If you are selling, do not do these things - take some notes from the video! 1. Dont Sell Before The House Is Ready. If it doesnt present well, it will not sell well. 2. Dont Over-Improve People buy houses in neighborhoods. If yours is so improved that it sticks outyoure hurting your chances at selling. 3. Hire Wrong Make your agent choice for business reasons. Personal relationships matter, but experience and expertise will determine financial success in your sale. 4. Dont Hide Anything Covering up or failing to mention real problems doesnt work. State disclosure laws are strictand you can be sued after the sale for anything that should have been made clear. 5. Dont Rush You should know aboutyour mortgage, including pre-payment penaltiesyour market conditions and trendsand your options for your next homebefore jumping on the market. 6. Dont Get Too Emotional Your attachment to your houseand your own financial needs do not really matter in the transaction. If you cant set them asidethe sale will not go as you would like it to. Remember - it was your home, but to the buyer, it is a house.

As you will see in this video, real estate marketplaces are generally most active in summer because families with children want to move in before school starts. So more homes are typically available in summer as well. But buyers and sellers tend to balance out in other seasons, too especially in todays tight market. There may be fewer buyers in late December but usually fewer homes, too. So, prices tend to rise or fall on general demand in that market rather than time of year. It is best to sell when you & your house are ready to sell. Start working with a real estate professional as early as possible to make the most of your sale in any season.

Most people do not know enough to sell their own house. Heres why. 1. They Cant List It! Only licensed brokers and agents can create a listing in the MLS sale-by-owner houses will be invisible to agents and unavailable on the Web. 2. Agents Wont Show It. Typically, a buyers agent gets part of the commission paid to the sellers agent. Sale-by-owner houses do not have that commission commitment so a buyers agent might not get paid. No agents makes the pool of buyers MUCH smaller. 3. It is Probably Overpriced. Most homeowners do not have enough data and emotional distance to put a market price on their own home. and overpricing is another deterrent to potential buyers. 4. Buyers Prefer Neutrality Buyers will spend less time in the home and be less likely to make an offer because owners arent neutral about the transaction. 5. Legalities & Complexities. Real estate transactions are complicated. Most homeowners do not know enough to avoid potentially expensive liabilities Overlooking a form or required disclosure exposes the seller to lawsuitsAFTER the transaction is closed. There are buyers with enough real estate experience to sell their own homebut if you havent ever sold someone elses home you probably shouldnt try selling your own.

As this video explains, a signed sales contract doesnt mean your house is sold. There are still financial, contractual and legal steps for both sides. The buyer has to get financing to meet the contract terms - which includes credit checks. The property is inspected and appraised; title insurance and escrow accounts are set up while you locate new housing, pack and move. And take care of any obligations like painting or repairs. After the contract is signed, it can take a month or more of closing steps to reach the closing meeting. So plan on that when you plan to sell.

Watch this video to get a quick idea of the sellers side of closing. Also known as settlement and escrow the closing is a meeting where property, money, title and liens are exchanged between all the parties involved. The closing agent typically conducts the meeting. Theyll review the sales agreement to determine payments and credits due from both sides, and ensure that transaction costs like title and taxes are paid. The buyer pays you - usually the remainder of down payment and prepaid taxes. Adjustments like prepaid OR overdue taxes And, of course, commissions for brokers or agents are included. The buyer signs the mortgage note, promising to repay the loan and then signs their lien on the property. The lender pays you. You sign a deed, giving the buyer title to the house Title is recorded by the State,making the buyers the legal owner.

The video puts this in more visual terms, but basically, a seller can respond to a buyers offer with changes - a counter - that improves the terms. You need to put yourself in their shoes and construct a modified offer that you think they might take that meets more of your needs. Then it is their turn - accept, reject, or construct yet another counter. It is an efficient market process, but beware: clauses and costs matter. Your broker should be closely involved in constructing a counter. Successful bargaining is best done with a win/win approach where each side is meeting their biggest needs and compromising others to reach an agreement. Remember that outside conditions like interest rates, and supply and demand, will keep evolving so you will need to be patient but decisive to craft an counter-offer that works for both sides.

Well, as this story shows, theres more to an offer than the price tag. Factors you should consider: Is this offer at, near or above my asking price? Are there clauses and additions in their offer that change the terms and final price substantially? How long since I had another offer, or expect another offer? Can I wait? Remember every month you are probably still paying mortgage, taxes and insurance. If you have several offers... remember that an offer isnt a completed sale. Compare the risk and likelihood of a completed sale for each buyer including things like contingencies, where your sale depends on their sale. and whether theyre pre-approved for the offer theyre making. Remember you have three options for an offer - accept it reject it or prepare a counter-offer that improves the terms for you in some way.

Professional staging may include the exterior, but if you are doing it all yourself,try the five things outlined in this video. 1 - Landscape & lawn. Thats the first impression;make it a good one. Mow, prune, edge and get rid of junk! 2 - Paint And Clean! You do not have to do the whole house,but the front door and lintels should either be painted or cleaned. 3 - Leaks & Repairs Small visible problems can become large mental objectionsand change how someone feels about your house. Fix em beforehand. 4 - Pets Some people have allergies and concerns. Time for Fido to visit a friend. You werent including him with the house anyway. 5 - Get Fresh Eyes Have your realtoror a friend whos willing to be candidtell you what you missed.Or pay a staging professional for a report. We do not really see familiar thingswell - so let them be your test buyer so you can presentthe best first impression to the real ones.

For many homes and markets, professional help from someone in staging makes good financial sense. Like this video say,check your staging options first. If you are doing it yourself,here are 5 key tips. One - Depersonalize. You want the buyer to envision this house being their home? Remove the things that make it YOUR home - photos, awards, collections, and STUFF. Two - MOVE the stuff. It is tempting to shove things in closets and atticsbut your prospective buyer will see a much smaller house if those spaces are full. Move it to a storage space or a friends garage. Three - Warm it up. Baking bread or cookies adding fresh flowers and colorful pillows and throws are touches used by professional stagersto make a place warm without your stuff. Four - Light it up! Light sells homes. Clean windows, inside and out. Light bulbs all workingand curtains open or even gone. Five - Go Away. Dont hover - leave. Pack for a day tripand have your realtor tell you when to return Buyers will not envision themselves buyingif you are around. Depersonalize and move stuff out; Warm it up and light it up. Then leave and let your realtor do their job.

Today, your first showing will be on the Internet - you are watching this on the Internet, right? Your price, listing descriptionand PHOTOSdetermine whether someone will visit in person. Consider professional staging advice or help. Prep for photo- and video-shootsjust as carefully as real visits. Ask your realtor if they usea professional photographer If they dolook at prior photosand pick someone who understands the job. Photos should make the most of your homes featuresand give prospective buyersan emotional connection that invites them to visit in person. Help them envision their lifestylein the housenot just the counters and walls. If your realtor recommends video,just as with photographystage it carefullyand hire a professionalit will pay off. And look over your listing when it goes liveon a computer AND a mobile deviceto make sure it is accurate, pleasantand compels people to show up. Remember - your first showing these days will be on a screen.