Selling a home in Hawaii

So now your ready to sell your home?  Take a step back.  There may be consequences if you sell your home to soon.  Your probably wondering what I'm talking about, after all a realtor who may think it's not a good idea for you to sell.  Let me explain.  There may be tax consequences for you.  There may have been a holding period when you purchased your home required by the developer, there may be a pre-penalty period on your mortgage.  There are many unique situations that you may not be aware of or may have forgotten over time.  I can help you determine if any of these things apply to you, if not great!  If any of them do apply we can go over your options at that time.

OK, so now you really are ready to sell your home.  If you are relocating out of state or another country or even to another island I can refer you to a realtor in that area if you like.  If you are staying here I can also help you find a new home.

Here are a few steps when selling your home,

1.  Call me!  I will meet with you and take a look at your home.  I will note the condition , size, finishes (flooring,paint, lighting, etc.) of your home.  You will answer  some questions for me and I will answer some questions for you.  This is what I refer to as a pre-meeting where I gather information on your home and your moving/selling time frame.   I will then go to my office and do a detailed search of properties to determine a list price for your home.  This is called a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).  I will then meet with you again to present this information and a marketing plan for your property.  When we all agree on the listing terms and marketing plan I will then place your property on the market.

2.  We will prepare your home to be marketed.  I will have already gone over this with you at the listing appointment.  The better your home shows and appeals to a wider range of buyers will help to ensure a quicker sale with a better selling price.

3.  Showings and Open Houses.  The easier it is for a realtor to show your home to prospective buyers the sooner your home will sell.  That doesn't mean they can come whenever they choose.  When a home is owner occupied I request that they give 24 hours notice, tenant occupied properties by law require 48 hours notice unless the tenant agrees in writing to a shorter time frame, vacant homes are fine with short notice.  They all require an appointment be made and confirmed through me first.  I will call you or the tenant and let you know of the request, when you ok it I call the realtor back and give him/her the entry instructions.  We will go ver lock boxes, etc. during the listing appointment.  Every homeowner has different comfort zones and I try my best to accommodate you.  Open houses for the public are normally on Sundays between 2 - 5pm.  Realtor open houses or Broker's Opens are normally on Wed. or Thurs mornings depending on where your home is located.  The amount of open houses will be discussed at the listing appointment.

4.  The offer.  Once you receive an offer on your property I will meet with you and go over all the terms and conditions of the offer.  You may decide to accept the offer as is or there may be some things about it you will want changed, in this case we will prepare a counter offer.  Once you and the buyers agree on all terms and conditions  we will submit the contract to escrow.  During this time the buyer will be securing their loan, inspections will be done, title reports will be given to review and many other things that I will have discussed with you at an earlier time.  During this time you will also be packing up your belongings and cleaning, cleaning cleaning!  When the buyer does their final walk through about 3-4 days prior to closing make sure your home is spotless, this will prevent any delays or monies being withheld.  If you agreed to a cleaning credit then you do not have to clean but make sure all trash and personal belongings have been removed by the time of the final walk through.

5.  Recordation!  This is when the sale closes and title has recorded you will no longer be the owner of the property.  Make sure you have made prior arrangements to have utilities out of your name by closing.  Also contact your homeowners insurance company.

Lastly, try to stay calm during the sales process, it can sometimes be very stressful.  Try not to have any additional stressful things going on at the same time.  If you have any concerns call me right away, don't wait until you are bursting at the seams.  I'm here to make your selling process as stress free as possible.  There are times when things will happen with the buyer and we will handle those things if and when they arise. 

Call me for a pre-meeting for the sale of your home!

808-780-2691 Jo Ann's direct line!