The Ultimate Huntsville Guide to Sell Your House Fast

If you find yourself in a pickle and need to sell a house quickly in Huntsville, odds are it's because an unexpected has happened and you have to leave Rocket City.

Perhaps you may have been offered a job in another state or need to move closer so you can take care of an elderly parent. Maybe you've gotten divorced and downsizing is the right option, or it could be that you're remarrying and so you require a larger home.

You may own an investment property and have decided it's time to sell or perhaps you have some nightmare tenants who've triggered you to do so.

Other people may need to sell a house fast when they have inherited real estate they don't want or need (For example a family home across the country), or it could be financial reasons (such as you are underwater with your mortgage)

Though this guide is targeted towards the fine people of Huntsville it can be applied across the United States.

Whatever the reason is, when you need to sell your house ASAP, the stress multiplies. Brokers may say they know how to sell your house fast, but you wonder whether they can deliver on their promises or if it is just smoke.

When you really need to sell a house quickly, what's your best option (you wonder)? Traditionally the real estate process is not known for moving fast, particularly if the market is already saturated with homes for sale.

Basically, you have a few options to sell your house fast in Huntsville and you need to evaluate what will work best for you.

In Our Huntsville Guide we will cover a variety of different ways to sell your house fast in Huntsville:

1. Through a real estate agent
2. Putting it up for sale by owner (FSBO)
3. Accepting cash offers from home buyers

You'll learn how each method works and the pros and cons, to get a feel for your options. Then, our guide explains all the preparation you'd need to do before putting the home on the market, as well as the marketing efforts that will help sell the home.

And since no real estate transaction is complete until the deal closes, we explain what closings look like in each scenario.

By the end of the guide, you'll have an informed perspective on three ways to sell your home quickly, and will understand what actions you need to take.

1. Consider Your Options

Using a Real Estate Agent to sell your Huntsville Home

A real estate agent is an individual who represents the interests of a buyer or seller in securing the best deal in a real estate transaction. Real estate agents can be either an agent who represents the buyer or an agent who represents the seller.

However, the real estate agent is the agent of the person who has hired him or her whether that is the buyer or the seller. Real estate agents work with the public and clients in a variety of ways.

Open houses, listing and showing homes and other duties are just some of the activities real estate agents handle on a daily basis.

Many sellers use a real estate agent to sell their home, relying on the agent's knowledge to price, market, and sell their home. When agents know the area well, they will price the home competitively which means you are likely to get a faster offer.

It is noted that real estate agents usually get their client's fair prices. According to NAR:

Agents bring their knowledge/expertise to handle all the work for you, so you don't have to stop your life in order to sell your home quickly. They handle everything from start to finish. But with this service, you pay the price in the end.

In most cases, the trade-offs are worth the paying typical real estate agent commission of 6 percent. However, agents don't have the same skill set and an inexperienced agent may possibly sabotage your sale by pricing the home either too high or too low.

So picture this if your Huntsville House sold for $500,000, then a 6% commission would be $30,000. You gotta pay to play!

The pros of working with a real estate agent when you sell a house are that the agent will list the property and help you find a buyer. They have knowledge about local laws and regulations and will be able to make sure you don't make any errors.

They also have knowledge about the local housing market so they can help you price your home and make it appealing to buyers.

In addition to the pros, working with a real estate agent when you sell a house has some cons. One of the cons is that you may not get as much money as you would like because of commission.

They also may try to persuade you to list your house for a higher price than you would like. Finally, they may not have the knowledge and expertise to sell a house and may not be able to get the best price.

On top of that, quick sales can never be guaranteed. As it all depends on the market and timing. A real estate agent can do all the marketing techniques to make your listing attractive but you will still have to wait for interested buyers.

You can expect disruptions in your daily life due to showings or open houses to attract potential buyers.

What are the pros and cons of selling a home yourself?

The cons of selling a house yourself include the fact that you will be doing all the work and you will not have the knowledge that a real estate agent has. You also need to do the marketing, scheduling showings, and paperwork yourself.

Selling Your Huntsville Home Through FSBO

For sale by owner (FSBO) is a term used in the real estate market for a home that is being sold without the assistance of a realtor. The seller will list the home themselves and will try to attract potential buyers themselves.

Most sellers who choose to sell this way will do it because they think that they can get a higher price for their home by doing it themselves. This is not always the case. According to The Nation Association of Realtors:

The advantages of selling your own home FSBO are that you will save a good amount of money on the commission that is usually paid to a realtor. You may also be able to sell your home faster because you will be the only person trying to sell it.

The disadvantages of selling your own home are that you will have to do most of the work. You will have to take the time to list it and show it to potential buyers.

You will also have to take the time to negotiate the deal and do the paperwork that is necessary to complete the sale. When it comes to selling a home FSBO, it is important to be realistic about what you get.

You may be able to save the commission that you would have paid a realtor but you may not be able to get as much for the house as you would have with a realtor.

