It’s sad but true that in today’s world, one must be cautious of strangers. For the home seller who is going it alone, as a “For Sale by Owner,” this is especially true. In recent years, real estate agents nationwide have been alerted to the dangers of finding themselves alone in a house with a [...]

Financial expert Susan Bondy was asked recently if sellers should use a real estate agent to sell their home. She said that in her opinion, the benefits of using a good agent are worth the cost. She gave these reasons: Agents help price your home. If you underprice it, you’ll lose money. If you overprice [...]

Here are more reasons why it’s dangerous to overprice your home. Most activity on a listing comes within the first 30 days. And overpricing can eliminate a whole class of qualified buyers–causing you to miss out on pent-up demand. Most buyers know how high they can go and won’t look at homes priced above their [...]

Getting ready to put your house on the market? Setting the right price is one of the most important secrets to a successful sale. Price it too high and chances are it won’t sell. Although you may have decorated lovingly or renovated extensively, those improvements may have only a small effect on market value. In [...]

Here are some more ideas successful home sellers have used to put their homes in top condition to get a top-dollar sale. Today’s buyer is very concerned about energy costs, so suggestion #17 is to update your home’s energy efficiency with a new furnace, additional insulation and new weather stripping, so it costs less to [...]

Here are some more ideas to bring a top-dollar sale. On the inside: #9. Repaint interior walls using a neutral color. This will make the whole house shine. #10. Install new carpeting and vinyl or ceramic flooring. Again, stay with neutrals. #11. Refinish wood floors for a “new house” look. #12. Brighten rooms with new [...]

Here are more of the ideas successful homesellers use to bring a top-dollar sale. By making “market smart” improvements, you’ll come out ahead. Almost every home can benefit from lots of elbow grease, but you can realize bigger returns when you go a step further with a few improvements. Still looking at the outside–realize you [...]

Here are some ideas about getting your home ready to sell. Almost everyone has a favorite pair of old shoes. You know the ones–they’re broken in and fit just right. But those old shoes would never get a second look if they were for sale. The same is true for homes. Those that appear shopworn, [...]