Getting Ready to Sell Your Home

So you're going to sell your home and you need to get ready. What do you do? The first thing is to call me ((707) 499-7111) so we can sit down together, evaluate the value of your home and your goals in selling, and then plan a strategy to accomplish those goals. After that's done, you can start on this list.


1) Go through your home room by room, inside and out, with 2 pads of paper. On one pad write everything you love about your home. Start with the physical features, but then go beyond them. How does the morning sun come through that window? Where do you put your Christmas tree? How does it feel to have your family over for Easter dinner? What are the neat things about living in your neighborhood? Think about the highlights of your home in each season of the year. I will use these items in preparing my marketing materials so we can hook those buyers' hearts and minds and give your home a competitive advantage over other listings.

2) On the second pad of paper, write down every problem or repair you've made on the home. You'll need this list for your disclosures. Under California law, a seller must tell the buyer about every known problem with the home, even the ones that have been repaired. And there's nothing worse than being dragged into court after the sale to confront a lawsuit over non-disclosure of some item. So disclose until it hurts. If you think you might, maybe, just possibly need to mention something, do it.

3) Start packing. You ARE selling your house, so you WILL be moving. Start now. Pack up personal items first - pictures, trophies, all those quaint figurines that collect on our end tables. Next, move out all of the stuff that's not going with you. You can yard sell it, give it away, or take it to the dump - just get it out. Then, pack out those extra appliances and pieces of furniture that are cluttering up your home. De-cluttering can be the biggest money-maker you do in getting ready to sell your home. And don't put it all in the garage! Rent a mini-storage unit if you must. It will be worth it.

4) Clean, clean, clean! This is the 2nd biggest money maker you'll do. Clean the carpets, the walls, the ceilings, the top of all the light fixtures, behind the fridge and stove, the windows - everything! Hire a professional if you need to. Not only will cleaning make your house look crisper, it will smell better, and feel better. Smells can be one of the biggest turn-off's to potential buyers, and they will touch things you never touch - window frames, door trim, bath-tub caulking. So get it clean so the buyers can focus on your positives and not get distracted.

5) Lastly, after consulting with me and our sales plan, make any repairs or improvements that will add to your bottom line. Some repairs will pay dividends; others will cost more than they bring in, so we must be careful. Full kitchen and bathroom remodels almost never pay for themselves. But fresh paint, in a neutral color, almost always turns a profit. Updating the landscaping can pay big dividends. Even flooring can be done relatively inexpensively. But call or e-mail me first. (707) 499-7111, Jeff@RealtorJeff.net

Getting the house ready to sell can easily make a 10% difference on the purchase price. For more tips, drop by the Sellers page of my website or become a fan of my real estate Facebook page. Then, get started early, be consistent, and follow through. You'll be glad you did.

July 2010 Humboldt County, CA Market Statistics

The statistics show that July was a good news/bad news month for the Humboldt County, CA real estate market. First the bad news: inventory is up and sales are down.

As with the rest of the country, the expiration of the federal home buyers’ tax credits has created a lull in the market, with many people that would have bought in July deciding to buy in April and May to take advantage of the tax credit. A month later, there are fewer buyers, leading to fewer sold homes, and more homes left on the market.

The good news is that it didn’t affect prices much at all. The average home sales price actually rebounded from June, up to $287,939, the highest in the last 12 months.

The median sales price also rebounded, but to a more modest $246,000.

What will the future hold? There is still a great selection of homes on the market, and interest rates are at historic lows. One day we will all say, “I wish I would have bought real estate in Humboldt County back in _______!” What will be the date in that blank? It could be today! If you like the idea of buying at low prices with low interest rates, give me a call at (707) 499-7111, or search the available properties on my website.

Should I Use a Broker, a Realtor, or Someone Else?

Who should you use to represent you in a real estate transaction? An agent? A broker? A Realtor? Here's a brief explanation of real estate agency.

An agent is someone who acts on behalf of another person. A real estate agent acts on behalf of his client to buy or sell real estate. In California, the "agent" is the agency for which the individual "agent" works. I am an agent, but I work for the agency, Ming Tree GMAC Real Estate. Ming Tree GMAC is the agent of record.

Per California law, each agency must be run by a Broker of Record. This is a person who has been licensed as a real estate broker by the state, and who takes responsibility for all of the real estate activities that occur under the license of the agency, or brokerage. A Broker of Record might choose to hire no one, and to operate as an independent agency. In that case, he is the broker of record, and the salesperson; he must keep up with the latest court cases and laws about real estate, the latest technology, the latest marketing strategies - he is a one man shop! He does it all.

Other brokers of record might choose to hire other real estate agents to work as sales people within their agency. These sales people can have a brokers' license (often they are called broker associates) or a salesperson's license. In this type of agency, the broker of record concentrates on the legal issues, institutional marketing, and support systems of the agency; the salespeople focus on meeting with clients and selling real estate. While a brokers' license does give a certain amount of additional credibility to a salesperson, it doesn't necessarily make them a better agent. One of the top agents in our office only recently got his brokers license, after he had a successful 15 year career as one of the top agents in the county!

