Condition of your home. Stop and take a good look at the current condition of your home. Ask someone with an objective view to take a look at your home and give you an honest list of what they found to be hindrances. Make the effort prior to listing your home to address each issue raised.

Make your home “stand out” in the crowd! Curb appeal is a definite. A potential buyer will drive past your home even if the price is right if they get a bad first impression from the curb. Clean up the yards and prune your trees and shrubs. Plant bright colorful flowers and put out some garden solar lights. Curb appeal is so important as you want the buyers to want to come inside as soon as they drive up to the curb!

Show your home to appeal to the “masses”. This will include decluttering the entire house, closets and cupboards as well. Remove everything off of your kitchen and bath countertops. If you are going to do some home improvement projects to update your home put your money into the kitchen and the baths. You will regain your investment and updated kitchens and baths sell homes. Update built in light fixtures and carpeting if necessary.

Staging a home for the market will most certainly guarantee you a quicker sell. A home that is “staged” stands out amongst all others. Stat’s prove across the country that a properly staged home will sell at the asking price and sometimes above. If you have your home appraised after all repairs, updates and staging is completed you may well get a higher appraisal value on the home.

If you are looking to “stage” your home on your own we suggest that you get professional advise from a professional home stager so that you are certain that your home is show ready. We at Home Stages Designs offer many Home Staging ebooks to assist the do-it-yourselfers out there. When following the lead of a professional you can rest assured that your home is going to sell quicker than all others that are not show ready. Now days, potential buyers expect to purchase homes that are ready to move into and that they do not have to plunk alot of money into at the onset of the purchase. These are the buyers that will give you your asking price without hesitation.

Make the perfect first impression and sell your home now! See us for more details and related ebooks to get you started on your way to fast home sell!

If you wish to enter into the Home Staging industry, Home Stages Designs now offering our Complete Home Staging Business and Training Kit on CD-ROM. You can train to stage homes professionally and learn how to start your own Home Staging company with this user friendly, comprehensive training!

See us at www.Homestages.com for details!

What is market value? 

International Valuation Standards defines market value as “the estimated amount for which a property should exchange on the date of valuation between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arms-length transaction after proper marketing wherein the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently, and without compulsion.” 

What market value is not

It is not the price you paid for the home plus improvements and real estate commissions.
It is not how much your friend, in-laws, attorney, accountant, sister with a real estate license, neighbor or anyone else thinks your house is worth unless they are willing to buy it at that price and you are willing to sell it at that price.
It isn’t what you paid for the home plus a needed or historical rate of appreciation.
It isn’t more than what your neighbor’s house sold for because you like your house better.  

I have empathy for today’s seller since I recently sold a couple of rental properties that I owned. They closed in the third quarter of 2008 and sold for roughly 60% of the value that I could have sold them for in the market highs of 2005. So I know what it feels likes to lose equity. It is an ugly reality of the market we are in. Here are some things I kept in mind when I was establishing my asking prices.  

1. Be objective.  

Yes, you are selling your home and all of the great memories and experiences that you have had but try to be as objective as you can. Don’t factor those great memories into the price tag of your home. Buyers are more concerned with location, quality, size and condition. 

2. Forget about what your home used to be worth.  

Like the stock market, the real estate market changes daily. Homes sell, expire and new competition comes on the market. Real estate prices don’t move as quickly as stock prices but nonetheless the market does change. I am writing this in November of 2008 and just about everyone’s home was worth more three years ago. Concentrate on what your property is worth today and what it will be worth in the next six months, not last month or last year. 

3. Don’t plan on finding a sucker  

Many people hope that their Realtor can find that one sucker who is willing to pay more for their home than it is really worth. Does it happen? It sure does. Does it happen often enough for you to rely on? No. 

4. What will your home be worth in the future?  

This is a very important question since we are in a down trending market. I have seen so many people reject offers on their home only to accept much lower offers later because the value of their property declined. 

One of the rental townhouses that I sold closed for $175,000. Three years ago an almost identical unit closed for $310,000. Part of the motivation to sell it was because I thought that there is a pretty good chance that it will sell for around $150,000 in the not too distant future. 

I had a home listed for $1,200,000. We received an offer for $1,000,000 which I thought was market value and explained that to the seller. She rejected the offer and the buyers walked away. Roughly a year later she accepted an offer of $825,000. If you think home prices are going to fall further, price your home competitively from day one.   

