Selling Your Home from THE KIM CHILDS TEAM
Kim Childs
Licensed Oregon Broker, GRI Masters Circle, PMAR Diamond-Platinum Member PortlandMonthlyFiveStarRealtor Top 7% Portland 2011-2020
Guide to Selling Your Home Table of Contents The Kim Childs Team
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The Home Selling Process
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Preparing Your Home
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Marketing Your Home
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Pricing Your Home
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Receiving and Negotiating Offers
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Opening Escrow
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Home Inspection and Appraisal
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Signing and Closing
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Making You A Raving Fan!
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Why Keller Williams?
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The Kim Childs Team Getting to Know Us
It takes years of experience to navigate the twists and turns of a real estate transaction. We have years of commercial business experience and 28 years in specializing in selling homes and getting those tough deals to the closing table. Let us put those years of experience to work for you. “Because who you work with matters.” With a consistent record of real estate sales achievements of 16 years, Kim earns enthusiastic referrals from her loyal client base who buy and sell with her time and time again. Clients know that Kim will do the job right, with no stone left unturned. “I am always excited to meet new people, and to provide service and strategies beyond their expectations,” says Kim. This high level of service has resulted in Kim being honored with Portland Monthly magazine’s “5-Star Real Estate Award” each year it has been offered—from 2011 through 2020. The award is based on client satisfaction and feedback from real estate professionals.
Kim Childs
Licensed Oregon Broker, GRI Masters Circle, PMAR Diamond-Platinum Member Portland Monthly Five Star Realtor Top 7% Portland 2011-2020
Kim’s business model is based on: “Integrity” in all things “Exemplary service” that exceeds expectations “Ingenuity” to provide service with an invaluable wealth of knowledge, real estate sales expertise, and the ability to think outside the box. Highly credentialed, Kim has a vast amount of market knowledge and expertise in handling the most delicate or complex transaction. Kim’s communication is second to none and tailored to each client. Kim considers herself a real estate consultant, providing her clients with information, analytics and knowledge to make the best possible real estate decision. She considers herself to be a solution provider, navigating her clients from where they are to where they want to be. She takes care of all the details along the way, so the transaction is as close to stress free as possible for clients. Prior to real estate, Kim was a CPA, and in management for a Big 8 firm. She also holds a BA in Home Economics Education. Kim’s leisure is spent with family, friends, sporting events, traveling, and cooking.
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In the last eight years, Terri has worked with some of the top producing agents in the Portland Metro Area. As a full-time realtor, she consistently strives to be innovative in her marketing and interaction with clients. Terri’s previous career and life choices have allowed her to develop a strong customer service background, project management skills, and attention to detail. These are attributes that have created success for her as a real estate agent.
Terri Schneider
Oregon Licensed Broker Masters Circle, PMAR
Her previous jobs have given her a great sense of how to work with people. As a personal fitness trainer, Terri worked with clients to help motivate them to achieve their goals. Terri also worked in the health care industry, and she was awarded “Employee of the Year” for her caring nature. Terri worked at both Nike and Adidas for over 12 years in their credit departments as both an account manager and credit Manager. Terri has lived overseas in both Bangkok, Thailand, and Guangzhou, China.
Terri is currently an active member of her Homeowner Association and her local Rotary Club. She enjoys reading, fitness, cooking, wine tasting, gardening, live music, and her grown children when she gets to visit them.
Darcy is dedicated to providing the best possible real estate experience for all her clients. She works tirelessly to ensure the home buying process is stress-free and seamless as possible. Darcy is knowledgeable about the local real estate market, and educated on all neighborhoods in the metro area. She has creative ways for an offer to be accepted in a multiple offer situation. She even seeks out “off market” properties in her clients’ desired areas. Her background in sales and marketing have served her well in real estate. She worked for over 25 years in highly professional organizations that were deadline driven and required keen negotiating skills (The Oregonian/Oregonlive, KGW-TV Channel 8, and KUFO radio). Darcy has a BA in Journalism, and is active in the community. She serves as a volunteer for Future Connect working with college students at Portland Community College Sylvania campus and is a steering committee member of Meridian Park Hospital.
Darcy Paquette
Oregon Licensed Broker Masters Circle, PMAR
She loves the outdoors, hiking, bicycling, cooking, and travel. 3
The Home Selling Process The Steps You Should Know
Our job is to get your home sold for top dollar and meeting your objectives. We make the process as easy and stress-free as possible for you. We understand that selling your home can be emotional. We will be with you each step of the way. Thank you for the privilege of allowing us to show you our active marketing strategies, which can help you achieve the highest dollar value for your property. The most important step in the sales process is choosing the right Realtor to effectively and profitably represent your interest.
