Heidi How to sell a home louisville

HOWinTOLoSuELisLvAilHlOeUSE CALL HEIDI FORE 502.777.3578

About Our Team What’s important to us: We believe in providing you with a postitive real estate experience. We do this by sharing our knowledge about the market and teaching you the process so you can make informed decisions when you buy or sell a home in Kentucky, Indiana, or Ohio. Why we give great customer service: We believe life is about making great memories with the people we care about and we want you to remember us and smile. Everyone deserves to have good experience buying a home and selling their home when it’s time to move on. Our Big Why: We believe every child deserves happy memories in their home, wherever that may be, so a portion of every sale funds Choose Live Lead Inc., a charity for orphan education. We volunteer at orphanages in Kentucky, Russia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Jamaica. For more information, please visit ChooseLiveLead.org. Who we are: We are fun, friendly, and really techie. We know the inventory and prices of what is selling on the market. We know thousands of people and hundreds of buyers who use our website every day to find houses for sale, including yours. People hire us for what we know and who we know. Our marketing department: Heidi and Mackenzie create advertising, make websites, place ads, create postcards and flyers, buy media placement and monitor price trends and consumer buying behavior to say the right things that reach the most amount of buyers. They make the phone ring with interested buyers from all over the country. Our agents: Heidi, Juli, Kristin, Kathryn, Sean, and Mark work together to find buyers for your home and show your home to potential buyers. We make sure all the details are handled correctly so that you have a good experience, and all details are taken care of. You are in good hands. We have efficient checklists and systems, and we have a proven track record of sales.

ABOUT YOUR REALTOR, HEIDI FORE HEIDI FORE has the experience you need to get top dollar for your property. She has 21 years of experience as a realtor in Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Heidi has sold over 1,000 homes so she knows (a) what buyers want to see in a house in order to make an offer (b) how to negotiate for you to get the best terms (c) how to keep a transaction from falling apart due to appraisal problems, title issues, inspection problems, or one of the many moving pieces to the selling process. You will be impressed with the experience she provides. Her clients are grateful for her guidance throughout the selling process. Heidi also owns investment properties, so she understands what renters and buyers want. WHAT HER CLIENTS SAY

Overview: 12 Steps To SOLD This guide outlines the 12-step plan of how we can sell your home together. The path to getting your home sold is a long one with many crucial stages. We will help you through each stage and give you help- ful advice of how to sell your home faster and for the most money possible. Here are the 12 steps we will cover in this guide 01: Choose a realtor with experience and a great advertising strategy. 02. Ask for references. 03. Prepare your house to show. 04. Price your home competitively. 05. Figure out how long your house will be on the market. 06. Advertise your house for sale. 07. Re-price your house to sell, if necessary. 08. Make money-making decisions when showing your house. 09. Listen to feedback and make changes accordingly. 10. Get an offer and respond strategically. 11. Negotiate inspections. 12. Know your numbers before you get to the closing table.

Choosing A Realtor Why choose Keller Williams? With over 135,000 agents across the country, Keller Williams Realty recruits top sales associates and staff to support our client’s goals and find buyers for properties all over the world. Keller Williams is the largest real estate franchise company in North America. When you hire a Keller Williams agent, you can trust that they are well-trained, and educated on current trends in real estate pricing, lending, and best practices. The River Valley Group has sold houses in: 1. Alexandria, KY 28. Jeffersonville, IN 2. Bardstown, KY 9. La Grange, KY 3. Bedford, KY 30. Lexington, KY 4. Bloomfield, KY 31. Louisville, KY 5. Brandenburg, KY 32. Mackport, IN 6. Brooks, KY 33. Manor Creek, KY 7. Burlington, KY 34. Mt Washington, KY 8. Cambellesville, IN 35. New Albany, IN 9. Charlestown, IN 36. Pendleton, KY 10. Cincinnati, OH 37. Pewee Valley, KY 11. Clarkson, KY 38. Prospect, KY 12. Covington, KY 39. Radcliff, KY 13. Cox’s Creek, KY 40. Sellersburg, IN 14. Crestwood, KY 41. Shelbyville, KY 15. Dayton, KY 42. Shepherdsville, KY 16. Elizabeth, IN 43. Simpsonville, KY 17. Elizabethtown, KY 44. Smithfield, KY 18. Erlanger, KY 45. Southgate, KY 19. Fisherville, KY 46. St Matthews, KY 20. Florence, KY 47. Taylorsville, KY 21. Fort Thomas, KY 48. Vine Grove, KY 22. Frankfort, KY 49. Warsaw, KY 23. Georgetown, IN 24. Goshen, KY 5. Hebron, KY 26. Highland Heights, KY 27. Independence, KY

