39 Common Seller Challenges To A Smooth Closing

As I’ve mentioned before, I earn my commission when a transaction goes into escrow.

Here are 39 common seller challenges that I often must overcome to get a transaction closed.

Believe it or not, I’ve dealt with almost all of these items over my 44-year real estate career!

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  1. The preliminary title search reveals liens against the property for back child support, unpaid property taxes, IRS, and state taxes totaling more than the net proceeds from the sale.
  2. Seller’s ex is on title and hasn’t signed the listing or purchase and sale agreement.
  3. Seller’s soon-to-be ex says she won’t sign off for closing unless she gets another $10,000.
  4. Seller loses motivation to sell because his job transfer fell through during escrow.
  5. Sellers, during escrow, decide not to sell because they got back together and canceled their divorce.
  6. Sellers refuse to adjust the sales price to the appraised value that is $25,000 less than the sales price.
  7. Sellers decide they can’t close because they can’t find another property they like.
  8. Sellers believe they know what the property is worth and refuse to allow access for the appraisal.
  9. Sellers are “too busy” to allow the home inspector access to the property.
  10. Sellers block access to the crawlspace and attic to prevent the home inspector from inspecting those areas.
  11. The home inspector discovers black mold and grass growing in the crawlspace due to a plumbing leak that has existed for several years.
  12. The home inspection is done during a heavy rain, and the inspector discovers water running into the crawlspace during the inspection.
  13. The home has a septic system and the seller’s wife notices liquid sewage bubbling up around her feet while taking a shower, two hours before the buyers are coming to do their walk-thru prior to closing.
  14. Sellers refuse to accept the home inspector’s findings as valid.
  15. Sellers remove the ceiling fan, draperies, and drapery rods because they “need them” for their next home.
  16. Sellers have never cleaned their gutters, the storm of the century happens, the gutters overflow and flood the crawlspace, requiring the installation of a $4,500 drain system prior to closing.
  17. Sellers can’t come up with the money to pay off the husband’s child support lien.
  18. The sellers are not on title for the property being sold (grandma will never know because she’s in the nursing home).
  19. The home inspector discovers standing water on a window sill and baseboard while inspecting on a rainy day, revealing water damage and mold in the wall beneath the window.
  20. Grandma Gracie is half-owner of the property and doesn’t think it’s a good idea for the kids to sell it.
  21. Sellers are in the middle of a divorce with no final written agreement about selling their home.
  22. One of the sellers is deceased and probate has not been completed.
  23. Elderly sellers are not mentally competent to enter into a contract.
  24. Sellers leave trash and personal property on the property when they move out.
  25. Seller’s turn off utilities before the buyer’s walk-thru, the gas company re-inspects as part of restoring gas service, and finds that the water heater will not light.
  26. The home inspector discovers severe freeze damage to the landscape sprinkler system caused by the seller’s failure to properly winterize the system.
  27. Sellers refuse to make repairs for deficiencies found in the home inspection.
  28. Sellers say needed repairs are “not their problem” because the problems existed when they bought the home.
  29. Sellers think the deal is done after accepting an offer and leave on a “road trip” without leaving any contact information.
  30. Sellers underestimate the difficulty of their move and fail to move out by closing.
  31. Sellers want to remain in the property after closing without compensating the buyers.
  32. Sellers remain in the property after closing with no post-possession occupancy agreement, then refuse to move, requiring the buyers to evict them.
  33. Sellers make repairs that aren’t required, then demand reimbursement as a condition of closing.
  34. Sellers’ closing for their next home is delayed and they refuse to move by the closing date.
  35. Sellers says “the roof’s just fine!” when the FHA appraiser requires a roof certification for the 30-year old roof that has shingles rated for a 20-year life.
  36. Seller’s lender files foreclosure three days before closing.
  37. Seller owes more than the property is worth and is unable to pay off the existing loans at closing.
  38. Seller’s stated four-bedroom home is actually a two bedroom home with two basement rooms lacking legal ingress/egress.
  39. Seller refuses to adjust the sales price to the appraised value and buyer refuses to pay the difference.

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Phil Hoover is a licensed independent Idaho real estate broker, assisting both buyers and sellers in Boise Idaho, Meridian Idaho, and Eagle Idaho.

During his 44 years of full-time real estate experience, Phil has helped thousands of past clients buy and sell quality properties in the Western U.S.