5. Analyze the market thoroughly  

This is where a good Realtor can come in handy. I’ve worked along side some agents who put about five minutes worth of work into arriving at an asking price. In some cases that may work but most of the time it doesn’t. Look at the properties currently on the market, under contract, recently sold and expired. Many people forget to look at the expired listings. These are good to analyze to see what went wrong so you don’t make the same mistakes. How does your home compare with the recently sold properties? Again, make sure you are being objective.

6. More marketing does not justify overpricing.  

I do believe that good marketing is important in a bad market. You have to differentiate yourself from the thousands of other properties for sale. However, that does not mean that tons of print advertising, an open house every Sunday and thousands of Just Listed cards are going to sell an overpriced home. Great marketing may get a buyer in the door but that same buyer will look at your competition as well. Heavily advertising an overpriced home may only help sell your properly priced competitor. 

7. Keep appraisals in mind  

You don’t want to go through the hassle of an offer, negotiations, inspections and packing your belongings only to find out that your home did not appraise for the sales price and the deal is off. In a perfect world you can find three recently sold similar homes. Do your homework and establish an asking price based off of these three sales. Lending and appraisal guidelines have changed dramatically. Lenders are looking at appraisals closely so don’t figure on selling your home for a price that an appraiser cannot justify. 

8. Get ahead of the market  

In a quickly moving market you may need to make an adjustment based on market conditions. When the market was hot in 2004 and 2005 a lot of sellers were taking the last sale and adding 5-10% to that price and making that their asking price. And, it was working. Now, the opposite may be needed. Since the market is moving quickly to the downside you may need to take the last sales price and make your asking price that or 5-10% lower. 

9. Be the best deal  

This is not rocket science. Buyers simply want to buy the best house at the best price. Know your competition very well. Go with your Realtor and visit similar homes that you are in competition with. Once you see those properties it is easier to create value. In a down market you have to create a sense of value for buyers. They are so apprehensive about prices falling further that they simply won’t buy unless they feel that they are getting value. 

10. Be prepared to lower your price  

You may not get the correct asking price from day one. Sometimes it is difficult because of the market or lack of comparable sales. The initial asking price is just a starting point. Do not lock that number in your head. Make sure you lower your price before your house gets stale. If your home has been on the market too long many Realtors will stop showing it because they figure that you are not a realistic seller. 

Are we in a tough market? Absolutely. Many of us have never seen a market like this before. Some Sarasota real estate prices have declined in the neighborhood of 50%. It is not a time for sellers to be stubborn about pricing. Buyers are driving this market right now. 

If you are thinking about selling your home in a bad real estate market keep these tips in mind when establishing your asking price. You can have all of the marketing in the world but if you are asking too much for your home it most likely won’t sell.

Price It Right.

You can’t sell your home if you can’t get people in to see it. Sure, it may be worth thousands more than others in your neighborhood, but if you price it, much higher than others on the market, no one will even show up to see why. Make sure your real estate agent checks to see what similar properties in your area are listed (and selling for) and price your home accordingly. And, if you can, list it a few thousand under the others in order to generate more traffic flow and interest. This strategy often results in several buyers eager to outbid each other (thus raising the selling price), in order to get it for themselves.

Fixer Up.

It isn’t usually necessary to do any major remodeling or repairs in order to sell a home, but you do need to be sure that everything is in sound working order. Have a hole in the screen door? Make sure it gets fixed. Be sure no faucets or toilets are leaking (they make a potential buyer think there are bigger, more expensive plumbing woes in their future); and be sure to replace old and tattered window coverings, switch plates and lights. These are simple and inexpensive fixes that can mean a lot when selling a home.

Clean, Clean, Clean.

Clutter and dirt have no place in a home that is for sale. Too much furniture and “stuff” lying around can make rooms look smaller. Make sure you put every non-essential piece of furniture and personal object into storage before opening up your home to potential buyers. Clean out cupboards, closets, and storage areas. Bring in a cleaning crew to get everything spick and span. An unkempt, unclean home makes buyer’s think that you’ve neglected all areas of your home and its maintenance.

Repaint.

Painting is a cheap and easy way to make a house look fresh and new. Neutral colors are best. Lightening a room can make it look and feel roomier.

Concentrate on Curb Appeal.