Prepare Your House To Show Your home is beautiful and I want to help you accentuate the best features of the property. Here are my suggestions based on my experience of what buyers want to see when they view a home to buy. OUTSIDE: The first impression. Gutters: clean out | repair Windows: clean | replace glass with broken Front porch: sweep | paint | replace door | replace porch seal or broken pane light Landscaping: plant bushes and flowers | add mulch Driveway: repair cracks | pull weeds Yard: cut grass | rake leaves Roof: replace damaged shingles Deck/back porch: repair | stain | add furniture Painting exterior: shutters | trim INSIDE: Focus on room sizes and layouts. Bedrooms: rearrange | depersonalize | declutter Bathrooms: paint | disinfect | declutter Entry way: clean | organize shoes or put away Basement: organize | paint Living room: clean | depersonalize | rearrange Misc: steam or replace carpets | service HVAC Dining room: clean | set table Kitchen: disinfect | depersonalize | update fixtures BEFORE EACH SHOWING: Appeal to the senses. Smell: plug in candle warmer | clean garbage Sight: turn on all lights | open blinds | declutter disposal and take out the garbage | wash linens Sound: turn on soft classical or instrumental music

Prepare Your House (Continued) Cleaning Services Handyman Elite Commercial Cleaning: 502-510-6091 Habib: 502-693-6955 Christie Fulkerson: 502-389-3486 Fred’s Fix It (Hal): 502-773-0634 Up To Parr Cleaning: 502-210-9841 Mr Fix It (Tony): 502-937-7269 Rona: 502-295-7721 Mark Henderson: 502-797-0693 Susana Roman: 502-795-6495 Hayden Property Maintenance 502-417-0007 Painters Junk Removal Tony’s Painting (Antonio): 502-296-2397 Stan Cook: 502-689-5905 Hayden Property Maintenance 502-417-0007 Pedro: 502-395-8884 (texting is best) Big Wally’s Hauling & Junk Removal: Rafa: 502-407-2125 (texting is best) 502-836-1648 Joe Caldwell: 502-554-2177 Staging Junkco 502-205-9800 Staging Your Next Move (Sue): 720-982-4485 Appraiser Window Cleaning Tammy Robinson: 502-876-4456 Window Genie: 502-777-0114 (cleaning, tinting, Roofers pres- sure washing, gutters, holiday lights) Middletown Roofing (Marcos): 502-777-2782 Window Replacement New Level Construction: 502-491-8550 Oldham County Roofing (William): 502-310-1780 Renewal by Andersen: 502-785-9141 Bone Dry Roofing, Inc (Louie): 502-425-2928 Middletown Roofing & Windows: 502-267-8295

Days On Market If a house is priced incorrectly, it doesn’t matter PROMOTION in how many places we advertise it, people won’t come see it. If a house is in beautiful condition, but ■ Marketing plan! isn’t advertised properly, it doesn’t matter how nice ■ Advertising plan! it looks if no one sees it. The more showings we get, the more chances of an offer. If there is a house CONDITION down the street that is bigger, prettier, shows nicer, or costs less, that house will sell first, and you’ll have ■ Stage a room with furniture. to wait for the next buyer who is looking in your ■ Store all unnecessary items. neighborhood. If the house is advertised well, and ■ Paint, update fixtures. priced right, you can expect at least 1-2 showings ■ Deep clean like never before! per week. The first two weeks are most important, ■ Be ready for a quick showing. and the most likely when you will get an offer. Make ■ Fix items before they become sure the house is spotlessly clean, well lit, and clutter-free. Keep lights and soft music on. Do not issues. overdo air fresheners. Some candles are nice. PRICING According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) statistics, the house is overpriced if you have ■ Price it right for the most showings 10 showings with no offer, or two to three weeks ■ Know comparable properties in the area. with no showings. Based on our experience, you ■ Build in negotiating room. should get 4-6 showings in the first two weeks, and 6-8 within the first month. During the first 2 months, COMPETITION if there are 10-12 showings, and the house is in move- in condition, and priced right, you will get an ■ What is on the market right now? offer. Every 30 days, we will look at the market sales ■ Will a bigger, cheaper house sell first? for the area, at the number of showings we’ve had, ■ Is your house the best in the neighborhood? any feed- back from those showings, and then re- ■ How many nearby listings have expired? evaluate the price and adjust accordingly. ■ When they expired, what was the condition and Timing is extremely important in today’s market. A price? property attracts the most activity from the real estate community and potential buyers when it is first listed. It has the greatest opportunity to sell when it is brand new on the market and when it is listed at the right price from the start.

