Testimonials About a Top Producer

Guided by principles of trust, respect and integrity, we empower people to achieve their dreams.

Open communication, flexibility, integrity and exceptional customer service are all key to ensure the best interest of my clients. I strive to make each feel like they are my only clients as well as to minimize that real estate roller coaster ride. 

Below are a few wonderful and much appreciated testimonials from some of my past clients who have chosen me to assist them in their real estate transactions. 

Jeremy P.

The home buying process, as we all know, is an emotional roller coaster. Going through this process for the 3rd time was probably the most challenging altogether. Despite all the new apps and web tools that are designed to make your search more efficient, we learned the hard way that most important resource of all is having the right real-estate agent. We needed someone who was going to look out for the best interests of our family. Julie Wyss was by far the most complete and well-rounded agent that we have worked with to date and I would refer her to any of my closest friends or family without hesitation. In our most recent house hunt we were much more savvy on what our needs were. We needed an area specialist for the Los Gatos/Cambrian area. Schools were very important for our children, but we did not want to sacrifice neighborhood, small square footage, or wind up in an outdated home that needs thousands in upgrading. We also felt strong about not overpaying the current market. My wife and I were fortunate to have a large network of friends rich in real-estate referrals. We spent a good amount of time with 2 different agents (both referrals from close friends) before we met Julie. We made offers on several homes and watched them slip through our fingers while they promised us that they did their best to win. It wasn't until we met Julie that we had experienced the value of a full-service agent. Julie is someone who understands the market and looked out for the best interest of our family. She had a relentless pursuit to get us in our dream home and a tenacity that we hadn't seen from other agents. Julie is confident and strong willed and she knows how to make things happen. She is professional and aggressive with her negotiations and it is because of Julie Wyss that we are now in our dream home. If you live in the bay area and are searching for an agent, it would be mistake if you didn't take the time to talk to her. Nov. 2, 2011

Josh Hippauf, Commercial Property Manager

This year I connected with Julie while looking for my first home. From the first phone call, until the final signature, Julie made herself available to me every time I needed something. On our first tour of houses, she had prepared out a detailed list and schedule of our appointments and had all of the information ready for us. When we found a house during the first day, we were uncertain that we wanted to make an offer that quickly, but had a very special feeling about the house. She allowed us to think through it, but was frank in letting us know that we might not have another opportunity to make an offer on it. We ended up going with our gut and bidding on the house and it has now become our home! It is exactly what we had hoped for and I give a huge credit to Julie for keeping us on track and sane through the stressful process of buying a home. Over all, Julie was honest in our discussions and helped me think rationally about my search and kept me cool at times when I was frustrated about the market and buying process. She brought her creative ideas on how to find solutions to the small hurdles that we had to pass in the buying process and in showing us what we could make of the house. She ultimately kept this purchase on track and worked very hard to keep all parties moving forward and I cannot thank her enough for everything that she did to make our dreams come true. I will only work with Julie for any future home purchases/sales and am relieved to know that I have someone out there that I can trust. Nov. 8, 2011

Cindy & David

We were very pleased with the excellent service that you provided for us in selling our home. Your experience, knowledge and efficiency helped us to quickly sell our home. We always felt that you were looking out for our best interest. We would highly recommend you to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home. Thanks again.

Kevin Macfee

Julie was a great asset during the purchase process and was always acting as an advocate for us. She made things happen when they were otherwise stalled and we truly appreciate her efforts.

Donna Matuszczak

Julie, thank you so much for coming to see my home over the weekend after hosting the open house on Charmeran. I truly appreciate all your feedback. I felt your recommendations were right on and I removed the bookcase, packed the books and clutter near the hall bath. I cleared out all the cubby holes and knickknacks on the kitchen counters and desk and boxed many of the artifacts in the sun room and on the fireplace mantle. I also changed some of the artwork and the house looks and feels so much better, lighter and brighter. Although I enjoyed my little doo-dads, the house looks more executive and beautiful and I feel better! You are wonderful and I sincerely think you are one of the most genuine and helpful Realtors I have ever met. You did me a great service and I am grateful! I hope the best for you with great success and I wish you were the selling agent so that you could be rewarded for your time and effort.

