Make the move to different. At the WELU Group we believe that being the best is not something you say, it’s something you are. Our western suburb based real estate group delivers comprehensive, customer-focused real estate services that not only complete a transaction, but create life-long real estate partnerships with our clients. Superior technology and careful positioning bring unique success to our clients in this new and challenging real estate market. Welcome to the WELU Group —
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GLANCE N O TA B L E S A L E S 4009 N SHORE DR
$1,995,000 5309 CHANTREY ROAD
$1,975,000 2012 MEETING STREET
$1,314,718
EXPERIENCE
6845 LAKE HARRISON CIRCLE
$1,275,000
14 years of experience in the Lake Minnetonka area with proven results.
18743 BEARPATH TRAIL
$1,225,000
N O TA B L E A C H I E V E M E N T S
3209 GALLERIA UNIT 1401
$1,144,000 18832 BEARPATH TRAIL
$905,000
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Selling with assurance. Selling a home in today’s market can sometimes be challenging. The Welu Group understands that and while the market is constantly evolving, dozens of homes are sold each week in your area. The details are what make the difference between selling your home or failing to do so. Our proven sales approach, effective marketing and utilization of our extensive network leave no detail overlooked. We also pride ourselves in the use of technology and innovation to maximize the exposure of your home. We’ve created this guide to help educate you as a seller, and empower you to make the right decision when selecting the best agent to market and sell your property.
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DEFI NE T HE SEL L ERS GOAL S & PRE PA RE . You’ve made the decision to sell your home— and you want to sell it for top dollar. There are some important factors that every homeowner should consider at this stage including determining your timeline, market conditions, defining your home’s market value and hiring a Realtor. DETERMINING YOUR TIMELINE Everyone’s reason to sell is different, and your motivation for selling can influence both your timeline and the pace at which you move through the selling process. Whether you’re looking to put down roots in a new school district before school starts, get settled in before a job change or secure the perfect nursery before your new addition arrives, your ideal timeline is often the largest factor in deciding when to get started with your sale. UNDERSTANDING REAL ESTATE MARKETS A first step in selling is to understand whether you’re facing a buyers’ or sellers’ market, which is determined primarily by the number of homes on the market and their rate of sale. The number of homes available for purchase is a critical element to determining who holds the advantage in the housing market: you as a seller or your potential home buyers. Generally, more than six months of inventory lends an advantage to the buyer. Less than six months of inventory typically favors the seller. Remember that even locally, markets vary based on price point and location.
DEFINING YOUR HOME’S MARKET VALUE Don’t be too quick to mentally lock into a price for your home until you know it's true value. A comparative market analysis (CMA) provided by the WELU Group can more accurately determine your home’s value. A CMA is often a complimentary, no-obligation evaluation of the current value of any given property. CMAs are generated by considering: • How your home compares to nearby properties that have recently sold • Feature differences in your home • Significant upgrades and renovations PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR MARKET When getting your home ready to sell there are many small upgrades and fixes that can be done to maximize your home's value. When working with the WELU GROUP we walk you through this process from start to finish. We pride ourselves in being a full-service real estate sales team who goes above and beyond for our clients.
FIVE UPGRADES WITH THE HIGHEST ROI • Entry door replacement • Attic insulation • Minor kitchen remodel • Manufactured stone veneer • Garage door replacement FIVE UPGRADES WITH THE LOWEST ROI • Backyard patio • Roofing replacement • Bathroom remodel • Major kitchen remodel • Basement remodel YOUR NEXT HOME When your projects are complete and your listing is ready to go, it’s time to start thinking about purchasing your next home. Figure out your budget early on in this process. Talk to a lender about getting pre-approved for a mortgage so that you can determine your price range and have an upper hand over buyers who aren’t pre-approved.
RENOVATIONS & FAST FIXES When preparing your home for sale, sometimes all that’s needed is a coat of paint. It’s important not to over-renovate, as some projects can cost more than you will recoup when you sell. The WELU group will work with you to determine which updates may make sense for your home and neighborhood.