Days On Market (Continued) The initial buyer burst – they are waiting right now for the perfect house to hit the market. After they see it, they’ll call me or their agent. After about a week, all the current buyers that have been looking for a long time will have seen it, and we’ll have to wait for more buyers to enter the market one at a time. If your house sells in the first 2 weeks or within the first 5 showings, it was priced right and showed great. If you do get an offer within the first two weeks, it’s because the buyer had been looking for a long time but didn’t see anything they liked and your home matched their criteria for the perfect house. This is the ideal result of what happens when you and I work together to price it right, get it ready to show, and advertise it well enough so that buyers can’t wait to see it. The value of your property is not determined by: ■ the price you paid for it, or what you need to get out of it ■ what your neighbor told you it shoud list for ■ what another realtor said ■ maintenance you have done; this preserves your original value ■ improvements you selected for your enjoyment and that suited your style at the time The value of your property is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay for it today. We determine a strategic pricing plan based on comparing your property to others sold in your area. My job is to analyze the prices of homes sold and homes currently for sale to estimate the highest amount that you will be able to get for your house in this market.

Advertising Your House The Marketing Plan The first step in selling your house is to figure out who your target market is, where your buyers are looking for homes, and how to reach them to encourage them to see your home. The more showings we can get for you, the more likely that one of them will write an offer. The amount of time your house will be on the market will be af- fected by the number of showings we get. The number of showings depends on how the house is priced and how it is advertised. Once the showing is scheduled, the condition of the house becomes all important. Remember to appeal to these senses: smell, sight, sound. (We will get to that later.) After a potential buyer has seen your house, they will probably see a few more before they make a decision. Then they will compare their top choices, and decide on which house felt the best, looked the best, and was at the right price. Then they will make an offer. From our experience successfully selling over 700 properties, here is what works: 1.PACKAGE A | 3% TO BUYERS AGENT + 3% FOR MARKETING, 6% TOTAL 2. River Valley Group team members create the marketing strategy to get buyers to come see the home using years of experience of how to reach the right audience through the correct methods and marketing messages. 3. RVG pays money to get people to see your home on websites and any other media methods necessary to get you an offer. 4. After 2 weeks on the market, your agent again researches the area to find what other similar homes sold for to suggest the best price that will sell quickly with the highest dollar amount to you. 5. RVG assists with navigating hurdles and negotiations. 6. RVG provides a staging consultation to give advice on what needs to be done before putting the home on the market to create the best presentation of the home to buyers. 7. RVG helps negotiate repairs when issues come up after the home inspection. 8. RVG does paperwork and legal compliance issues, and coordinates timing of your inspections, appraisal, and title company and closing attorney with the buyers and agents. 9. RVG manages Facebook posts to get people talking about your property. 10. River Valley Group will host an open house at your request. 11.There will be a sign in the yard 12.Flyers will be placed in the house for buyers to take to remember the home 13.Seller Disclosures will be placed in the house for buyers to take with them