Why do we see For Sale By Owner signs around?

Many people own their own homes and end up selling them themselves. They will often put a sign in the yard to let people know that the home is for sale.

The signs can be found around the country and are often put up in various areas around the neighborhood.

There are many reasons that a homeowner will choose to sell his or her home on their own. It is often cheaper to sell without a realtor and you can often get the home sold faster.

The downsides are that you will have to do most of the work yourself and you will not get as much for the home as you could if you used a realtor.

When you sell the home yourself, you will have to do everything from cleaning, staging to pricing, marketing the home listing, negotiating with all the offers, drawing up the transaction paperwork, and finally closing the deal.

The clear main advantage to FSBO is saving on the real estate commissions because it leaves more money for you in the end.

The main misunderstanding people have when selling their homes themselves is the lack of pricing knowledge. It is easy to think that since you have lived in that neighborhood you know better than a real estate agent but remembers that the agents had to go through school for this exact reason and are the professionals.

Unfortunately, the negatives of FSBO may tend to overshadow the pros because for most people the type of required work involved is out of their comfort zone and is demanding.

If you are a retiree, with plenty of time to allocate to the transaction, FSBO might work for you; if you need to sell your Huntsville house very fast on top of maintaining work or family life, the negatives tend to be greater than the advantages.

Cash home-buyers

You have seen signs in your neighborhood saying "We buy homes in Huntsville for cash." Then you may have probably what it would be like to sell a house fast for cash to one of these cash home buyers.

Two words come to mind to your mind: fast and convenient.

A cash buyer views your home and makes an offer usually on the same day. Since they have the cash they skip the waiting on funding period and that is why the cash homebuyer can close in little as 7 days.

Cash home buyers are individuals who purchase homes with cash, as opposed to financing the purchase with a mortgage.

What is the benefit of cash homebuyers?

Cash home buyers have greater buying power than those who need to secure financing. This is especially true in today's real estate market, in which lenders have tightened the lending criteria and made it harder for potential homebuyers to get the financing they need to buy a house.

What are the disadvantages of cash homebuyers?

Cash homebuyers may not have the same willingness to negotiate as those who are seeking financing. They may be less flexible in their offers.

Ease and speed are the two main advantages of working with cash buyers. They buy the home in as-is condition, this way you can get out from under that house quickly without having to make any repairs or upgrades.

You could leave some cash on the table with a cash buyer, except for people who opt for this selection, the speed and convenience outweigh the disadvantages.

Additionally, selling your home quickly with a cash buyer can help cut back your holding costs (continued mortgage payments, insurance, utilities, etc.) that require to be paid while looking ahead to a qualified buyer.

2. Preparing your Huntsville house to sell fast

Be prepared for an extensive process when getting your house ready for listing by yourself or through a real estate agent.

The main difference in the preparation process for selling your house by yourself is you are going to need a lot of paperwork that you are responsible for getting together.

A real estate Agent will handle and guide you through all the paperwork.

FSBO or real estate agent

Whether you use a Real Estate Agent or you sell it yourself, the process looks the same when you prepare the house physically

First, you need to clean your house and repair any damages. Here is what to expect when cleaning your house:

• Sweeping and mopping all the floors
• Sanitizing every bathroom
• Polishing any stainless steel surface (all appliances and faucets)
• Cleaning all of the windows
• Removing any trash or broken elements
• Organizing the yard, living spaces, and garage

A real estate agent will probably recommend certain repairs that have a high ROI, such as home improvements that generate significant curb appeal.

When you do it yourself, you need to decide on what projects make sense based on their projected ROI and what you can DIY, as opposed to hiring a professional.

Common repairs that sellers often make before selling their Huntsville house:

• Check all the kitchen appliances and make sure they work
• All drawers, doors, cupboard doors, and cabinets should open and shut as they should
• Replace any missing boards if you have an exterior fence.
• Make sure that all sink faucets and showerheads don't leak. Check the hot water heater as well
• Repair any holes in the drywall (from hanging TV mounts, etc)
• Check the foundation to see if it is damaged. A professional will have to repair it.
• Make sure the heater and Air Conditioning are working correctly
• Check the roof. Are there any signs of wind damage, do all the roof vents look fine, is there anything that looks out of place? You want to repaint your roof or get a new roof installed. Remember to choose a good color.
• The electrical system is important. If any of the outlets don't work or the electric wiring in the house is really old then consider replacing the wiring or hiring a handy man to repair the faulty outlets
• The floors are important as well. If there is moldy or stained carpet, rent a steam cleaner and clean them. Laminate floors that are very scratched and in disrepair need to be replaced
• The fireplace that is if you have one. The chimney has to be in good working order and there has to be no big cracks along the smoke stack otherwise this could start a fire and a professional is needed for this repair. This also applies to electric fireplaces! Make sure they work.
• The garage door is another common thing that is repaired. You may have had a broken door that you have just delt with but a potential buyer will want a good working garage door
• The bathroom is one of those value adding aspects of your house. Check everything in the bathroom to make sure that it still works. For example, all the toilets need to be flushing.
• The basement is another common area that homeowners tend to adress. If there is is unfinished projects such as walls then the finish them
• The siding is another element that is commonly repaired. If there is missing pieces of siding then make sure you replace those pieces
• The paint on the interior and exterior is another aspect that usually is adresses
• The windows are important. If they are drafty then many homeowners opt to replace them

Repainting your Huntsville house is recommended, as this helps the home show well, choosing a neutral color is safe. If you don't want to paint the whole house, then paint over any bright colors that don't have a universal appeal, such as a pink bathroom.