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L I ST, M AR KE T & SHOW T HE PRO PE RTY. Now it’s time to get started on the process of selling your home for the highest possible price. There are just a few more decisions and tasks before your listing goes live. STAGE YOUR HOME TO BE MODEL READY Buyers are drawn to homes that appear straight out of a home décor magazine. The end goal of staging is for your home’s exterior and interior to appear in peak condition like a model home. It should feel spacious, warm and move-in ready. INTERIOR • De-clutter • De-personalize • Neutralize with paint • Neutralize odors • Clean off countertops and tables • Rearrange your furniture • Replace old or excessively bold linens • Maximize unused rooms by staging • Open blinds for natural light • Keep every room of the house clean EXTERIOR • Replace fixtures • Clean out and straighten gutters • Wash the exterior • Freshen up the paint job or siding • Wash windows inside and out • Paint the trim, shutters and railings • Patch driveway and walkways • Maintain your lawn
PROFESSIONAL LISTING PHOTOS After all that prep work, you want your listing photos to showcase your home in it's best light. Our professional property photographers are essential in capturing your home’s attributes. PRICING YOUR HOME Today’s buyers are discerning and their primary focus is not to give you how much you’re asking for your home – it’s to pay what they believe your home is worth. We can help you avoid the temptations of overpricing your home. Studies show that most buyer interest happens within the first two weeks on the market and you can lose momentum during this critical period by pricing your home too high. Ultimately, a home’s value is what a buyer is willing to pay for it. The WELU group will show you recently sold homes and discuss the best price for your home. MARKETING YOUR HOME A powerful, upfront marketing strategy goes a long way in residential real estate, since most activity will happen within two weeks of listing the home. It’s critical to create the most impactful marketing plan to maximize excitement about your home once it’s listed. • Local MLS services • High-quality professional photos • Agent networking • Property brochures • Print advertising
• Internet marketing • Direct marketing • Virtual tours • Broker open house • Drone photography GRAND OPENING ROLL-OUT In addition to a great online and print presence, you also need an offline plan to attract an offer. Knowing those first two weeks are critical, you’ll work with us to finalize your grand opening roll-out plan. SHOWING YOUR HOME Once your home is listed, showings can happen quickly. Realtors request a viewing of your home on behalf of their buyers. With your permission, these potential buyers spend 30-60 minutes in your home with their agents, often comparing it to other homes. If it is a sellers’ market, there can be multiple showings of your home in the first 48 hours so be prepared to be busy and it’s critical that your home is show-ready at all times. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO SELL? We should be able to tell you how long homes in your area are typically on the market before selling. While this isn’t a hard and fast predictor, it can help set expectations for timing.
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NEGOTI AT E OFFERS & C LO SE . You have an offer, maybe even multiple offers. Find out what to expect and what you still may need to do before closing. OFFERS There are certain considerations when you receive an offer from a potential buyer. First, the bid price will likely be your main focus when deciding to accept. If your home has a reasonable asking price, an offer that comes within 5 percent is typically considered a good offer. CONTINGENCIES A buyer may add contingencies to their offer, such as an offer to purchase that is dependent on selling their current home or the inspection report. Look these contingencies over carefully. The WELU Group can help you determine whether to accept contingent offers by calculating the cost of time or money of their additional requirements. NEGOTIATION If you don’t like the offer, but think the potential buyer may budge on a stipulation or contingency, consider making a counteroffer. The WELU Group is very skilled at negotiating, so we will advise you on strategic moves. MULTIPLE OFFERS As the seller, multiple offers are a good thing. A multiple offer puts you in the driver’s seat
and increases the odds that you’ll sell your home for the price you want. In this situation, the best offer may not always be the one with the highest price. There are many factors that come into play such as price, closing costs, closing dates and whether a buyer is pre-approved for a home loan, which demonstrates their ability to make the purchase. ACCEPTING AN OFFER From this point forward, there’s a process that will get you to the closing table. It is important to note that no two situations are the same, so your experience during this process may be different than your neighbor’s down the street. LOAN APPLICATION & TITLE COMMITMENT After negotiating a sale, the buyer will formally apply for a loan. Once they apply for the loan, we will be notified and will monitor the loan approval process for you. At this time, the title company will begin research on the property. HOME INSPECTION & DUE DILIGENCE Next, your home will be inspected by an inspector selected and paid by the buyer. When the buyer receives the report, they may ask about certain concerns they have about the property and request needed repairs.
90 days after the offer, this is your deadline to move out, so you’d better start packing! At this point, the title commitment is prepared and reviewed by a mortgage company so it is ready for closing. APPRAISAL & LOAN APPROVAL A buyer’s lender will require that a property is appraised to be sure that the home’s value is high enough to justify the loan. Once the appraisal goes through and the buyer’s financial and credit history is verified, their lender will approve their home loan. WALK-THROUGH Before closing, the buyer will do a “walkthrough," where they visually inspect the property to ensure it is in the same condition as when they first saw it and to check on the completion of any agreed-upon repairs. CLOSING The title company performs the closing, disburses funds and submits the deed to the county for recording. The buyer, seller, real estate agents and a closer will be present at the closing table. During the closing process, the buyer and seller will sign all relevant closing papers. After the buyer provides funds, they receive the keys and you will leave with the net proceeds of the sale.
