Interested in Selling Your Home in Masthope PA?
Don’t Be Misled by Myths About iBuyers
Interested in selling your home in Masthope PA? Don’t be misled by myths about iBuyers. Selling to an iBuyer that uses tech to buy and resell houses isn’t for everyone. An iBuyer, or instant buyer, is a third-party real estate company or investor with ample financial resources that use an automated valuation model (eg. Zestimate) and other technology to identify, and then purchase, homes like yours that meet its purchasing investment criteria. The iBuyer will decide whether your home is worth purchasing and how easy it will be to sell it, then make you an offer. With this type of cash sale, there’s no need to set up showings for qualified buyers or make costly repairs and upgrades to your property before listing it. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, the convenience that you might expect by selling your home in Masthtope PA to an iBuyer will likely be quickly offset by the potential downfalls of working with this type of service. If you want to get the maximum about of money out of your home while avoiding headaches along the way, you may want to skip the iBuyer route altogether and work with a qualified, (boots on the ground) Masthope Realtor®.
Reasons Not to Sell Your Home in Mashtope PA to an iBuyer
As convenient as this type of service might appear on the surface, there are many reasons to avoid selling your home in Masthope PA to an iBuyer, and here’s why:
No Negotiating on Price
The process of selling a home to an iBuyer is pretty straightforward. The cash buyer will make you an offer on your property and you can either take it or leave it. There is no negotiating on price with this type of real estate service. That means that you will often end up selling your investment for significantly less than what it’s actually worth for the sake of convenience. The iBuyer will likely make a few upgrades to your home before turning right around and selling it for a significant profit that could have been money in your own pocket.
Narrow Buying Criteria
With iBuyers, your home must not only be in a market where they operate but also the kind of house they’re looking for. For example, if your Masthope property requires extensive repairs, it will probably be a no-go with this type of service. Same with higher-end homes, highly customized homes, and most older homes. Essentially, each market has its own set of parameters or qualifications. Whatever the typical home is in that market will be the type of home an iBuyer will be interested in buying. Typically, houses, townhomes, and condos that are relatively new and/or in excellent condition are most likely to fit the iBuyer model. ZillowOffers, OpenDoor, and OfferPad are iBuyer groups known for very narrow buying criteria, which limits the potential that your home would qualify for an offer.
The Assessment Can Cost You
After identifying that your home meets its investment criteria, an iBuyer may provide you with a written offer to purchase your home. After you agree to an offer, the iBuyer will do an assessment, similar to a home inspection (but not exactly the same as one). The purpose of the assessment is to uncover any items the iBuyer might need to repair or replace in order to sell your home for the highest market price. Most iBuyers choose to resell the homes they purchase to third parties for a profit, while only some choose to rent the home to tenants. Although you can negotiate to do the needed repairs yourself, that may not be an option if you’re looking to sell your home in Masthope in a hurry. And if the iBuyer does the repairs, the costs will be deducted from what is paid to you – meaning the assessment could end up taking a big bite out of your original offer.
Opportunity Cost
Since iBuyers are still relatively new, comprehensive, new data on what they’re actually paying for homes is hard to come by. Studies have conflicting evidence, with some finding that iBuyer offers are close to market value, while others reveal much wider gaps. Although iBuyers will claim that they offer “fair market prices,” you’re dealing with a what-if scenario. How can you truly know whether you would have gotten a better price for your home by selling the traditional way with a qualified, local Masthope REALTOR? Obviously, an iBuyer is more interested in their own bottom line and no matter how much your home may be worth, you can expect a low-ball offer from this type of service. iBuyers don’t have a good reason to help you get the most for your property. In fact, they have very good reasons to pay as little as possible because they are looking to make money. The only way to work with an iBuyer is if you don’t care about getting a good price for your home.
iBuyer Cash Offers Can Drop Before Closing
One of the most attractive aspects of selling to an iBuyer for many homeowners is the prospect of a cash offer with a quick closing. Many iBuyers use language that suggests their offers are guaranteed (and to close quickly). But, the truth is that iBuyers really have no fiduciary responsibility, and it’s not uncommon for cash offers to be rescinded or even dropped at the last minute before closing, leaving the seller out in the cold. Working with an iBuyer could actually waste your valuable time, especially if you’re in a hurry to sell, on top of your hard-earned money. If you are more concerned with maximizing your profit, working with a savvy agent to sell your home may be a better bet.
Why You Should Partner with Top-rated Masthope REALTOR® – Alicia Kowalik
Alicia Kowalik is a top-rated Masthope real estate agent and market expert with over 11 years of local experience. There’s no substitute for the kind of boots-on-the-ground experience that a skilled agent like Alicia can offer. Her own listings typically sell within a few weeks (and often in just days) for the highest market price. Alicia is a licensed REALTORⓇ and must abide by a strict Code of Ethics and Standards. Unlike iBuyers, Alicia has a fiduciary responsibility to her clients and is obligated to always put their interests above her own. While it may be tempting to get an instant cash offer from an iBuyer, selling your home with a skilled agent will net you a lot more money for your property. Alicia knows what it takes to list and sell homes in the area competitively. She will accurately determine the optimum price for your home based on comparable sales, pending sales, and active sales, and will work vigorously to get you every last dollar out of your property.
Most buyers today begin their home search online. With the help of professional pictures and video, buyers can better envision the layout of your home as well as the lifestyle it offers, prior to scheduling a showing. Alicia understands that the more engaging the marketing, the more likely a buyer is to take an interest in your home and ultimately make an offer. She will know what to include and what to leave out of your listing as well as what kinds of pictures and videos are needed. Alicia partners with some of the best real estate photographers and videographers in the area, giving you the competitive edge you need. She also works with professional stagers who will showcase your home’s best features in order to attract more buyers. She will host open houses, private showings and coordinate with other vendors (appraiser, home inspector, title agent, notary, etc) involved in the selling process.
Alicia knows how important open communication is during the selling process. She is always available to her clients to answer any questions or concerns they may have and she promptly returns all phone calls, texts, and emails. Alicia has the skills necessary to accurately price and expertly market your property as well as effectively negotiate with buyers and their agents. She is very familiar with common negotiation tactics, so there are few surprises during the transaction, resulting in better results and greater satisfaction for you in the end!
If you are interested in selling your home in Masthope PA quickly for top dollar, feel free to contact Alicia Kowalik directly at (570) 470-5076, or get in touch with her by email.
Alicia Kowalik, REALTOR®
Lakeview Realty Inc.
Wallenpaupack Realty
2449 Route 6
Hawley, PA 18428
Direct: (570) 470-5076 (Best)
Office: (570) 226-6300
E-mail: Aliciat@ptd.net