Lisa Koen

Julie is a hard-working dedicated individual. She is an excellent role model to many. She always exudes a wonderful, cheerful, and flexible attitude. She will always look for options keeping her clients best interest in mind. She is a great listener and is very responsive. I would recommend her to any one who is looking for an honest, bright, and energetic individual. April 30, 2010

Kimbal Stanley

I found Julie to be very professional and competent to work with. She demonstrated excellent listening and customer relationship skills. The combination of her skills enabled her show me properties that fit well for my needs. April 21, 2010 Top qualities: Personable, Expert, High Integrity

Barry Mathis

Julie has received some the best training available in the industry and she works with the premier Real Estate company in the area. If you start with the best ingredients you are much more likely to get a desired result. October 6, 2009

Pat Brogan

Julie represented me as a real estate agent. Julie was awesome. She did a great job or marketing, communicating, provided excellent advice and was a pleasure to work with. I'd recommend her to anyone.

Joseph Laguna

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Creative April 30, 2010

Jeanette Smith

Julie is of the highest integrity and loyalty. With focused and tireless energy, Julie works overtime to serve her customers and delivers above and beyond their expectations. February 14, 2010

Tom

Julie, I appreciate your report on our property. That is well beyond of what we expect from any real estate agent. It's fair to say that you're the best in the field by a long shot, from what I have experienced and learned about. Thank you again for staying in touch, if any of my friends are in the market, you'll be the first to know.

If you have a current or future need for a real estate professional, please contact me. I would also appreciate your vote of confidence in my service by passing my name to anyone you may know who would benefit from my services. 

Alain Pinel Moves to Intero Real Estate

  

 

Real estate entrepreneur and 30-year industry veteran Alain Pinel has moved to Silicon Valley- based Intero Real Estate Services as its senior vice president and managing officer. He will be in charge of Intero's estate and luxury markets in the U.S. and abroad.


"Alain is a seasoned real estate veteran with tremendous knowledge and experience in the industry," said Gino Blefari, Intero's founder, president and CEO, in a statement.


"His extraordinary level of professionalism will continue to lead and expand the Intero brand as a household name locally and abroad."

Formerly senior vice president and general manager of William Raveis Real Estate, Pinel has continually reinvented himself over the course of his long career. He first worked as a journalist in his native France, but after marrying a Californian, he moved to the U.S. and began a career in sales.


He obtained his real estate license in 1976 and worked for Northern California firm Fox & Carskadon Real Estate, quickly moving into management. In 1988, Pinel left the firm and later founded his own brokerage, Alain Pinel Realtors, with two partners.


As founder, chairman, and CEO, Pinel set out to carve a niche for the brokerage by marketing its high-end listings beyond the local area to the rest of the country and abroad.


Shortly thereafter, he sold his interest in the brokerage to his partners. Pinel worked for large real estate company Semifeg in Paris through the end of 1994 before returning to California in 1995 as senior vice president of Coldwell Banker's San Francisco, Peninsula and Silicon Valley region.


In 2002, he returned to France and started Imminence, an online information-sharing business based on the American multiple listing service model.


He joined William Raveis Real Estate in Massachusetts in 2008, where he remained until the fall of last year.


"I have a passion for this business. I am excited to begin a new project with an outstanding brokerage and a progressive leadership team," Pinel said in a statement. 


Julie Wyss, Broker Associate at Intero Real Estate in Los Gatos, has been involved with an impressive number of luxury real estate transactions and has a comprehensive knowledge of the Bay Area Luxury Home Market. Julie is an established specialist in premium lifestyle property and is here to help you achieve your real estate dreams, whether they be in a Los Gatos luxury home or a quaint Willow Glen cottage.