Advertising Your House (Continued) The Marketing Plan PACKAGE B | 3% TO BUYERS AGENT + 4% FOR MARKETING AND ADDITIONAL COMPANY COORDINATION 11. RVG hires professionals to do staging. 12. RVG hires and pays for a professional photographer to do photography. 13. RVG holds an additional Open Houses at seller’s request. 14. RVG places extra ads with Facebook Pay Per Click search engine marketing. 15. RVG places phone calls to potential buyers in a 1/2 mile radius of your address. 16. RVG creates high quality brochures. 17. RVG sends Postcards to the neighborhood to attract word of mouth advertising from neighbors. 18. Your home is featured in our newsletter or postcard to hundreds of people in other areas. 19. RVG purchases Google Adwords using Consumer Buyer Behavior Analysis. 20. RVG pays for a title search of the property to provide peace of mind for your potential buyers. 21. RVG coordinates companies to come in and do updates and cleaning and repairs. The companies will send the invoices to the seller. 22. RVG pays for a floor plan to be given to potential buyers. Plus items in Package A. PACKAGE C | 3% TO BUYERS AGENT + 5% FOR MARKETING 23. RVG pays for a pre-listing home inspection of the property to provide peace of mind for your potential buyers. 24. RVG conducts extra marketing dollars to go to promotions such as “$500 giveaway at open house”, or “$500 new flat screen TV at closing if home is sold by June 1.” 25. RVG marketing designs a website just for this property with its own domain name to get better traffic online with backlinks to create a better SEO strategy. 26. RVG marketing creates individual Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page just for this house. 27. RVG marketing department creates individual Facebook invitation event for a realtor luncheon and neighborhood mix-and-mingle open house. 28. RVG marketing department creates videos of people in the house, promoted online to show the lifestyle element of how someone feels in the house. 29. RVG sends postcards for mailing to potential buyers identified by demographic lists purchased based on most likely buyers. 30. RVG features your home in our newsletter email to thousands of people in our database. 31. River Valley Group pays for a video walkthrough of the house 32. River Valley Group pays for drone photos to get aerial shots of the house and land 33. River Valley Group will pay for a home warranty Plus items in Package A and B. Ask us how to get a discount on package B or C.

A Few Websites We Use (350 Total)

Repricing Your House Could Become Necessary If your house has been fully advertised for 30 days and you have had 10 showings with no offers, the house is over-priced for it’s condition compared to the competition of other houses available for sale. It’s time to reprice it to sell compared to other homes currently on the market. The market changes every 30 days. Usually, the longer your house is for sale, the lower the offers will be. Every 30 days we will look at sales in the area and see what has sold and hasn’t sold and re-evaluate our pricing strategy. If the market doesn’t bring you a buyer at that price, we’ll talk about where the buyers at that price point are buying. We’ll see what the market says your house is worth.

Money-Making Decisions SENSE OF SMELL Get candles or air fresheners that smell like baked goods: apple pie, cookies, etc. Some people are very sensitive to smells. If you have a pet, make sure no nose can detect it. If you are a smoker, start smoking outside and airing out your house. Most of my buyers refuse to buy a house that smells like animals or cigarette smoke. They walk in, turn to me and say, “Do you smell that? I’ll never get that smell out. Let’s go to the next house.” It happens all the time. SENSE OF SIGHT Make sure shelves and counters are as neat and empty as possible, especially in the kitchen and bath- rooms. Box up all objects and papers that make a room appear cluttered. Even though you have nice furniture and collectables, those items are not for sale – the house is. Display the house, not the things in it. Take down personal items like pictures. The buyer can’t feel at home if she feels like she’s intruding on your space. Take everything off the fridge, too. Remove extraneous furniture, especially furniture that blocks traffic patterns. The emptier a room is, the more spacious it looks. When a showing is scheduled, be sure to open all blinds and drapes so the room looks bright and cheerful. Turn on lights in every room. This makes rooms look bigger and helps the agent show the house without fumbling for light switches. This won’t cost much more in your monthly electric bill, but it makes a huge difference in whether or not the buyers make an offer. If they can’t see it, they won’t buy it. SENSE OF SOUND Play soft jazz music or light classical music. This makes people feel more relaxed and comfortable. The goal of a showing is to make the buyer feel at home.

Money-Making Decisions (Continued) DO spend your money on: ■ Hire a cleaning service. Your house needs to be clean all the time. Clean houses sell faster. ■ Clean the basement really well. A scary basement is a big turnoff. ■ Plant colorful flowers outside. If they don’t like the outside look of the house when they drive by, they won’t call me for an appointment. How the house looks from the street is what determines whether the buyers ■ want to see the inside. Get inexpensive, but modern-looking light fixtures, cabinet pulls, and bathroom faucets. It pays off every time. An outdated kitchen and bathroom can result in a lower offer—much, much lower. ■ Fix obvious holes in walls, nicks in doorways, and broken glass panes. Check the paint around the windows of the home. Paint — buyers want neutral colors. Freshen up the paint on the inside and exterior. Carpet if needed — buyers cannot look past this. It’s better to replace carpet now. ■ Remove wallpaper — yes, all of it! This is my number one complaint from potential buyers. ■ Fix any basement leaks and get a warranty on the waterproofing. This will come up in the inspection anyway. ■ The same goes for a running toilet. ■ Straighten crooked cabinet doors and doors that don’t stay open or don’t shut – buyers attribute this to settling structural issues even if that isn’t an accurate assumption. ■ A front door and the entry way is the first impression and should symbolize the home. Paint the trim. Clean all cobwebs from the door frame and ceiling of the front porch. ■DON’T waste your money on: ■■ A washer and dryer. It’s not expected that you leave them. ■ A cleaning service after you move out. Just remove your trash, vacuum, and wipe down. It’s only important to scrub-clean it when it’s on the market for showings. Expensive chandeliers, faucets, refrigerator, stove; basic is fine. ■ A new heating system if it’s just old but it still works. ■ A new roof if your current one is in good condition. If you must repair it, do so and disclose the repair to the ■ potential buyer. Re-plumbing old pipes if they are working. ■

