| Page 3 of 5 < > |
New Year's Resolutions for Those Braving the Market's Cold Waters
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
· Be realistic about the market.
Find out what is selling and what the average number of days on the market is for those homes. Price your home realistically. Don't blame your broker if you don't get three offers over your list price within 24 hours of putting your home on the market. Sellers who set sky-high prices could wait months for an offer and may wind up with the same price -- or a lot less -- they would have had if they'd priced their home correctly the first time.
· Know where I'm going.
Once you've decided to sell, you ought to think about where you want to go. Start researching neighborhoods that offer the amenities you're interested in. Don't wait until you have a contract on your home. That's the time you should be seriously looking to put in an offer on your new home, not start the process of exploring neighborhoods.
Or, if you're not sure what you want to do, consider renting on a short-term or month-to-month lease. These days, landlords are hurting and they may be perfectly happy to accept a six-month lease.
· Read all documents thoroughly before I sign them.
Why would someone sign a legal document he or she hasn't read? I'm not sure, but home sellers do it every day. If you're going to sell or buy in the coming year, promise yourself that you'll take the time to read and understand the listing contract, offer to purchase and loan documents. If you're taking back a loan for the home buyer, have a lawyer prepare the documents so you are protected. Unless you've got cash to spare, a mistake in these documents and the warranties they contain could seriously affect your finances.
· Set my minimum sales price.
