Coming Up With a List Price

When selling your home there is so much data available to you by just using your keyboard. There are many sites that provide an AVM (automated valuation model). There are also tax records within your county’s Register of Deeds where you can research past sales. Though these may be valid tools to estimate your home’s worth, it is always in your best interest to have a licensed real estate agent with many years of experience to help you determine the truth worth.

Comps

By far the number one method of coming up with a valid, legitimate list price is searching for comparables, a.k.a. active, pending, and past home sales. Your real estate agent will provide you with a CMA (comparative market analysis). This will include all of the above mentioned statuses; active, pending and sold. An active status is a home that is currently “on” the market for sale. A pending status or “contingent” is when the home is under contract and set to close on a certain date. A closed status is when the home has actually closed and that closed price is now public record. You can also see if any concessions such as ‘seller paid’ closing costs were provided. Though this ‘is’ the best method, there are other factors to consider. Just because a comp is the same size and age of your home, if it has a screened porch or a pool; or an unfinished basement or possibly vinyl siding versus brick; this can require an upward or downward adjustment in your list price.

Almost Ready

Once you and your agent have established the list price you will need to prep your home for sale. You can watch all of these reality shows and be coaxed into believing you need to pay a home stager or you have to remove any personal pictures you have hanging on the wall. But, in reality or at least in my opinion, the main thing you need to worry about is keeping your home clean and clutter free. Another thing to be aware of is if there are obvious signs of wear and tear such as torn carpet or walls that need painting; save yourself some trouble and spend the money to make your home stand out for the good. If you don’t you will make it stand out for the bad and the buyers will move on to the next house for sale.

Contact Stu Barnes

Alexander Manning

19:03 22 May 23

Stu is very knowledgeable about the area and the local market. He was great to work with every step of the way. He was quick to respond to any requests I had and made the process of buying a home from out of state all the easier. Thanks Stu!

Robert Howard

14:34 20 Nov 22

Great experience with Stu. We moved to North Carolina from out of state, so we were not completely familiar with the area. Stu listened to our interests and what we were looking for. We asked for a lot including a large property, public utilities including water and sewage.The things we were looking for turned out to be few and far between however Stu was able to locate a new build in the area we wanted that offered exactly what we were looking for.After letting us know about the property, Stu dropped what he was doing and went to the location of the build where we met with a builder representative who walked us through the house. The property and house were great and no HOA which we were happy about.We were able to quickly make an offer which worked out great because the builder later informed us after our offer there were multiple families attempting to obtain the property.Stu was very professional and friendly throughout everything. He was able to build a positive rapport with the builder that made things incredibly smooth. After moving in, we found a couple minor issues with the house. One phone call to Stu and he was able to contact the builder and quickly resolve the issue.We had a good time finding a home with Stu, it was a totally pleasant experience.

Chris Harper

13:48 16 Nov 22

For the second time, Stu has handled the sell of a home for me and ensured that I received the maximum value out of the home. First time, the house sold the same day as the listing. Second time, we were under contract in days and held out in a rough economy for a few months until all was finally able to close. Stu was very responsive to any question that I sent and he did a fantastic job with the listing of the house.

Lisa Davidson

23:38 07 Oct 21

I had a great experience working with Stu to purchase my first home. He was extremely knowledgable and realistic about the current market. Stu was also very responsive to all my calls, texts and emails, and he was more than willing to see houses with me on less than a 24 hour notice. Thanks for all your help, Stu!

Audrey Suehs

19:22 29 Jul 21

We just purchased a home with Stu's help (despite this extremely competitive market!). He was very upfront and realistic with us, while still being encouraging and helpful. I highly recommend his services.

Nate Newbury

14:40 02 Dec 18

Stu knows the Raleigh area very well. In South Raleigh he knew each neighborhood and even predicted where we were going to buy! He is not pushy and listens to you.If you're reading reviews to make a decision about a realtor, just call Stu and talk with him. After talking with him, you'll know he's genuine and a good realtor.