Your real competition is across the street, down the block; each and every home in your subdivision that is actively for sale.  Additional competition consists of similar neighborhoods a few blocks away or any competitively priced neighborhood in your town.

For years, agents have been taught to pull up the "solds" to use as your comparables in pricing.  We still pull up the solds as a good piece of information, but now realize that the actives in your area play a very important part of competition.

Perspective buyers do not see the "solds" to use as comparison, however, they do look at all the actives that are in the area.  They compare the curb appeal of each property and the amount of updates in the older homes and notice the decor to see if it is inviting and has "move-in" colors that would be agreeable to most buyers.  They notice the cleanliness of the home and if things are in disrepair or kept up very well.  The odor of the home is another very important part of the puzzle.

As the homes line up on the market, remember to make yours "Parade Ready!"  Your agent or a professional stager can help you differentiate your home from all the others and move your home front and center.  You want it to show as a sparsely decorated model home - - warm and cozy but not even close to cluttered.