Industry veteran and entrepreneur will handle company's luxury brand

By Inman News, Thursday, January 5, 2012.

Inman News®

Common Cooking Mistakes We All Make

Boiling Pasta in a Pot That's Too Small
Why it's bad: For starters, if you use long noodles, they might not fit unless you break them first. But regardless of the pasta's shape or size, it will probably end up sticky and gummy. "When you add pasta to a small amount of water, it lowers the temperature of the water substantially more than if you added it to a large amount of water, so the water will take longer to return to a boil. In the meantime, the pasta will sit at the bottom of the pot and start to clump up and become mushy unless you are vigilant about stirring," says chef Michael Symon, the owner of five restaurants in Cleveland and an Iron Chef on the Food Network's Iron Chef America. Also, your ratio of pasta starch to water will be too high--another cause of sticking.

Do this instead: Unless you are cooking a single serving of pasta (in which case you can get away with a smaller pot), do as Italian grandmothers do: Fill a large pot (5 to 6 quarts) with water and let it come to a rapid boil. Then add 2 tablespoons of salt (don't be shy--professional chefs say pasta water should taste as salty as the sea). Finally, add the pasta and stir it occasionally until it's al dente. 

Using the Wrong Knife 

Why it's bad: You'll damage your food. If you've ever tried to slice a baguette with a chef's knife and flattened it as a result, you understand. What's more, when you select the proper knife for the job, you have better control over the blade. This allows you to slice and dice more neatly and efficiently--and helps you keep your digits intact.

Do this instead: Opt for a chef's knife (the big one with the long, wide blade) for most chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing jobs. It gives you the best leverage, which is particularly helpful when you're dealing with firm ingredients (like onions and squash) or cutting things into small pieces (like garlic and fresh herbs). A small, slim paring knife is best for tasks such as peeling and removing pits, seeds, stems, and potato eyes. Pick up a serrated knife (with the sharp teeth) for bread and bagels; delicate pastries, like meringues and cream puffs (the blade won't compact the layers); and smooth-skinned fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes and plums.

Using a Tiny Cutting Board 

 

Why it's bad: You won't have room to maneuver a knife, which increases your risk of cutting yourself. You'll also make a mess and waste time corralling ingredients that fall off the board.

Do this instead: Think small knife, small board; big knife, big board. You can use a little board for a quick task, like cutting a lemon into wedges with a paring knife. But since most kitchen prep work requires a chef's knife, you probably need a board that is at least 12 by 15 inches. It should be large enough to hold ingredients at every stage of the process. For example, if you're chopping celery, you want room for both the stalks you start with and the pile of cut pieces you end up with. Before you begin, place a damp paper towel or dishcloth underneath the board to prevent it from slipping around on the counter. 

Storing Tomatoes in the Refrigerator 

Why it's bad: Tomatoes have delicate cells, and excess cold (or heat, for that matter) causes the cell walls to burst, leaving the tomatoes mealy, says Aki Kamozawa, the author of Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work ($25, amazon.com). The flavor-producing enzymes are also destroyed, rendering the tomatoes tasteless.

Do this instead: Keep tomatoes on the kitchen counter in a single layer for maximum air circulation, and avoid putting them in direct sunlight. (You can leave cherry and grape tomatoes in their packaging, so long as it contains holes.) To speed ripening, place tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple, which emits ethylene gas, a ripening agent. Once ripe, they'll last for up to 3 days. Some varieties, like plum tomatoes, will keep for up to 5 days. 

Putting Good Knives in the Dishwasher
Why it's bad: Convenience comes at a price. The high-pressure water jets in a dishwasher cause knife blades to knock against other utensils in the silverware basket, dulling and damaging them over time, says Symon. (Unfortunately, a dishwasher that has a specially designed knife rack isn't much better: The blades can still rattle against the sides of the rack.) Additionally, the intense heat of the drying cycle can cause knife handles to warp, which will eventually loosen the rivets.

