Price, Wright,
and Dunn,
Inc.
Residential Realtors & Expert Witness Appraiser
"Price it Right and You're
Done!"
Kerry
Silva, pricing and selling homes since 1984
Hillsborough,
Pasco, and Pinellas counties, Florida
E-mail:
kerry@priceright.biz
Phone:
813-436-0794
Web:
priceright.biz
Call Kerry
for a Free Home Staging Consultation - Cost Effective Tips.
Our real estate commission is 5.5% total, including any other Realtors involved. We collect some of the fee up front, which includes a real market-value appraisal to recommend a price that will cause it to sell.
Getting listings sold isn't luck, it's a technical skill that can be tracked, quantified, and compared. If you're going to list your home, you might as well maximize your chance of actually getting it sold.
Hire a Realtor with a high sales rate (the percentage of their listings that actually sell);
Realtors put their listings into the inventory, and offer a commission to any Realtor who can sell it. So any Realtor can sell any house, no matter who listed it. Most sales happen when a realtor pulls a listing that fits the buyer from the MLS. The buyer originally contacted the realtor on a different listing which just didn't turn out to be the right one for them. Ads and open houses attract general prospects who may buy something some day. They rarely sell the home advertised. If it’s priced right it’ll sell without these. If it’s not priced right, it won’t sell, no matter how much marketing you do. The competition will kill it.
That’s why the company’s called Price, Wright, and Dunn - “Price it Right and You're Done!”
Our web site has a link to the places we've sold, but even if we haven't sold in your neighborhood, well, so what? If we haven't sold in your neighborhood, well, so what? Pricing/Selling real estate is a technical skill having to do with what you know, not where you last applied it (imagine asking your mechanic if he's ever tuned up a car from your neighborhood before). Even in a unique neighborhood the natural laws of real estate sales, financing, and appraisal don't change. Assuming I have access to the real MLS data, I appraise a home the same way whether I’ve been on the street a thousand times or just this once. The location adjustments become obvious once you know what you are looking for.
Small
company vs. big name - Did you
buy your current home because of the name that was on the
sign? Or did you buy it because it was the best deal on the
best home for you? Don’t confuse volume with
quality (defined here as getting the job done). Residential
real estate is the only business I know of that pools its’
inventory. Any buyer can buy any home listed through any
Realtor they choose. What’s important is not how
famous the Realtor is, it’s how competent, knowledgeable, and
hard-working they are.
_________________________________________________
Our real estate commission is 5.5% total, including any other Realtors involved. We collect some of the fee up front, which includes a real market-value appraisal to recommend a price that will cause it to sell.
Getting listings sold isn't luck, it's a technical skill that can be tracked, quantified, and compared. If you're going to list your home, you might as well maximize your chance of actually getting it sold.
Did you know that 4 out
of 10 of the average company's listings actually sell? We sell 7 out of
10.
We can provide these numbers for any realtor or company in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco. Just call or email.
We can provide these numbers for any realtor or company in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco. Just call or email.
A Seller needs to do three things right to get a home sold:
Hire a Realtor with a high sales rate (the percentage of their listings that actually sell);
Price it right ("Price it Right and You're Done!") so your competition
doesn't kill you;
Make it easy for other Realtors to show (we all sell the same
inventory).
If these three things are correct, it'll sell. If not, no amount of
marketing will sell it.
Realtors put their listings into the inventory, and offer a commission to any Realtor who can sell it. So any Realtor can sell any house, no matter who listed it. Most sales happen when a realtor pulls a listing that fits the buyer from the MLS. The buyer originally contacted the realtor on a different listing which just didn't turn out to be the right one for them. Ads and open houses attract general prospects who may buy something some day. They rarely sell the home advertised. If it’s priced right it’ll sell without these. If it’s not priced right, it won’t sell, no matter how much marketing you do. The competition will kill it.
That’s why the company’s called Price, Wright, and Dunn - “Price it Right and You're Done!”
