Service Is The Heart Of Our Business

Stepping Stone Properties has been a leading real estate firm in Hendersonville, NC since 1994. We are family owned and operated, and we take pride in our personal service approach to assisting our clients in all of their real estate needs. We are members of the National Association of Realtors, NC Association of Realtors, Hendersonville Board of Realtors & Western North Carolina Regional MLS. With nearly 50 years of combined experience among our brokers, we have what takes to ensure that your needs are met in today’s market as you buy or sell real estate in the Western North Carolina Region.

Our Promise To You We are with our clients every step of the way.....• Real Estate is a personal service business & we

know it! Don’t just hire a company, hire a person, someone you can trust to represent your best interest at all times & to consult with in all of the important phases of your real estate transaction. • You should expect knowledge, skills &

experience in the area of financing, contracts, negotiating & marketing with a track record of producing results. As the real estate market has changed, the expertise of Stepping Stone Properties’ Broker Associates & its founding Owner/Broker, Suprina Stepp, is invaluable in utilizing computer & data analysis for the sale or purchase of real estate.

YOU SHOULD ACCEPT NOTHING LESSTHAN EXCELLENCE!

About Stepping Stone Properties

The success of Stepping Stone Properties ultimately depends on the quality of our service. The success of our business can also be largely attributed to more personalized service and integrity. Our business is built on a solid foundation of professionalism as well as a straight forward and caring commitment to our customers and clients. We take great pride in the fact that much of our business is return clients and client referrals. We offer the best combination of modern technology and old fashion personal service.

Stepping Stone Properties was established in 1994 by Suprina Stepp, a thirty year veteran Realtor and a native of Hendersonville. Suprina was a franchise trained Realtor, but chose to be an independent office in order to maintain the personal touch and to keep the heart of the Real Estate business about serving our client personalized needs. We realize at Stepping Stone Properties that the most important quality that a Realtor can possess is the ability to listen to what the customer/client needs. Our agents strive to do their very best in providing aspects of those needs. It is our goal to make the home buying or selling experience a pleasant one. We are with our clients every step of the way.

SSP has a very user friendly interactive website to assist our out-of-town buyers as well as local buyers in the search for their ideal property. It is the latest in cutting edge technology. Our website places emphasis on allowing each prospective buyer to connect with an SSP relocation specialist and on giving the buyer the utmost assistance in locating just the right home. It allows us to better assist our clients in whatever special needs they may have whether they include schools, medical, jobs, or hobbies. Whether buying or selling, our professional and knowledgeable team wants your move to be as smooth and stress free as possible. We realize at SSP that buying or selling a home is one of the most important transactions of your life. We want our buyers and sellers to remember SSP for making their real estate experience one that leaves them with a lasting impression as well as the feeling that they were well represented and cared for on an individual level.

Why Should You Work With a Realtor?

What is a REALTOR® and why should you use one?Only real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® (NAR) can call themselves REALTORS ®. All REALTORS ® adhere to NAR’s strict Code of Ethics, which is based on professionalism and protection of the public. That’s why all real estate licensees are NOT the same.

Dedicated to serving America’s property owners at both local and national levels, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®, The Voice for Real Estate ®, is the largest professional association at over one million members strong. So, whether you’re buying or selling a home – it pays to work with a REALTOR ®. Stepping Stone Properties is proud to say that each of our broker associates are REALTORS ®

REALTORS ® provide sellers invaluable services, and there are many reasons to work with one. A REALTOR ®:

• Can give you up-to-date information about the market, prices, financing, terms and conditions of competing properties.

• Will market your property to other real estate agents and to the public.

• Will know when, where and how to best market your property.

• Can help you objectively evaluate every buyer’s proposal without compromising your marketing position.

• Can help close the sale of your home.

The Code of Ethics: A Commitment to the

PublicThe Code of Ethics of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® is thepromise to the public that when dealing with a real estate agent that is aREALTOR ®, they can expect honest and ethical treatment in all transactionrelated matters. Only REALTORS ® pledge to abide by the Association’s Codeof Ethics and only REALTORS ® are held accountable for their ethical behavior.

Some of the basic Principles of the Code of Ethics include:

• Protect and promote your client’s interests, but be honest with all parties.• Avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, and concealment of pertinent facts. • Do not reveal facts that are confidential under the scope of your agency

relationship.• Disclose present or contemplated interest in any property to all parties.• Avoid side deals without your client’s informed consent.• Keep the funds of clients and customers in escrow.• Ensure, whenever possible, that transactional details are in writing.• Provide equal service to all clients and customers.• Be knowledgeable and competent in the fields of practice in which you

ordinarily engage. Obtain assistance or disclose lack of experience if necessary.

• Do not engage in the unauthorized practice of law.

