Have you been thinking of selling your home, but don’t know where to begin? You’re not alone. Many homeowners considering selling aren’t sure how to get things started? They have questions like “Is now the right time to sell?”, “How much do I ask for my home?”, “What are the costs involved with selling and how much will I ‘net’ if I sell?”, “Am I qualified to buy another home and, if so, how much can I afford?”, “Should I wait a little longer hoping for prices to increase and what if prices decrease instead?”, and many others.
Selling a home can be a scary thing? Would-be sellers don’t want to make any mistakes; and they certainly don’t want to lose money in the process. That’s certainly understandable… who wants to make a mistake that could end up costing potentially thousands of dollars.
So… how best does a homeowner thinking of selling begin? Well… my answer may seem self-serving, but it is truly the best answer: Contact a Realtor. A licensed, experienced Realtor does exactly what you’re considering doing… and he/she does it for a living.
A Realtor can answer just about any question you’ll have about selling such as:
- Is now the right time to sell or should you wait? Timing is critical and can make a significant difference in your net proceeds.
- How much is your property REALLY worth in the current market?
- Are market values in your neighborhood trending up, down, or sideways?
- How does the current available inventory in your area affect your ability to sell your home?
- What kinds of repairs or simple improvements, if any, might be appropriate to complete before putting your home on the market?
- What other things might you need to do to prepare to sell?
- What are all the costs that go into selling a home and how can you maximize your net proceeds?
- How about if you have to buy locally, too? What’s the market like where you’re going?
- How do you ensure your “qualified” to buy another home and, most importantly, how much can you afford based on how much you’ll make selling your current home? A good Realtor will have reliable mortgage professionals at his/her disposal to ensure you get those questions answered.
- How best to coordinate selling and buying so you don’t have to move twice. In other words, how do you “time” your sale and “time” your purchase?
Of course, one of the most important questions you must ask yourself is WHY you want to sell? Your Realtor will need to understand your motivation for moving so he/she can help you. A seller’s “why” is critical to knowing how best to position your home in the market to sell, and important for finding that next home for you and your family.
One more thing: Be sure to contact an “experienced” Realtor with a long track record of success. Using an inexperienced or part-time agent can be risky when you’re considering selling something worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you’d like to discuss the selling process and how best to begin, please call me today at 757 241-3017 . No obligation, no pressure, and no fine print… you have my word.