Feedback From Showings Get feedback from all showings. Listen to the good and the bad. If you can do something about negative feed- back, do it before the next showing. You may be asking yourself, “How will I know how many showings we are getting? How will I know if buyers like the condition of the house? How will I know how it looks compared to the competition? How will I know if it’s priced right?” Easy! You will get emails as soon as someone views your property and fills out the survey. We sub- contract a company called ShowingTime to notify you of showings and to collect feedback for you. Getting feedback from showings is important to see what buyers are saying about the house and to help you see what you can do to make the house sell faster. Example survey questions: Did you like the property? (Very Interested, Yes, Somewhat, No) Compared to other houses in the price range, how does this home compare? (Nicer, Not As Nice, Similar) Are you considering making an offer? (Yes, Possibly, No) Miscellaneous comments. (Nice Yard, Steep Driveway, Old Windows, Small Kitchen, Beautiful Bathroom)

Understanding Contract Terms Make sure you understand the contract. Know what stays. Know how the buyer can get out of the contract: home inspections, loan approval, appraisal, title search. The sales contract, with attached forms, totals approximately 15 pages of paper- work that say the following: Agents & Brokers Who the buyer’s agent is; who the seller’s agent is. Why this is important to you: Your agent represents you and your best interest in negotiation. Agency Buyer’s and seller’s agent must each explain the laws of his/her agency and their obligations to the buyer and seller. This form must be signed, showing who the agent represents. Description of Appliances Which appliances and systems remain with the property. Why this is important to you: Any appliances that are built into the cabinets, like the dishwasher, must stay with the house, but if the refrigerator is not attached to the walls or cabinets, it can go with you (if it is not included in the contract). This also includes light fixtures that are screwed into the ceiling – they stay, but the lamps that are just sitting on the floor go with you. Any items that are not listed here and not attached to the walls must go with you. Before you list your house on the market, take down any items that you aren’t planning on leaving: chandelier, stereo wires and speakers mounted to walls, TVs mounted to walls, shelves that are screwed into walls. Pricing The offering price, down payment, and good faith deposit. Why this is important to you: A buyer needs to put down a serious amount of good faith money to keep them from walking away from the agreement. This amount depends on the price of the house, but usually is between $300- $1000. The down payment tells you if the buyer has any money to put down to secure the loan. It is much harder to get a 100% financing, and someone must have good credit to do so, so make sure the buyer is approved for a 100% loan. You may be asked to pay for the buyer’s closing costs, which could be $2000-5000. It is ok to do this as long as the price is high enough that after paying closing costs you still have your bottom line. Go over the seller’s net with your agent in detail to figure out what you can reasonably estimate to get in a check at the closing table when all is said and done. Home Warranties This will cover certain features of the house should they break within the first year that the buyers own it. If you ask for one, we will fill out an additional page requesting it. Why this is important to you: Most buyers expect that you will buy one for them. It costs about $400. It gives buyers peace of mind when they are not buying a newly built house.

