The typical commission rate in California is 5-6%, but there is no set commission rate. The agent determines the cost of a home by property basis, depending on a number of criteria such as the price point of the property, expenses the agent will incur to sell the property and the amount of time the agent will need to spend to get the property sold.

While you want your home to appear as nice as possible, not every job is worth the money spent. Generally fixing anything that is broken, tidying up and decluttering your home, and doing some painting or touch-ups are sufficient. It may be worthwhile choosing a few specific tasks to complete, such as refinishing floors or upgrading an outdated bathroom, in order to better position your property with what is on the market. All of this is subjective to your unique home, needs, and current state of the market, which Heidi can offer extensive data and counsel on.

A comparative market analysis will be completed by your agent, which will compare your house to other recently sold homes. You'll be able to figure out a good price range for your home based on present market conditions once you've completed the process! There is no one-size-fits-all approach to assessing the value of your home, but Heidi will be able to offer you an idea of what range you should price your home at to maximize interest and offers.

This is dependent on the Silicon Valley housing market. In a strong seller’s market, homes are often going under contract in less than one week and closing in a month since there is higher demand and less supply. When it becomes a strong buyer’s market, homes may sit longer as there is a larger supply than demand. This is where a strong pricing and positioning strategy comes into play.

There are several ways to protect a seller in the case that they need to purchase a new home before leaving their current home. One way to do this is to incorporate language into the contract that protects your right to back out if suitable housing cannot be found. Alternatively, a seller can also request a use and occupancy agreement, which allows the seller to remain in the home for a set time period after closing. Another option is to request an extended closing (usually 45 or more days) to give you additional time to get a new home under agreement.