The seller's playbook

Your Path to Sold

A confident, plain-language guide to selling a home in the Bay Area, from first conversation to keys handed over. Fifteen steps, seven phases, one page each.

For sellers pdf · 24 pages Download PDF

The seller’s companion to the buyer playbook. It is the whole listing in one document: what it costs to sell, how the price gets picked, which prep actually earns its money, and what happens week by week from launch to the day your proceeds wire lands.

What’s inside

The 15-step roadmap, from choosing your listing agent to the wire hitting your account.
A plain-language listing agreement walkthrough so the RLA is no surprise.
The 2024 commission change explained, plus every real cost of selling.
Pricing strategy: how a real CMA gets built and the three list-price plays.
The 80/20 of prep: what to fix, what to skip, staging, and photography.
The offer scorecard: why the highest number is not always the best deal.
Two sidebars on capital gains taxes and living in your home while it’s listed.
The three rules I hold every transaction to.

Who it’s for

If you are thinking about selling a Bay Area home in the next year, start here. Read it before you interview a single agent, including me. You will walk into every conversation knowing what the process should look like.

How to use it

Read it once cover-to-cover. Each step has questions to answer in writing; don’t fill them in yet. Then we sit down for forty-five minutes and build the plan for your home.

Or read it here

Flip through the playbook without leaving the page.

Click below to load an inline flipbook. Use the fullscreen button for a much bigger view. Arrow keys, side controls, or clicking the edge of a page all turn it.

Before you dive in

Common questions about selling.

How do you decide on a listing price?

We price off recent comparable sales (same neighborhood, similar size and condition), adjusted honestly for what makes your home different, and weighed against current buyer demand. The goal is a number that attracts real offers, not one that sits. I'll show you the comps and the reasoning, not just a figure.

What does it cost to sell a home?

Typical seller costs include the agreed commission, escrow and title fees, any transfer taxes, and the cost of prepping the home. The exact mix depends on your property and the terms we negotiate. I'll give you a clear net-proceeds estimate before we list so you know what you'll walk away with.

Should I make repairs or improvements before listing?

Some help, many don't. I'd rather walk the home with you and tell you honestly which fixes earn their cost back and which are wasted effort, than have you sink money into the wrong things. Often the highest-return work is the least glamorous.

How long does selling actually take?

A prepared seller typically needs 14 to 21 days from our first conversation to going live: prep, paperwork, photography, and launch choreography. The first weekend on market tells us most of what we need to know, and once an offer is accepted, escrow usually runs 21 to 40 days to recording. Start to finish, plan on roughly six to ten weeks, and less when the home is already close to list-ready.

Should I do inspections before I list?

Often, yes. Pre-listing inspections (general home, pest, sometimes roof or sewer) let buyers bid with confidence, which usually tightens the negotiation in your favor. The honest tradeoff: anything an inspection finds becomes a required disclosure. We make that call together based on the age and condition of the home, and I'd rather know about a problem in week one than in escrow.

Will I owe capital gains taxes when I sell?

If the home was your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years, federal law lets you exclude $250,000 of gain if you file single, or $500,000 filing jointly. Many long-time Bay Area owners have gains beyond the exclusion, and the amount above it is taxed at federal capital gains rates plus California income tax. The right move is a short call with your CPA before we price, not after we close. I'll give you the numbers they need.

Can I take my property tax base with me when I move?

If you're 55 or older (or meet certain disability and disaster provisions), Proposition 19 lets you transfer your current assessed value to a replacement home anywhere in California, up to three times. Buy a more expensive home and the difference gets added to your transferred base; buy equal or less and the old base carries over. For long-time owners this can preserve thousands of dollars a year. The claim is filed with the county assessor, and I walk clients through the mechanics as part of any sell-then-buy plan. See the downsizing guide for the full picture.

Do I have to disclose problems I've already repaired?

Yes. California's disclosure forms ask about past problems as well as present ones, and a properly repaired issue with receipts reads as responsible ownership, not a red flag. My rule for sellers is simple: disclose generously. The lawsuit two years after close is almost always about something the seller knew and didn't say. Silence costs more than disclosure ever will.

Can I sell my current home and buy the next one at the same time?

Yes, and it's the most common move I guide. The order of operations matters more than anything else: whether you sell first with a rent-back, buy first with financing that bridges the gap, or write a contingent offer depends on your equity, your risk tolerance, and the market that season. We map both timelines as one plan before either transaction starts, so you're never paying two mortgages by accident or left without a place to land.

What happens to my proceeds at closing?

Escrow pays off your mortgage and the transaction costs, then wires the remainder to your account, usually the same day the sale records or the next business day. You'll get a closing statement showing every line. Keep it for your CPA. One caution I give every seller: wire fraud targets closings, so we confirm wire instructions by phone with escrow, never from an email.

See all frequently asked questions