THE HOME SELLING PROCESS:
Preparing Your Home For Sale
Pricing Your Home
Marketing Your Home
Receiving And Negotiating Offers
Open Escrow
Home Inspection And Appraisal
Negotiate Repairs
Sign Title And Escrow Documents
Sold
Listing your home with a Kim Childs team agent is the first step on the path to a successful closing. We possess a wealth of knowledge about our local neighborhoods and suburbs, and we are well prepared to assist you from beginning to end, helping you feel at ease throughout the selling process.
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As we begin our consultation on selling your home, we will suggest specific actions that can enhance your home's saleability, create a customized marketing plan that best highlights your property's features in the current market and review with you a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA), which helps to determine the best listing price. We know sellers often have emotional attachments to their homes. Though you may feel that you are the most qualified to show a buyer your home, it is best to leave home while it is being shown. To ensure the best showing possible, make your home inviting and welcoming by creating mood lighting, adjusting the temperature, and adding decorative touches. The following are our recommendations on how to sell your home for the highest price in the current market in the shortest amount of time!
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Preparing Your Home You never get a second chance to make a first impression Research has shown that if the first five pictures don’t interest them, prospective buyers will stop looking at your home and move on to other houses. We help you make a buyer ‘fall in love’ with your home. While in a home, most buyers make a decision on the property they see within the first 15 seconds of entering a home. First impressions are crucial. Buyers begin judging a home the moment they see it, and generally, they prefer homes that are well maintained, clean, and free of clutter - homes they can picture themselves living in. By understanding where buyer’s find the home they purchase, we can tailor our marketing strategies to ensure we find a great buyer for your home.
“Over three out of four buyers found the home they purchased either themselves, on the Internet, or from their real estate agent (who also utilized the Internet.)”
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Clean, paint and simplify presentation. Before you start showing your home, consider preparing the property by cleaning the interior and exterior, touching up paint, eliminating pet odors, and removing personal decorations. We can provide you with details to help your property achieve an optimum look. What can staging do? It will make sure your home shows as well as possible, first online and then in person. It is crucial in today’s real estate market. Think HGTV. This is what buyer’s desire. Our stager can tour your home with a “Buyer’s Eye” and make recommendations to help your home look its best and stand out from the competition. The staging consult typically involves recommendations to edit a room, add ambiance or color, and can extend into minor updates and/or paint, if you desire.
BEFORE STAGING
The better the home shows, the more value a buyer sees, so our stager will make recommendations to increase interest in your home. In fact, staged homes sell 79% faster and sell for 17% more than a non-staged home. Should your home be vacant and you desire to rent some furnishings, we have highly experienced and capable home staging companies to recommend.
AFTER STAGING
LOCATION? Cannot Be Changed
SIZE?
Cannot Be Changed
AMENITIES? CAN Be Changed
CONDITION? CAN Be Changed
A picture says a thousand words We have professional photographers and videographers that understand angles and lighting make all the difference and specialize in bringing out the appealing features of your home. We want to show your home at its best! We know that most buyers choose which homes they want to visit based on photos and other information they view on the internet. 7
Marketing Your Home It’s not just about the RMLS We will market your property with the most beautiful and effective marketing program available - an innovative standard for marketing a home. Now that we have beautiful pictures, videography, drone shots and floor plan for your home, we are ready to show everyone. Your home will be placed on the RMLS and 350 other home web sites, as well. Using the beautiful assets we have, we will also create digital and print marketing that a buyer can utilize and save. In addition, we market on all the major portals, including Zillow, Realtor.com, and others, as well as agent to agent marketing. Discover the Story Your home has a story to tell. The story comes alive when we uncover a deeper sense of how you live in your home and experience its’ best qualities. Our team collaborates on each listing to capture the distinct story of your home through the elements of photography, videography, copywriting, and design. Present Online and in Print
MARKETING ONLINE AND IN PRINT
While we use all marketing channels to present your home to buyers, technology is foremost. We provide a property-specific website for your home that combines the best in photography, video and SOCIAL FLYERS & MAGAZINES PROPERTY MEDIA (Digital & Print) WEBSITE written presentation. The result is an experience that keeps serious home-seekers engaged and provides a great understanding of the property without ever having been inside. In addition, we produce high-quality pieces including a multi-page magazine (digital and print), high resolution flyers (digital and print), and a large weatherproof post flyer that is attached to the listing signpost, as well as postcards and other mail. Reach a Large Targeted Audience For each property we sell, we execute a coordinated marketing campaign designed to cast the widest net possible as well as targeting key demographics and possible buyers. We use cutting edge online marketing including social media, search engine optimization, online open houses and virtual tours, as well as traditional tactics such as direct mail and conventional open houses, when appropriate. 8