Our web site has a link to the places we've sold, but even if we haven't sold in your neighborhood, well, so what? If we haven't sold in your neighborhood, well, so what? Pricing/Selling real estate is a technical skill having to do with what you know, not where you last applied it (imagine asking your mechanic if he's ever tuned up a car from your neighborhood before). Even in a unique neighborhood the natural laws of real estate sales, financing, and appraisal don't change. Assuming I have access to the real MLS data, I appraise a home the same way whether I’ve been on the street a thousand times or just this once. The location adjustments become obvious once you know what you are looking for.
_________________________________________________
Testimonials
"I recently worked with Mr. Silva regarding dissolution of marriage matter. He was my expert witness testifying as to the appraisal value of the marital home. He was very professional, reasonably priced, personable, and accurate with his appraisal. I plan on using his services in the future on other cases. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me. Thank you. Sincerely, Ellen D. Ostman, Esquire, Givens Law Group, PLLC, Tampa, FL, 813-251-6700"
"We asked our previous realtor the same question four times and never got an answer. We asked Kerry the same question and got the answer within an hour." Trevor (Buyer - Brandon, FL)
“In a field full of snakes and weasels it was refreshing to find Kerry's honesty and integrity. He was efficient, accommodating, not pushy and most of all HONEST. I was very pleased with his performance and will never use another realtor again. I will also be recommending Kerry to anyone I know who is in need of a realtor. Marge” (Buyer, Tampa, FL)
“You know this worked out exactly like you told us up front. We priced it fair, put it on MLS, and waited for the right buyer! You did a good job of cutting out the crap and coaching us down the most efficient path, plus you saved us almost $3,700 on our transaction! Thanks a million Kerry. James and Sonia" (Sellers, Brandon, FL)
"Kerry did a great job keeping us in line and advising us. He spent a lot of time not letting us get ahead of ourselves. I wish we would have found Kerry a year ago. We would have sold our house a lot faster and made a bunch more money. When we did what Kerry said, our house sold quickly and we maximized our profits for the market. James" (Seller, Riverview, FL) As quoted on the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors' web site.
"Kerry, I wanted to send you a short note to express my appreciation for your assistance in settling my clients' estates, whether it be by providing the current appraised value of the homestead or selling the homestead. I have received uniformly positive feedback from all of my client referrals to you. They and I appreciate your honesty up front about the process and how to price a home to actually sell it, not just market it. As you are aware when someone is settling an estate, they have recently experienced the death of a family member. You have consistently treated my clients as people, not just as a file from which to make money. My clients and I truly appreciate professionals like you. Thanks, Stephen C. Preuss, Esq." (Attorney, Riverview, FL)
“I can already tell by talking to you that I like you better than the other realtor. She's pushy. You listen to me. She talks right over me. Zachary" (Buyer, Tampa, FL)
"Services were very professional; seller was constantly kept informed; suggestions for moving the property were appropriate and well received; would highly recommend services of Price, Wright and Dunn, Inc. to anyone considering buying or selling a property. Jim" (Seller, Tampa, FL)
"Quick !!! Name three Super Heroes!! Superman…yes..., faster then speeding bullet, leaping tall buildings, stronger then… good choice. Spiderman… reserved, quiet mannered, kind to the elderly (that would be me) and …well…just super!!! Kerry Silva…Take Superman+Spiderman, add the Super powers of Price, Right & Done and whatya got? A GET-ER-DONE kind of Super Hero!! Tom & Lesley" (Sellers, Tampa, FL)
“We put our home on sale at a time when the housing market was not favorable. It was a very stressful time for us but Mr. Kerry Silva’s expertise and patience helped us get through it. Our home sold in one month and we are thankful for choosing Kerry as our agent. He is a real professional. Joe and Nicole" (Sellers, Brandon, FL)
"Thanks, all went smooth. Keep selling those homes!! Jan" (Seller, Tampa, FL)
"That's the best feeling I've had talking to a Realtor. Spence" (Seller, Lutz, FL)
"What great customer service!!! You are great! Jean" (Seller, Clearwater, FL)
“Kerry, you are so on the ball. You must work really hard and be very successful. Have a good weekend. Karen" (Seller, Tampa, FL)
_________________________________________________
"I recently worked with Mr. Silva regarding dissolution of marriage matter. He was my expert witness testifying as to the appraisal value of the marital home. He was very professional, reasonably priced, personable, and accurate with his appraisal. I plan on using his services in the future on other cases. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me. Thank you. Sincerely, Ellen D. Ostman, Esquire, Givens Law Group, PLLC, Tampa, FL, 813-251-6700"
"We asked our previous realtor the same question four times and never got an answer. We asked Kerry the same question and got the answer within an hour." Trevor (Buyer - Brandon, FL)
“In a field full of snakes and weasels it was refreshing to find Kerry's honesty and integrity. He was efficient, accommodating, not pushy and most of all HONEST. I was very pleased with his performance and will never use another realtor again. I will also be recommending Kerry to anyone I know who is in need of a realtor. Marge” (Buyer, Tampa, FL)
“You know this worked out exactly like you told us up front. We priced it fair, put it on MLS, and waited for the right buyer! You did a good job of cutting out the crap and coaching us down the most efficient path, plus you saved us almost $3,700 on our transaction! Thanks a million Kerry. James and Sonia" (Sellers, Brandon, FL)
"Kerry did a great job keeping us in line and advising us. He spent a lot of time not letting us get ahead of ourselves. I wish we would have found Kerry a year ago. We would have sold our house a lot faster and made a bunch more money. When we did what Kerry said, our house sold quickly and we maximized our profits for the market. James" (Seller, Riverview, FL) As quoted on the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors' web site.