Phil is one of only ten local Realtors® (of nearly 5,500) honored with the coveted “Realtor® Emeritus” award from the National Association of Realtors®, recognizing 40 years in real estate.

 

What Happens When You Hire The Wrong Listing Agent

If you’re a seller, life can become frustrating when you hire the wrong listing agent.

There are some predictable outcomes when you list your home with the wrong listing agent, including:

Unanswered Phone Calls

There’s little excuse for your agent not answering their phone.

Unfortunately, many agents let calls go to their voicemail, then respond when they “get around to it”.

What’s so difficult about answering your phone when it rings?

Unreturned Phone Calls

It’s simple business courtesy for your listing agent to promptly return phone calls.

Your listing agent should be able to return your calls within an hour or two in most instances.

There’s no excuse for your agent not returning your call the same day.

Unanswered e-mails and Texts

Most agents have smartphones with e-mail forwarding now.

That means their smartphone beeps, buzzes, or sings a ringtone to them when they get an e-mail from you.

Your agent should respond to the stimulus of the beep, buzz, or ringtone and at least let you know they received your e-mail or text.

No Preparation Advice

Competent, experienced listing agents possess valuable insights about how potential buyers will view your home.

Your listing agent should provide suggestions on how to prepare your home for sale.

No Internet Presence

90% (or more) of all buyers begin their home search on the internet.

If your listing agent is clueless about the internet, few buyers will ever know about your home.

Your listing agent should have their own website; not just a business card web page on their broker’s website.

Your home will not be found on the internet if your listing agent lacks a strong internet presence.

Your listing agent must also respond promptly to website inquiries about your home.

Internet inquiries are like fruit ~ they’re perishable!

No Flyers

When driving around the Boise real estate market, you’d think empty flyer boxes are a requirement.

You absolutely need a flyer box, and it needs to have flyers in it!

Buyers want to be able to pull a flyer and know what’s inside your home without having to talk with an agent.

No Showings

It’s a red flag warning if your home isn’t being shown to prospective buyers.

Something is definitely wrong when your home isn’t being shown.

It could be your price, your neighborhood, market conditions, poor marketing, lack of a lockbox, or other reasons.

Your agent should be able to identify why your home isn’t being shown and advise you how to correct the problem(s).

Your Home Doesn’t Sell

If your home is properly priced and prepared for sale, it will sell in our current active market

If you’re not getting offers, evaluate your agent and yourself for the reasons why.

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Phil Hoover is a licensed independent Idaho real estate broker, assisting both buyers and sellers in Boise Idaho, Meridian Idaho, and Eagle Idaho.

During his 44 years of full-time real estate experience, Phil has helped thousands of past clients buy and sell quality properties in the Western U.S.

Phil is one of only ten local Realtors® (of nearly 5,500) honored with the coveted “Realtor® Emeritus” award from the National Association of Realtors®, recognizing 40 years in real estate.

 

Questions To Ask Before Listing Your Eagle Idaho Home

Eagle Idaho

Here are some important questions you should ask your listing agent before listing your Eagle Idaho home:

How long have you been in real estate?

The local real estate schools are churning out new agents at a record rate.

We’re adding 75-100 new agents to our MLS each month and we have around 5,500 agents in our market now.

Do you really want to hire an inexperienced agent to sell your most valuable asset?

Look for an agent with at least 5 years of full-time experience and a proven track record of results.

Are you a real estate agent or broker?

A real estate salesperson’s license is the most basic level of real estate licensure in Idaho.

Real estate salespersons in Idaho are licensed after completing basic real estate education and passing the Idaho real estate salespersons’ exam.

In contrast, the Idaho broker’s license requires extensive, additional experience and education.

Idaho real estate brokers are allowed to hire real estate agents who hold a salesperson’s license.

You should look for an experienced real estate broker.

Are you full-time or part-time?

We have an amazing number of part-time agents in the real estate profession.

This is especially true in the Boise real estate market.

More than half of our local real estate agents are part-timers.

A part-timer will not be able to take your call while they’re “at work” (on their real job), and they will not be able to respond quickly because real estate isn’t their primary occupation.

Most part-timers close a couple of transactions a year.

You want a dedicated, full-time professional to handle the largest financial transaction of your life.

Real estate is not a profession that can be done well on a part-time basis.

How many homes have you sold?

Experience matters ~ big time!

I’ve often thought that it takes around 100 transactions for a new agent to become competent.

Do you really want to list your home with an agent who lacks the knowledge required to guide you to a smooth closing?