NEGOTIATE & SCHEDULE A CLOSING DATE Next, a closing date is set. Set typically 30 – R E / M A X
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Presentation is everything. "Your home speaks to you, but what is it saying to your potential buyer? Most sellers we encounter tend to take the staging process personally, and this is precisely the point. Our homes are personal, yet how we live is not how we sell. Our homes represent who we are; they are life-sized memory books of our travels, they trumpet our likes, our dislikes and our beliefs. They showcase our stuff—all that stuff we have accumulated over time that speaks to us. The goal of staging is to make the home speak to everyone else, in a compelling and positive way." W E L U
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C O M P L I M E N TA R Y H O M E R E PA I R S E R V I C E S Buyers will almost always focus on the details. As a WELU Group client, we always offer a complimentary 10 hours of home repair services to make sure that everything in your property is functioning properly and looks as good as it can.
P E R F E C T LY B A L A N C E D S T A G I N G Almost nothing sells a property quicker and for more than a professionally staged home. In most cases we suggest a complimentary staging session to asses your home and present options that will showcase your listing in it's best light.
C A P T I VAT I N G P H O T O G R A P H Y Exceptional photography is a must when marketing a property. It's a window into what your home looks and feels like. We use only the most talented architectural photographers that work not only in residential real estate sales but high-end editorial publications such as Architectural Digest and Midwest Home.
ELEGANT PROPERTY BROCHURES Part of the selling process is hosting open houses. We create beautifully designed custom brochures that highlight the assets of your property and provide a tangible representation that keeps your home top-of-mind to potential buyers.
ENHANCED VIDEO In a digital age where video is almost everywhere, architectural video can provide a unique representation of a large and/or upper bracket property. If appropriate, we can provide video projects that showcase lifestyle vignettes with actors and story-lines that represent living in your property and ultimately bring more potential buyers to the table.
E N G A G I N G M AT T E R P O R T ÂŽ V R WA L K T H R O U G H Introducing the first total VR walk trough technology for real estate. Imagine walking trough your property with a VR headset, or traditional monitor, that allows the viewer control every move from every angle. This immersive online technology is perfect for relocation buyers that don't have the ability to have an in-person showing.
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YOU R T RUSTE D A DV ISOR N IC K W E LU TEAM LEADER-REALTOR Nick Welu has been in the real estate business for over 14 years and focuses on the Lake Minnetonka area. Nick’s expertise and knowledge of Lake Minnetonka gives his clients a competitive advantage in the current real estate market. Through his hard work and dedication to serving his clients, Nick has become highly recommended to the friends and family of many of his past clients. In his down time Nick enjoys spending time with family, fishing on Lake Minnetonka and watching all the local sporting events. Nick lives on Lake Minnetonka with his wife and two retrievers. Nick@WeluGroup.com / 612.616.5179 W E L U
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“We are so fortunate to have Nick as our Realtor! He has helped us both buy & sell homes. Nick is extremely knowledgeable. His honesty, dependability and communication skills are very much appreciated and respected. Nick always helped us make the best decisions for our family. I would recommend him to anyone!” - Lindsey V. “Nick Welu is the best Realtor I have had the pleasure or working with! There were some hurdles to overcome with the house and he made sure that absolutely everything was resolved. Nick is a professional who is an expert in his field. He was always courteous and all questions and concerns were promptly answered. Best decision I ever made was working with Nick. I highly recommend Nick to everyone who’s looking for a positive experience with your real estate needs!” - Nancyl L. “Nick knew the market well and understood the specific characteristics of the house and area to profile and highlight. He was always available by text or phone, and the entire process was straightforward from beginning to end.” - Jason W. “Nick was an awesome Realtor. He communicates quickly and effectively and is really easy to work with. He is all about helping you find your first house or dream house as he has helped us with both. He's one of the best in the business.” - William V. “There were a lot of problems that came up with the sale of our home and Nick took care of all of them. He made what seemed impossible to us happen. He is excellent at his job, knows the market extremely well and was a pleasure to work with. We highly recommend!” - Holly G. “Nick is awesome to work with! We purchased our home while living in another state. Nick was very willing to help us find our home by visiting and touring potential homes and sending us pictures and videos. Our home purchase process was not your traditional one, but Nick put me at ease by being available through the whole process from start to finish.” - Alicia R.
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R E A L E S TAT E R E S O U R C E S STAGING Decorate with Grace Jennifer Houghton decoratingwithgrace@gmail.com 320.420.1447 TITLE COMPANY Trademark Title Lori Williamson LoriW@trademarktitleservices.com 952.224.8300
WELU Group RE/MAX Advantage Plus 2500 Shadywood Road, Suite 400
CONTRACTOR Precision Contracting
Orono, MN 55331
Dan Emery dan@precisioncontractingmn.com 651.503.0822
612.616.5179 nick@welugroup.com
CLEANING SERVICE Clean My Space Lisa Miller 612.751.0438 INSPECTOR Family first inspections familyfirstinspections@gmail.com 612.759.0424
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