Do this instead: Wash knives by hand. Hold the handle so the blade faces away from you and wipe it clean with a sponge. Dry knives immediately to avoid the risk of discoloration from water droplets left on the blades. Just a few seconds of work will add years to the lives of your knives. 


Written by Melissa Clark, Real Simple Magazine, 12/28/2011

 Julie Wyss can help you find the home of your dreams, complete with fabulous kitchen so you can practice your new-found cooking skills!

Underwater Homeowners Renting Out to Move Up, Over or Down

• Silicon Valley’s Julie Larsen Wyss, a broker associate with Intero Real Estate Services, recently met a couple who wanted to buy one of her listings, but had an existing, slightly underwater home they didn’t want to sell because of the loss potential.

Luckily, the existing home was financed with an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) currently adjusted to a rate that kept payments low enough so the owners could rent the existing home for $2,800 — enough to cover the mortgage payment, taxes and insurance and allow them to move up without selling right away.

What they didn’t count on was that several qualified renters were willing to pay more – $3,500 a month – to rent the existing home, allowing the homeowners to move up with an actual cash flow from the old home, which became a rental property, according to Wyss.

• New home builder Chicago-based Lexington Homes’ Marketplace Homes program allows buyers to purchase a new home while leasing the old one. The program comes with a “guaranteed lease” deal for an existing home for up to six years — homeowners get the guaranteed rent each month, even if there is no tenant.

Marketplace finds tenants and covers utilities, maintenance, and repairs. If Marketplace Homes sells the home during the term of the lease, the owner gets 100 percent of the asking price.

• Christine Karpinski, HowToRentByOwner.com real estate investor and author of “How To Rent Vacation Properties By Owner” (Kinney Pollack Press, $26), says some homeowners in prime travel destination locations are putting an even more profitable spin on renting out the old home to move up, down or otherwise out – they turn the existing home into a vacation rental for short-term rents that can be a windfall.

“In lieu of renting their home on a long-term lease, they are renting it on a nightly or weekly basis, which generally yields more money than a long term lease,” says Karpinski.

“It’s the best of all worlds. No one wants to sell their home at the low prices, but everyone wants to buy during a down market. The solution? Buy the new home and hold your existing home to rent it out until the market rebounds,” she adds.

Homeowners stuck with a mortgage larger than the value of their home, but who know a bargain when they see one, are cashing in on rising rents by renting out their existing home to move up, down or sideways to a different home, without selling at a loss – for now.

Necessity is the mother of invention

Spawned by a housing market that demands a new level of creative finance thinking, the rent-out to move-up strategy is a new spin on an old approach to moving and investing.

During boom markets, many homeowners rolled over equity into a move-up property or used it to buy a second home. Others tapped equity to buy a vacation rental that would pay for itself. Still others checked out and bought a smaller home to pocket the equity difference for, say, retirement, kids’ education or a business venture.

Today, without the “psychological equivalent of gold” to bank on, thebooming rental market, rock-bottom home prices and low mortgage rateshave converged to give some housing consumers a silver lining.

The strategy’s primary goal is to stave off a loss on an existing home by not selling it while it’s worth less than the mortgage balance.

Those with faith the housing market will recover while the rental sector is still strong can choose to buy up to a larger home or a more expensive home in a better neighborhood.

Others who want to hedge their bets can themselves choose to rent or buy down to a smaller or less expensive home.

Still others, like those in vacation rental markets, can use the strategy to become investors, if they can turn their existing home into a cash cow.

No matter how the rent-out to move-up deal flies, the strategy requires adept financial logistics. You must have a level of good credit to help the deal gel. You must be able to document that you can afford a new mortgage or rent, as well as the old property’s carrying costs, if any, not covered by the rent. And you must otherwise pass muster with a lender who’ll certainly go over the deal with a fine-toothed comb.

“The challenges of financing are there, especially if you choose to rent your home on a short-term basis. If you have a signed long-term lease it’s much easier to get the bank to recognize the rental revenue,” says Karpinski.