How many Eagle Idaho homes have you sold in the past 12 months?

When it comes to experience, seek an agent who has “recent experience”.

Look for a listing agent who’s currently active, engaged, and up to date on current market conditions and property values.

What is your average sales price?

Look for a listing agent who’s knowledgeable and comfortable working in a price range that’s similar to the value of your home.

If your home is worth $400,000, it’s probably a mistake to list with an agent who has never sold a home for more than $150,000.

How many Eagle Idaho homes have you sold?

Look for a listing agent who has sold other homes near yours.

Ideally, you will find a listing agent who has sold a number of homes in your own subdivision.

If you live in Southeast Boise, you probably don’t want to list your home with an agent who specializes in Caldwell.

What is your ratio of representing sellers vs. buyers?

Some agents specialize in working with sellers; others specialize in working with buyers.

You should hire a listing agent who has worked with sellers in the past.

Most homes sell with one agent representing the seller and another agent representing the buyer.

You shouldn’t expect your listing agent to personally sell your home.

Do you have your own website or just a web page on your broker’s website?

Many listing agents claim to have their own website, but they really only have a web “page” (like an internet business card) on their broker’s website.

Your listing agent’s web page can’t be found by buyers unless they search by the agent’s name, which obviously doesn’t happen when a buyer is searching for properties of interest.

Look for an agent who has their own website with its own domain name.

How many visits did your website receive in the past 30 days?

A good real estate website will generate substantial traffic and buyer inquiries.

Look for a listing agent who understands the importance of internet marketing.

You should list with an agent who has a professional website that ranks highly for the most popular property search keywords for your home.

Will you provide a virtual tour of my home on your website?

If your listing agent is unwilling to provide a virtual tour, keep on looking for another agent.

Virtual tours are available at minimal cost, using the photos your agent provides.

Every listing should have a virtual tour in the MLS listing and also on the listing agent’s website.

Will you upload a virtual tour of my home to all of the major real estate portals?

Your listing agent should ensure that your listing gets uploaded to all of the major real estate portals, including Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and other sites.

How many homes have you sold as a direct result of your website?

Your listing agent should be able to document sales of listings that occurred as a direct result of their website.

If your listing agent can’t provide proof of sales from their website, their website isn’t effective or the agent is lacking necessary internet marketing skills.

Will you provide a written marketing plan for my home?

A written market plan can be as simple as a list of things your listing agent will do.

Or, it could be a fancy report designed to embellish your listing agent’s experience and skills.

It’s perfectly reasonable to ask your listing agent to provide a written marketing plan for your home.

That report should be concise, unambiguous, and easy to understand.

Will you obtain showing feedback from buyer’s agents and forward it to me?

Our MLS provides agents with a free feature to solicit e-mailed feedback from buyers’ agents after showings.

Your agent should forward those e-mails to you so you know what buyers’ agents and their buyers think about your home.

Will you install a crosspost sign with a flyer box?

You’re entitled to the professional appearance of a powder-coated aluminum crosspost sign with a flyer box.

Those signs, with a professional sign board and flyer box, cost around $125.

Run away from a listing agent who insists that one of those $20 “pound it in the ground” signs without a flyer box is adequate.

Those cheap, square steel signs made of angle-iron are a clear indicator of a listing agent who’s too cheap to invest in professional signage.

Potential buyers will judge your home by the quality of the sign in the front yard.

Who does your photography?

Get some examples of the agent’s photography and review them for proper lighting, good composition, clear focus, and portrayal of your home’s best features.

Warning signs include dark rooms, door/window frame distortion, vertical (portrait) mode, extreme/unrealistic color saturation, and other obvious amateurish results.

Will you provide an example of your property flyer?

It’s a good idea to review the quality and content of your listing agent’s property flyer in advance.

Low-quality photography, misspellings, poor grammar, cheap paper, and lack of color are all indicators that you’re dealing with an agent who doesn’t understand the importance of quality marketing materials.

Contrary to popular belief, smartphone photography is not adequate for real estate.

Will you provide a weekly update?

You should expect to hear from your listing agent with an update at least every week during your listing period.

Will you provide three references that I can contact?

An experienced listing agent should willingly provide you with a list of references you can contact.

Call those references and ask each of them the same questions so you can correlate their answers.

Remember . . .

Selling your home is probably the largest financial transaction of your life.

You don’t want the agent with the most compelling “sales pitch” or the highest asking price.