You will be surprised how much sharper a home looks with a coat of paint.

After your Huntsville home is clean, start the decluttering and packing process. Homes show best when they don't have personal artifacts, such as your family photos and/or your special collections.

Buyers want to picture themselves in the home, which they can't do with your personal possessions lying around.

After your Huntsville home is cleaned and decluttered, stage each of the rooms that suggest how it will be used.

Staging your Huntsville House:

In real estate, staging is an interior decorating technique that is used to make a home look its best possible. It's a bit like setting the stage for a play or preparing a model home to be photographed or shown on a real estate tour.

The first thing to remember is that the staging is for the prospective buyer. The house needs to be appealing to them and help them see how it will look when it's their home.

Take a look at these three steps.

• First, stage the home with a buyer in mind. What will they like to see? You can't go wrong if you remember that a buyer wants to see a home that looks like it's already been “lived in" but not "lived in".
• Second, keep things clean. Buyers want to picture themselves living in a home that has been well kept.
• Finally, have the staging appraised by a professional. You don't want to overspend on staging and you don't want to under spend. A professional will help you get the most for your staging dollar.

But you can also stage your Huntsville House yourself if you are selling it FSBO. Usually, if you have a realtor selling the house for you then they will organize and handle the staging process for you.

What are some good staging tips?

• First, it's important to stage quickly. A staged home will sell faster than an un-staged home.
• Second, keep it simple. Don't do anything that won't be easy for the new owner to maintain.
• Third, keep it neutral. It is good to use colors that will appeal to a broad base of buyers.
• Fourth, don't overdo it. Buyers want to see a home that has been well kept by the owner.
• Fifth, make everyone feel comfortable. Buyers will want to bring their family and pets to look at the house. If you are showing a house to a couple, make sure they have enough room to sit together in the living room.
• Sixth, don't forget storage. Buyers love it when they can see how many closets there are. (So clean out the closets)
• Finally, remember that you will be gone at the end of the day. Buyers want to picture themselves living in a home that has been well kept.

You can either use your furniture or you can rent furniture (For example: If you're selling a home that was previously rented to tenants, who took all their possessions when they moved out).

Set up the furniture so it looks neat and does not block any natural walking paths. Add nice touches such as dining table napkins or a fruit bowl.

Remember to stage the outside of your Huntsville house as well. This is generally called curb appeal.

Curb appeal is an expression of the attractiveness of a property from the street. It includes the physical appearance of the property, the landscaping, the cleanliness of the property, and the general overall appearance of the property.

Curb appeal is also referred to as the first impression of a property. Good first impressions lead to potential buyers, but poor first impressions cause potential buyers to move along to other properties.

How can you improve your curb appeal? There are many ways to improve curb appeal. Some of the most common include:

1. Cleaning and painting. This is the most important thing you can do. Make sure your home is looking clean and fresh. Clean up your yard and pull weeds. If your front door is dirty, wash it and leave a welcome mat outside. Check if your house needs another coat of paint.

2. Landscaping. Keep your yard well-manicured. If you can afford it, add a sprinkler system. 3. Window dressings. Open the curtains and blinds. Make sure they are clean and in good condition. Replace them if necessary. Add a few flowers to a vase.

4. Add a welcome mat. A welcome mat is a great way to welcome potential buyers.

5. Clean out your garage. Your garage is the first thing your potential buyers will see when they pull up to your house. Make sure it is clean, organized, and well maintained. You can also do small things like adding a welcome sign, hanging a flag, adding a mailbox with a house number on it, or painting your door a bright color. These are just a few of the many things you can do to improve your home's curb appeal.

Curb appeal is subjective. Some people like a lot of curb appeal and some people like little. Some people think a home looks great with a manicured lawn and some think the same home looks better with a wild lawn. The bottom line is that curb appeal is worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

You'll have to make an educated guess as to how much a buyer is willing to pay for it. I recommend that you consider these factors:

• How much is the home worth? How much is your neighbor selling their home for?
• How much do potential buyers in your area pay for curb appeal?
• What does the local market have to offer? You can also talk to an agent for advice. You'll be able to find out how much they charge for their curb appeal packages.

Once the home has been properly staged, you have to take photos of your Huntsville House. If you're not good with a camera, then hire a real estate photographer who will use a wide-angle interior photography lens that gets great shots of the rooms.

