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Frequently Asked Questions for Sellers

If you’re a first-time home seller, the closing process may seem overwhelming. You just want to sell your home quickly, but there’s some steps to take and expenses incurred before the transaction closes. Luckily, working with DuBois Property Group, we’ll lighten the load on a majority of the tasks.

If you know what to expect, you can close the sale of your home in a timely manner with as few surprises as possible. Below are some of our most asked questions. If you don’t see the answer to your question, submit it via the form at the bottom of this page.

What should I know about receiving offers?

When a buyer makes an offer on your home, they will use a contract to offer up their sale price and any other terms of purchase. You can either accept, reject, or counter the offer that will then lead to negotiation. Successive counter offers will take place until you and the buyer reach a satisfactory agreement. For a successful negotiation: disclose everything, ask many questions, meet halfway on costs, and use your real estate agent for help because they know what’s best.

If multiple offers are submitted, we’ll put together a well-organized list of offers and any terms that go along with each offer. Based on what we’ve learned about you so far, we’ll likely make recommendations that we think best solve for your objectives. Once we select the offer that makes the most sense for your situation, we’ll move into the due diligence period and head towards closing.

What is in a contract? What is negotiable?

Sellers should know which things can be negotiated and whether there’s any room in the costs associated with the sale because this can affect your net proceeds. I will act as the liaison between you and the buyer’s agent, and will guide you on what we should be willing to accept and what needs to be negotiated.

  • Offer price
  • Deposits
    • Due Diligence
    • Earnest Money
  • Dates
    • Due Diligence
    • Closing
  • Personal Property
    • Refrigerator, washer and dryer
    • Other items you may be willing to leave
  • Fixtures
    • Anything permanently affixed to the home
  • Closing Costs
  • Home Warranty and other concessions

I’m under contract, now what?

  • Coordinating with the closing attorney
    • The buyer chooses the closing attorney.
    • We collect dates, paperwork, and details to ensure all is on track for closing.
  • Coordinating with the sellers’ attorney
    • We recommend another attorney to do the seller docs for representation purposes.
  • Coordinating with buyer’s agent
    • We ensure the buyer’s loan is on track.
    • We ensure the walkthrough is properly scheduled.
    • We communicate on repairs and any other last details needed prior to closing.

Who pays for what?

If you’ve bought or sold a home before, you know the financial details are much more complex than just the listing price. From inspections to agent fees and everything in between, both buyers and sellers hold financial responsibility for transaction expenses and closing costs — and knowing who pays for what can help ensure a smooth sale.

While some aspects of closing costs can be negotiated into the contract between buyer and seller, certain things are typically paid by one party or the other.

  • Commissions – Seller
  • Closing Attorney – Both. We recommend seller’s using a separate attorney to represent their best interest, rather than the buyer-chosen closing attorney.
  • Home Inspection – Buyer
  • Appraisal – Buyer
  • Owner’s Title Insurance – Seller
  • Home Warranty – Depends. Sellers may offer these as an incentive, but it’s not a requirement. Buyers may also purchase warranties on their own.