Maui Real Estate Resources for Sellers

The Sellers' Resources page was created specifically to meet the needs of those contemplating or planning on selling their home and constructed based on past clients' requests for sales information. Here you will find important information on the Selling Process as well as information on Katrina's Seller Agent services, her unique S.M.A.R.T. Approach to marketing your home as well as resources for mortgage brokers and escrow companies.

All successful real estate transactions take a professional team, dedicated to giving you the best service. Katrina surrounds herself with experts on market trends, financing options, new developments, structural issues, zoning changes and a myriad of other real estate issues. Her renowned client care services combined with her excellent rapport with these top professionals ensures you receive the ultimate service experience.

List with Katrina and your home will be seen by the world!

Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Benefits to Selling Your Home or Property with Katrina Pitman

Katrina's Sales Commitment

Katrina Pitman has experience in all aspects of real estate.

Here are just a few of the reasons choosing Katrina as your sales representative will give you the best sales experience possible:

• Katrina represents your interests - with Katrina representing your interests you get a professional REALTOR handling all the activity regarding your home's sale, marketing and closing!
• Her unique and comprehensive S.M.A.R.T. Marketing Approach to selling your home will ensure that your property is seen by thousands of potential buyers.
• Katrina will keep you informed on market fluctuations pertaining to price, the financial market, buyer demands, etc. and explain their effect on the sale of your property.
• Katrina will negotiate the best price and terms for you. Katrina will protect your valuable equity and ensure that you receive top dollar for your investment in your home.
• She will use her extensive contract knowledge to review all contracts with you to be sure that they protect your interests.
• Katrina will oversee all closing procedures and keep you informed of all mortgage, title and other closing procedures after the contract has been accepted. You will be updated regularly and, in conjunction with escrow's detailed timelines, provided assistance with following up on all contingency dates, etc. required for closing on time.
• Expert Real Estate Team - Katrina surrounds herself with experts in all important real estate fields. Their advice can prove invaluable when faced with the enormous task of selling your home or property.
• And When It's All Over.... - Katrina continues to work for you once escrow on the sale of your property has closed. She is available to answer any questions you might have regarding the sale or any aspects of the real estate transaction. Many of her clients begin as strangers yet many end up as friends. Become a member of the Katrina Pitman's Family of Happy Real Estate Sellers.

The S.M.A.R.T. Approach to Selling Your House

Katrina's innovative sales and marketing program, the S.M.A.R.T. Approach, ensures your home is "market ready" and seen by thousands of potential buyers. It is estimated that there are over 433 things that can be done to help sell your home. Katrina will discuss your needs and put together the most comprehensive and effective plan to sell your home or property. Here are just some of the ways Katrina's unique and successful system will work for you:

Preparing Ahead for Success

Katrina will work with you to make sure those things that can sometimes hold up a contract are taken care of before they have a chance to become issues. These include a thorough market analysis, survey, a recent home and termite inspection and an appraisal.

The Marketing Campaign

Next Katrina will begin a thorough marketing campaign to ensure your home is seen by thousands of potential buyers. Katrina's marketing team will work to highlight your property and its features in numerous marketing venues. Katrina's comprehensive marketing plan includes open houses, daily and/or weekly newspaper ads, websites, home buyer's magazines, virtual tours, multiple listing services, brochures, direct mail, RE/MAX's agent referral and relocation programs and more.

Employ the S.M.A.R.T. Approach to Marketing and be a part of a team effort - YOUR TEAM - the team that makes you the most money in the least amount of time. See how Katrina's S.M.A.R.T. Approach to selling your home can help you have the best real estate sale experience possible...

The RE/MAX Difference

Most companies would like to be able to sell the number of properties RE/MAX sells. In fact, RE/MAX, with its name recognition and outstanding agents (with more than 120,000 agents in 65 countries), out markets and out sells every other real estate company in the world.

Katrina utilizes the RE/MAX Maui Administrative Support Staff which helps by providing vital daily assistance. They oversee the systems and procedures necessary to complete a transaction, provide data entry and clerical services to support Katrina so that you receive the highest level of client service at all times and become a card-carrying client for life.

When you combine the RE/MAX name and expertise with Katrina's innovative S.M.A.R.T. approach to sales and marketing, you know your closing date is just around the corner.

Escrow Company Resources

The role of the escrow company is to act as a “neutral third party” assuring that both the buyer and the seller are protected during any transaction of real estate property. Escrows have clearly defined timelines, and if for some reason all instructions cannot be carried out within the time limit, all parties are then entitled to the return of funds, documents and any other applicable related materials.

You may find it useful to investigate in advance what additional services or incentives each escrow company offers that would make one company fit your needs more precisely than another. Following are three escrow companies that have provided excellent service and have ranked highly with past clients.