Contract Terms (Continued) Financial Terms Describes the type of financing the buyer will use to pay for the house and the specifics of the loan. If buyer is pre-approved, it lists the lender. A local lender with a good reputation will help an offer be accepted when com- pared to another offer that is not pre-approved or is only approved through an internet lender or a lender that is unheard of. This contract is contingent upon the buyer qualifying for a loan based upon these terms or better. Why this is important to you: If rates change or the buyer cannot get approved for the loan based on what is filled out in this paragraph, the buyer can void the contract and get the good faith money returned. Appraisal If the buyer is taking a loan out, the bank will require an appraisal. If property is paid for with cash, an appraisal is not required. Why this is important to you: An appraiser comes into your house, measures it, notes the condition and quality and compares it to other houses in your neighborhood that sold in the last year. If your house looks about the same condition and is the same price as the other ones that sold, no problem. If the other houses in the neighborhood didn’t sell for as much as the loan is for, then the bank will not approve the buyer’s financing. The contract is dead unless the buyer can make up the difference in with cash, or you lower the price, or both buyer and seller meet in the middle to resolve the difference. Closing Date Buyer will ask for a specific range of days to close within, like 30-45 days from the accepted contract. Why this is important to you: Look at the soonest of those dates. Can you be out that quickly? While most buyers are pleas- ant people, if they decide to “kick you out” on that 30th day and their loan is ready to close, they can force you to come to the closing table. Possession of the Property Date The buyer and seller agree when the buyer will be allowed to move in, usually at closing but sometimes the buyer has to move in early or the seller has to stay after the closing for a short time. Why this is important to you: If you are going to need 3 days to move out after closing, say it now or prepare to have everything you own on a moving truck sitting outside the new house waiting for the new house to close and the old house is empty. Title Examination Prior to closing, the closing company will perform a title search to make sure there are no liens on the property, like tax liens if the seller didn’t pay taxes. Why this is important to you: If there is a lien on the property, the closing will not happen. Sometimes mistakes get made and you find out there is a lien against you, but it is really against someone who has a similar name as you. Don’t panic. This can be resolved, but might take an extra day. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure If the house was built before 1978, the paint inside and outside the home may have lead based paint. Why this is important to you: If you know about any lead based paint, you must tell the buyer about it.

Contract Terms (Continued) Seller Disclosure of Property This is a full description of everything the seller knows has gone wrong with the house, even before they bought it. The seller’s agent is required to give this to the seller, but the seller has the right to refuse to fill it out. Why this is important to you: If you don’t fill one out, the buyer may assume that the house is in bad shape. If you do fill it out, write down everything you know that has ever gone wrong with the house. Protect yourself legally by telling everything. Inspections Inspections, such as home, termite, and radon, are highly recommended. Why this is important to you: The outcome of the inspections could cause another round of negotiations over what you will fix and what is normal condition. My suggestion is to fix the major items that any buyer would reasonably expect should be working, like the lights and sinks. But don’t stress out about little things, like a squeaky door. Fair Housing This states that the property must be offered for sale without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Why this is important to you: You are not allowed to discriminate against any buyer buying your house based on these groups.

Negotiate Inspections Setting expectations and reasonable buyer requests: • Roof Leaks • Basement Leaks • Mold Remediation • Radon Mitigation • Foundation Issues • Plumbing Problems • Electrical Problems • Termite Treatment and Termite Damage Repair Some buyers will ask for EVERYTHING on the inspection report to be repaired, even peeling paint! And some banks will not allow the loan to be approved without certain items being fixed, like mold or termite damage. FHA loans have the most requests for repairs. Remember, if they filled out paragraph 17 (B) of the contract, a buyer can cancel the contract based on the outcome. That’s why some people choose to get their house inspected before we put it on the market. Remember, if you do that, you must disclose any defects the inspector finds. It is your responsibility to choose an inspector that you are comfortable with. We recommend that you call an inspector and make your decision based on your conversation with them. We make no recommendation of one inspector over another. In choosing an inspector, you acknowledge that we are not responsible for the work of the inspector. Here are a few to get your started in your search: Home Inspectors Bob English: 502-426-4635 Greg Jones: 502-429-9379 Vision Home Inspections: 502-215-0307 Pillar to Post (John): 502-228-9880 Elite Home Inspections: 502-648-9294 HomeTeam Inspection Service: 502-785-8142 Septic Inspectors Pillar to Post: 502-228-9880 Shelby Septic Service (Anderson, Franklin, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, & Spencer Co.): 502-633- 9699 Franck Enterprises: 502-817-3171 HVAC Service Roehrs Heating and Cooling (Chris): 502-429-9706 Thompson Heating & Cooling: 502-817-3105 Wright Heating & Cooling (Scott): 502-435-8921/ 502-882-1672

