At any point in time, there are several other homes for sale competing with yours. You must know what's going on in your local housing market in order to price your home competitively and to attract the qualified buyer. This means not just, for example, how the Silicon Valley or Santa Clara County market is doing, but what the trends are for your exact area (such as your region, Blossom Valley, Almaden Valley or Cambrian Park - or your exact zip code).
For example, in the Town of Los Gatos, there are two zip codes, 95030 (closest to downtown) and 95032 (more outlying, north and east from downtown). Recently on my "Live in Los Gatos" blog, I did a post with a breakdown of how the market is playing out by zip code in that town. Surprisingly, the two adjoining zip codes are experiencing opposite markets! Please have a look at the stark contrast presented graphically in my post, and you will understand why it is CRUCIAL to have LOCAL market information when you price your home! Understanding the Los Gatos Real Estate Market Trends
I will help you determine the market value of your home by generating a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) report, which will show you a range of prices being paid for homes in your area. It will also include the current competition and the homes which are now "sales pending". And there may also be homes which had been for sale but never sold. All of these can help us to establish your home's likely sales price or range of value.
We will also discuss other factors that help us determine the value of your Santa Clara County home:
- Location (includes school district)
- Size of your home and lot (non-permitted, non-finalled additions may add value but not as much as either original construction or permitted/finalled additions)
- Condition of your property (we can often boost your sales price by working on this)
- Buyer demand level for homes in your area
- Availability of financing
- Interest rates
Your motivation for selling does not directly impact the value of your home, but it may change your timing somewhat and it may change your ability to get the home into turnkey condition. So it's important for me to understand why you want to sell, too, so that I can help you make the most of the situation.
Marketing Factors Effecting the Sale of Your Home: Who Controls Them?
| Marketing Factor | | Who Controls? |
| Market Position (based on price) | Seller |
| Saleability/Appeal to Buyer | Seller |
| Marketing Program | (Agent/agent’s co.) |
| Market Value | Buyer |
Often, the value of your property will be impacted by things completely out of your or my control. Things like the available inventory (a shortage of homes for sale will drive prices up, a glut of homes on the market will depress sales prices), the local economy (high or low unemployment will effect prices), the prices of rents (when it's cheap to rent and expensive to own, it CAN make it harder to sell if prices are stagnant or going down), appreciation rates, and disasters (natural, like the Loma Prieta Earthquake, or unnatural, like the events of 9-11.)
We will determine price based on recent market activity and the factors under your control:
- Property Condition
- Marketing Time
- Seller Financing & Warranty
The combination of an accurate Competitive Market Analysis, a precise property evaluation, and a well-executed marketing plan will help you price your home realistically in order to attract the full-price buyer. But more than that, if we can change a few things inexpensively to boost your bottom line, let's do it! I have studied staging and even feng shui and can help you to make the right improvements, without overspending, to get a good return on your investement. (Some of my clients start talking with me a year or more in advance of when they will actually sell to get my advice on the right improvements to make.)
