The Selling Process
OFFER AGREEMENT SELL!
By Jacque Lorang

When you list a home for sale, you are hoping to get an offer, here is a breakdown of the home selling process after you accept an offer:
Present you the offer:
v Go though the buy/sell agreement.
v Explain your options.
v Explain to you what will be expected.
v Negotiate with the buyers.
Getting to the closing table:
v Explain in detail all the steps that will take us to closing.
v Make sure that the transaction moves forward and all dates are met.
v Accommodate the inspection and home appraisal for the buyer.
v Preparing for the closing.
v Maintain communication.
The Closing:
v You, I and a closing agent will meet at the title company on the closing date.
v The closing will take about a half hour.
Not done yet:
v Follow-up to make sure all your expectations have been met.
v I will continue to be available to.
v Help you find your next home.

For more information on selling your home, contact me, Jacque Lorang 690-5277 or email ablahoo@yahoo.com
For a more detailed description of the Home Selling Process see the most recent post in our Archives section.

Top Ten Reasons You Should Professionally Stage Your Home

1. $$$$- Statistics show staged homes sell for more money than their unstaged counterparts..
2. Sell Faster- Less time on the market means fewer double mortgage payments and less stress.
3. Recoup your costs and then some!
4. Help those with no imagination. Staging helps people visualize their lives in the home.
5. Don’t guess what works, let a professional use tried and true methods.
6. Only 10% of home buyers can visualize the potential of a home.
7. The longer a home is on the market, the less it typically sales for. STAGE FIRST!
8. Tax Benefits- The money you make may be tax-free. The money you spend is tax deductible.
9. Leaving your house in “as is” condition will help sell the competition.
10. You can relax.
For more info on selling your home and the use of professional staging call me, Jacque Lorang 690-5277 or email ablahoo@yahoo.com

THE FSBO MYTH

In today's society of instant communication such as the internet, many homeowners assume they can save money by selling their home without a real estate agent. This for sale by owner is called a FSBO. Two questions with this assumption need serious thought.
1. Are you up to the task ? Do you have the time,knowledge and expertise to accomplish your goal, if so great?
However,most the population,about 85% are not familiar with real estate transactions and prefer to have a professional handle it for them. Most buyers are uncomfortable dealing directly with sellers because of the " BUYER BEWARE " syndrome.
So from the beginning you are limiting your potential buyers to only 15%. If you decide to expand your potential buyers to the 85% who will be using a professional by offering a buyers agent commission, that will solve the problem, right. Not really, because Realtors will ignore FSBOs unless their client requests to take a look at this home, because it complicates their procedure for only 1 home, when they could show 3 homes in the time involved through the MLS system they know and trust.
So essentially we are back to the 15% of potential buyers. Who are these people? Most of the buyers seeking FSBOs are BARGAIN HUNTERS,they are searching out homes that they feel can be purchased for less than market value and they are in no hurry. They can afford to wait until the FSBO becomes frustrated and hope to take advantage of their possible lack of knowledge and inexperience in the real estate market. In many cases they will make lowball or unreasonable offers.
2. Are you really going to save money?
A few statistical facts from The National Association of Realtors,82% of FSBOs ultimately list their home. NAR stats also tell us that FSBOs that do sell, sell for 15.4% less than Realtor assisted homes. So, you will do all the work,pay for all the advertising and still may end up selling for less than a Realtor.
Call Larry or Jo Ann Thomas at 628-2903 or 545-9249 and get the price and exposure your home needs.

1st Time Home Buyers

By Jacque Lorang

1. Sit down and look over your financial situation and your goals.
2. Call a trusted lender, or ask friends and family for a reference of a good lender.
3. Gather the documents they requested and be on time to your appointment with the lender.
4. Now you know how much home you can afford, call a trusted Realtor, or again, ask friends and family for a reference.
5. At this point your Realtor should provide you with several homes that meet your price range and criteria for you to go look at.
6. When you find a home you like it’s time to write up the Buy/sell and negotiate with the sellers.
7. Once you have a buy/sell signed by both you and the sellers get your lender back in the picture.
8. While you are working with lenders, your real estate agent should be helping you schedule a home inspection.
9. Once the Home Inspection is done, your lender should help you schedule a Home Appraisal to make sure the home is worth the purchase price or more.
10. Finally you are ready to close on the home and transfer the deed from their name to yours.
11. Congratulations, the agent hands you the keys and you are now homeowners.
For more information on buying your 1st home or for a free 1st time home buyers packet to help you get started contact Jacque Lorang at 690-5277 or ablahoo@yahoo.com