"Kerry, I wanted to send you a short note to express my appreciation for your assistance in settling my clients' estates, whether it be by providing the current appraised value of the homestead or selling the homestead. I have received uniformly positive feedback from all of my client referrals to you. They and I appreciate your honesty up front about the process and how to price a home to actually sell it, not just market it. As you are aware when someone is settling an estate, they have recently experienced the death of a family member. You have consistently treated my clients as people, not just as a file from which to make money. My clients and I truly appreciate professionals like you. Thanks, Stephen C. Preuss, Esq." (Attorney, Riverview, FL)
“I can already tell by talking to you that I like you better than the other realtor. She's pushy. You listen to me. She talks right over me. Zachary" (Buyer, Tampa, FL)
"Services were very professional; seller was constantly kept informed; suggestions for moving the property were appropriate and well received; would highly recommend services of Price, Wright and Dunn, Inc. to anyone considering buying or selling a property. Jim" (Seller, Tampa, FL)
"Quick !!! Name three Super Heroes!! Superman…yes..., faster then speeding bullet, leaping tall buildings, stronger then… good choice. Spiderman… reserved, quiet mannered, kind to the elderly (that would be me) and …well…just super!!! Kerry Silva…Take Superman+Spiderman, add the Super powers of Price, Right & Done and whatya got? A GET-ER-DONE kind of Super Hero!! Tom & Lesley" (Sellers, Tampa, FL)
“We put our home on sale at a time when the housing market was not favorable. It was a very stressful time for us but Mr. Kerry Silva’s expertise and patience helped us get through it. Our home sold in one month and we are thankful for choosing Kerry as our agent. He is a real professional. Joe and Nicole" (Sellers, Brandon, FL)
"Thanks, all went smooth. Keep selling those homes!! Jan" (Seller, Tampa, FL)
"That's the best feeling I've had talking to a Realtor. Spence" (Seller, Lutz, FL)
"What great customer service!!! You are great! Jean" (Seller, Clearwater, FL)
“Kerry, you are so on the ball. You must work really hard and be very successful. Have a good weekend. Karen" (Seller, Tampa, FL)
_________________________________________________
Selling
Tips and Expenses
Sales by Owner run about 4% lower than Realtor sales, so after you pay for advertising, etc. you don’t really save much that way. My real estate commission is 5.5% total, some of which is paid up front (see below). Also, some Realtors don’t want to deal with a “for sale by owner” for two reasons. They don’t want to educate a Buyer for three weeks only to lose them to your sign, and doing a transaction with an unrepresented Seller is much more difficult than a regular Realtor listing, yet it pays less or the same. The best way to sell your home for the highest price possible is to price it right, offer incentive for any and all Realtors to sell it by putting it in their inventory (MLS), and make it easy to show.
