Corporate Relocation Made Easy

One of the top reasons for people to move to a new city is because of job relocation. Moving is not always easy, but relocating your entire family to a new city is especially a huge endeavor that requires lots of planning and assistance.

Whether you decide to relocate thirty miles away or 2,000 miles away, it is always overwhelming. One of the first things you may want to do is find out about the town you plan to live. There are many relocation resources online that can help with your planning. Websites such as Relocation Essentials (relocationessentials.com), or Home Fair (homefair.com) offer community information, school information, planners, demographic statistics, and city virtual tours.

Additionally, you may want to talk to a local Realtor in the new town , as well as friends, family, and even your Professional association to learn about the town from first hand experience. Networking can help with assisting with family needs that are not offered in your relocation package.

Another item you should be familiar with is your corporate relocation benefits. Although many companies offer a relocation package, benefits vary from one company to another. Most companies contract with a relocation company to handle relocation requests. The terms of your relocation package may vary depending on the level and tenure of your employment as well as the distance of your relocation.

Although, most relocation companies allow you to choose the real estate professionals you want to work with including Realtors, some do not. So, before you sign the listing agreement with your favorite Realtor, ask the relocation company if there are any restrictions.

Common elements of a typical relocation package include a moving allowance, closing cost help, and a buyout. Whether you are moving across the country or across town, it is not cheap and depending on the terms of your package, a moving allowance can pay for the entire cost or just provide you with a stipend. Additionally, you may be required to use a specific moving company. If not, compare reputable moving companies to see which one will be best for you.

Another common element of a relocation package is closing cost assistance. Corporate America knows that relocation is not cheap and one of the large expenses is purchasing a new home. To lure top prospects, some relocation packages offer special financing including paying all closing costs. Most relocation packages offer a stipend that may cover most of the closing costs. As lender requirements vary, make sure your lender will allow any relocation stipend.

Many companies offer a corporate buyout as an additional benefit to your relocation package. The buyout is actually performed by the relocation company that your company contracts with, and is a guaranteed sale at price that is determined by the relocation company. Depending on the terms of your relocation package, you are usually allowed to attempt to sell your home before it is bought by the relocation company.

If you are relocating for a new position within your company, you are restricted to the terms of your current relocation benefits package. However, if you are relocating because of a position with a new company, you can attempt to negotiate a custom relocation package that will offer the services and financial assistance necessary to make the move easier.

by Dan Krell

Copyright © 2006 Dan Krell .

Home Selling Tips

Because not all listed homes sell, you should be strategizing how to make the most of your sale. What to do? Here are some home selling tips .

Think about the basics that go into a successful home sale. The first is to price the home according to the comparables in the neighborhood. The second is to consider the condition of the home. The third is to have a marketing plan. And lastly, you should have a close working relationship with your Realtor.

Home selling tips

Of course your home should be priced according to the comparables in the neighborhood, and progress should be gauged with the other homes on the market in the neighborhood. That means besides pricing according to the homes that are comparable, your Realtor should expect results within the parameters based on those sales also. Regardless of what you hear, the seller sets the selling price. Your Realtor is only an advisor providing you the data and opinion.

Sale price

Comparing your home to similar homes that sold is critical in deciding a sale price. Comparables are homes that match your home in style and size. If you have a three bedroom rambler, you should compare your home to other three bedroom ramblers in then neighborhood.  Typically, comparables are restricted within a subdivision or within about 0.5 mile to 1 mile. And sales not older than six months (unless there is a lack of home sales).

Home condition

Why is your home’s condition important when deciding a sale price? If your home has deferred maintenance or hasn’t been updated for twenty years, it’s not going to get the same price as the renovated similar home across the street. Be honest with yourself about the home’s condition.  If your home is not in move-in condition, think about the cost of renovating in the price along with market conditions.  If it’s a buyer’s market, you may have to consider a lower price or the home will languish waiting for a buyer.  If it’s a seller’s market, there are more home buyers willing to buy a home with the intention of renovating it.

Marketing plan

You need a roadmap to success. If your Realtor has not yet presented you with a marketing plan, ask for one. Your Realtor should have a plan of action to sell your home. Putting a sign in front of your home and entering the information in the MLS is not typically enough sell a home. Market conditions frequently change, and your Realtor should have a concrete plan to sell your home. The plan should include not only how the home will be marketed, but how the agent will take you from contract to closing.

Your listing agent

The final aspect that is important in selling your home is the relationship between you and your Realtor. Besides having confidence in your Realtor, you should feel comfortable being honest (for good and bad).  It’s not a good sign if your Realtor is often defensive when you express concerns and needs. Your Realtor, on the other hand, should also be honest, as well as timely with information concerning your home. Besides communicating the activity of the potential home buyers, they should also keep you up to date with the neighborhood market keeping an eye on the other homes on the market.

