I need to get...plus your fees

When I'm talking to someone who is ready to sell their property and they utter that phrase, I know I'm going to need to do a lot of probing for their motivation to sell and a lot of educating about "this is how the market works". There was a time, not so long ago and definitely gone, when it might be feasible to say "I need to get" and then a seller could put a home on the market and wait until the market was willing to give what the seller "needs to get". As I mentioned, those days are gone, at least for the next few years. So, when I hear someone say that, I know I have my work cut out.

Let's start with how we calculate market value. You may be surprised to learn it has NOTHING to do with what the property cost you, what it cost for the upgrades you made, when you refinanced it, what the tax assessment says it's worth or what you need to have so you have enough down payment for your next property. That does not affect the value of your home on the current market.

So, what does determine market value?In the simplest description possible, your property's market value is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay. That value is estimated (ohh! Note I said estimated) by comparing the price other buyers were willing to pay for similar properties in the area of your home. The price can be tweaked by some of the upgrades or changes you've made, but it won't match what you spent to get it in there (okay, maybe if you performed the labor).

I need to get... may be completed by "if I'm going to sell right now." My experience with that completion to a sentence is often that the property owner thinks the market is going to stop falling and reverse itself in the next 12 months. Nearly always, once someone has started thinking they're going to sell, it's just a matter of time before the property is on the market.

Which leads to the other half of my job: probing for the motivation to sell. I ask questions and more questions to find out why the property owner is going to sell and why they believe they have to get $X for the property in order to sell. Usually, what we'll (the seller and I) discover is that there is some need to sell that isn't going to go away just because the market isn't ideal for them. At that point, I bring in all the knowledge I have about our current market and their neighborhood and together we discover if waiting is the best option or if adjusting their expectations is the more appropriate approach.

If you're thinking about selling, or buying, I can help you make the optimum choice. Call me and let's discover if this is the right time for your next move in real estate.

Whether you're looking for your first home, or possibly your last, or selling either of them, I have the patience and experience to help you make the best choice in Vancouver Washington. The Natural Choice in real estate is working with a professional real estate agent (me!) at Krogseng Real Estate who listens to your needs and works as a trusted advisor to get the best solution to your housing needs. We will give you a new attitude about real estate. If you are concerned about living a more sustainable lifestyle, Vancouver Washington may be the city for you. I specialize in knowing the neighborhoods in Vancouver Washington that have great walkscore ratings. Whether you want the low-maintenance condo lifestyle, a home that gets you off the grid, or a home that is something in between in Clark County, the natural choice in real estate will be someone that can help you find just the right home and neighborhood. If you're looking for homes that have been certified as green, you'll want to know I keep informed of the newly constructed homes and their various green certifications. Visit Krogseng Real Estate for more information.