Your non-realtor closing costs will be around 1.75%. My real estate commission is 5.5% total, including any other Realtors involved. 2.5% goes to the Buyer’s Realtor. I’ve found 2.5% works fine if the home is priced right. I collect some of the commission up front, which includes a real market-value appraisal so I can recommend a price that will cause it to sell. Don’t fall for the Realtor who gives you the highest home value with a half-hour CMA. You can spend a lot of time paying for upkeep while your house just sits there overpriced.
Some sellers pay for a home inspection right in the beginning of the listing, rather than waiting for a future buyer to pay for one later. They do it for peace of mind when fielding offers with repair clauses in them. This enables them to take an offer with $5000 repair liability when it really only needs $500 in repairs. The home inspection report can be posted online on the MLS listing.
_________________________________________________
Home Presentation
In order for the home to sell quickly and for top dollar, it needs to be repaired, stripped, neutralized, and depersonalized. It's not your home any more. Now it’s your product. The better the product presents itself, the more buyers will be interested in making an offer on it.
I generally don't recommend expensive repairs. The only time that's worth it is when you have a great home with one serious defect. An example would be a 20 year old house that's been brought up to the most current standards of upgrading except for one bathroom. The cost of bringing the whole house up to snuff will outweigh the ding you'll take for the house being put into the "pretty good" classification.
Most of the time your house all matches. Then what you need to do is all the minor repairs and sprucing up. Example - dirty, worn carpet may benefit from professional cleaning. The cost is usually not as high as the ding you'll take for the house being put into the "just average" classification. Call me. I know a guy.
Open those blinds and clean the windows. Or call me. I know a guy.
You need to strip it. The more items are in it, the harder buyers have to work to “see“ the home. Sometimes it's too much effort, so they just move on to the next one.
A good example of neutralizing is painting a small, bright red bathroom off-white instead. The bright red will make the room look small, and give some buyers a headache. Let the off-white room show itself in a neutral light. The buyer can paint it their favorite color later.
You also need to depersonalize your product. The idea is - nothing on the refrigerator, no pictures with people in them, no club, sports, or religious items, etc. If you distract them with something interesting, they'll talk about that, rather than continue to see the house. At the end of the day they'll remember the interesting item, but not the house. They'll buy a house with a nice kitchen, not one with a thought-provoking poem on the wall. We're selling kitchens, not poems.
As is always the case, the transition from "home" to "product" requires as much stuff as possible, including furniture, to disappear. You are going move anyway. Start now. If you move out as much stuff as you can stand to, the house will sell a little quicker, and for a little more money, than it otherwise will. So start moving now, and get paid for it, or move later, and pay for it. If you get to the point where you are cursing my name on a daily basis because so much of your stuff is gone, you're there!
Don’t be there
Use a lockbox for showings. It doesn’t matter that you know the property better than anyone else, because you’ll intimidate the Buyer just by being there. Let their Realtor tell them why yours beats the competition. You’ll also have the convenience of not having to be home every time a Realtor wants to show it. When you list with Price, Wright, and Dunn, Inc., the Realtor will call you before showing - no lockbox shows on the listing.
Pricing
Your listing price should be very close to the market value. Don’t fall for a Realtor who tells you it’s worth more it is, then beats on you to lower the price after you give them the listing. Not a single buyer cares what the realtor has told you. They will buy the best deal out there, considering condition, updating, location, etc.
Don’t overprice. Your first day on the market exposes you to all the current buyers out there. After that you are only exposed to the new buyers. The average listing THAT SELLS is priced at $100 below the next $5,000 mark within 2 or 3% of the market value. Most sellers keep the price just out of range and don’t sell until they finally bite the bullet and catch up. This results in a low sale because they miss they best buyers, who come right in the beginning. Waiting to price it right is not your friend.
Sales by Owner run about 4% lower than Realtor sales, so after you pay for advertising, etc. you don’t really save much that way. My real estate commission is 5.5% total, some of which is paid up front (see below). Also, some Realtors don’t want to deal with a “for sale by owner” for two reasons. They don’t want to educate a Buyer for three weeks only to lose them to your sign, and doing a transaction with an unrepresented Seller is much more difficult than a regular Realtor listing, yet it pays less or the same. The best way to sell your home for the highest price possible is to price it right, offer incentive for any and all Realtors to sell it by putting it in their inventory (MLS), and make it easy to show.
