Selling Your Home - Don't Be A Victim

Selling your home can be a complex process. If youWhile it is tempting to hide or fail to mention the
make mistakes, you may be unable to sell you homesnafus of a home for example, its a the hotel for
or have seller's remorse. There's no need for this ifcockroaches or located in an area that's prone to
you keep in mind the following.floods or earthquakes, canyon fires, it is best to give
Overpricing Your Homebuyers full disclosure. This kind of information can
It's important to be realistic about the value of yourgreatly affect the value or desirability of the
home. Sellers should insist their realtors present themproperty.
with objective criteria for pricing. ComparativeBe Objective:
information is most critical in getting a house pricedWhile you may think your pink walls or roman
properly. If you ask for too much, it's hard to ask forcolumns are fabulous, it is best to keep that opinion
less later on in the process.to yourself.
Not Displaying Curb AppealPoor Realtor Communication
You don't have to invest thousands of dollars intoSellers should take a pro-active approach to the
redecorating your home. But there some basic stepsselling process and not rely completely on the realtor.
you must take to present your house in the mostSellers should insist upon regular updates about the
positive light.house and never assume the realtor has taken care
Overdoing Home Improvementsof everything. It is the seller's responsibility to ensure
Don't go overboard staging your home. It should feeleverything is running smoothly.
warm and inviting. Grass should be freshly cut, plantInvestigate Buyers
some flowers, organize the home's interior, rid theOnce you have an offer on the table, it is imperative
home of foul smells and apply new coats of paint toto secure letters of prequalification or loan approval
all walls and doors.from the buyers. These letters should not only state
No Understanding The Buyer's Offerthat the buyers credit has been checked but also
Carefully reviewing and understanding the offer orthat it was acceptable to the lender. Also, it's
purchase contract is imperative. Here are a fewimportant to ask buyers to complete a loan
things to look for:application and submit it to their lender within a few
1. Has the buyer agreed to put down a significantdays after acceptance of the offer.
deposit?Closely Read Closing Statements
2. Has the buyer asked for some credits to coverCautiously review the closing statement, including the
loan costs?loan balance, repairs and other expenses detailed
3. Is the offer contingent upon the owner selling histhere to avoid last-minute surprises or errors. Make
or her present home? If so, how is the sellingsure you get an estimated statement a few weeks
process transpiring?prior to closing and compare the final statement to
Home Inspectionthe estimated one.
Have general inspections done in advance. EvenIf you follow these steps, you will go a long way
though buyers will often have the house inspectedtowards avoiding being a victim in the home selling
again, it's best to prepare for any potential problems.process.
Withholding Information