How will you market your home and what will you do if the market changes? When you are interviewing Realtors to sell your home ask about their marketing plan. Ask about a home pricing strategy.  Ask how your home’s condition affects the price.  Ask how the agent communicates and what you should expect from them.

Disclose disclose disclose

It is not unreasonable for home buyers to seek assurances about the homes they purchase. One method for obtaining a sense of confidence about the home is having a home inspection. Sometimes it is not as much as wanting to know what needs to be fixed as much as wanting to know what they were getting into, as one of my clients casually stated. However, home inspectors are not perfect and there are numerous conditions in the home that could go undetected.  The home seller golden rule is disclose-disclose-disclose.

In the past, it used to be buyer beware. Unscrupulous home sellers racked up complaints. Consumer advocates pushed some legislatures to enact a property disclosure law. Property disclosure laws have been enacted in about thirty states. Here in Maryland, the law has been was around since 1994.

It had been incorrectly thought by home sellers (and some real estate agents), that if the disclaimer is given, the homeowner did not have to provide any information at all about the home- including relevant material facts and latent defects. In fact, some home sellers would wrongly choose the disclaimer statement to not reveal material facts or latent defects.

The disclosure addenda are constantly changing. A significant change at the time of this writing to the required Maryland disclosure still requires the homeowner to provide either the disclosure statement or disclaimer.  Except the added burden of disclosing known latent defects is also required, even if you disclaim.

If you are selling your home or thinking of selling your home in the future, you should discuss with your Realtor the Maryland disclosure/disclaimer statement and recent changes to the disclosure laws. If you have any doubt about your obligations as a home seller or do not understand the disclosure law, you should consider consulting an attorney.

The golden rule of disclosure is to disclose. An issue that is disclosed to a home buyer before they enter into a contract with you is a piece of information that the home buyer will keep in mind as they purchase the home. However, undisclosed issues can come back to bite you, even after the sale.

by Dan Krell © 2005

Selling your home FSBO

When the real estate market is good, many people try to sell their home without a Realtor. These For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sell their homes on their own for one reason-to save money on Realtor commissions. However, before embarking on such an endeavor, one should take an inventory of the pros and cons of becoming a FSBO, as well as the tools necessary to sell FSBO.

The obvious reason to sell your home FSBO, as stated above, is to save on Realtor commissions. Seasoned real estate investors may find it natural to sell a home FSBO because they control the communication as well as being able to communicate directly with potential homebuyers. First time FSBO’s may find it a bit awkward at first, but can find the rhythm necessary to complete the transaction.

How much money can you realistically save? Traditional Realtor commissions have always been around 6%, which pays the listing (homeowner) agent and the selling agent (homebuyer). However, in the last few years, there as been a trend of reduced commissions, so actual savings for a FSBO have been reduced. I have seen Realtors list a home for 4% (if you don’t believe it, send me an e-mail)! Additionally, FSBO’s are contracting and paying commission with more Realtors and their homebuyers in this environment of limited home inventory. In the end, the FSBO’s savings from Realtor commissions may be marginal.

You might think that saving money outweighs all negative aspects of selling your home FSBO. However, there are some real negative aspects of selling your home FSBO, such as time, expense, and contractual obligations.

How much is your time worth? Selling a home requires the application of time to tasks. Among the many tasks of selling a home, the top things that a FSBO may do include (and is not limited to) preparing the home for the open house, contacting the paper to advertise, putting up signs, meeting potential homebuyers, and negotiating contracts. The time quickly adds up.

Selling your home FSBO is supposed to save you money right? Well, there is a bit of expense that is necessary. A FSBO must have signs in the yard, as well as directionals (the small arrow signs) to point homebuyers in your direction. Additionally, you might consider paying the local paper for advertising, as well as paying for an internet advertisement (although there are many websites that will allow you to post for free). Another expense may be to have your attorney to review the contract to make sure it is legal and enforceable. It seems that the expenses also quickly add up.

Selling your home FSBO relieves you of certain responsibilities under the law right? Wrong. The most important thing a FSBO forgets to check is the law. That’s correct, even FSBO’s are responsible to adhere to certain federal and local laws pertaining to the sale of real estate (i.e., equal housing, lead paint, Maryland disclaimer-disclosure). This is the one area that FSBO’s get themselves in trouble because of the lack of knowledge and expertise. There is an increased liability potential.

FSBO sales are steadily increasing in the community. However, if a home owner actually does a cost analysis they may find that selling FSBO may actually not be saving them money, and actually may put them at a higher liability risk because of the lack of information and knowledge of the law. So, before you sell your home FSBO, do your homework and consult a professional.

by Dan Krell
Copyright Dan Krell 2005.