A: “The people we put in the home are folks who want to OWN the home, not rent at. As such, the chance of them tearing it up is much less likely. As we are not going to be actually living there, we can’t guarantee that they won’t tear it up but if they do we will be responsible for repairing it as in our agreement.”

“We also cannot guarantee that they will pay us every month but we DO guarantee that we will make the payments on this house and that is in writing.”
Q: How do we know you will do as agreed? How can we trust you?
A: “Again, this is our business and how we support our families. We know this business and are confident that we can offer you the best solution RIGHT NOW. Ultimately you have to feel at peace about your decision to sell to us and frankly, if you do not feel at ease with it, we do not want to buy your house. If you cannot sign these papers and sleep well tonight then we need to part friends and wish you the best of luck in selling your house.”

Remember, answer their questions honestly and don’t make promises you can’t keep. These folks are people just like you who have a financial circumstance that forces them to make some scary decisions. It is possible to both help them out and make a profit.

When your sellers do have questions, and they will, answer them as simply and as honestly as you can, avoiding words or terms that they may not understand like “equitable interest” or “Illinois Land Trust”. Using words and terms unknown to them may result in even more questions or uncertainty.

I always like to use Denzel Washington’s line from “Philadelphia”, “Explain it to them like they are 5 years old” but do it without being condescending. Just use easy to understand words and phrases.

Really, this is rarely a problem and I have never had a seller not sign because of fears that could not be relieved by my answers. If you lose a deal because of your failure to answer a question in the proper way, just look at it as a learning experience. I bet the next time it comes up you do fine.

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