selling

1) Do a walk-through. Is the house warm and inviting or does it look run-down, old or cluttered?

2) Touch up paint in all rooms. If the paint looks particularly unsightly in one room, repaint in a neutral color.

3) Make sure the kitchen and bathrooms shine. Remove all clutter, caulk around the tub and sinks. Shine the fixtures.

4) Prepare for a showing as you would for friends coming over. Make the beds, pick up clothing, sweep and mop as needed. Make it easy for prospective buyers to move through the house.

You've no doubt heard all the doom and gloom about this market. Well, I'm here to tell you that there are homes selling! While this may not be the best time ever to sell, homes that are priced right are selling - no matter what you read. Don't have a lot of equity in your home? You may want to consider renting it out for a couple years until the market returns - that way you can still purchase a new home to live in and not miss this unique opportunity.

One really nice thing about this area is that we never did experience the huge boom in real estate prices as was seen in some markets. As a result, our correction will also be much milder. That means you won't get quite as much profit from the sale of your home as you may have hoped, but to off-set that is the fact that you also won't have to pay as much for your next home.

You should consider getting a home inspection at the time you list your house. This will demonstrate to buyers that you have a great house and will also remove some of the surprises from the negotiation process. In addition, you can make an informed decision on what you want to fix without waiting for a buyer's input. Click here for more information on home inspections.

Pricing Magic

The TRUTH about Pricing is: There is NO magic.

Any good REALTOR will tell you this IF they are not afraid of losing the opportunity to list your home or property. The problem is that human nature almost dictates that they tell you what you want to hear. The agent you list your home with CANNOT set the selling price of your home any more than your stockbroker dictates the price of your stocks. The selling price is a function of the Real Estate market.

NEVER select an agent based on the price at which they're willing to list your property. The agent who quotes you the highest price will usually be the least likely to sell it for you. An overwhelming number of homes that are expiring and going unsold today are doing so as a result of poor advice from an agent who is desperate for a listing. The problem this creates often extends to the next agent who must overcome the obvious shopworn image of the home due to the lengthy time it has been on the market. Quite often this results in the home selling for less than it would have had it been properly priced from the start. THEREFORE, your agent does not price the home, the market does.

If a property has been improved as much as reasonably possible and the location cannot be changed, there is only one factor we have left to control -- the price.

The Rule of Tens:
        1. If we don't get a showing in the first 10 days on the market...
        2. If we don't get an offer after the first ten showings...
        3. If we don't get ten showings in the first 30 days on the market...
        ...we must adjust the price because the market has spoken!

5) Storage space will interest buyers. Make sure your closets are clutter-free and don't look jammed. Consider moving out-of-season items to storage.

6) Too much furniture can make a room feel cramped. Consider moving less-used items to storage as well.

7) Make sure your front door and entry are spotless.

8) Now walk outside and look (objectively) at what potential buyers see from the road. Will they ask to see the inside based on what they see and the price you're asking?