Engage New Buyers The result of our cutting edge marketing is an increase in the engagement of prospective buyers for your home. Not only in terms of the quality of the people reached, but also in the depth of the connection. We are confident that we can provide you with the best representation available to meet your goals. Social Media Marketing
PROPERTY WEBSITE
Social Distancing Many homes are being sold without the buyer ever having to step into the home. With that in mind, we have enhanced our online presence even further to ensure we provide our sellers the most effective and safest marketing experience. FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE/ VIDEO
PRINT AND DIGITAL MAGAZINE’S (ISSUE) INSTAGRAM DESKTOP AND MOBILE
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Pricing Your Home There are several pricing strategies to consider based on your specific objectives. We will provide you with comps, neighborhood and market data so you can make an informed decision regarding the asking price of your home. Other factors that influence price are shown in the Pricing Equation below. Location + Condition* + Amenities + Terms + Square Feet + Lot Size = Market Value In The Eyes Of A Buyer As shown above, market value is determined by the buyer’s perception of a combination of factors that culminate in what they are willing to pay for your property. Understand too, buyers are comparing your home to others they see online and in person. How you see your home...
How your buyer will see your home...
How an inspector will see your home...
*Condition refers to the underlying condition of home, updates and how the home presents both online and in person.
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It is important to price your property in the range of market value when we finalize the listing agreement. The value of your property is determined by what a Buyer is willing to pay, and a Seller is willing to accept in today’s market. Buyers make their decision based on comparing your property to other properties SOLD or for sale in your area. Historically, your first offer is typically your best.
Pricing your property competitively will generate the most activity from agents and Buyers. Pricing your property too high may make it necessary to drop the price below market value to compere with new, well-priced listings. Buyers tend to ‘look past’ homes that have been on the market for an extended period of time.
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Receiving and Negotiating Offers Getting a good offer for your property
We engage with any and all parties who show interest in your property. Each and every offer will be presented to you as we receive them. We will provide helpful feedback and point out the pros and cons of each offer. Our entire goal is that you make the best residential real estate decision for yourself, considering your objectives. As we discuss the terms of any offer, it may be apparent that a Seller’s Counter Offer is in your best interests. We will prepare the Counter Offer for you and include the terms we have discussed, as well as advise you of the pros and cons of any terms we include. We have negotiated hundreds of home sales and this experience as well as market knowledge, aligned with your real estate objectives, enable us to earn the best possible results for our Sellers. In the event we receive multiple offers for your home, we will discuss with you the various strategies a Seller may choose to respond in a multiple offer situation. Again, explaining the pros and cons of each strategy and making sure your real estate objectives are considered.
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Terms of an Offer There are many terms contained in any offer. Here are some of the most prominent terms that should be considered:
Offer price
Type of financing
Amount of earnest money
How much is being financed
Personal property
Types of inspections as well as duration of the inspection period
Closing date
Possession date
Is the offer contingent on the buyer selling their home first?
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Opening Escrow The Title Company moves you toward closing Our title partners are here from the start to help us through this process. Once an offer on a property is accepted by the seller, the transaction is then placed into “escrow.� Escrow is a term that describes neutral third-party handling of funds, documents, and tasks specific to the sale of the property. The purpose of escrow is to manage the disbursement of funds and documents for the buyer and seller in accordance with the written purchase and sale agreement.
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A record of all real estate sales and events on all properties are filed in public archives. Before a title insurance policy is issued, the title company will do a title search of the records to see if there are any issues such as liens, levies, or encumbrances associated with the property. Some issues don’t show up on the title search, such as forgeries, filing errors, and undisclosed heirs, so title insurance protects the buyer from any unforeseen problems. Title insurance is different than casualty insurance in that you pay a one-time fee, and it protects against the past (as opposed to future) events. Some ‘clouds on title’ can be corrected relatively easily while others can become quite complicated to remove. You should insist on being kept informed of every step in the title examination process. If title problems are uncovered, you will want to understand your legal rights. Title insurance is the best way to protect your buyer against title defects that have occurred in the past, which may not appear until after you’ve sold the property. It is required by the lender to purchase title insurance. In Oregon, the Seller purchases title insurance for the Buyer, while the Buyer purchases title insurance for their lender. Even in a cash sale, Seller’s typically purchase the insurance for the Buyer.