Island Title Corporation

Contact: Pamela Teal

Address: 1325 S. Kihei Rd., Suite 205, Kihei, Maui HI  96753

Phone: (808) 879-5706

Website: http://www.itchawaii.com

Old Republic Title & Escrow of Hawaii

Contact: Trisha Spencer

Address: 380 Huku Li'i Place, Suite 206, Kihei, Maui HI  96753

Phone: (808) 875-6950

Website: http://www.ortc.com

Title Guaranty Escrow & Title Services

Contact: Tamara Cabanilla-Aricayos

Address: 41 E. Lipoa St. Suite 29, Kihei, Maui HI  96753

Phone: (808) 875-6686

Website: http://www.ortc.com

Photography Resources

One of the best ways to ensure your home is captured at its finest is to hire a professional photographer. They will work to ensure that every picture of your home, whether exterior or interior, displays its beauty and unique qualities. Once your pictures are completed, they can be used in all your advertising and listings to show your house at its best. There are a number of professional real estate photographers on Maui. One of the most sought after is Mary Sloan Photography. Her photographs can be found in Maui's top real estate publications and on the web on some of the best real estate websites, including LuxuryHomes.com.

Mary Sloan Photography

Phone: (808) 283-6374

Website: www.marysloanphoto.com

The Step-by-Step Selling Process

It takes on average three to five months to sell a home. It is possible that some may sell in just a few days while others may take several months. Following are the steps to help sell your home or property in the quickest amount of time and with the most success.

Choosing a Realtor

Many realtors will tell you exactly what you want to hear just to get the listing - that your property is worth whatever you want it to be worth. This one decision can slow down the process of selling your house or property tremendously.

It is very important to choose a Realtor who is an expert in YOUR specific real estate market and that you are comfortable with their personal integrity and level of caring. They must be up-to-date on the fast-changing real estate market and, from a thorough market analysis, be able to recommend the optimum asking price for your home. They will give a realistic price range for you to choose from that will result in the successful sale of your property.

Setting the Asking Price of Your Home or Property

Pricing your home correctly is the single most important step in successfully marketing your home! Katrina will work with you to determine the highest asking price possible, based on market conditions, while also meeting your desired time frame for the sale.

Katrina will provide an accurate Comparative Market Analysis by researching and collecting data from various sources including, but not limited to, reviewing contracts that have closed in the past 90 days, contracts that are pending as well as homes that are currently on the market. From this information, recent market activity, immediate market value of the neighborhood and the degree of competition in the area are determined. The analysis will concentrate on homes similar to yours and will also include descriptions of the homes used in the analysis so that you can compare your home's features with other homes. In the marketing of any product, features, price and competition (supply) are three of the most important factors of a successful sale.

Once the data has been collected, a comparison of each of the homes with your home will be made to determine the accurate price range of your property.

Katrina will be able to further pinpoint the value of your home by asking you important questions such as your time frame, marketing features and the showing condition of your home.

Preparing Your Home to Show

The seller controls the condition of the home. During your meeting with Katrina she will ask you to list your home's favorite features. She will also discuss any improvements and inexpensive ways to improve your property so that it shows at its best.

There are estimated to be over 433 things that you can do to help get your home sold quickly. You may want to check out Katrina's Seller's Tips section of the website, a special section of the website just for sellers which contains improvement and showing tips. Many of these tips are the same techniques used by professional "stagers" to help boost the success factor in the presentation and sale of a home.

Marketing Your Home

Katrina's innovative sales and marketing program, the S.M.A.R.T. Approach, ensures your home is "market ready" and seen by thousands of potential buyers. Once Katrina has presented you with your Comparative Marketing Analysis and discussed your home in detail, she will then present you with a customized marketing plan for the most effective sale of your home. This unique service program has been highly successful with many home sales and is the best way to ensure you the highest asking price in the least amount of time. Learn more about Katrina's S.M.A.R.T. Approach.

The Sale, Escrow and Closing

Once you have accepted an offer, Katrina's extensive experience in contract writing and negotiation is used to structure the contract to protect your interests and address all concerns.

She will also coordinate with cooperating agents and represent your interests to a successful closing. Katrina's renowned service ensures your needs are taken care of from escrow to closing and beyond...for the most effortless experience possible.

Katrina Pitman Real Estate

P.O. Box 1733, Makawao, Maui, HI 96768

Phone:  (808) 298-6938

Email: Katrina@KatrinaPitmanRealEstate.com

Credits: Photo of Maui Sunset by Kristin Fein of Fein Art Photography: (808) 281-1302

© 2007 Katrina Pitman Consulting Services