Home Selling in Farmington, CA

How we handle a sale

Selling a house is a chain of decisions: what to fix, what to disclose, what price the condition supports and which offer to accept. Most sellers make those calls with very little information. We start by recording the condition of the property before anything else happens.

On the walk-through, in person or over a video call, we photograph the roof edges and flashing, the electrical panel, the water heater and its seismic strapping, the plumbing under each sink, and any staining on ceilings or drywall. Each image goes into a dated condition file that you keep. When we recommend a repair, or recommend skipping one, the file shows the reason.

This page covers a straightforward sale of a house you own. If the property came to you through an estate, see Inherited & Probate Houses. If the sale is part of a separation, see Divorce Home Sales.

What the service includes

A dated condition file

Pictures of each major system with a short note on what we saw and why it matters. You get the full set, so you are never relying on our memory of the house.

A repair-or-skip answer for each finding

For every item, we tell you whether fixing it is likely to return more than it costs, or whether it is better disclosed and priced in. Some items, like water heater bracing and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, are required at sale in California, so we flag those first.

Pricing built on comparable sales

We pull recent closed sales of houses with similar size, age and lot, then adjust for the condition recorded in the file. You see which comparables we used and how each one was weighed.

Disclosure preparation

California sellers complete forms such as the Transfer Disclosure Statement and Seller Property Questionnaire. We help you match what you write to what the condition file shows, so known issues are not left off by accident. For legal questions, we point you to an attorney.

Inspection response and escrow tracking

When the buyer's inspection report arrives, we compare it with the condition file and separate real defects from cosmetic notes. Then we track the inspection, appraisal and loan contingency dates and keep you updated by phone until closing.

Signs it is time to plan the sale

• You do not know what to fix first

  A sagging gutter, a dated kitchen and a slow drain all compete for your money. A list built from the condition file puts them in order of what buyers and lenders actually care about.

• Old work has no paper trail

  A replaced water heater or re-roof with no permit on file can raise questions in escrow. Recording it now lets you disclose it clearly instead of having it surface mid-deal.

• Items an inspector will flag

  Ungrounded two-prong outlets, cracked clay sewer lines with root intrusion, and worn composition shingles show up in most inspection reports. Knowing about them early keeps them from becoming surprise repair requests.

• A past sale fell apart

  If a buyer walked after inspection, the problem is usually information that came too late. Recording the condition up front changes when buyers learn about it.

• You have a date to work toward

  A job start or the purchase of your next place sets a deadline. We plan backward from it so the escrow timeline fits. If you are buying too, see Home Buying Help.

How a sale runs, step by step

1. 1

   A first phone conversation

   We ask about the age of the house, past repairs, known issues and your timeline. You hear how we would approach the sale before anyone visits.

2. 2

   Walk-through and condition file

   We go room by room, in person or by video, and take pictures of each system. You receive the dated file with notes.

3. 3

   Price and preparation plan

   We lay out the comparable sales, the repairs worth doing, the items to disclose and a suggested price. You decide what to do; we add before-and-after pictures of any work once it is finished.

4. 4

   Offers and contingencies

   We review each offer line by line, including contingency periods and requested credits. Once you accept, we answer inspection requests using the condition file and track every deadline.

5. 5

   Final walk-through and closing

   We photograph the house at handover so the condition at closing is on record. Then escrow records the sale and the keys change hands.

What affects your cost to sell

Selling costs come from a few sources: our commission, escrow and title charges, any repairs you choose and whatever the purchase contract assigns to the seller. We go over each one by phone before you sign anything. The condition file helps you decide which repairs are worth paying for and which are better disclosed.

Commission terms

Our commission is set in writing in the agreement before work starts. We explain exactly what it covers.

Pest report clearance

A wood-destroying pest report sorts findings into active problems, such as termite damage or dry rot, and conditions likely to cause them later. Lenders often want the active items cleared before closing, which can add repair cost.

Escrow, title and transfer tax

Title insurance, escrow fees and the county transfer tax are split according to the contract and local custom. We show you which lines fall to you.

Credits after inspection

Buyers may ask for repairs or a credit after their inspection. Photos taken before the sale often narrow those requests to real defects.

Time on the market

Every month the house stays unsold, you keep paying the mortgage, utilities and insurance. Pricing to the documented condition usually shortens that stretch.