First impressions really do count when selling a home. Make sure that yours looks inviting from the outside. Keep the yard neatly landscaped. Add colorful plants and shrubs to make a home look cozier. Afresh coat of paint on the exterior can add a lot to a home’s curb appeal. Even if you can’t repaint the entire house, consider adding a fresh coat to the front door, porch and trim. A fresh seal coat on the driveway costs very little and can also make a home look well cared for.

Pricing your home is the number one key. Even if you have had your home appraised in the past year we suggest you have it appraised again just before listing it on the market. Set your price according to the appraisal and the comps in your area. Over pricing your home will turn potential buyers away immediately.

Condition of your home. Stop and take a good look at the current condition of your home. Ask someone with an objective view to take a look at your home and give you an honest list of what they found to be hindrances. Make the effort prior to listing your home to address each issue raised.

Make your home “stand out” in the crowd! Curb appeal is a definite. A potential buyer will drive past your home even if the price is right if they get a bad first impression from the curb. Clean up the yards and prune your trees and shrubs. Plant bright colorful flowers and put out some garden solar lights. Curb appeal is so important as you want the buyers to want to come inside as soon as they drive up to the curb!

Show your home to appeal to the “masses”. This will include decluttering the entire house, closets and cupboards as well. Remove everything off of your kitchen and bath countertops. If you are going to do some home improvement projects to update your home put your money into the kitchen and the baths. You will regain your investment and updated kitchens and baths sell homes. Update built in light fixtures and carpeting if necessary.

Staging a home for the market will most certainly guarantee you a quicker sell. A home that is “staged” stands out amongst all others. Stat’s prove across the country that a properly staged home will sell at the asking price and sometimes above. If you have your home appraised after all repairs, updates and staging is completed you may well get a higher appraisal value on the home.

If you are looking to “stage” your home on your own we suggest that you get professional advise from a professional home stager so that you are certain that your home is show ready. We at Home Stages Designs offer many Home Staging ebooks to assist the do-it-yourselfers out there. When following the lead of a professional you can rest assured that your home is going to sell quicker than all others that are not show ready. Now days, potential buyers expect to purchase homes that are ready to move into and that they do not have to plunk alot of money into at the onset of the purchase. These are the buyers that will give you your asking price without hesitation.

Make the perfect first impression and sell your home now! See us for more details and related ebooks to get you started on your way to fast home sell.

See us for details on our Home Staging Business & Training Kit on CD-ROM! www.Homestages.com

Companies claim to and try to make the mortgage and re-mortgage process as easy as possible. Mortgage advisors can compare more than 8500 mortgage products from ALL UK lenders to provide you with mortgage quotes. If you go online you will very quickly be able to request a free, no obligation, quote, either by choosing a mortgage from a selection of market leading mortgages, by completing a form or by calling a ‘hotline’ number.

Mortgage advisors are able to search the whole of the UK mortgage market to find a mortgage which will suit your needs, all without obligation. Doing this yourself would be time-consuming almost to the point of impossibility, and approaching easy-to-reach high street lenders is not always the route to the best route available. Getting a number of mortgage quotes will enable you to choose the best rate for you. Using forms on some website will give you access to several mortgage quotes instantly and for the completion of only one form – a great time saver that will enable you spend time comparing the different mortgage quotes, rather than spending time and effort on actually obtaining a number of mortgage quotes.

Things to look for when receiving mortgage quotes go beyond the headline interest rate. While you are obviously keen to get as low an interest rate as possible, you need to look for the fees that come attached. These usually include a mortgage arrangement fee (which can be as high as nearly £2,000), how long your low deal lasts, what are the exit penalties if you wish you pay off all or part of your mortgage before the end of the term, is there any commission attached that will go to the broker; what other fees are there? All these may make a low interest rate deal actually cost more in the long run.

When looking for mortgage quotes you will often see best mortgage tables. These are free to use and easily accessible, but may not be quite what they seem because different tables use different criteria to order the mortgages.

So, although you can compare the mortgage deals of the UK’s top mortgage lenders in minutes, you may still be confused. It is better to get a number of mortgage quotes for your personal circumstances. To do this it is probably best to consult a mortgage broker or mortgage advisor who will talk to you about your own financial situation, your requirements, both long and short term, and come up with a number of sensible mortgage quotes just for you.