You've made the decision. It's time to sell your home, damn the market. The motivation is there, and besides, the place your going is also in a down market. You might even do all right on the deal.
The thing is, you have to eek out as much profit as you possibly can, if only for your futures sake.
Over the last several months, you've been watching the homes for sale in your neighborhood like a hawk watches a field mouse. You probably can name all the homes and all the prices by rote.
At night, your on the internet checking sites that tell you how much your home is worth. Hmmm, not bad. (I didn't know those satellites have x-ray vision to see the condition of the inside of the home.)
Careful now, you are educated and that's a good thing, but lets face it. You're not an expert. An expert is the person that lives, eats and breathes this stuff sixty hours a week.
A word of caution here- this is usually the time home sellers enter into a little game I like to call the "If they can get that, I can get this game".
This is where a seller looks at the sale price of a neighboring home and makes positive adjustments for their house, and negative ones for the competition. By the time they're done, they always seem to have the nicest home on the block, and the asking price should reflect that.
A few very important points here;
First-Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's so true, and rightfully so. Many years of blood, sweat and tears have probably gone into your home, not to mention the love and good times with family. But this is where it is imperative to step back and take an open-minded look at what might detract from the sale. You have to consider the good with the bad in order to come up with a realistic selling price. You have to be impartial.
Second-Who said the competition can get that price? It hasn't sold yet, has it? How long has it been on the market? Yikes! Who priced that home? And why did they price it that way? This is the important stuff.
Third- Hire yourself a Realtor, and have a healthy exchange of knowledge with them, but don't try to shove you're price down their throat. If they are worth their salt they will listen to you. Please don't expect the price they come up with will match the one you have. If you trust them enough to list the home, you should trust them to price it. They will be able to cast an impartial eye and see the whole picture. After all, they are the expert.
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