How to Hire a Real Estate Photographer in Huntsville

Hiring a professional real estate photographer for your Huntsville home listing can be a game-changer. By hiring one, you may see the difference between selling a house in several months or within weeks.

With more and more potential buyers searching for homes online nowadays, quality real estate photos are growing in demand.

On average, homeowners that use professional photos for their listing sell about $11,000 over market value.

They can also sell their Huntsville Home up to 50% faster than a with standard photos. Surveys have shown that 98% of buyers judge the home through the listing photos posted on the online listing.

Let's look at several reasons why hiring a real estate photographer is good for selling your Huntsville house fast.

Saves Time: This Lets you focus on managing the other techniques of selling your home fast

You have many other things that you can focus on that increase the odds of selling your home fast. On average, it may take 2 to 10 (or more) hours to take listing photos, get the photos developed, creation of videos, virtual tours, social media adverts, and more.

Your Home Will Sell For More

Redfin has created a survey that shows if a property has professional real estate photography then it gets on average $11,000 over market value. That is worth the investment. By adding aerial photography (Drone shots) can also add value to the home.

It is all about the presentation. It enables you to easily show off areas and amenities around your Hunstville community that can add more attractive value to the property and makes the asking price not appear too high when making a buying decision.

Your Huntsville Home Will Sell Faster

Having professional photography and content will attract more people to come and view your Huntsville House. The more people that come view your Huntsville means more chances and the faster your house gets sold.

Get more foot- traffic through your doors in a short amount of time and your Huntsville house will most likely sell quicker.

What to look for in a Real-Estate Photographer

When you are hiring a real estate photographer, make sure to look at their track record in real estate photography. There are a lot of photographers entering into the real estate space because it seems like easy money.

Are they Professional?

So you'll want to choose a Real Estate Photographer, not photographers who do weddings, engagement photos, lifestyle photography, and/or family portraits.

This is because the techniques for shooting and editing are completely different. Make sure to ask them for some samples of their work if they have any. If they are new and just starting out, they will most likely have a heavy discount.

You can network amongst your friends in Huntsville to find a good real estate photographer. Remember if you want to sell your fast in Huntsville then choosing a local photographer is best. To find a local you can look here.

Or just try Googling a "Real Estate Photographers in Huntsville" and find a couple of contestants and then choose the winner.

DIY: Real Estate Photos

If you DIY, shoot photos preferably on a sunny day. This way the home is filled with natural light and makes for a natural-looking photo.

Make use of a tripod to secure your camera and take shots of each room with multiple angles, after you can select the best photos to show on your listing.

A new phone may be able to capture your home if used properly, but not all phones take quality photos.

If you don't have a more powerful phone camera such as the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel then it makes more sense to go with a professional photographer.

Checklist to follow for DIY your Huntsville real estate photos:

Make a shot list

1. Takes two wide-angle shots from the bedrooms, the kitchen, and your living room
2. Take only one photo of the bathroom, unless it's especially attractive or roomy (if it has a granite bathtub or something)
3. 1 to 3 photos of your backyard unless it has some special and unique features. And then 1 to 2 shots of the front of the house to show off your fresh 'curb appeal'
4. 1 shot of each of the main features: such as laundry room, garage, and pantry

How to Take Excellent Photos of Your Huntsville Home

1. Make sure you have decluttered and staged your Huntsville home for the photoshoot
2. Shoot the photos approximately at eye level while keeping the camera straight. This will make your photos appear natural and prevent them from distorting too much
3. Depending on the quality of the exterior light shining that day, you might want to leave the interior lights either on or off. Of course, circumstances may be different from your house to the next, so the optimal thing to do is snap a few photos with the interior lights off and with lights on to check what looks good on your home. The white balance can be adjusted in the post-editing phase, which we will cover below
4. Improve your photos by editing. There are different edits you can make to make sure your photos look as good, but the most important is white balance. More of the tech-savvy home sellers are familiar with Adobe Lightroom this is can be the best option for balancing the white in your photos. Here is an excellent tutorial for step by step visualization on how to get the most from your photos

Preparing the FSBO Paperwork

There is a lot of important legal contracts and documents that you must prepare, complete, and understand. Here is a partial checklist of the required forms that are required for prospective buyers and for legal documentation:

• Buyer's Advisory
• A Seller's Disclosure
• Purchase Contract
• Termite Inspection
• Preliminary Title Report
• Mortgage Payoff
• HOA Disclosures & Restrictions
• Lead Based Paint Disclosures
• Loan Application Forms
• Property Profile Fact Sheet
• Home Warranty Order Forms
• Buyer's Cost Sheet
• Personal Property Exclusion List
• Home Inspection Order Forms

Note that there may be more paperwork necessary in your particular situation but each case is different so this is just meant to give you an idea of what you are in for. This is for educational purposes only.