Brokers of record, broker sales people, and licensed sales people are Realtors if they are members of their local Realtor association, like the Humboldt Association of Realtors, their state association (California Association of Realtors) and the National Association of Realtors. These associations are trade associations, and all of their members are designated as Realtors.

I am a real estate sales person licensed to sell real estate throughout the state of California. The agency for whom I work, Ming Tree GMAC Real Estate, has approximately 30 sales agent, an office manager, a transaction coordinator, an agent education coordinator, and a marketing coordinator. All of this help means that I can focus on my clients and meeting their real estate needs. Call me at (707) 499-7111, or drop by my website so I can help you with your real estate needs.

How Much Is My Home Worth?

Clients always ask me, “How much is my home worth?” The first step is remembering that neither you as the seller, nor I as the real estate agent, have the power to make your home sell for a certain price. It is the market that determines the fair market value of your home. What is the market? It is the price at which 2 buyers are willing to argue over your home. How can you ascertain what that price will be?

The most general way is to look at the asking prices of homes that are similar to yours. Go to the search page at www.RealtorJeff.net, type in the general characteristics of your home, including the neighborhood, and discount the prices by 10%. This will give you a pretty good rough estimate of the value of your home.



As you get closer to selling your home, give me a call (707.499.7111) and I will prepare a CMA, or Competitive Market Analysis. In a CMA I gather the most recent sold homes, pending sales, and active homes that compare closely to your home in regard to house specifications and selling features. I make adjustments, and am able to determine a price range where your home is likely to sell. In general, sold homes will tell you what you are likely to sell your home for, while homes actively on the market tell you what your home will not sell for.



I provide CMA’s for my clients free of charge, so if you are wondering what your home is worth, give me a call at (707) 499-7111, email me at Jeff@RealtorJeff.com, or drop on by the website!

June 2010 Humboldt County Real Estate Market Statistics

The numbers are in, and our real estate market statistics for June 2010 here in Humboldt County, California are hanging in there. Our "Active Homes," while rising, are still staying below the levels of the last couple of years. “Normal” for this time of year is up to around 650; we’re above that at 709.

Our level of "Sold Homes," 89, is as high as it's been in 2 years. The combination of lower inventory of homes on the market, and the higher volume of sales should support prices, keeping them from going lower, and perhaps even encouraging a modest price increase.

But not this month. Our "Average Sales Price" is down, considerably lower than any recent years, but at $261,265 it's still pretty close to the $275,000 to $300,000 range we've seen for the last 18 months. The trend line is erratic, and only time will tell if this is a downward “bounce” or a trend.

The "Median Sales Price" is down as well. I suspect these averages are down because of a higher rate of "starter home" sales caused by the government home buyer credits than any fundamental shift in the market. Only time will tell.

As a Buyer, Can’t I Save Money by Approaching the Seller Directly?

Can a home buyer save money by approaching a home seller directly, without a real estate agent? A first time home buyer looking for a starter home in Arcata, CA called the other day, and we had a great discussion about first time home-buying. “Why would I want to use a buyers’ agent,” he asked, “when I can go to the seller, offer to save him the commission for the buyer’s agent, and get a better deal?” I appreciate this client’s honesty and directness! Many buyers and sellers of real estate don’t really understand how the process works!

Typically, when a home owner wants to sell his home, he calls a real estate agent and signs an exclusive right-to-sell listing contract, in which he agrees to pay the agent a commission, 6%, for example, if he successfully sells his home. That real estate agent then enters the home into the local Realtor multiple listing service, or MLS, with on offer to split that commission.

Typically, in Humboldt County, California, that offer is a 50/50 split; both the seller’s and buyer’s real estate agents would get 3% each. Additionally, under California law, a real estate agent can’t split his commission with someone who is not also a licensed real estate agent. So the listing agent will get a 6% commission, no matter who the home is sold to, and he will either split that commission with another agent, or keep it all to himself; he can’t pass it on to a buyer who is not a licensed agent.

So, if the seller is not able to pass any commission “savings” on to the buyer, why would a buyer want to try to represent himself? The seller has agreed to pay a buyer’s agent through his listing agreement; why would the buyer want to turn down professional representation by a Realtor that’s already paid for?

My first-time home buyer has hired me, and we are looking for their first home as we speak!

Humboldt County Real Estate Market Statistics for May, 2010

Our Humboldt County, California residential real estate market shows continuing signs of stabilizing and recovery!


Our active homes continued our seasonal rise to 682, above our “normal” market of 650, but well below the 720-740 range of the past 2 years.

The number of sold homes in May of 2010 also increased to 81, well above the figures from the last 2 years, 69 & 65 respectively. 81 is below our “normal” range here in Humboldt County, which is around 100.

This lower number of active homes on the market and higher number of sold homes should encourage stability in the pricing of Humboldt County homes. Sure enough, the average sales price of a home was $279,724, right in the $275K - $300K range we’ve seen over the last 18 months. Our median home sales price was $255,000, well within the $250K - $275K range we’ve seen over the same time frame.

The next rock we need to navigate is the ending of the Federal home buyers’ tax credit. With these solid numbers heading in the summer selling season, hopefully we’ll see a smooth transition back to a stable, independently supported real estate market here in Humboldt County, California!