In a tough real estate market, sellers should think about “sweetening the pot” to get the deal done. Here are five creative ideas:

• Offer Decorating Allowance: There may be a buyer who likes your home but just has different decorating tastes. To seal the deal, offer a decorating allowance (for painting, new carpets, or wallpaper). You can offer cash at closing, or put money in escrow to reimburse decorating and remodeling expenses made within 90 days of closing, up to a maximum amountj.
• Do a Pre-Sale Inspection: This actually works for both the seller and the buyer. By having a whole house inspection done before listing the house, you get a chance to address any issues before prospects see the home. You can display the report during open houses and highlight the repairs that have already been addressed. By having the home inspected before listing it, buyers don’t have to guess what kind of condition it is in; they can see it in writing.
• Offer a Home Warranty: A home warranty reassures the buyer that the propertyis in top condition and gives them comfort knowing that certain future repairs will be covered by the warranty.
• Cover Closing Costs: As a seller, you could offer to pay the buyer’s half of escrow fees, or pre-paid interest charges. Paying the points on the loan may also be a tax deduction for you.
• Offer Seller Financing: There are many ways to offer seller financing. Options include putting funds in escrow to cover several months of mortgage payments, buying down the mortgage rate, or carrying a second mortgage to cover the down payment. It is wise not to offer seller financing unless you have consulted a real estate attorney and your real estate agent.

If any of these ideas appeal to you, and if you are interested in selling your home in Encinitas,Cardiff,Carlsbad, Vista, or San Marcos, please call Sea Coast Exclusive Properties and ask for Marilyn Dashe.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 6:44 pm and is filed under My Real Estate Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.