Pricing Your Huntsville Home (FSBO)

We will speak about how you should price your Huntsville home if you want to sell your home fast. If you you are asking "How do I sell my house fast in Huntsville AL" then read on and you will understand how to set an attractive price.

No matter how you choose to sell your Huntsville home fast, we suggest that you start by doing some real estate market research.

This way you know what the market trends are in your area. When you're deciding your own price, market research will allow you to price your Huntsville at the right price.

This infographic below will help you get a deeper understanding of how pricing will affect the number of buyers you can attract.

A good tip is to check out flyers at Real Estate brokerages and it should give you a good understanding of what similar

You can also check online websites, for example, Redfin or Zillow to check recently sold listings nearby your location. As you browse, try to determine where your home fits within these listings. Should it be priced higher or lower than these listings?

Renovated homes will receive much higher prices than yours, that is if you haven't renovated your house recently. A comparable home that is similar in size and age can indicate what your pricing strategy should be.

There is a multitude of strategies for pricing. Some people suggest setting a low asking price, in order to sell your Huntsville house fast.

Others may recommend finding the right spot, whereas you price your Huntsville home competitively so a wide range of buyers will be interested and you still receive a fair price.

But you have to price your Huntsville home just right. You should allow yourself a little wiggle room cause people most likely will try to negotiate for a lower price.

Here are three ways that you can use to determine the value of your Huntsville home:

• Make use of the real estate valuation websites: sites such as Zillow or Trulia have quick valuation tools that evaluate your property and give you a fairly accurate price. Zillow Zestimates is getting more advanced and uses AI for accuracy.
• Find an appraiser: this is the best and most effective way in getting an accurate estimation of your property's true value.
• As mentioned before compare with the other homes in your local area:  the historic selling prices of comparable houses, the quality of the neighborhood, your location, the square footage, and other related factors.

The last technique is a sort of comparative analysis. Here is more info on how to conduct this.

Create a list of comparable sales to find a comparable home to yours, you'll want to look at recent sales of homes that are similar to yours in the neighborhood.

While there are many elements to take into consideration, there are a few things that are more important than others. The easiest way to create a list of comparable sales is to go to the county website and pull up the listing for your home.

This should have all of the information you need. You can then go to the county's website and pull up all of the recently closed sales of homes that are similar to yours.

This will give you a list of similar homes. If you're having trouble locating similar homes, talk to the people selling your home and ask them to provide you with a list of comparable homes.

Another option is to talk to your Realtor who can also help you gather the information that you need about recent sales. Take your list of comparable homes and look at the following:

• How many bedrooms does each home have?
• How many baths does each home have?
• How many square feet does each home have?
• What is the total square footage of usable space in the home?
• What is the lot size of each home?
• How old is each home?
• What are the zoning designations for each home?
• What is the year of construction?
• What is the tax assessment of each home?
• How much did each home sell for?

Once you've gathered all of the information, you can see what your home is worth. While this is the most accurate way to price your home, you may have a difficult time getting the information you need.

If you do, you may need to hire a professional appraiser to give you a valuation of your home. This may cost you a few hundred dollars but it will make the process much easier.

The appraisal will give you a good estimate of what your home is valued at.

Remember that using an appraiser will cost you around $300 - $500.

Marketing the three different home selling Strategies

We will go through the different ways to market with a real estate agent,

Marketing Through a Real Estate Agent

You have to tailor your marketing strategy to the sales method you chose.

If you use a real estate agent they will have a marketing plan for your home. Agents will distribute flyers, advertise online, and host open houses for their networks so that other real estate agents know what is available on the market.

Usually, real estate agents will choose to hold open houses so buyers can visit the home. However, if the market is sluggish an agent may hold showings instead.

A showing is an individualized approach where they walk a single interested person through the home and answer any questions they may have.

If you are currently living in the home, make sure you communicate with the real estate agent to schedule showings to minimize the disruption and inconvenience the showings will cause in your daily life.

The majority of what you're paying for in a real estate agent's 4-6% commission is their skills for marketing your Huntsville house and helping you through the complicated home selling process, so it's important that you have chosen an agent who has the skills to pay the bills and the experience to sell your home fast in Huntsville Al.

Look for skilled agents that have experience selling homes in your area and who sell homes similar to yours (both in terms of price and type).

How to Choose the Right Real-Estate Agent:

We said this is the Ultimate Guide and we meant it. We will go over a ten-step process of how to choose the right real estate agent to sell your Huntsville house fast and market it appropriately.

1. Personally check out the local housing market

Take a drive or a walk around your neighborhood and search for any repeating real estate agent names on any real estate signs (Extra bonus if there is a "sold" sign as well!). According to Zillow, 5% of home sellers find their agents from a for-sale sign, whereas 16% hire an agent based on knowing them through their network or community.

2. Speak to an Agent personally or at a Open House

Show up at a nearby open house (if there is any) and watch how the agent engages with the potential buyers looking at the house. Also, take time to interact with the real estate agent yourself --- you do not want to just grab a business card before you leave.