How does working with a real estate agent benefit you as a

seller?

Establishing proper and competitive pricing for your property.

Assistance in reaching the target market for your property.

Assistance in providing disclosures required by law for your property.

Showing your property. Pre-qualifying buyers for your property. Negotiating offers to purchase for your property. Coordinating inspections, repairs, appraisals, closings

and various other aspects of a real estate transaction.

EXPLAINING AGENCY

The NC Real Estate Commission requires all agents to present at the earliest contact with clients/customers the Working with Real Estate Agents brochure. The brochure explains agency relationships between buyers, sellers and their Real Estate Agent. The brochure explains Dual Agency which occurs when an Agent represents both the Buyer & Seller. Your Stepping Stone Agent will review this brochure with you & answer any questions regarding agency. The brochure is not a contract, but a mandatory disclosure.

MARKETING YOUR PROPERTY

Once you have entered into a listing agreement with Stepping Stone Properties:

Your listing will be entered into our regional multiple listing service. We have close to 3,000 members that share your listing information. We work closely with other member offices and agents that will assist in the marketing process.

Our Customized Marketing For You

At Stepping Stone Properties we take pride in our ability to provide our clients with effective marketing and to give their properties theexposure that they deserve. We use a variety of avenues to achievethat end, such as the WNC Regional Multiple Listing Service, theHendersonville Times New Website, periodic Homes and Land ads, our state-of-the-art company website, individual listing websites, ListHub,Realtor.com, Broker IDX, We rank in the top results pages for majorsearch engines such as Yahoo and Google, we utilize Karnes Commercial Real Estate Search for eligible listings, as well as mostmainstream social and business networking websites includingFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., just to name a few. With nearly 90% of buyers going to the web before they go anywhere else, weplace a heavy emphasis on internet advertising to give your property maximum national and international exposure. We recognize that no two properties are ever alike; therefore, we always take intoconsideration that additional or unique marketing strategies may be required for certain properties. We are always willing to go the extramile to give your property the marketing that it deserves.

MARKET VALUE

Your Stepping Stone Agent will provide you with an up to date market analysis which will show you other comparable properties that have recently sold in your area to help you arrive at the best market value for your property. The data in the market analysis will determine your property’s market value. This will give you the most equity for your property and at the same time place your property in a competitive place in the market.

Comparative Market Analysis

Multiple Listing Service

Online Advertising Facts in Today’s Market

Stepping Stone Properties Website

Our interactive company website is dedicated to providing buyers and sellers

with valuable resources such as comprehensive search features, relocation

information, information about Hendersonville and its surrounding areas,

mortgage calculators and so much more. When you list with Stepping Stone

Properties, your property is available for online viewing 24/7. Our company

website also has the ability to track how many hits your property gets on a daily

basis! We would like to invite you learn more about our website and to take

advantage of these resources by visiting: WWW.SSPREALESTATE.COM

Each SSP broker also maintains their own personal webpage to showcase your property and provide valuable real estate information. To learn more about our broker websites you can visit http://suprina.steppingstoneproperties.com as an example.

Broker IDX

As a member of broker IDX, when a Stepping Stone Properties listing is entered into MLS our listings are automatically uploaded to other real estate firm and member exchangewebsites that are linked with Broker IDX data; thus, increasing your propertiesexposure on the internet!

Stepping Stone Properties is a member of the Nation’s #1 network for listing distribution: Our real estate company has an aggressive strategy for attracting home buyers to our listings. By distributing your listing information, along with photographs, to a wide array of premier consumer websites, we make sure that we maximize every opportunity to attract qualified buyers to the table.

- Google Maps- Yahoo! Real Estate- Zillow.com - Zillow also powers real estate classifieds for more than 100 local newspaper websites. To view their network of sites, visit http://www.cnhi.com/newspapers.

- Trulia - Trulia also powers other real estate Web sites including Washington Post, Kiplinger and US News and World Report

- HomeFinder- FrontDoor- OpenHouse.com - FrontDoor also powers real estate classifieds websites for some newspapers in the Scripps Network. To view their network of sites, visit http://www.scripps.com/newspapers/locations.

- Cyberhomes- Homes.com- HotPads

Complete list of ListHub listing distribution sites (Your listing will appear on these sites)

- Oodle- Lycos Classifieds- Local.com- Military.com- Walmart- Comcast- ABC- Express (The Washington Post)- Florida Press Association- New York Post- Cox Media- Fox Interactive Media- Media General- New York Times Company (regional)- RealtyTrac- AOL Real Estate- Vast- CLRSearch- LakeHomesUSA, RiverHomesUSA, OceanHomesUSA- MyREALTY.com- PropBot- Enormo- ELOHomeSearch

ListHub Distribution Sites Continued……..