!!! BILLINGS IS NUMBER 1 IN THE NATION !!!
BILLINGS now is ranked Number 1 in the Entire Country for expected Real Estate Price Appreciation !
Several months ago I commented that Billings was ranked no. 3 from Housing Predictor.com ( a web site that forecasts the real estate market nationally). Now they have increased Billings ranking up to Number 1 ! This is number 1 from 250 cities surveyed across the entire country ! The survey researches 20 different factors to arrive at their conclusions. Billings strong job market and overall good economic outlook were major factors in their predictions.
With the recent mortgage rate announcement from Freddie Mac, that 30 year mortgage rates are the lowest they have been since they started keeping records in 1971, can anyone question that NOW is the time, and the Billings market is the place to Buy or Sell Real Estate. Add to this, the new $8000.00 tax credit for 1st time homebuyers and you have many reasons to Buy or Sell NOW. So if you have been sitting on the fence, wondering if this is the right time, wonder no more! The time to BUY or SELL is NOW.
Call or e-mail Larry or Jo Ann Thomas today, to get your real estate transaction oving forward NOW. Call...(406)628-2903 or (406)545-9249
E-mail... larrythomasbrep@msn.com or JoAThomasBREP@q.com

Six reasons why you should work with a Realtor.

1. Help with a sometimes complicated process.
Buying or selling a home requires confusing forms, inspection reports, policies, mortgage documents, contracts, and a lot more. An expert with knowledge will help prepare you with the best deal and help avoid lengthy delays or costly mistakes.

2. Important info.
Realtors can provide needed information about the surrounding areas and the community. A Realtor should be able to answer questions or concerns you may have on the buying or selling process. If they do not have an immediate answer, they should know where to go or who to call to find out the information you need.

3. Finding the right property.
An agent will be able to build you a search based on your wishes and wants that you desire in your first home or your dream home.

4. Negotiations.
An agent will be able to help in negotiating in areas such as, inspections, price, terms, and much more.

5. Marketing.
Marketing is key in selling your home. Different areas of marketing include but are not limited to; Online, different newspapers, and agent yard signs. Open houses are important in showing the public your home. When you work with a Realtor, they can put your home in the system so that many other agents can see your home and then in turn show it to their clients.

6. Experience and Knowledge.
We as Realtors have a wealth of knowledge in the business, but we also should have brokers behind us 100% who have been in the industry for many years and here at Billings Real Estate Professionals, we do!

"When Team Work Matters"
Call us today to see what we can do for you.
Michelle Anderson 208-7128
Alicia Mader 690-8687

First Time Homebuyers $ 8000.00 Tax Credit Available NOW !!!

First time homebuyers may be eligible for a tax credit for 10% of purchase price up to $8000.00. Meaning of course, if you purchase a home with over $80,000.00 purchase price, you could be eligible for the full $8000.00.
What constitutes a 1st time homebuyer? Generally, a buyer who has not owned a home within 3 years prior to purchase.
Does the credit have to be repaid? No, if the home is purchased between Jan 1 2009 and before Dec 2009 and not sold for 3 years.
Are there income limits to determine who is eligible ? Yes, up to $75,000 modified adjusted gross income for single and $150,000 for joint taxpayers.
What types of homes qualify? Any home purchased by an eligible 1st time homebuyer and used as a principal residence. The home may be a manufactured home, a modular and be real or personal property.
Can this credit be used for a down payment or closing costs? Yes, several mortgage brokers and lenders have developed a system to make this possible.
MORE QUESTIONS: Call Larry or Jo Ann Thomas today at 628-2903 or 545-9249. We are here to "HELP YOU TODAY FOR YOUR TOMORROWS"