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Home Inspection and Appraisal Negotiating repairs if needed A home inspection is designed to give a Buyer a better understanding of the systems and overall condition of the home they are purchasing. There may be items that the Buyer will ask to have repaired. These can all be negotiated, and we will help you with perspective in this area. The home inspection is typically set up immediately by the Buyer’s agent after the offer has been accepted since there is usually a 10-business day deadline for the inspection to be completed and for repairs, if any, to be negotiated. Whole House Home Inspection The whole house home inspection usually takes two-four hours, depending on the size of the home. A home inspection covers the major systems of the property: - Exterior, porch, and deck - Foundations and walls - Chimneys and roof - Windows, doors, and attics - Electrical components and plumbing - Central heating and air conditioning - Basement/crawlspace and garage Once a request for repairs is received, we can ask for additional information regarding any requested repairs. This may include calling in an expert to determine if certain repairs are warranted, and if so, a range of costs. With this information sellers can make informed decisions on what repairs will be done. This is often a mini-negotiation within the scope of the transaction.
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Other Types of Inspections Radon Radon is a naturally occurring gas found in many areas of the Portland Metro area. If levels are over a certain amount, mitigation is advised. Sewer Scope A sewer scope inspection checks the sewer lines to make sure there are no problems with tree roots, pooling, cracks, holes or pipe separation. Additional inspections Depending on the property, the buyer may decide additional inspections are warranted. These can include roof, mold, oil tank location, well tests, foundation, and others. Buyer inspections should not be invasive, and should not damage the house. Once Seller and Buyer agree to the scope of repairs, there are various ways to handle these in a transaction. Repairs agreed to may be completed by vendors paid by Seller, a credit can be offered at closing and buyer can take care of any repairs after closing, or the sale price of the home may be reduced by the cost of agreed to repairs. Appraisal Once the negotiations for the inspection are complete and agreed upon, the Buyer’s lender will order an appraisal. The property must appraise for the purchase price for the lender to approve the loan. If the house doesn’t appraise for the purchase price, Buyer and Seller can renegotiate the price, split the difference, or the buyer can bring in an additional amount of money to cover the shortfall. The difference is what the house appraised for compared to the price of the home. If mutual agreement is not reached, the buyer may terminate the sale and receive their earnest money deposit back. 17
Signing and Closing We can see the sold sign coming Often, the buyer will want to re-inspect the home to review that agreed upon repairs were completed in accordance with the repair addendum before moving to closing. A walk through of the home, close to the closing date, often occurs as the Buyer is taking a look to ensure condition of the home is as expected. We are getting closer to the finish line now! We will be working with the escrow office and Buyers’ agents to make sure everyone is on track to close your sale on time. Signing Closing disclosures (CD) will be provided by the title company at least three days before closing. The CD will contain costs associated with the transaction, including the exact dollar amount. As a Seller, you will be able to sign sale documents usually a week or so before the closing date. Typically this will occur at the title company, although mobile notaries are available if you are out of the area or unable to come into the escrow office. Buyer and Seller will sign their documents at different times. Allow an hour for signing and bring a valid ID and wire transfer routing information. The title officer will explain the document and review the settlement statement with you, which breaks down all the charges and debits
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Funding/Closing Once the title company receives funding from the lender and buyer, the lender authorizes the title company to release the property to record with the county. Each county varies, but usually properties record between 1-5 pm. Once the property records, it is considered closed. Often, the buyer receives the keys and possession at 5 pm on the day of closing. The Seller may have possession of the home for several days after closing, if negotiated, to allow time to receive funds from the sale and close on the purchase of a new home, as well as get moved out of the home you are selling. Earlier time to obtain possession maybe be able to be negotiated on the sales agreement.
Time to celebrate!
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Making You a Raving Fan! What Is A Raving Fan! What is a raving fan? Ken Blanchard coined the term “raving fan” to describe a customer who is so overwhelmed and floored by the customer service they’ve received that they can’t stop telling everyone about it. This is what we want our clients to do. Tell everyone about us! We go above and beyond for those we work for.
