Estate Sale Advise-Emotional Separation

estate sale advice?

It is a familiar story: an estate sale is something that must be done when one of your family members passes away and something needs be done with their possessions. They had A LOT of possessions and calls for a estate sale. If it was a senior citizen, they often had a whole house full of stuff. You and the family go through everything, and divide up what you want. Perhaps you even hold a garage sale. Even so, there is still A LOT of stuff left and it needs to be either sold, disposed of or moved. Often, people in this situation turn hire estate sale experts. This can be a rocky road. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid any future estate sale problems.

First, know that not all estate sale experts are truly qualified. Most have minimal appraisal experience, at best, and have obtained their knowledge by working in antique stores, or holding lots of garage sales. Most localities do not regulate estate sale people so they do not need business licenses or insurance.

Unfortunately, not all estate sale experts are honest. Every Realtor out there knows of at least one case where possessions that should have been sold just simply disappeared, or where entire households were sold for less than what their contents are worth.

Do you think particular items and/or collections are truly rare and precious? Have a known auction house both appraise the pieces and sell them if they are worth something. A good example are jewelry items that you are not going to wear. Many auction houses will accept good photos of these items and then let you know if they can further help you.

If you are sentimentally attached to one of your deceased loved one’s possessions, keep it for a while even though you may not display it or use it. After you have stored the for a few years, you might not feel quite so sentimental!

Okay, so how do you prevent problems when you are choosing an estate sale professional?

First, determine what your own wishes and goals are. Do you need help dealing with the sentimental and emotional side of liquidating a loved one’s things? Are you short of time and want this chore done as quickly as possible? Do you want to get top dollar for the remaining items? Knowing your own motivations and communicating them to the estate sale person will be the first step in a smooth transaction.

Next, interview at least two estate sale people. Meet with them in person at the home where the items to be liquidated are located. Do not be shy about asking for ballpark values on items.

Ask for three references, and CALL those references. Ask how the estate items will be handled. Will there be one or more on-premise sales? If so, what about security? Does the estate sale person plan to show the possessions to various collectors that he/she has a relationship with? Will he or she put items on Craigslist or EBay?

If there is an on-premise estate sale, will the estate sale handler be bringing in other items? Often, the handlers bring in remainders from other sales and attempt to sell those as well. The co-mingling can present accounting problems later on.

How will the estate sale person handle the remainders? There are always items that do not sell. There should be a plan in place for removing those items without charging you for the hauling. Many charities will haul stuff for free.

Will the estate sale person make sure the house is “broom clean” when the last items are removed?

This next part is very important, because this is really how trouble can ensue. How does the estate sale person’s accounting work? How will you know what sold when, and for how much? Ask to see a sample of their accounting. Nobody is going to really care about the small nick-nacks, but if the larger or more valuable items are not going to be itemized by date and price sold, the estate sale person may not be the best one for you.

Now we get to the “This is not Antiques Roadshow” part. No matter how expensive an item was when purchased by the deceased, realize that it may not have held its value. A good example are sets of china. They are very difficult to sell because everybody already has all the china they need. Couches and chairs do not hold value, even if they are in great condition, because new furniture is quite cheap now.

Also, ask the estate sale person if there are enough items left to make it worth their while to take on the sale. They need to make a living, too, and you want them to value the estate enough to do a great job.

Hopefully, the estate sale person that you choose will be the answer to all your prayers.

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Hot Deal Seeker Read First

Hot Deal? Do You Have One?

Hot Deal-How about a house that’s already underpriced, and is being overlooked by every buyer in the market? And the owner is super motivated. Desperate even. And would probably take even less than they are asking already.

Just by buying it at such a low price you’re going to make money. But, if you put a few bucks in, you’ll make way more money. And quickly.

So, what’s the secret? How do you get in on such a hot deal!?

Apparently, a lot of people think the road to riches is paved with one carefully worded question…

“Got any hot deals?”

If real estate agents had a dime for every time they hear that question…

You can certainly try that approach. Ask every real estate agent you meet that very question. But it probably won’t get you in on any hot deals.

It’s not a bad question

It’s not that it’s a bad question. There’s nothing wrong with asking a real estate agent if they have any hot deals.

But, it can be aggravating to agents. And, even if they do know of any hot deals, it probably won’t do you any good.

Because reality.

Be in the market, not asking about it

First of all, who doesn’t want a good deal? There are always people in the market, ready, willing, and able to scoop up a good deal.

So, if you find yourself asking this and there isn’t a hot deal to be had, it’s because there are people actually, and actively in the market buying the deals. Some are just people looking for their own home, recognizing a deal when they see one, and grabbing it. Others are investors who are constantly on the lookout and in a position to buy deals when they see them.

So, if you’re just asking if there are any hot deals, it won’t do you any good. Unless you happen to be absolutely ready to pounce. Meaning, you have money lined up. Whether it’s in the form of financing or cash.

