By: Phonicia Palmer
With any type of home sale, potential buyers will always have questions they want to ask. If you are represented by a real estate agent, he or she usually knows ahead of time the kinds of questions that will be asked because they have heard most of them in the course of their career. But there are many common questions asked and it will be helpful for you to know the answer to them. Potential buyers usually ask how much do you pay for property taxes.
While any home might have a great sale price, the amount of property taxes can add significantly to a mortgage payment. You will often get questions on whether or not you have a homeowner’s association fee.
Many HOA fees are relatively inexpensive, but in some neighborhoods, these fees can be a few hundred dollars a month.
Another question that is usually asked is what the cost is to provide electricity to the home and the price of other utilities. If an electric bill is outrageously high, that can sway a potential buyer’s decision. What one family uses will not necessarily be what another family uses. If the utility bill is not a fixed one, tell the potential buyer an average of what he or she might have to pay.
One of the main questions that buyers want to know the answer to is what the state and age of the roof is. While this information is usually in the listing description, buyers will still ask about it. That is because replacing a roof can be an expensive endeavor – not to mention it can cause damage if it leaks. You might be asked if your home has a problem with insects like ants, spiders, roaches, termites or if it has a problem with mice.
Even if you do not, but you did have in the past before you had the home treated, you may need to tell the buyer that. You may also get asked about home warranties. Having a home warranty in place to cover the appliances and the heating and air that can transfer to the buyer is often a helpful selling feature because buyers will often want the appliances included in the sale.
Sometimes buyers will ask why you are selling the home. It is more of a question geared toward protecting themselves than it is a truly nosey one. You might get asked about the neighbors. If you have a terrible neighbor, you may have to disclose that information. Potential buyers may ask you about the area – such as what the schools are like and what types of amenities are nearby.
Sometimes buyers will ask if you are open for a price negotiation because they look at properties they cannot afford at the asking price, but could if it came down some.
If you are someone who wants a full asking price and you know you are not going to budge from that, tell buyers there is very little wiggle room in the asking price. That way, they do not waste their time and you do not waste yours.
Phonicia Palmer, Louisiana Real Estate Agent 