Watch for personality and professional chemistry in the prospective agent. According to Zillow, 7% of sellers find their agents at an open house showing.

3. Compare different real estate agents reputations online

Make a quick Google name search online on the real estate agents you are interested in. Basically, an agent's online presence (e.g., real estate websites, search engines, and social media) is the next best thing to a personal referral and you can search their social proof.

Read what the real estate agent's clients in your area are saying about a real estate agent. Also, watch how that agent responds to negative reviews online.

You can use Zillow's Agent Finder tool to search for different real estate agents in your local area by star rating. So searching for an excellent real estate agent in Huntsville is a piece of cake.

4. Get a referral from a friend

Nothing beats a personal referral from friends or family members you trust. Zillow states that more than 1 in 5 sellers (about 22%) find their real estate agent because they were referred from a friend, relative, neighbor, or colleague.

5. Meet with multiple Agents (at least 3)

When you hire an agent, don't just settle with the first agent you have met. Zillow states, 56 percent of sellers only ever contact just one agent, but instead, by speaking with multiple different agents, you will be able to compare and contrast to find an agent who will be a good fit for you.

Handle this like a job interview - because it sort of is! While you may have a front-runner because of a referral or local reputation, ask each of the 3 real estate agents the same questions and compare the differences in their responses.

6. Makes sure to ask the right questions

• Tell me how long you have been working in real-estate?
• Do you typically work with just buyers or with sellers?
• Typically how many active clients do you have at one time?
• Do you have a team?
• What is your area of specialty?
• Do you have the resources to handle my unique situation?
• How will you go about marketing my home?
• Could you put me in direct contact with some of your references?

7. Let the agent know your communication preferences

You have to make sure you are on the same page from the start. Find out how the real estate agent will keep you up to date and how often you should expect to hear from them.

If you like to email but the agent is more responsive with phone calls, you might not be a good fit for each other.

Or, if you know you are going to have many questions and want fast responses, but the agent only just sends weekly updates, then you may just prefer to find someone who is a better fit for you.

8. Explain your motivation(s) to sell your house fast

You have to make sure you have communicated any requirements that are specific to your own home sale. Do you have a strict timeline?

Do you have a specific bottom dollar amount? Looking to sell your house within a specific timing window to avoid capital gains taxes? Does your house have a federal tax lien?

Make sure you tell these requirements from the start so your agent knows what to expect.

9. Discuss the sales strategy and the expected number of showings

You have to make sure you and your potential agent are in synch about the selling strategy. Will they do open houses or personalized showings?

About how many showings do you personally want to do? About how much time will the real estate agent give you before a home showing? How will the home be marketed, will it be on an MLS?

10. Cover and agree on the important details

The best agent-seller relationship is the relationship with clearly defined expectations.

Be sure that, in writing, you have agreed upon the commission structure, list price, and length of the contract (Ex, what happens if your house has not been sold after a specific amount of time).

Overall, choosing the right real estate agent is very important for you because your goals need to match that of the real estate agents. Generally, agents can be helpful by: 

• They have a good amount of experience in helping clients buy or sell homes
• They have strong negotiating skills
• An excellent overall understanding of the real estate market and at a local level
• They will have a list of references that can vouch for them professionally.

Ask the tough questions when interviewing real estate agents, and avoid anyone who can't answer your questions to your satisfaction.

You might owe your real estate agent commission if you back out of the sale

After an offer is accepted, you are required to pay the commission to both real estate agents right away. Also if you decide to back out of the sale last minute, you will still have to pay both representing agents their commission.

Some examples of questions you might ask a real estate agent before hiring them:

1. What was your most challenging client situation, and how did you handle it?
2. What are your techniques to make my offer more attractive besides just dropping the price?
3. How have you helped buyers come to a purchasing decision in the past?
4. About how long have you been a real estate agent?
5. What marketing tools will you employ to sell my house fast in Huntsville Al?
6. Are you quick to respond to my preferred methods of communication?

Using the internet to sell your home is now the ticket for selling your home fast in Huntsville Al. Over half of home buyers find the home that they want to buy through the internet, it is important that your home has a good online presence.

If you end up using a realtor, you should ask for examples of how they plan to market your home online.

Marketing For Sale by Owner

If you are selling your Huntsville home on your own, make use of your personal social media accounts and different websites for online listings. The more places you can share your home, the more likely you are to catch the eye of the right buyer.

When you are selling your Huntsville home yourself, you can use real estate agent marketing strategies to sell your Huntsville house fast.

By using photos and creating high-quality online listings and flyers, which you can post around neighborhoods, community centers, and other public places. Insert a For Sale sign in your front lawn advertising your Huntsville home is for sale by an owner you can never know who might be interested!

Top FSBO Selling Strategies

To generate the traffic toward your house, and increase the chances of getting a fast offer on your Huntsville home, post a listing on several sites such as Zillow, Craigslist, eBay, FSBO, and there are many more.