Timeline For Selling & Buying While there are no absolutes on a time-frame for buying a home, there are some general guidelines that can help with your overall planning. These time-frames are based on my experience in the Louisville market and could be different if you bought a house in another city. You will need to move quickly in writing an offer so that you can get your first choice. The best homes sell the fastest, sometimes within hours of coming on the market. 60-120 days from moving date: ■ Find an Agent – Thanks for choosing us! ■ Put your house on the market and start showing it. Stage the furniture in the home (ask us about this). 45-60 days from moving date: ■ Keep showing your house. Remember to keep the lights on, blinds up, music on, and good smells going. You should be getting 1-2 showings a week if it is priced right and marketed correctly. Hopefully in this time period, we’ll get an offer on your house. Your house should sell within 30-60 days of being listed if it is priced right. Most contracts are pending for 30-45 days from the time the offer is accepted until it closes. When you get an offer that you feel is fair, take it. If you try to be greedy you can lose the buyer completely, and have to wait for weeks or even months for another offer. YES! We got an accepted contract! Now what? 30-45 days from moving date: ■ The buyer will get a pre-approval letter from their lender to show that they are able to get a loan. ■ Home inspections — buyer will chose an inspector and your house will be inspected 7-14 days after accept- ing the contract. It’s expected that you will not be present during this time, but you may receive a report of ■ what the inspector finds if the buyer chooses to share it with you. The buyers will then submit a written request for repairs for items that the inspector determines need repair or replacement, or they also have the option to void the contract altogether. You then have the option to either repair all of the items on the list, some of the items on the list, or none of the items. The buyer can ■ then accept your choice of items to repair or void the contract completely. If an agreement cannot be reached on repair items, a release of contract is signed by buyer and seller, and the good faith deposit is ■ returned to the buyer. The house is now available for another contract. In Jefferson County, there is a smoke detector ordinance that says that when you sell a property in Louisville, you must have a working smoke detector that is either hardwired to your electrical system or has a 10-year lithium battery. At the closing you will have to sign an affidavit attesting that you have done this. ■ Call moving companies and make moving arrangements. ■ Arrange for any school transfers or registrations—we can help you find public, private, or parochial schools. ■ Begin fixing items agreed upon after inspections.

Timeline (Continued) 21-28 days from moving date: ■ The buyer’s lender will order an appraisal of the home to ensure that the value that appraiser determines as the true value of the home is the same or better than the sales contract price. The buyer’s lender will set a closing time on a date agreed upon in the contract and that is agreed upon by buyer and seller. If a date and ■ time cannot be agreed upon, the property will close as soon as the loan is ready. Continue to work on the repair list, and if you can’t find a repair person to fix the items on the list in time for closing, the buyers may agree that you can just give them a check at closing for the repairs along with an es- timate from a professional, or you can go ahead and pay for the repairs to be scheduled and bring the receipt ■ and time scheduled to the closing. Start basic packing by boxing the little items. 7-14 days from moving date: ■ Verify moving company will arrive on the correct date, arrange for new utilities and cancel current. ■ Make address changes with banks, credit cards, doctors, insurance, post office, friends, and family. ■ Make sure you have utility transfers for your new home scheduled. ■ Make sure all repairs are done to the house you are buying and to the house you are selling. Remember that the contract states you will leave any items that are physically attached to the walls, and take all personal belongings that were not stipulated in the contract. This includes everything in the garage and basement. • A nice thing to do is to put together a folder for the new howners that contain manuals, warranties, and any notes (such as garbage pickup and recycling days, or HOA information.) 48 hours before closing: ■ Finish moving all items out of property. Sweep or vacuum as needed. Verify closing details with ■ us. Get address of closing office and directions. ■ Buyers will walk through the house to verify the condition. Closing day! ■ Make sure you leave any garage door openers on the kitchen table. ■ At the closing, you will just need to bring your driver’s license, a second ID of some sort, keys to the house, and receipts of repairs made, or a check in place of the repairs. ■ Allow an hour to an hour and a half for closing. You will sign less than 10 pages, but the buyer will sign many more pages. About 99% of the time you will receive your check at the closing. There are a few rare instances that the buyer’s lender does not send the money for the loan to the closing attorney in time. In this scenario, the closing attorneys cannot cut checks for funds that they do not have, and so you will have to pick up your check at a later time that day, or even the next morning. This is called a “dry closing.” If you do not feel com- fortable doing this, you do not have to sign the deed and closing papers, and should consult your personal attorney on the legal consequences on holding off a closing or causing a contract to expire by not signing the deed. Don’t worry, this does not happen often.

