In almost every homeowner’s life, there comes the point when, for whatever reason, it’s time to sell your home.  But, although the selling process may seem a bit overwhelming – especially if it’s the first time – it can go a smoother than you might think, and less tiring than the buying process – if you follow the tips recommended by many real estate professionals.

First and foremost, you will need to determine the value of your home.  This is not an easy process -- real estate pros recommend using a variety of sources and methods to find out what your home is really worth.  After that, you can combine the information you’ve gathered to arrive at the “right” price.

Many Realtors will offer prospective sellers a comparative market analysis (CMA) as an incentive to try to win your business.  This analysis is very helpful in that it will let you see the prices of houses – with similar characteristics of your home -- in the local area that have been sold recently.  In addition, prices of similar homes currently on the market can be viewed.

 The CMA can also allow you to determine if your local real estate market is a buyer’s market or seller’s market by pointing out “Days on the Market” (DOM) figures for each comparable house sold in the recent past.  If many houses have been selling in a matter of a few days, for example, you can safely say your area is experiencing a seller’s market.  If, however, many homes are languishing on the market for some months, it is a buyer’s market. 

If it’s a seller’s market, it’s good to price your home a bit above what you would expect the house to be worth.  On the flip side, for a buyer’s market, you would want to lower the price so that it appears to be a bargain for the buyer, and so that it won’t pine away on the market for too long.

Through a professional market analysis, the Realtor will perform the following services:

• Examine the appearance and condition of your home’s exterior and interior, and offer suggestions as to refurbishing or repairs, which might result in getting a better price.
• A comparison will be done comparing your home with others currently on the market or recently sold.
• A review of the assessed value of your home, its previous sale prices, local taxes, and utility costs will be prepared.
• An evaluation will be done of your home’s location, size, lot size, age, the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, as well as the total number of rooms, in addition to any extraordinary features or amenities.

Do You Owe More Than Your property Is Worth?

A SHORT SALE occurs when the net proceeds from the sale of your home are not enough to cover your mortgage, closing costs, property taxes, transfer taxs, and your realtor's commission. You may even be in default on your mortgage and headed for forclosure, bought at the top of the market, took too much equity out of your home, lost your job, or are getting a divorce. If you owe more money to the bank than you can get by selling then give me a call!  I help home owners that need to sell negotiate with thier lenders to pay off thier mortgage.  For example: You owe the bank $255,000 but you can only sell your home for $230,000.  I will negotiate with the bank to take the lesser amount and pay all closing costs.  Call me TODAY!  Robin 497-1707