“The major difference we’re seeing in the vacation rental world is that these people are buying that second home without traditional financing,” she added.

Chicago’s Taylor Johnson (TJ) , a real estate industry marketing consultant, puts the strategy at the top of current housing trends as the calendar flips over to 2012.

TJ reports that MACK Companies, a Midwestern company that redevelops foreclosed properties into single-family rentals, offers a Real Estate Cash-Flow & Appreciation Program (RECAP) for investors who don’t have the time, expertise or knowledge to manage property. The investors can buy already redeveloped and rented properties enjoying positive cash-flow.

“We predict single-family rental homes as a particularly bright spot, driven by the millions of families who either lost their home to foreclosure or simply can’t secure a mortgage. And we’ll see more investment in distressed single-family homes rehabbed as rentals, both from individuals and real estate investment trusts (REITS),” Jim McClelland, CEO of MACK Companies told TJ.

BY BRODERICK PERKINS · DEADLINENEWS.COM © DECEMBER 26, 2011 

The Five Fiduciary Duties

By Chris Moles
Brokerage Counsel
Intero Real Estate, Inc.

Most real estate agents know that they owe a fiduciary duty to their clients. And they know the fiduciary duty is “the highest and utmost duty of care and loyalty.”

However, the fiduciary duty is actually a composition of five distinct professional duties. Each is a co-equal and important duty and the failure to meet any of the five can constitute a “breach of fiduciary duty” for DRE and civil court purposes.

The Five Fiduciary Duties

Listed in no particular order, the five duties that make up the fiduciary duty are 1) the Duty of Loyalty, 2) the Duty of Care, 3) the Duty to Communicate, 4) the Duty of Confidentiality, and 5) the Duty of Full and Frank Disclosure. When meeting one’s fiduciary duty, the agent must pay each of these duties to the principle. Scholars have written books on each of the aforementioned duties, and the purpose of this article is to simply introduce them and explain how they are commonly breached.

The Duty of Loyalty

The Duty of Loyalty is incredibly important in real estate practice. It is essentially the duty to remain free of actual or potential conflicts of interests with one’s client. If a professional agent has a personal stake in the transaction that might somehow directly conflict with that of the principle, the agent has already breached his fiduciary duty. For example, if an agent represents himself as buyer’s agent he also acts as listing agent for the seller, the agent can be automatically considered in breach of his duty of loyalty. Even if the seller remains happy with the service, the agent has placed his own personal interest in direct conflict with his client. Real estate agents have great latitude to “double end” transactions and coequally represent adverse parties (which is a breach of fiduciary duty for most other professionals – like lawyers), but some real estate agents overstep that latitude when they actually become the adverse party.

The Duty of Loyalty also manifests itself whenever clients claim that a real estate agent breached his fiduciary duty by convincing the client to enter into a bad deal. The argument is essentially that the agent placed his own interest (taking a commission) before that of his principle.

The Duty of Care

The Duty of Care is the duty to use the skill and care of a reasonable professional under the given circumstances. Fiduciary professionals cannot be careless. At all points during the representation a fiduciary agent must take those actions that other professionals might reasonably take in similar situations. For real estate agents, the Duty of Care is often alleged to be breached in situations where the principle elected to release contingencies prematurely or the principle waived his right to order inspections or something. While this is certainly the principle’s right and the agent must do as the principle directs, an agent has a duty to advise the principle in a careful and professional manner. In hindsight, many clients claim that they made a bad decision because their agent failed to adequately help them evaluate and weigh the risks. These are technically Duty of Care attacks. Keeping email strings and advising principles to get professional advice is a great way to defeat these attacks.

The Duty to Communicate

The Duty to Communicate is a duty that can survive after the transaction and it is a very common way that real estate brokerages are attacked. Simply put, the fiduciary duty includes a duty to correspond with your client. Obviously, this includes the duty to share details and return calls. Agents are representatives, and so they need to be accessible to their principles.