Know Your Numbers Understand what your net amount will be after closing costs. Know approximately what check to expect to get at the closing table. Here is a sample of costs: Property Selling Price Encumbrances First Loan $____________________ Second Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit $____________________ Estimated Closing Costs Country transfer taxes ($1 per $1000) $____________________ Property taxes prorated for this year $____________________ HOA dues prorated $____________________ Home warranty $____________________ Buyer’s closing costs and prepaids (other allowance) $____________________ Buyer’s real estate company $____________________ Keller Williams Realty marketing service fee $____________________ Closing attorneys fees, deed prep, recording $____________________ Mortgage payoff fees (courier, FedEx) $____________________ Total Encumbrances $___________________ Total Estimated Closing Costs _ Net Cash To Seller $___________________ $____________________ _

Moving Checklist Whether you have moved once or a dozen times, it never seems to get any easier. Along with the culmination of all the emotions associated with looking for a home, negotiating terms, and applying for a mortgage comes another huge emotional challenge—moving! Call your moving company (or brother who has a pickup truck) and schedule them for your closing date or whenever you have negotiated possession to be. Possession date written in contract: _______________________ Helpful hints on moving: ■ Start planning early. Once you are reasonably confident that you will be proceeding with the purchase, start weeding out your current possessions. Toss (or give away, sell at a yard sale) things you don’t want. See ■ what you can get for your tin lunch box on Ebay. Compare moving plans. Are you going to want to do the entire move yourself? Will you want a professional mover to handle the entire process? Don’t wait until the last minute or you may be doing the whole move on your own. Compare rates and services as well as availability. You can get free, multiple estimates from licensed and insured movers in your area at Move Direct. I have listed below a few movers to call: Mayflower Transit / 877-720-4488 / mayflower.com United Van Lines / 877-740-3036 / unitedvanlines.com Allied / 844-771-2243 / allied.com ■ Make a list on any important items you will need to buy for the new house. Examples of this would include draperies, blinds, shower curtains, and so on. Having these things with you on the day you move in prevents unnecessary stress. But, whatever you do, do not open a credit card. Opening up a credit card anywhere could destroy the loan on your new house. ■ Pack early. Item you will not be using before moving day should get boxed two weeks in advance. ■ Start a donation box to take to a charity or have a garage sale. ■ Request records from your doctor and dentist andchildrens’ schools if you are moving out of town. ■ Determine a “loading area” where any items that are ready to be moved are placed. This saves a lot of the aggravation associated with having boxes scattered throughout your present living quarters and gives you a ■ place to look should you need an item that is already packed. Mark every box and carton with a thick black Sharpie. It makes it much easier if you need an item before you move, and makes it much simpler after you move. Unpacking will be somewhat of a gradual process— this way you know where the most necessary items are located. Be detailed with labeling the contents so that you can quickly locate the essentials. ■ Close out your checking accounts and safety deposit boxes at your banks. ■ Keep track of your moving expenses for potential tax deductions. ■ Call utility companies to turn off service or transfer service to your new home.

Summary Our responsibilities to you as a real estate team: • It’s our job to guide you with staging your property • It’s our job to recommend pricing and price adjustments, to research the • market Take photos • Create advertising and pay for advertising • Answer calls and emails to people who respond to ads • Brainstorm new advertising to reach more people • Adjust the marketing campaign as needed • Promote property to other agents • Use national referral network of over 135,000 agents to reach relocation clients • Coordinate showings • Provide feedback from showings • Suggest adjustments based on feedback • Review offers, analyze impact for you • Represent you in negotiations with buyer • Write counteroffer and present to buyer’s agent in best manner • Coordinate inspections and negotiate repairs that the buyer requests • Coordinate appraisal • Coordinate details with closing attorney, buyer, buyer’s agent • Obtain good faith check • Make sure you get copies of all paperwork you need • Keep abreast of buyer’s loan progress and look for obstacles ahead • Coordinate closing and possession date ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Yo- u-r-r-e-s-po- n-s-ibilities in getting your house sold: • Prepare your house for sale (repairs, updating, cleaning) • Staging • Hide jewelry, valuables and prescription drugs • Alert us when brochures are low in the flier box • Leave the house for showings and home inspections • Leave the house with the lights on, smelling good, with music playing • Call us with questions, ideas for advertising, concerns about what we’re doing to advertise your • property Tell your friends what a great job we’re doing • Refuse to discuss terms with prospective buyers

We sell homes to help children living in group homes River Valley Group donates 10% of profits to programs that help orphaned children and children in foster care residential facilities.

Notes: Thank you for hiring our team! I promised we'll do a good job for you.