Names: Ben and Kristen Traynor, and their children, Isabel, 3, and Jack, 13 months
The home: A five-bedroom, three-bath home built in 1998
Where: Johns Creek
Why they sold: The couple began looking for a larger home with a basement and bigger yard when they decided to have a second child. Their home was on a slab, and on less than a third of an acre. They met their agent, Sherri Kelly with Keller Williams First Atlanta Realty, after they viewed a home that she had listed for sale. They didn't buy that home, but worked with her to sell their house. "We had no idea really how long it would take to sell our house," said Ben, a software development manager for HP.
Time on market: Less than 24 hours
Original price: $349,900
Sale price: $360,000
What it took
Homes were selling quickly in their north Fulton County neighborhood, Westbury, and their home boasted a new roof and new floors. Their real estate agent suggested staging the home by rearranging their existing furniture and even removing the leaf in a dining table to emphasize the room’s size.
Timing and aggressive pricing also were critical. Kelly’s research showed that inventory was low and the last home that sold on their street was priced for $355,000. They listed their home for $349,900 on a Thursday and people viewed the home in person that day. They received four to five offers the next day. They didn’t need to have an open house they were planning for Saturday.
“Everything she recommended was spot on,” Kristen said.
Potential stumbling block
They had to select the strongest offer. One offer was much higher than asking price, but they were not sure about the source of the funds. Some offers were from investors who would want to flip the home, and one had an “escalation cause” that said the buyers would be willing to match the highest offer. Another buyer was asking for items, such as the crib, to stay.
They chose buyers who were pre-approved and had a clean offer with no additional requests. The buyers also didn’t have to sell a previous home, which sometimes can result in delaying or backing out of the purchase if their home doesn’t sell.
The buyers also agreed in the negotiations to allow the Traynors to lease back their home for 30 days, if they needed time to find or close on their next home. It was a way to avoid moving into temporary housing, but the Traynors didn’t need to lease back the home. Kelly was alerted by another real estate agent that a home that met their criteria was going on the market in the Cambridge subdivision, also in Johns Creek. The home had six bedrooms, five baths and a basement. They walked through the home, which was built in 2001 and on a nearly half-acre lot, and placed an offer on it the same morning. Two hours later, their offer was accepted.
“Our house sold pretty quick. We knew that the market was the same on the other side. The house we liked, we didn’t mess around with the offer. We offered exactly what they wanted. In a sellers’ market, (you) don’t mess around,” Ben said.
Seller’s hint
Be willing to act quickly. They had a number of showings immediately after putting their home on the market and had to be prepared to leave the home so buyers would visit. “When you have kids, it’s a hard thing to do,” Kristen said.
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