Check Out This Featured Kissimmee Listing

Check Out This Featured Kissimmee Listing

This is an outstanding time to purchase a home in Kissimmee Florida. With interest rates still at historical lows and prices in a very affordable range, the time is perfect to consider this 5 bedroom, 4 bath home in Kissimmee.

This 3,662 square foot spacious home comes with a pool, gourmet kitchen, downstairs master bedroom and has a gold course view that you simply must see.

Call Carolee Goodwin-Blackmore at 407.908.6042 or email her at cgblackmore@aol.com. Don’t wait, as we expect this to not be available for long!

First Time Home Sellers Need To Know!

First Time Home Sellers Need To Know!

There is a glut of helpful resources and content available for first time home buyers.  The same cannot be said about learning resources and tips for first time home sellers. Just like buying a home for the first time, selling a home for the first time often comes with lots of confusion and questions.  Many first time home sellers have no idea where to start and what they should focus on during the sale of their first home.

A first time home seller who doesn’t know what tips and advice to follow can sometimes end up costing themselves a lot of money.  We’ve included some of the most important tips for first time home sellers should be aware of!

Preparation Is The Deal!
One of the biggest errors that first time home sellers make is not knowing how to prepare their home and themselves for the market.  Not properly preparing a home for sale is a guaranteed way to make the home selling experience a challenge from the start.

Spring is coming in Osceola County, and it’s typically a very busy time in the real estate market. If you’re going to be selling your home, it’s time to get prepared now.

Here are five important suggestions to consider before the selling surge begins again:
• Deep clean carpets and floors
• Paint any rooms that need it
• Consider having the HVAC systems cleaned prior to listing
• Declutter, declutter, declutter
• Clean windows

Hiring An Experienced Real Estate Agent Is Imperative!

Whether selling a home for the first time or you’ve done this all before, hiring an experienced and established real estate agent is important. Many first time home sellers find hiring the right real estate agent to be their very first big challenge to overcome.  First time home sellers need to know  how to properly interview prospective real estate agents.  That’s sounds easy, but there are a lot of agents out there, and they are NOT all the same. As an example, Goodwin Realty is very versed on the central Osceola County real estate market. We know Kissimmee. We know St. Cloud. We know the Harmony Florida community. It’s what we do everyday, so selling a home in Central Florida for us is much different than for someone who just started selling homes in 2015.

To properly interview prospective real estate agents, a first time home seller needs to know what the  most important interview questions for Osceola County real estate agents are.  Some of the most important questions include;

Are you a full-time or part-time agent?

  • What percentage of homes yearly do you represent the seller?
  • How do you plan on marketing my home?
  • Are you prepared to show me what social media tools  you use right now?
  • Do you use video in your marketing?
  • What methods do you utilize to determine a homes value?

There are literally dozens of questions that first time home sellers should consider asking prospective real estate agents.  The above questions are just some of the most important!

Pricing It Right Is Vital!

The important of pricing in real estate cannot be stressed enough.  First time home sellers need to understand that it’s vital to price a home right from the beginning, otherwise, it will not sell.

The main takeaway for first time home sellers when discussing the importance of pricing a home right is to understand that todays home buyers are well educated.  Since buyers are able to shop online for homes, they are savvy and often have a strong understanding whether a home is overpriced or not. There are lots of buyers who will choose not to look at a home they believe is overpriced!

Know What Is Next!

Another mistake that first time home sellers make is they do not know think about what their next move is enough.  Selling a home takes lots of preparation and sometimes can be stressful.  The last thing a first time home seller needs is to increase their stress levels because they don’t know what their next move is.

Are they relocating to a new area?
Are they going to be renting?

Are they going to be buying and selling a home at the same time?
Are they able to buy a home without selling their current home?

These are just a handful of the most important questions a first time home seller needs to ask themselves before listing their home.  Having a well thought out game plan before listing a home for sale can decrease the stress level for a first time home seller significantly.

Understand What Closing Expenses!
One of the biggest misunderstandings that first time home sellers frequently have it regarding the closing expenses.  A first time home seller needs to have a strong understanding of the closing expenses they will be responsible for, again, prior to selling their home.

It can be quite a shock for a seller who doesn’t know that generally in most cases, they are responsible for paying any brokerage fees.  Some of the most common closing expenses that are incurred by a seller include;

  • Instrument survey
  • State transfer taxes
  • Abstract re-date
  • Seller concessions, if applicable
  • Owner warranty, if applicable

An experienced real estate agent will make sure they educate their sellers on the potential closing expenses they will be responsible for, before listing their home.

Final Thoughts

Selling a home can be stressful and a bit tricky without the correct guidance of an experienced realtor at your side… even for a home seller who has sold a number of homes.  First time home sellers who understand what tips and advice to follow when selling their first home greatly increase the odds they have an enjoyable experience… and sell their home at a higher price.

At Goodwin Realty we believe experience, integrity and work ethic plays a large role in the success of the seller. Our strength is in communication, professionalism, experience and willingness. We hope you’ll consider contacting us at one of our two locations. Call our Kissimmee Real Estate office at (407)846-2787  or call our St. Cloud Real Estate office at 407-556-3909 . We’d love to make your Osceola County home selling experience a positive one.