- DataSphere - LandWatch - ResortScape- Overstock- eRealInvestor- Foreclosure.com - By subscribing to Foreclosure.com our listings will also display the following powered sites: All Foreclosure.com subdomains, HomePath.com, ForeclosureFreeSearch.com and QuickSale.com.

- FreedomSoft- HomeOnTheTube- Homes By Lender- HomeTourConnect

- HomeWinks - IAS Properties - LearnMoreNow.com- LiquidusMedia- National Relocation- NCMMLS- Property Pursuit- Property Shark- RealEstateCentral- RealtyStore- Relocation.com- TweetLister- USHUD.com

The Times News Stepping Stone Properties also utilizes the local news print publication on occasion to advertise our listings, open houses company announcements,etc.

Another service that we offer through our partnership with the Times togive our listings maximum exposure to prospective buyers in the real estate market includes the Hendersonville Times News website atwww.blueridgenow.com. This online resource furthers the ultimate goal that SSP has set for expanding its marketing efforts on to a national andinternational level via the online community, which has become so vital intoday’s technology driven market. These efforts also ensure that yourproperty is generating the strongest web presence possible.

There are also links to the Stepping Stone Properties website from theTimes News website at various points, which serve to drive potential buyersto our company webpage where they come in direct contact with

theStepping Stone Properties’ listing inventory.

Times News Real Estate

Times News Onlinewww.blueridgenow.com

Homes and Land Publication

Periodic advertising in the print publication and online listing showcase

Homes and Land on the Web

Online Exposure for Commercial Properties with Karnes

Commercial Real Estate Search

Individual Customized Listing Websites!

WWW.REALTOR.COM

REAL ESTATE

Craig’s List Real Estate Listings

Social & Business Networking- Our listings are posted to our social & business networking sites to reach thousands of online connections

Customized e-flyers: A proactive measure to inform other members

of the real estate profession about your property

Your Stepping Stone Agent will design a customized Home Book

to Showcase Your Residential Property and to provide all the information a prospective buyer needs to keep

your property in the forefront while they are searching for their new

home.

Your Customized Home Book Contains:

Cover Page as displayed on the left.

A one page description of your property.

Information about the area in which the

property is located.

The MLS Listing Sheet for your property

Gallery Photos

Property Lines

Floor Plan

Arial Satellite Image of Property if

available

All Relevant Disclosures

Mortgage Estimate

Keeping Your Neighbors

in the LoopNo one knows a neighborhood better than its residents. Therefore, it is important to keep your neighbors informed when your property is on the market. They can be a valuable resource for spreading the word about your property to potential buyers. As such, your Stepping Stone Agent will mail letters to each of your neighbors to inform them that your property is on the market.

Your Stepping Stone Agent will install a tasteful lawn sign and

directional signs

Your Stepping Stone Agent will install a lawn sign and directional signs to make it known to prospective buyers and agents that your property is on the market. We can also direct prospects to find your property on our website and to direct them to your virtual tour.

STEPPING STONE PROPERTIES MUST OBSERVE ANY SIGN ORDINANCES BY THE TOWNSHIP OR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES WHERE SIGNAGE IS RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED.

Additional Marketing Strategies

Virtual Tours:

-Available online through MLS, Our Company Website, Broker IDX and each individual listing website.

Home Warranty Options:- Including a home warranty offer in the marketing of residential listings can many times prove to be a value added incentive to buyers that could very well become a deciding factor for a buyer who is on the fence.

Property Flyer Boxes:- Makes information for your property readily available to drive-by traffic.

Home Staging: - Brings homes to life in a way that helps buyers visualize what a house can be when they make it a home, while also allowing them to visualize the possibilities for making it their own!

Relocation Expertise

Virtual Tours Your Stepping Stone Agent will provide a Virtual Slide Show Tour of

your home or community.

Your Virtual Tour is available 24/7 and will be in service until we have closed your transaction

Virtual Tours have proven to be a very effective tool when working with our out of town clients who quite frequently search the internet for homes to preview before they arrive in our area to purchase a new home.

To view a sample virtual tour please visit: http://8rivolidrive.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/9794615-8-rivoli-drive-virtual-tour

FOR HOMES OVER $100,000 AND PROVIDED A TOUR IS APPROPRIATE.

We Offer Home Warranty Services

Property Flyer Boxes

Makes information for your property readily available to drive-bytraffic.

- This service can be provided to sellers who list with Stepping Stone Properties at no additional charge if they wish to take advantage of this marketing option. - Home staging can be a very beneficial marketing tool for sellers because it helps bring homes to life in a way that allows potential buyers to visualize what a house can be when they make it home, while also allowing them to visualize the possibilities for making it their own!