But it also means you have to be mentally ready to pounce. If you ask, and an agent does bring you a hot deal, you need to be ready to go after it…not wait to see if the price goes down more, or “posture” and wait for the seller to come groveling to you to make an offer, any offer. Or, just wait to see if another better deal comes along.

So, it’s perfectly fine to ask agents if they have a hot deal, but you need to be ready, willing, and able to do something about it. Otherwise, you can ask every agent you ever meet the same question, and it’s not going to get you anywhere.

Simply put, you need to be one of the people in the market… not just asking about the market.

Align with an agent

It might seem to make sense to ask every agent you meet if he or she has a hot deal.

But it doesn’t really work that way.

This is probably an issue of how the question is worded, and some misunderstanding.

It seems that when people ask this question, they’re asking the agent if they have a house listed that is a good deal. This doesn’t make a lot of sense. If an agent is listing a house, they should be attempting to get the highest price possible for their seller. Not getting a buyer a good deal.

Sure, there may be agents who play in the sandbox that way. But most don’t and won’t. So the question is a bit insulting, and totally aggravating.

That same agent can find and get you a hot deal…But not necessarily one they personally “have”.

They can find you a hot deal listed by another agent. And they probably would love to do that for you. But you need to be aware of the reality that the hot deal they can bring you to is likely not their listing, and not necessarily something they can pull out of a hat for you in that very moment.

They will need some time to scour the market for a hot deal. After you give them some information.

A “hot deal” is relative

Just because something is a hot deal, doesn’t mean it is a good deal for you…and your abilities, wants, and needs.

If you go around asking every agent you meet this question, they’re going to sense it. Having an army of agents all you on their mind for the next great deal just isn’t going to pan out.

Agents want and need to know they’re spending their time wisely on someone.

So, if you truly do want in on a “hot deal”, you should find and align with one agent (singular). Actually sit down with him or her and get into what you can actually do something about.

You can’t just say that you’re open to anything as long as it is a deal…and you’ll figure out how to make it work. And then expect the agent to spend a concerted amount of time and attention on finding you deals. Because the agent (unless they are new or desperate) probably won’t invest a whole lot of time or care truly finding you a good deal.

You need to show your sincerity, and your actual ability to an agent…at least if you want good attention from a good agent. And you should. So, align with the best agent you can.

There’s always a “hot deal”

A lot of the “hot deals” aren’t obvious.

The hot deals are made, as much as they are found.

And the best way to find and get a hot deal is not by offhandedly asking if an agent has one, but by being in the market, aligned with an agent, going out and making a hot deal happen. And, once in a while, just being in the right place, at the right time…but also being ready, willing, and able to scoop up the deal.

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Pets Best Move Ever

Pets and Making It Up To Them After The Move

You have read all the advice on moving with pets, and you have plans in place to make the transition as easy as possible for your dog and/or cat. We will call them Butch and Fluffy (Butch is the dog). The big moving day has arrived and Butch and/or Fluffy are freaking out. And since our pets are more important than life itself, we can’t have them going bonkers, can we? So, here are some good ideas for making your pet (and you) feel at home after a move.

First, make sure your new place has been thoroughly cleaned, especially if it belonged to another pet. Your animal DOES NOT want to smell anybody else in the new place. If this is impractical, put down puppy pads for both cats and dogs. Your house will look awful, but since you have not yet unpacked, it probably does anyway.

Prior to your move, do not wash animal beds or blankets. The funkier they smell, the better, in your pet’s opinion. By the way, moving the animal stuff is a great moving day task for kids.

Next, supervise. Dogs run and cats hide. A dog can easily get lost in a new, unfamiliar neighborhood. As soon as possible, preferably the day you move, take Butch out for a nice walk. Butch will take cues from you, so the more relaxed and pleasant you are, the more relaxed and pleasant Butch will be. (This is where tranquilizers come in – for both of you.)

For cats, it is a good idea to keep Fluffy in for a few days, and expect lots of hiding. Make sure you know all of the new house’s nooks and crannies and make sure they are safe for your pet to hide in – you do not want Fluffy getting stuck inside a wall or escaping from a crawl space. Make a nice bed (with water and maybe even a litterbox) inside one of the closets. If Fluffy wants to stay in there for several days, let her. If you have a multiple cat household, you may need to temporarily give up more than one closet. Hey, you are too tired to unpack anyway, right? Who and what is more important, Fluffy or your shoe collection?

It goes without saying that you will need to use the same food and water bowls for Butch and Fluffy. Put food and water down as soon as you get into the new place. Do not worry if they do not eat for a day but make sure they stay hydrated. Put them in about the same place that they were in your old place – kitchen to kitchen, laundry to laundry, etc.

Here is a favorite trick, although it has an ewww factor. On moving day:

Take the sheets off the bed in the old house and then put the very same sheets back on the bed in the new house. Bring your pet to bed with you. Nothing will be as comforting for your pet as being safe and warm with their human and being surrounded by familiar smells.Keep the same routine – same daily activities at the same time, same leisure activities, at the same time – and soon Fluffy and Butch will have their comfortable routines set, too. And they will be as happy in their new home as you are.

 

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