Host open houses on Saturday and Sunday. If you can get a fair amount of people in the open house, they may be motivated to make an offer because they have a fear of missing out!

Bonus Tip!

If you can work with social media, take an online marketing approach that real estate agents do and run some Facebook Ads. It is quite simple, and if done right, a can Ad be effective (and also cost-friendly). The old days of being limited to marketing your home on an MLS and traditional channels, such as knocking on doors and passing out flyers, are over.

Social media such as Facebook and YouTube have seen a large increase in marketers using them as effective tools to market homes to potential buyers. There are many online tutorials on how to sell your Huntsville home with Facebook ads but here is one that educates you on the overview of the process.

Advertising Your Huntsville House Online (FSBO)

• For Sale By Owner WebSites. There are many FSBO sites around the internet, but to keep costs manageable and control logistics, you will probably prefer to stick with a few of the best-known ones. On FSBO.com, the ForSaleByOwner listing package costs around $100 for 6 months; while the MLS and Realtor.com package, which also includes syndication onto Zillow.com and Trulia.com, costs around $400 for 6 months. FSBO.com is a quarter of the price
• Consumer-Facing Real Estate Sites. If you don't want to pay for the pricier FSBO package, you can also post your FSBO listing directly on real estate sites such as Zillow.com and Trulia.com. The nice thing is it is free to post FSBO listings on each of these websites, which together have a reach to millions of prospective buyers. If you want to know more check out Real Estate Witch's excellent guide on posting your FSBO listing on Zillow.
• Local Classified Websites. Craigslist and Nextdoor are both free and target a local audience. Classified websites are popular with both home sellers and buyers one thing to note is that Nextdoor's real estate listings aren't available in every area but if you are trying to sell your home fast in Huntsville then you are in luck because NextDoor is available.
• YouTube Channel. Upload a professional video tour of your Huntsville home on your YouTube channel. But don't bother with a low-quality handheld phone camera walk-through; if you don't want to pay for a professional videographer, find a friend or a colleague that has video production and/or editing experience.
• A Dedicated Website. Even though a dedicated website is more effort than a turnkey FSBO listing or simple Craigslist ad, making one may be worth the effort in buyers' markets and/or for expensive and distinctive homes generally speaking. Some sellers' real estate agents do this, and the domain name, for example, [youraddress].com is probably available. If you are not an experienced Website builder, use a plug-and-play hosting solution with a site builder package; perhaps check out what Go Daddy has to offer.

Choosing the Right Cash Homebuyer

Just like you would research a real estate agent's social proof before hiring them, you will want to research a cash buyer before inviting them to your house. Not all the "we buy houses cash buyers in Huntsville" are equal and there are many who are sharks and try to take advantage of those who need to sell their home asap.

Keep an eye out for the cash buyers who are transparent in their buying process, including their online reputation, and their BBB reputation, if they have a good track record then they are most likely reputable. Cash buyers should be happy and qualified to answer your questions and should never pressure you into the sale by using fear tactics to scare you.

When looking for a good "We buy houses" cash homebuyer take a good look at their website. This will speak a lot about who they are as a business. The shady cash home buyers have websites that have been slapped together that are filled with keywords that target Google searches.

Here is an example of what a trustworthy homepage looks like for a cash homebuyer looks like (Hint: it is our home page). But it is true that a good-looking website reflects the company itself.

5 tips on Choosing a Good Cash Homebuyer

We have prepared a list of five tips on how to find a good and reputable cash home buyer. Many people ask "Are cash offers for houses legit?" and the answer is " It depends on what company made the cash offer"

Here is a list of 5 tips to find the right cash home buyer:

Research your options

Cash buyers are perfect for those who want to sell their home faster without any traditional property selling hassles as they purchase properties as they are (in as-is condition).

However, you must start with some local research in your area. Find a credible company that can take away the stress and prices your Huntsville home fairly.

Search for websites and/or visit the brick-and-mortar office to understand their process.

Make sure that they are accredited

When you create a shortlist of buyers, check which one is accredited by agencies such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Accreditation by an industry authority is a fair indicator of a good track record and makes a prospective homebuying company more trustworthy. This means that you will be able to trust them to make an honest valuation.

Check their online reviews

Googling for cash hone buyers has several benefits; you get to compare and contrast conveniently with just a few clicks.

Beyond the convenience factor, there is the benefit of reading the online reviews made by their clients to verify their credibility/reliability. For example, here are our reviews (Veritas Homebuyers).

Verify their work experience

Furthermore, before going ahead and accepting an offer, verify their work experience in the local real estate domain. Ensure that they have been in business for a few years and they know the legal implications for cash home buying.

After all, if you are trying to sell your house fast in Huntsville Al then need all the paperwork and legal formalities taken care of quickly and the sale finished as fast as possible.

Honestly share all Details

The best thing about cash home buyers is that they make selling your home a lightning-fast process, without the seller having to worry about making repairs and renovations.