You want an agent who will tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear.

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Phil Hoover is a licensed independent Idaho real estate broker, assisting both buyers and sellers in Boise Idaho, Meridian Idaho, and Eagle Idaho.

During his 44 years of full-time real estate experience, Phil has helped thousands of past clients buy and sell quality properties in the Western U.S.

Phil is one of only six local Realtors® (of 5,500) honored with the coveted “Realtor® Emeritus” award from the National Association of Realtors®, recognizing 40 years in real estate.

 

Why Your Meridian Idaho Home Must Sell Twice

If you’re planning to sell your Meridian Idaho home, be prepared that you won’t really have your home sold when you accept your buyer’s offer.

Why?

Because nearly every Meridian Idaho home is sold subject to satisfactory results of a home inspection.

Your buyers will almost certainly have your home inspected and it’s rare for a home to pass inspections without some needed repairs identified in the inspection report.

If repairs are needed, the buyer will usually submit a RE-10 Inspection Contingency Notice to the seller for the seller’s response.

The buyer can request a credit and agree to take care of items needing repair, or they can ask the seller to make repairs.

Minor repairs are often handled with the seller giving the buyer a credit in return for taking title to the property “as is”.

Resolving inspection issues with a seller credit to the buyer allows the buyer make the repairs themselves, or have the repairs made to their satisfaction, and sellers avoid making the needed repairs.

More significant issues often result in the buyer asking the seller to have the repairs completed and provide paid invoices for the completed work.

When repairs are made, buyers also have the right to have the property re-inspected to confirm that needed repairs have been completed correctly and to the buyer’s satisfaction.

Major issues (think mold, roof replacement, etc.) can result in a failed transaction.

There’s also an option in the RE-10 Inspection Contingency Notice that allows the buyer to cancel the transaction if they don’t like the inspection results.

Sellers should think twice about refusing to correct problems because the buyer can opt to cancel the transaction and another buyer will likely discover the same issues and request the same repairs.

While it’s somewhat rare for a deal to fall apart over inspection issues, it does happen sometimes.

That’s why I advise my sellers that resolving home inspection issues is “the second sale” when they sell their home.

 

Boise Home Sellers: Hire A Net-Savvy Listing Agent

Boise home sellers should understand that most Boise home buyers begin their home search on the internet.

In fact, many of my buyer clients find the home they ultimately buy as a result of doing their own internet searches.

If your listing agent lacks an effective internet presence, buyers will not find your home when they search the internet.

As a seller, you must know the difference between a high-ranking, effective blog or website and a business-card web page.

One easy way to check is to Google the agent’s name.

Take a close look at what comes up.

If it’s nothing; move on!

If it’s one page, you’re looking at a web page; not a website.

If the agent’s page URL (internet address) consists of their company’s name followed by a forward slash and their name, the only way anyone will find their page is to search by the agent’s name, which means no one will ever find your home unless they search by your listing agent’s name (which is very unlikely to happen).

If the agent’s site includes bland, scripted braggadocio about how great they are, how big their “team” is, what they do for fun, where they’ve been on vacations, and a photo of their family, and a photo with their dog, you have clues about their professionalism.

Personal information is nice, but you’re not seeking a friend; you’re hiring someone to handle the largest financial transaction of your life.

You should immediately reject agents with sites lacking a professional photo of the agent, broken links, poor photo quality, photos that have crooked door/window frames, and other obvious signs of inattention to detail.

If the site offers MLS search, community information, virtual tours, unbiased real estate information, and relevant market statistics, you may have found a capable agent.

If the agent’s internet presence is limited to real estate portals (think “Z” and “T”) and they don’t have their own site, that’s proof that they don’t understand internet marketing.

Beware of agents who require you to register to look at listings online.

Forced registration often results in being the recipient of endless phone calls and e-mails.

Hint:

Check out my BoiseBlog.com and enjoy some of my 2,300+ posts with useful information, no sales persuasion, and no bragging about my sales production awards.

BoiseBlog has been on the air for 10 years, achieved 616,000+ page views, and is directly responsible for the sale of 87 homes valued at more than $22 million.

Here’s How I Work:

  • I will work with you personally vs. handing you off to an inexperienced, junior “team member”.
  • I work with no more than a few clients at any one time to ensure a high level of responsive personal service.
  • I will tell you the truth about your intended transaction even if it costs me your business.

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Call me at (208)938-5533 or e-mail me to learn more about how I can help you!