This is a huge problem in times where agents and brokers find themselves in disputes with clients. The natural tendency is to say “go pound sand” and then not return a phone call. However, this can be improper under certain circumstances. Even though there is never a duty to “settle” disputes or to “give into” a client’s demand, there is always a duty to communicate. Sometimes this means sitting with the client and saying “I disagree and I am not in a position to do as you ask, but you can seek legal counsel and/or forward any grievance to the local trade union if you deem it necessary.” Regardless of whether or not an agent owes some form of remuneration to his client, all governing authorities will consider how responsive an agent was to his client’s concerns when determining a fiduciary duty issue.

The Duty of Confidentiality

The Duty of Confidentiality is a big deal for real estate agents. Real estate agents are trusted with very sensitive personal information about the client’s job, finances, income, and family. This information can indicate the leverage that the client has or lacks during contract negotiations and its unauthorized disclosure can have negative consequences. The fiduciary duty includes a duty to properly use and protect the client’s information.

The Duty of Confidentiality is limited to the client, and it is NEVER owed to the property. If the property has a defect or if the property has a cloud on title that will materially alter the adverse party’s evaluation (like it is overleveraged and it will be a short sale), agents must reveal that information. Serious dilemmas occur when the client objects to making a material disclosure. This situation is never easy. However, the answer is always the same. Strongly advise that the client make the disclosure and, if the client refuses to act properly, discontinue the representation. The fiduciary duty does not include a duty to aid a client’s fraud.

Duty of Disclosure

The Duty of Full and Frank Disclosure is the all encompassing duty. An agent has to give the client all the information the client needs. All five fiduciary duties overlap, but elements of the Duty of Disclosure are found in each of the other fiduciary duties – making it extremely important. Clients have a right to know what you know. In real estate, unique exceptions are made for the confidential information of the adverse party in instances of duel agency. However, the Duty of Disclosure burdens agents to reveal all known information that might be desirable to the client.

Of course, the most common cases for Breach of Disclosure are cases where the agent does not give information, like certain purchase offers or adverse information, to his client. While these infractions clearly overlap with the duties of loyalty and care, they are most clearly violations of the fiduciary duty to disclose.

Top Home Buying Tips For 2011

By Julie Wyss, Broker Associate

Intero Real Estate Services

518 North Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, Ca.

www.juliewyss.com

julie@juliewyss.com

408-687-2026

Research Recently Sold, Comparable Properties

A comparable property is one that is similar in size, condition, neighborhood and amenities. One 1,800-square-foot, that was recently remodeled, one-story home with an attached garage should be listed at roughly the same price as a similar 1,800-square-foot home in the same neighborhood. That said, you can also gain valuable information by looking at how the property you're interested in compares in price to different properties. Is it considerably less expensive than larger or nicer properties? Is it more expensive than smaller or less attractive properties? Your Real Estate Agent is the best source of accurate, up-to-date information on comparable properties. You can also look at comps that are currently in escrow, meaning that the property has a buyer but the sale is not yet complete.

Check Out Comparable Properties That Are Currently on the Market

In this case, you can actually visit other homes and get a true sense of how their size, condition and amenities compare to the property you're considering buying. Then you can compare prices and see what seems fair. Reasonable sellers know that they must price their properties similarly to market comparables if they want to be competitive.

Consider Market Conditions and Appreciation Rates in the Area 

Have prices been going up recently or going down? In a seller's market, properties will probably be somewhat overpriced, and in a buyer's market, properties are apt to be underpriced. It all depends on where the market currently sits on the real estate curve. Even in a seller's market, properties may not be overpriced if the market is on the upswing and not near its peak. Conversely, properties can be overpriced even in a buyer's market if prices have only recently begun to decline. Also consider the impact of mortgage interest rates and the job market on the economy.

What Is the Expected Appreciation for the Area?

