Your Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston agent is an expert at staging - preparing a property so that it appeals to the largest number of buyers possible. A well staged home is one that draws buyers in and welcomes them to the lifestyle that your property can bring. Proper staging can increase the demand for your property greatly and bring you a higher price.

Staging a home requires an astute attention to detail. Fixing the little things allows buyers to feel like they can move right in, without all of that "new home hassle." Howard Perry and Walston provides its clients with Home Concierge Services - a division of the company dedicated to providing solutions to home repair and update issues. Your HPW agent can show you how to maximize these outstanding services. You can get more information on our Home Concierge program here.

Remember, a can of paint might COST $15, but used correctly, it can be WORTH $1500.

Pre-sale repairs tips and resources:
When is it a Seller's Market?
Getting Top Dollar Even in a Buyer's Market
Comparison of HPW and other companies

Price is the most important factor in selling your home. If it is priced too high, you can make the property inaccessible to interested buyers, or wind up competing against the wrong homes and not get the right buyer to your property. Price it too low and you aren't getting the full benefit of your largest investment. Priced correctly, you can maximize the value of your home and blow away the competition. Your HPW agent is an expert at determining how you should price your home for today's marketplace.

MyHomeOnline is an extraordinary communication tool offered exclusively by HPW to our listing clients. It will notify you every time a change in the market occurs affecting the sale of your home. MyHomeOnline provides you with a personal website that allows password protected access to information on the sale of your home. You will be able to monitor every aspect of the process and communicate about it with your agent through our system. These are just a few of the features available to you through MyHomeOnline:

• Number of times your home has been viewed on the Internet
• Notification of scheduled showings of your home, including date and time
• Feedback from agents that have toured your home
• Advertising information included on local newspapers and other sources
• Continuously updated market data, so that you can make informed decisions regarding the sale of your home

MyHomeOnline and other selling resources:
Beneifts of MyHomeOnline
What's Really Happening with Home Prices
Selling House May Have to Satisfy Three "Buyers"
Comparison of HPW and other companies

Your HPW agent an expert at providing your home with total market exposure. They won't just place an internet ad and forget about it. We are a full service company, and provide you with all the assistance you expect for a successful sale. Our focus is on getting your home sold, not merely on the market. These are just a few of the tools available through HPW to enhance the market exposure of your property:

• The # 1 North Carolina real estate website! HPW.com showcases more detailed information than any other local website, and entices more buyers to view your home. Our Listing Enhancements will allow your home to be displayed with all the critical information buyers need, such as floorplans, school information, and even surveys!
• Open House listings. All open houses are promoted with detailed information through HPW.com. Visitors can view and map the Tirangle's open houses with one click!
• The Crabtree Valley Mall HomeBuyer's Store. 25,000 potential buyers walk past each day! Our HomeBuyer's Store, the first of its kind in the Triangle market, gives potential buyers a more active role in the search process. Your home is for sale at the Mall!
• HPW Corporate Real Estate Service. A whole division of our company devoted primarily to bringing business to the Triangle. Last year, 1 in 5 of our buyers was as a result of their efforts. As the primary broker for Cendant Mobility, HPW dominates relocation business in and out of the Triangle. Cendant provides relocation services to more than 2,100 major corporations.
• ShowMe! With just the click of the mouse, buyers can request a showing of your home!
• Hot Properties. An innovative and unique communication tool delivers information to the entire HPW sales force - more than 600 agents! Once your home is listed, it will be visibile to every HPW agent within 30 minutes, and displayed for 10 days. It allows for the full company to be mobilized to sell your home.
• Local TV and radio promotion
• Newspaper ads
• Community Partnerships with organizations such as WRAL, TBJ, Carolina Hurricanes
• Ask your agent what other services they provide! All HPW agents are experts at marketing your property for a successful sale.

Marketing and other selling resources:
Comparison of HPW and other companies

Offer and Contract: When a potential buyer picks your home out of the hundreds on the market that they could buy, they will submit an "Offer to Purchase and Contract." This is a legal form that outlines the price the buyer is willing to pay, and what conditions they put on the sale. Your HPW agent will discuss with you all the points of your offer, and together you will decide how to respond. Your agent will then convey the response back to the potential buyer. Once both sides agree to the price and the terms, the offer becomes a Contract, and is legally binding on both parties.

Financing and Repairs: Even if you are selling your home, financing is a major part of the transaction. Most likely, the buyers will be getting a loan. Your HPW agent will stay on top of the transaction and has resources available through our mortgage lending division to provide buyers with financing options.

Appraisal: The buyers may elect to have a home inspection performed. The inspector will test various systems in your home, and depending on the report, the buyers may present you with a list of repairs. Your HPW agent can advise you on how to respond. If you choose to perform repairs, your HPW agent can put you in touch with Concierge Services. Concierge can provide you with approved vendors for whatever projects your home may require.

Closing When the closing date finally comes, you and your HPW agent will most likely meet with the buyer for the closing. In North Carolina, closings are generally performed by an attorney. As a seller, you will sign the deed over to the buyers, and if applicable, pay off the mortgage.

Links to home inspection and other closing info:
HPW Mortgage
HPW Home Concierge
North Carolina Real Estate Comission inspections bulletin
North Carolina Real Estate closings brochure