Real Estate Agents know how to sell their own homes and get top dollar. Selling homes is what they do. They package, market and sell homes for a living and they know what home buyers want. Here is a list of exactly what real estate agents do when preparing their own home for sale.

The Interior

* Pet odors are eliminated!
* Soft jazz or classical music is playing on the stereo when
buyers come through.
* Furniture is removed and either put in the basement or into
storage. This makes the home appear much larger. You never
want to make it difficult to walk through all the rooms in
the house, so clear the pathways!
* Electrical and plumbing are in working order.
* Broken appliances are fixed.
* The garage door works perfectly.
* A fresh scent is always used to appeal to buyer's senses.
Vanilla is one of the most frequently used scents in
builder's model homes. You can buy vanilla air fresheners
that fit directly on your air filter (available at home
depot).
* Curtains are always opened, windows shades always up and
lights always on (including lamps, hallway lights, etc) when
the home is being shown (even during the day). The
combination of sunlight and artificial light helps make the
home appear larger and open.
* All clutter is removed.
* All clothes are placed in the drawers or neatly in closets.
* Carpets are clean and in good condition. Otherwise, get rid
of them.
* The windows are thoroughly cleaned. Buyers like to look
outside the windows. The windows and screen doors easily open
and close and are in good shape.
* The kitchen is thoroughly cleaned. The cabinets, counters and
appliances are thoroughly spotless. All clutter is removed.
Dishes and glasses are neatly stacked in the cupboards. There
are never any dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter.
* The closets are reorganized so they appear larger. Some
clothes are removed if necessary.
* Walls are clean and there are no smudge marks. If the paint
is dingy, the walls must be painted. Light colors are used to
make the house appear larger.

The Exterior

Real estate agents understand how important 'Curb Appeal' is. It is the home buyers first impression of the home. Shouldn't it be a good one? When beautifying the exterior of the home, the focus on the landscaping, driveway, entranceway and front door.

* All clutter is removed from the front yard.
* Cracks in the driveway and walkway are fixed.
* The front lawn and shrubs are manicured. Gardens are mulched.
* The exterior of the home is painted if needed.
* The front door is painted or replaced if needed.
* Chipped or fraying paint on door and window frames is
removed, and fresh paint is added.
* Gutters and downspouts are cleared and in good working
order.

Never do more work than necessary.

Often sellers think that the more they fix-up, the higher the price they will get. When you go beyond the necessary fix-ups, you get to the point where you are wasting your money. Do all the necessary fix-ups prior to selling, but never do what is un-necessary.

I hope that you found this information useful. As your local Spartanburg real estate professional, I am available for any questions that you may have. I can be found at www.HomesInTheUpstate.net

Jean Chatzky, the financial editor for the Today Show, was on TV recently to talk to consumers about their credit scores. She confirmed something I already knew, but backed it up with some eye-opening numbers.

Specifically, Jean was explaining the credit score you need to qualify for the best mortgage rates when buying a home. Here is how she broke it down:

* May 2006 - Borrowers needed a credit score of 620 to get the best rates.

* May 2008 - Borrowers needed a 760 or above to get the best rates.

That's an increase of 140 points, which is a significant difference when you consider that the overall credit range only goes from 300 - 850.

Recent Economic Changes

Credit has always been important when buying a house and applying for a mortgage loan, but today it's more important than ever. To fully understand the reasons for this, we need to look back over recent economic changes.

The subprime mortgage "meltdown" that started in 2007 caused widespread economic changes that we are still seeing today in 2008. Many lending institutions went out of business, and thousands of Americans lost their homes due to foreclosure. This caused a general tightening of credit that affected consumers and businesses alike.

What It Means for Home Buying

If you are planning to buy a home in the near future, this has everything to do with you. As a result of these and other factors, the process of buying a house in today's market is more challenging. As I've already stated, you will need a higher credit score for home buying today than in the past, especially if you want to quality for the best rates on your loan.

Additionally, buyers with bad credit have fewer options today, because the subprime mortgage is practically extinct. This makes financial responsibility all the more important for buyers in the modern economy.

So what credit score is needed for home buying in today's economy? Well, this will still depend on the individual mortgage lender involved and their particular lending practices. But it's important to realize that there's a big difference between qualifying for a mortgage loan and getting a good rate on the loan. For example, you might get approved for a mortgage with a credit score of 580. But you certainly won't get the best rate at that level. This means you will pay more each month as long as you keep the loan.

According to the figures presented by Jean Chatzky, a couple of years ago you could have elevated your score by just 40 points to qualify for the best interest rates -- i.e., you would boost it from a 580 to a 620. Today, however, you would have to increase your credit level by 180 points (from 580 to 760) to qualify for the best rates. That's a huge difference!

My Advice to Buyers

The home buyers of today need better credit than the buyers of, say, three or four years ago. The federal government is putting more pressure on lenders. The mortgage lenders are scrutinizing borrowers. And borrowers are under increased pressure to have good credit scores to qualify for loans.

All of this is unlikely to change anytime soon. So if you fall into the bad credit range, my advice to you is this:

Do not buy a home until you get your financial "house" in order. Even if you do get qualified with a low score, you are going to pay a huge amount of interest on the loan. So instead of rushing out to buy a home before you're financially ready, focus instead on improving your credit score. Pay all of your bills on time. Minimize your debt. And start saving money -- the more of it the better.

About the Author: Brandon Cornett publishes the Home Buying Institute, a website full of advice on mortgages, house hunting, home insurance tips and more. Learn more or contact the author by visiting http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/insurance