The future prospects for your chosen neighborhood can have an impact on price. If positive development is planned, such as a major mall being built, the extension of light rail to the neighborhood, or a large new company moving to the area, the prospects of future home appreciation look good. Even small developments like plans to add more roads or build a new school can be a good sign. On the other hand, if grocery stores and gas stations are closing down, the home price should be lower to reflect that, and you should probably reconsider moving to the area. The development of new housing can go either way - it can mean that the area is hot and is likely to be in high demand in the future, increasing your home's value, or it can result in a surplus of housing, which will lower the value of all the homes in the area.

Does the Price Feel Fair to You?

If you're not happy with the property, the price will never seem fair, even if you get a bargain. Even if you pay a little over market value for a home you love, in the end, you won't really care.

Test the Waters

Even in a seller's market, you can always offer below list price just to see how the seller reacts. Some sellers list properties for the lowest price they're willing to take because they don't want to negotiate, while others list their homes for higher than they expect to earn because they expect to negotiate downward or they want to see if someone will make an offer at the higher price. If the seller accepts your price or counteroffer, you'll get an indication that the property probably wasn't worth what it was listed for and you have a good chance at getting a fair deal. On the other hand, some sellers may underprice their properties in the hope of generating lots of interest and sparking a bidding war. Unlike on eBay, however, the seller doesn't have to simply sell to the highest bidder: sellers can reject any and all offers that don't meet their expectations. If you have your heart set on the property, be warned that some sellers may be offended by lowball offers and refuse to work with you if you chose to employ such a tactic. Also, when you offer less than the list price, you may increase your risk of being outbid by another buyer.

Get an Appraised Value and a Home Inspection 

Once you're under contract, the lender will have an appraisal of the property done (usually at your expense) to protect its financial interests. The lender wants to make sure that if you stop making your mortgage payments, it'll be able to get a reasonable amount of its money back when it forecloses on your home. If the appraisal comes in at considerably less than your offering price, you may not be getting a fair deal. In fact, the lender may not even let you purchase the home unless the seller is willing to bring the price down. A home inspection, which is completed after you're under contract, will also give you a way to gauge your offering price. If the home needs many expensive repairs, you'll want to ask the seller to make the repairs for you or discount the purchase price so you can make them yourself.

Conclusion

When you're shopping for a home, it's important to understand how homes are priced so you can make a sound investment and reach a fair agreement with the seller. Using these tips, you'll be able to make a confident and well-informed offer on any home in any market.

Looking for a great buyer’s agent in the Los Gatos Area? Give Julie Wyss a call at 408-687-2026.

How to Prepare Your House for Sale

How to Prepare Your House for Sale

By Julie Wyss, Broker Associate

Intero Real Estate Services

518 North  Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, Ca.

www.juliewyss.com

julie@juliewyss.com

408-687-2026

Time Required: Seven to 10 Days

Here's How:

1)  Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.

Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.

Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.

    

2)  De-Personalize.

Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can seemyself living here."

3)  De-Clutter!

People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it.

• If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Remove all books from bookcases.
• Pack up those knickknacks.
• Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

4)  Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.

Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:

• Neatly stack dishes.
• Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
• Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
• Line up shoes.

5)  Rent a Storage Unit.

    Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around.

6)  Remove/Replace Favorite Items.

    If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

7)  Make Minor Repairs.

• Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
• Patch holes in walls.
• Fix leaky faucets.
• Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
• Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
• Replace burned-out light bulbs.
• If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

8)  Make the House Sparkle!

• Wash windows inside and out.
• Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
• Clean out cobwebs.
• Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
• Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
• Clean out the refrigerator.
• Vacuum daily.
• Wax floors.
• Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
• Bleach dingy grout.
• Replace worn rugs.
• Hang up fresh towels.
• Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
• Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

9)  Scrutinize.

• Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?
• Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
• Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
• Make sure window coverings hang level.
• Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?
• Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.

10)    Check Curb Appeal.

If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside.

• Keep the sidewalks cleared.
• Mow the lawn.
• Paint faded window trim.
• Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
• Trim your bushes.
• Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

Looking for a great buyers agent in the Los gatos Area? Give Julie Wyss a call at 408-687-2026.