HEADSHOT PLACEHOLDER —
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Your Realtor
Mary Cuezze
Compass Realty Group
(816) 739-5373
Office: (816) 280-2773
Your Kansas City home guide
A Guide to Selling or Purchasing a New Home — Compliments of Mary Cuezze
A practical path from first questions to closing day, with the decisions that matter explained along the way.
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About Mary
About Mary
Mary Cuezze is a dedicated real estate agent and proud Kansas City, Missouri native. In real estate since 1999, she guides buyers, sellers, investors, and luxury clients across Missouri and Kansas with deep local market expertise.
Questions are welcome at any point. A clear next step is better than an uncertain guess.
Before the checklist
Start with your goals
The best strategy begins with the life decision behind the move—not just the property.
Your ideal outcome
Selling: define what a successful offer needs to accomplish. Buying: picture the home and daily life you want, not just a list of finishes.
Your timing
Identify hard dates, flexible windows, lease or closing overlap, and whether you need to sell before you buy.
Your must-haves
Separate essentials from preferences. Name the two or three things you will not compromise on—and why.
For buyers
Buy with experienced guidance
A home search is easier when every decision is connected to the one before it.
01Clarify goals and timing
02Prepare financing
03Search and tour
04Shape the offer
05Inspect and evaluate
06Prepare to close
Mary is in your corner from search to closing.
Why representation changes the outcome
The strongest help is not just finding a property. It is understanding local norms, comparing terms, coordinating deadlines, asking useful questions, and keeping the whole transaction moving.
- Turn search criteria into focused choices.
- Read price, condition, timing, and risk together.
- Coordinate the lender, inspection, title work, and closing.
For sellers
Get the house ready
Focus on what helps buyers notice the home, understand the space, and feel confident about its care.
Curb appeal
- Trim, sweep, mow, and clear the approach.
- Clean the front door and visible glass.
- Move hoses, bins, toys, and excess vehicles.
Light & space
- Replace burned-out bulbs and match color temperature.
- Open blinds and remove heavy visual clutter.
- Create a clear walking path through each room.
Clean & repair
- Finish small fixes buyers will notice.
- Clear counters and clean reflective surfaces.
- Address odors; avoid heavy fragrance cover-ups.
Make the first impression count
Getting your home photo-ready
Most buyers meet the listing online first. The camera rewards consistency, breathing room, and a clean visual story.
Match every light
Use working bulbs with a consistent warmth so rooms feel intentional rather than patchy.
Win the curb
Put away bins and tools, tidy landscaping, and leave a clear view of the front elevation.
Declutter room by room
Clear counters and floors, then simplify shelves and furniture so the room’s purpose reads immediately.
Depersonalize, not sterilize
Edit family photos and personal collections while keeping enough texture for the home to feel welcoming.
The photographer’s final sweep
Check mirrors, cords, toilet lids, ceiling fans, pet items, and anything visible through glass.
Make the first showing happen online
Prepare every room and exterior angle as if the buyer’s decision to visit depends on a single scroll.
Your realtor will provide a free twilight photo of your home—at no extra cost. In a 450-listing study, listings with twilight photos averaged 66% more views—76% more when the twilight photo was the main listing image.
Know what you are signing
Paperwork, without the fog
Forms vary, but the goal stays the same: understand the commitment, the timeline, and the decisions each document creates.
- Agency & representation
- Explains who the agent represents, what services are included, and how responsibilities are handled.
- Listing terms
- Covers price, property details, marketing permissions, access, compensation, and the listing period.
- Disclosures
- Records property information the seller is required or chooses to share. Complete these carefully and ask about anything unclear.
- Offer & addenda
- Sets out price, financing, dates, contingencies, included items, and other negotiated terms.
- Closing documents
- Finalizes ownership, funds, prorations, and transaction costs. Review the numbers before signing day.
One place to look
Your client document hub
Ask Mary for the current file or link for your transaction.
Floor plans
Coming soon — ask MaryListing photos
Coming soon — ask MarySeller disclosures
Coming soon — ask MaryMortgage & other documents
Coming soon — ask Mary
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Read the whole offer
An offer is more than its price
The headline number matters, but the path to closing matters too.
- Financing strength and appraisal exposure
- Earnest money and requested concessions
- Inspection rights and repair expectations
- Closing date, possession, and other deadlines
- Contingencies and the likelihood of a clean close
Showing-day rhythm
Give buyers space. Give yourself a plan.
Leave before the showing window starts, take pets and valuables with you, and give buyers room to look and talk freely.
Take a café break
Pick a nearby spot and bring the one task you never get time to finish.
Walk or visit a park
Plan a pet-friendly loop when the weather cooperates.
Run one useful errand
Choose something close enough that a schedule change will not strand you.
Visit someone nearby
A short visit can turn an interruption into a welcome pause.
On the roadmap
Planned client features
Approved showing feedback
When available, Mary will be able to review showing feedback before it appears in your guide.
In-app messaging
A future, simple way to keep guide-related questions and updates close at hand.
Make the window yours
A little better than waiting in the car
Build a short list near home so a last-minute showing feels manageable.
Quiet reset
A coffee shop, library, or shaded park can turn the time into a real break.
Family stop
Keep one easy activity in mind for children, with a backup for bad weather.
Pet plan
Know your nearby walking route, pet-friendly patio, or trusted caregiver.
Useful loop
Bundle fuel, groceries, returns, or another quick errand close to the house.
A working estimate
Sketch your possible net
Start with a possible sale price, then subtract the loan payoff and every expected cost. Your actual figures depend on the contract, title work, taxes, prorations, and professional guidance.
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Presentation matters
Give the listing a professional launch.
Ask Mary about coordinating a property shoot so the home reaches the market with clear, polished visual coverage.
Photography by Alan Henrichsmeyer
AHP Services LLC provides professional real estate photography services. Ask Mary to coordinate the right media package for your listing.
For Mary · Realtor instructions
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