When you deal with them, you should be honest and transparent in sharing all the details related to your property. Hiding details is not a good idea, even if they aren't requiring you to get the property in market shape.

Questions to ask cash for home buyers

1. Who will look at my property will it be you or someone else?

2. How fast will I be able to close and can I choose my closing date?

3. Are there any hidden fees?

4. Closing the deal

Closing can be a complicated and lengthy process. Until the closing is officially completed, home sales may still fall through and the buyer can still back out.

Typical closing issues may include unresolved title issues, documentation mistakes, or the buyer's financing not working out.

Until the transaction closes you are the responsible homeowner. You are responsible for paying the mortgage, utilities, and other expenses. How do you close the deal?

Real estate agent and FSBO

Closing costs in real estate are the expenses that are incurred by the parties to a real estate transaction before closing. The seller is typically the one responsible for paying closing costs.

They are often separated into several categories including:

• appraisal fees
• attorney fees
• administrative costs
• title insurance fees
• settlement fees.
• Property or deed transfer tax
• Recording fees
• Outstanding liens/judgments on the property
• Repairs required by the inspector following a home inspection
• Real estate agent commissions (6% of total house sale)
• Title insurance

There are some additional closing costs that usually are divided between the buyer and seller. This includes property taxes or any homeowner association dues.

There is a lot of paperwork when you sell your home yourself though you can hire a real estate attorney to do the paperwork on your behalf.

With an agent, you benefit from their expertise greatly. They can assist you to negotiate if you receive a low offer.

Homebuyers in these options generally require mortgage financing. We recommend that you only accept offers that come pre-approved, as this indicates that the borrower can qualify for a mortgage.

However, this is not a guaranteed thing because deals still fall through if the buyer does not qualify for a mortgage, or if the home's appraisal does not match the mortgage.

Traditional offers usually come with contingencies, for example, a buyer needs to sell their current house before buying your house. If this contingency is fulfilled, it can lengthen the sale.

If the buyer has a  home inspection contingency and the inspection report shows that repairs are needed then the buyer may back out of the sale altogether. But they will usually ask you to do the repairs yourself or drop your asking price.

The buyer will need to get homeowner's insurance. This can delay the closing time, as well. While most homes will close within 30 days after accepting the offer, it might take twice as long if there are delays with financing or insurance.

Negotiating with cash-home buyers or FSBO

When you get offers on your home in any of the three ways you choose to sell your home you will have to negotiate with the potential buyers. If you use a real estate agent they will negotiate for you. However, if you FSBO your house or sell to a cash home buyer then prepare to negotiate.

Remember during a negotiation you are seeking common ground and trying to come to a solution that fits both parties. To mentally prepare for successful negotiations research the following aspects of your property.

Because these are some of the main points that a cash home buyer or private potential buyer will try to negotiate with you on:

• The condition of your home
• The location of your home: The location of your home is another important factor to consider when selling your home. If you live in a place that is easily accessible to the public, you may have a good negotiation tool to work with. Some of the factors which may affect the location of your home are schools, hospitals, malls, and restaurants.
• The condition of your neighborhood: The condition of your neighborhood is another important factor to consider when selling your home for cash. If your neighborhood is prone to crime, you may not be able to get the price you want for your home.
• The price of the house: The price of your home is another important factor to consider when selling your home. You should consider the market value of your home and then decide what the lowest price you want to sell it for.

Closing with a Cash home buyer

Cash buyers have the funds already on hand so there is no need to deal with financial institutions. Because of the fact, a cash buyer has the money to move forward with, the closing can be done in as little as 7 days.

If you accept a cash offer, you will want to verify the cash buyer has the funds by requesting 1-2 percent, which is held in an escrow account.

You will then clear the title and escrow and choose a closing date based on your schedule. After you sign the required paperwork, you will be out of the house cash in hand to face your future.

There's still some paperwork with a cash deal, the title is required to be cleared, the cash home buyer needs to get insurance it may take a little longer than 1 week. But the time frame will light years faster than dealing with a buyer who needs to qualify for a mortgage.

5. Choosing the best option for you

Now we hope that you have a decent understanding of the real estate process of working by yourself or with an agent.

You can see there are many similarities and the main differences are when you sell the property yourself it is riskier because you are liable to handle all the legalities yourself.

With an Agent you pay to play but in the end, you get a professional on your side that handles all the risk on your behalf. Choosing an agent is the safest choice but it may also be the most expensive choice.

Going with a cash home buyer is also a great idea because it is similar to using a real estate agent. You get the same degree of professionalism and it is also non-risky.

The main differences between selling to a cash home buyer or using a real estate agent are:

• You don't have to pay any fees with a cash home buyer because they pay cash and skip all the contingencies
• Your house can be closed in 7 days versus the typical 56 days on market.
• For a cash home buyer, you don't need to get your house market-ready

We hoped you liked our ultimate guide on how to sell your house fast in Huntsville Al. This guide was made for educational purposes only and consult a lawyer if you need to.