Your non-realtor closing costs will be around 1.75%. My real estate commission is 5.5% total, including any other Realtors involved. 2.5% goes to the Buyer’s Realtor. I’ve found 2.5% works fine if the home is priced right. I collect some of the commission up front, which includes a real market-value appraisal so I can recommend a price that will cause it to sell. Don’t fall for the Realtor who gives you the highest home value with a half-hour CMA. You can spend a lot of time paying for upkeep while your house just sits there overpriced.
Some sellers pay for a home inspection right in the beginning of the listing, rather than waiting for a future buyer to pay for one later. They do it for peace of mind when fielding offers with repair clauses in them. This enables them to take an offer with $5000 repair liability when it really only needs $500 in repairs. The home inspection report can be posted online on the MLS listing.
_________________________________________________
Home Presentation
In order for the home to sell quickly and for top dollar, it needs to be repaired, stripped, neutralized, and depersonalized. It's not your home any more. Now it’s your product. The better the product presents itself, the more buyers will be interested in making an offer on it.
I generally don't recommend expensive repairs. The only time that's worth it is when you have a great home with one serious defect. An example would be a 20 year old house that's been brought up to the most current standards of upgrading except for one bathroom. The cost of bringing the whole house up to snuff will outweigh the ding you'll take for the house being put into the "pretty good" classification.
Most of the time your house all matches. Then what you need to do is all the minor repairs and sprucing up. Example - dirty, worn carpet may benefit from professional cleaning. The cost is usually not as high as the ding you'll take for the house being put into the "just average" classification. Call me. I know a guy.
Open those blinds and clean the windows. Or call me. I know a guy.
You need to strip it. The more items are in it, the harder buyers have to work to “see“ the home. Sometimes it's too much effort, so they just move on to the next one.
A good example of neutralizing is painting a small, bright red bathroom off-white instead. The bright red will make the room look small, and give some buyers a headache. Let the off-white room show itself in a neutral light. The buyer can paint it their favorite color later.
You also need to depersonalize your product. The idea is - nothing on the refrigerator, no pictures with people in them, no club, sports, or religious items, etc. If you distract them with something interesting, they'll talk about that, rather than continue to see the house. At the end of the day they'll remember the interesting item, but not the house. They'll buy a house with a nice kitchen, not one with a thought-provoking poem on the wall. We're selling kitchens, not poems.
As is always the case, the transition from "home" to "product" requires as much stuff as possible, including furniture, to disappear. You are going move anyway. Start now. If you move out as much stuff as you can stand to, the house will sell a little quicker, and for a little more money, than it otherwise will. So start moving now, and get paid for it, or move later, and pay for it. If you get to the point where you are cursing my name on a daily basis because so much of your stuff is gone, you're there!
Don’t be there
Use a lockbox for showings. It doesn’t matter that you know the property better than anyone else, because you’ll intimidate the Buyer just by being there. Let their Realtor tell them why yours beats the competition. You’ll also have the convenience of not having to be home every time a Realtor wants to show it. When you list with Price, Wright, and Dunn, Inc., the Realtor will call you before showing - no lockbox shows on the listing.
Pricing
Your listing price should be very close to the market value. Don’t fall for a Realtor who tells you it’s worth more it is, then beats on you to lower the price after you give them the listing. Not a single buyer cares what the realtor has told you. They will buy the best deal out there, considering condition, updating, location, etc.
Don’t overprice. Your first day on the market exposes you to all the current buyers out there. After that you are only exposed to the new buyers. The average listing THAT SELLS is priced at $100 below the next $5,000 mark within 2 or 3% of the market value. Most sellers keep the price just out of range and don’t sell until they finally bite the bullet and catch up. This results in a low sale because they miss they best buyers, who come right in the beginning. Waiting to price it right is not your friend.
Who do you know who
might benefit from our services? They would be someone
who:
- would like passive income from referrals
- wants to become a Realtor, or is a Realtor looking for a new Broker, or
- is thinking of buying or selling a home, or
- needs an appraisal for a divorce or estate sale.
- would like passive income from referrals
- wants to become a Realtor, or is a Realtor looking for a new Broker, or
- is thinking of buying or selling a home, or
- needs an appraisal for a divorce or estate sale.
