Instantly Upgrade Your Seattle Home Value

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

A lot of my clients in Seattle have been asking me how it’s possible to increase their Zestimate on Zillow. The Zestimate is created by an algorithm, and there is no ability for humans to manually alter the Zestimate for a specific property.

Zillow can't take features or upgrades on your property and compare them to other recently closed homes in your area, even though doing so gives you a more updated value on your property. Tax values and data from appraisals are used to place a value on your home, which really has nothing to do with its real market value.

However, you can go into Zillow and claim your home, which allows you to change the data on the website. Zestimates are notorious for being inaccurate, and this is one way to combat this problem. Simply follow the instructions in the video and update the features of your home. You can even add square footage from your basement and new pictures of your home. Within 24-48 hours your home value will change on the website.

If you want to find the true value of your home, I would recommend you reach out to me and I can run a comparative market analysis on it. That will be the most accurate way to find your home’s true market value.

We look forward to hearing from you!

What 3 Kinds of Bank-Owned Properties Can You Buy?

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today we are excited to discuss the three types of bank-owned properties you can buy here in Seattle. Each one is a little different, and could be a great option for you depending on your situation.

1. Short sale

When the owner of a home can no longer pay their mortgage, one option they have is a short sale. At this point, their home is worth a lot less than the home’s actual value. When you submit an offer on a short sale, the owner will sign off on it and it will then be submitted to the lien holder. The lien holder will then send someone out to make sure the home is priced at market value. One downside about short sales is that they often take 60 days and can take as long as 180 days to close.

2. Traditional bank-owned property

These are properties where the bank has taken ownership of a home, and puts the home back on the market. These homes are first come, first serve. However, make sure you do your inspection and understand what kind of work the property will need once you buy it.

3. Auction property

These properties are usually sold at a discount. This is a great option for cash buyers who have the money already. We can also work with lenders to get buyers a loan for an auction. You’ll have to put 10% down, but the mortgage company will cover the rest. There’s a chance you may be able to get the property for less than your loan.

There are a lot more details and nuances regarding these three types of properties. If you’re interested in buying a home like this, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you!

Why You Need an Agent to Sell Your Seattle Home

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Homes are flying off the market. This leads many sellers going the For Sale By Owner route. Today, we’ll go over the pros and cons of listing your property as FSBO.

For instance, if you sell on your own, you know you have a set number. If you get that price, you can walk away from the transaction without having to pay a 6% commission to the agent.

However, what you don’t know is that there are multiple buyers out there willing to pay more for your property.  Since the market is so competitive, a lot of buyers make offers with an escalation clause. They are willing to up their offer in order to beat other buyers. We’ve seen properties sell for $50,000 above asking price. Not only that, most of these buyers will waive inspections and be flexible on the closing date in order to get the property.

If you list on your own, you’re missing out on these great buyers. Your agent will position your home to attract multiple offers, and work hard behind the scenes to keep the transaction on track. An agent can protect your interests and keep everything running smoothly.

Additionally, sellers in Washington state are required by law to fill out a seller disclosure statement. You can fill this out on your own, but if anything is filled out incorrectly and a problem arises later on, the buyer could sue you. An agent will make sure that the seller disclosure is filled out correctly.

Finally, when buyers look at houses, they don’t want to see the owner there. If you sell on your own, you will be responsible for showing the property. Buyers get very uncomfortable when they go to a property and the owner answers the door.

Ultimately, you can sell your home on your own, but hiring an agent comes with many benefits. If you hire an agent to showcase your property properly, there’s a 90% chance you will get more money than you would negotiating yourself.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!