Good news is that HVF is the top selling area in the Triangle. I grew up in this area. I would welcome the opportunity to show you the statistics and help you if you are stilll looking for a consultant/broker.

Deborah Rigsbee Miller
Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston - Southpoint Office

Chris,
A good agent is more than an agent he/she first is a friend for a lifetime.

Hi Chris,
Every Agent works in a different way...
For me I believe strongly in trust and loyalty, for the Agent to his/her clients and vice versa...

So a good and client concerned agent will work with you ahead of time (i.e. before actually listing your property) and once you are ready with let's say painting, repairs and staging furniture etc. then the agent will be ready to list your property for sale... You agree also with the listing agent on the length of the listing agreement. The local agent will know a little better how long properties are on the market in your area and set a reasonable listing period, that can always easily be extended if the property does not sell....

If you like for me to recommend a Partner Agent of mine in Durham NC to you, I would love to do so. So kindly e-mail me directly to EdithSellsHomes@gmail.com with a little more information, i.e. your property address, your e-mail address, your phone and a little bit of a description of your property, size, style, lot size, any recent improvements, garage, etc. and I will pass that info on to my partner Agent and also send you my partner agent's info, so that you can meet, discuss details and hopefully work successfully together until your property is sold.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Edith Karoline YourRealtor4Life!
working always in the very BEST interest of her clients!
EdithSellsHomes@gmail.com

Wow, thank you all for your responses and contact info. You've given me plenty to think about, and I'm happily surprised that people in real estate are willing to be so open to consultation. Thanks, again!

Dear Chris,
When working with realtors in NC, just about everything is negotiable. I usually make staging recommendations just before going on the market because it will likely be a change in lifestyle. The purpose of staging is to bring focus to the best features in your home. In most cases, staging involves pairing down the furnture and packing up clutter.

You could use this time to focus on cleaning out closets and storage areas and removing the items from your home that you do not plan to take with you. If you have strong color in your home, begin painting with neutrals. Buyers in HVF typically are looking for updated homes with neutral decor that are move in ready.

I can provide a reference for a 2009 seller in HVF that sold in less than one week for above asking price. This client completed every item on the extensive to do list that I gave them.

Where are all the female agents who could respond to this question? Just watched a few minutes of a movie with Charlie Sheen and the tall dark haired woman who was the improbably gorgeous asst. DA on Law and Order. Charlie is a failed stockbroker who becomes a hit when he takes over his girlfriend's advice column...a la Dear Abby...when girlfriend goes to South America for some cosmetic "work." I wonder if I could create a female persona and dispense staging advice with a flare...stuff that's true but maybe not credible from a guy whose "man cave" is a whole house? Hmm...

Staging is one of several things to consider when getting a house ready to go on the market and you are wise to start preparing this early. The last post on my blog, 4PsRE.com, is about ten ways to enhance the "product" in the marketing plan. Even though it was written for agents you'll be able to follow it and it might even help you evaluate the marketing plan from agents you solicit proposals from.

My second piece of advice would be to choose an agent from Durham and one who loves the town. SO many people still look down their noses at Durham in spite of the fact that it has more attractions and less pretensions than any place else in the Triangle. Your buyer will not just be buying your house, they'll be buying the community, so get somebody that is willing and knows how to market the community too.

Finally, as the other guys have shown, I don't know any agent who wouldn't be delighted to get to know you this far in advance. In fact, the agent/marketer you choose will be an important partner in putting your home on the market, so informal conversations with a few now are good preparation for when you actually have to choose one.

Hi Chris
I would be happy to speak with you as soon as possible about your plans to sell. There would be no obligation for you to use me as an Agent at this point, we would sign the listing agreement when you are ready to sell, typically they are for 6 months. My firm offers a sellers guarantee, which among other things states you are free to "fire" us at any time if you feel we are not performing..
Michael

I would be happy to work with you on preparing your home for the spring 2010 market and no, you are no obligated to sign a contract until we are ready to actually put the house on the market. One thing to keep in mind; the Hope Valley Farms area is very attractive to the incoming residents & fellows at both Duke & UNC and they normally find out where they will bedoing those residencies & fellowships in mid-March and actually starting in late June, certainly by 1 July. I have worked with a number of these individuals over my 25 years in the business and I have found that having your home on the market no later than 1 March is perfect timing. Some of these folks have apretty good idea where they will be "matched" and will start looking on line in late Feb.

I can share with you any thoughts I have regarding "staging" and presentation if you like. If you would like me to take a look at your home, please feel free to call on me at anytime. I'd welcome the opportuntiy to meet you and discuss how I might be of service.

Thank you,


Fritz Hine
Coldwell Banker HPW
Off: 317-4324
hinef@hpw.com

I wholeheartedly agree that the earlier you involve an agent the better. This way the agent can help guide you on what changes ned to be made and whee it is worth spending a little money to get a bigger return and where it isn't. Having that objective set of eyes can also help you see things you may otherwise overlook and help you look at your home as a product through the eyes of a buyer. Listing agreements tend to run 6-12 months. I would also suggest that you start working with an agent who can start providing you with market data so you can see what similar homes are listing for and actually selling at, how long they stay on the market and making a point of previewing comparable homes in person to see how they are presented, priced and marketed. I offer my clients a Market Snapshot which provides actual live data pulled out of the MLS and shows not only active listings, but also details of recently sold listings with lots of charts of inventory levels, days on market, list vs. sell prices, etc. The report can be sent to you every 2-8 weeks and is really the best way to stay on top of the market. You can see a sample analysis at the link below and signing up comes with no obligations. One final word - NEVER choose an agent based on how much they would list your home for. Choose an agent based on their integrity, skills and strength of their marketing plans. I'd love to meet and see if I can be of service. Let me know if that would be of interest to you.

Hi Chris,

I'm happy to talk to you to explain this how this works. Yes, it's best to work with your agent very early in the process so that you can decide on your marketing strategy. Feel free to call me at 730-7067. Mark Thomas