Relocation Expertise

Our brokers have considerable experiencemarketing our listings in the relocation market and helping home and property buyers navigate the relocation process to our lovely region. Witha large part of our local market being driven by the relocation/retirement sector, we feel that our expertise in coordinating transactions of this nature and reaching this target market are a valuable resource for our sellers!

Showing Service: Coordinating Showings for

your Listing - Showings and appointments for your property are arranged through a Centralized Showing Service, which is a service that coordinates and handles showing arrangements for property listings within the entire realtor board.

- Utilizing such a service offers many benefits because it provides cutting-edge technology designed to reduce the time needed by REALTORS® and increase efficiency in scheduling showing appointments. Our showing service membership ensures that quick, courteous & accurate information is provided to every REALTOR® & home seller that comes in contact with their call center. It also helps your SSP agent give you feedback on every showing appointment you have, convey comments made by potential buyers & it helps Realtors to assist you in the marketing process.

Showing Your Property

At your request, your Stepping Stone Agent will place a lock box at the front entrance of the home. We use padded protectors to prevent damage on your front door

These lock boxes are set on a timer that allows access to a member of our MLS Service during day time business hours only.

SSP ensures to provide appropriate measures of security when your property is shown. We will always be sure to instruct our showing service to provide a courtesy call before allowing entry into any occupied property. Our lock boxes also record date, time and the individual Agent that uses the lock box.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED

YOUR STEPPING STONE AGENT WILL STAY IN CONTACT WITH YOU. WE KNOW IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM YOUR AGENT AND TO KNOW HOW THE SHOWINGS AND THE ACTIVITY OF YOUR PROPERTY ARE PROGRESSING.

YOUR AGENT WILL KEEP YOU APPRISED REGARDING THE MARKETING EFFORTS THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORTH ON YOUR BEHALF.

WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED!

WHEN YOU RECEIVE AN OFFER

TO PURCHASE CONTRACT

Your Stepping Stone Agent will present any and all offers in a timely manner. Your Agent will also go through these detailed documents with you carefully to allow you the opportunity to make the best decision for you and to assist you in the process that begins with an offer to purchase agreement until the successful closing of your transaction.

YOUR STEPPING STONE AGENT CAN

ADVISE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS

All of the Inspections prior to Closing Arrange an Appraisal Appointment Earnest Money Questions Radon Inspections Lead-Based Paint Septic System Inspection Well Inspection Water Analysis Wood Destroying Insect Inspection SSP is affiliated with a home warranty provider- American Home

Shield. Your agent can assist you in finding the best attorney to close

the transaction on your new property. They can also assist you with movers, Utilities change over and

even represent you at the closing should you be unable to attend.

FROM CONTRACT TO CLOSING

When you enter into an Offer To Purchase Agreement, often times inspections are ordered either by your agent or the selling agent. Your Stepping Stone Agent can assist you with all of the inspections. For example, often a licensed home inspector will inspect your property and submit a report of the findings of any defects or repairs that may be an issue. They can help advise you of your options and if repairs are in order, help direct you though the process.

Service Provider Referrals

We recognize that navigating the process of real estate transactions in today’s market can be rather overwhelming. This iswhere a company with nearly 50 years of combined experience among it’s brokers can come in handy! We are native to the community, well established and are connected with a greatnetwork of service providers in a wide variety of areas that often become a part of real estate transactions at one point or another. We are more than happy to provide referrals for these servicesthroughout the course of the transaction as well as help you coordinate these services along the way. This is just another valueadded service that we bring to the table when you list with Stepping Stone Properties!

OUR MISSION IS TO FIND THE RIGHT BUYER FOR YOUR

PROPERTY

We work closely with many Banks and Mortgage Brokers to assist in the process of pre-qualifying buyers before we show your property and to assist in the loan process once a buyer has been found.

WE ARE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE

WAY

At Stepping Stone Properties we understand that buying and selling a home is one of the most important transactions you will make in your life. We are trained professionals that will be with you from contract to closing, every step of the way.

When you work with a Stepping Stone Agent you work with a

TEAM!

Each of our agents are dedicated to promoting a team environment. We believe that each individual agent has something unique and special to bring to every real estate experience. That is why we collaborate in our efforts to provide our clients with the utmost service that they deserve. Therefore, when you work with an agent from our firm you have the entire Stepping Stone Team at your disposal throughout your real estate experience! What a unique concept!

Ways of Contacting Stepping Stone

OFFICE: (828) 693-3900

FAX: (828) 693-0533

E-mail: info@steppingstoneproperties.com

Please visit our website at:

www.ssprealestate.com

Our agents are dedicated to assisting you in navigating the process of successfully

closing your transaction and beyond. Your Stepping Stone Agent is with you every step

of the way.

Service Is The Heart

Of Our Business