What our clients are saying “ Kim Childs is one of those agents you love to discover, the one who will go ‘all out’ on your behalf, the one to whom ‘commission’ is simply a reward for results, and not the primary motivating factor in a client-agent relationship. Her job, as she sees it, is to help you achieve your goals. Her integrity is solid and her work ethic is exceptional. The sale of my home involved a few unusual issues, which she helped me navigate with clarity and purpose. I’m proud to call her ‘my broker.’ I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending her. She will give you everything she’s got.” “ When you team up with Kim to sell your home, this is what you get: She took us carefully step-by-step through the entire process of listing our home. She listened to what we felt about our home and she carefully reviewed our home’s condition, the neighborhood...everything. She staged our home to perfection and priced it realistically; presenting the property in the best possible light for buyers. The result: Nearly two dozen showings and several offers during a traditionally very slow part of the year. An expert negotiator, Kim was able to sell our home to the perfect buyer. We highly recommend Kim Childs.” “ Kim is so easy to work with. She makes tremendous efforts to help you get exactly what you want, without feeling any pressure. She has great knowledge of the markets in different areas, and genuinely listens to your concerns. I wouldn’t hesitate a moment in recommending Kim for any of your real estate needs.” “ We feel very fortunate that we teamed up with Westbrooke resident and Real Estate Agent extraordinaire Kim Childs of Keller Williams. Kim was able to sell our house, and help us buy a condo, through an incredible display of tenacity, attention to detail, communication skill, and knowledge of the real estate market and sales techniques. In this tough real estate market, you need a top-rate Real Estate Agent. We strongly encourage you to consider teaming up with Kim to help you achieve your real estate goals and dreams. We’re glad we did!”
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“ Kim is a delight to work with and had creative, practical ideas about positioning and showcasing our home. She is realistic about handling the process in this down economy, and also good about communicating the advantages of the home to prospective Buyers. I have already recommended her twice to friends.” “ Kim did an outstanding job of facilitating the sale and purchase of my new home. She is so friendly, knowledgeable and attentive to details. On top of that, she is such a nice person and her sense of humor helps you get through the logistics!!! Use her, you will not be sorry!” “ This is the second transaction Kim has handled for us and once again we were very pleased with the process. Her organizational skills, contacts for staging and resources to facilitate every step is fantastic. It doesn’t take long to get a sense that Kim loves what she does and loves to be of service to others. I think her background as a CPA & mother add a calming influence to all the players in the transaction. Consider yourself fortunate to have Kim on your side of the table!” For more testimonials see: https://www.zillow.com/profile/kkimkar/ 21
Why Keller Williams?
KW is the most technology savvy and consumer centric real estate company in the world! My affiliation with the fastest growing and largest Real Estate company in North America is no accident. I wanted to affiliate my real estate services with a company whose values closely matched my own, a company that offered exceptional tools for their agents to in-turn provide an exceptional home-buying experience to each client, and a company that listens to suggestions from its agents on ways to improve the company -just like I listen closely to my clients’ wants and needs. Technology Leading-edge tech tools and training give me the edge in effectively marketing your property online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Through KW’s exclusive Keller Williams Listing System (KWLS), your property is fed to more than 350 online search engines and available on KW’s Web network of more than 76,000 sites. Best of all, because of Keller Williams Realty’s “My Listings, My Leads” philosophy, every single Internet inquiry on your property will come directly to me so that I can follow up quickly on potential buyers for your property. Teamwork Keller Williams Realty was designed to reward agents for working together. Based on the belief that we are all more successful if we strive toward a common goal rather than our individual interests, I’m confident that every Keller Williams professional shares the common goal of serving you, my client, in the best way possible. Knowledge Keller Williams Realty helps me stay ahead of trends in the real estate industry through its comprehensive, industry-leading training curriculum and research resources. It’s what prepares me to provide you with unparalleled service. Reliability Founded on the principles of trust and honesty, Keller Williams Realty emphasizes the importance of having the integrity to do the right thing, always putting your needs first. It reinforces my belief that my success is ultimately determined by the legacy I leave with each client I serve. Track Record I’m proud to work for #1 Real Estate Franchise in the World, by agent count! It’s proof that when you offer a superior level of service, the word spreads fast.
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THE BENEFIT OF KELLER WILLIAMS PORTLAND PREMIERE
IN THE COMMUNITY $1,011,021,093 VOLUME CLOSED IN 2017 Agents at our offices closed over One Billion Dollars in volume last year! This means that our agents are selling more properties and at a higher dollar amount than agents at other brokerages.
93%
OF OUR LISTINGS TAKEN BECOME LISTINGS SOLD In addition to being much higher than the national average, this number tells a story about listings taken and priced more accurately, represented correctly, and marketed efficiently by agents at our brokerage.
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“There is no place like home� Dorothy - Wizard of Oz
Kim Childs Licensed Oregon Broker - GRI 503-351-5445 info@kimchildsteam.com www.kimchildsteam.com|www.kimchildsteam.smarthomeprice.com 7504 SW Bridgeport Rd | Portland, OR 97224
