With mortgage rates at record lows, excess inventory, and some signs that many markets are bouncing back - all indictions are that this is an amazing time to look into homeownership.

Sure, you may want to use extra caution in some markets, San Antonio real estate could go either way over the coming months.  However, Cinncinnati real estate and Columbus real estate seem to have held value remarkably well during the downturn.  Richmond real estate has only experienced a minimal decline.

For many in the North East, it's been a mixed bag.  The Worcester real estate market has done fine, but NY and Boston proved riskier.

In the South, the opportunities have never been better - but don't go south of the Jacksonville real estate market unless you absolutely have to.  From Jacksonville to Charlotte real estate is looking like a bargain with stable conditions ahead.

Sure, consider economic stability - but in the long run, you'll want a place you are happy to live in.  Don't get caught up in the investment potential, buy a house you will be happy to live in, regardless of future real estate values.

So now that you've finished digging through boxes to find all the necessary paperwork the lender required, finished filling out the long application, looked over all the Good Faith Estimate and finally secured financing, what is the next step?

If you haven't already decided to utilize your own Buyer's Agent, now is the definitely the time to decide. 

What are the duties and responsibilities of a Buyer's Agent Why should you have your own Buyer's Agent? What are the laws regarding agency and how do they effect you as a buyer?  What happens if you don't use your own Buyer's Agent?  Do I need a Buyer's Agent when buying a new construction home? You'll be able to check out the answers to these and other questions in a "white papers" post coming in the near future. In the mean time, feel free to check out my previous post regarding whether you need your own Buyer's Agent or not when purchasing a new construction home. For the sake of this discussion, we're going to assume that you're using your own Buyer's Agent.

Though inventory levels have dropped drastically over the last 18 months, there are still hundreds of homes on the market to choose from and builders are constantly making changes to their new home communities including incentives, available lots, etc. To go through all of them would waste hours and hours of your time, energy and gas money and drive you crazy. The MLS, local agent's web sites, Realtor.com, Homesdatabase.com, Zillow, Trulia  and other sites in general and are not very good at painting a true picture of a property nor the neighborhood. You may think you like a property, but it may be much different in person and you may not like it after all. On the flip side, you may think that you don't like a property only to find out you really do once you've seen it in person.

That's where an experienced and knowledgable Buyer's Agent comes in. Part of what your Agent does is to sift through all the properties on the market including new construction lots, homes and communities and find the top 10 that best fit your criteria and are of the best value. They accomplish this by constantly previewing the market inventory and knowing the area that you are looking to move into. While previewing the market, they will know with much more certainty what properties fit your needs because they've seen the homes first hand.

But, in order for your Agent to know which properties best fit your criteria, you need to provide your Agent with the most accurate and complete information possible regarding what you are (and are not) looking for in a property. The best way to do this is to compile a list of "Must Haves", "Would Be Really Nice To Haves" and "Nice, But Just An Added Bonus" and provide that to your Agent.

Start with the "Must Haves", the things that are certain deal-breakers if the property does not have them. List the 5 or so things you must have in a property. For example:

one car garage four bedrooms upstairs walk-out basement not a corner lot certain subdivision and/or school district Then move on to the "Would Be Really Nice To Have", the things that are not necessarily deal breakers, but you would really like to have. List the 5 or so things that you would really like to have in a property. For example:

center island in the kitchen kitchen flowing into the family room so that you can watch your kids while you're preparing dinner first floor study because you work from home a lot large walk-in closets for all the outfits and shoes fenced backyard for the kids and/or dogs The move on to the "Nice, But Just An Added Bonus". The best way to explain this one is that you wouldn't mind if the property did not have these things if the price reflected it so that you could put them in later and still have the property be of great value.

upgraded light fixtures deck already present neutral paint throughout finished bathroom in the basement versus a rough-in finished basement versus unfinished basement If you're having a hard time figuring out which category to put each criteria in, rate each of your criteria on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most important. You'll more easily determine which category each criteria falls in once you've done that.

Once you've compiled the lists, give them to your Agent and go over them in detail. Explain each category in detail so that they fully understand what you mean and your personal taste. The better your Agent understands what your looking for and need, the more efficient and effective they will be in narrowing down the playing field to the properties best suited for you.

Your agent should then provide you with a a list of the top 5 to 10 properties for your review. Set a time to preview these properties in person and with your Agent. Your Agent will take care of efficiently routing and arranging the showing times for you. Please keep in mind that usual showing times are 9:00AM to 6:00PM. Some are available to be previewed a little earlier and a little later in the day, but that's the exception. And make sure that you see the home while the sun is still up in order to clearly see the property and to see how much daylight is present inside the property without the lights on.

 Important note: It's strongly suggested that you do not preview more than 5 to 7 homes in one day. If you do, they will all start to blend together and you will forget the differences between them. One of the only exceptions to this is if you are relocating to the area and will only be in town for a day or two and need to see all 10 properties in the limited time you are in the area.

The typical buyer takes about 20 to 30 minutes to preview one property. If you are previewing 7 properties that are all within a short distance of each other, give yourself about 3.5 to 4 hours, including travel time. Make sure that you have something to drink with you and that you've eaten something recently or have a snack in your pocket/purse.

If you know you will need more than 30 minutes per property, let your agent know so that they arrange the showing times with the Listing Agent and/or sellers accordingly. Most buyers are uncomfortable with the sellers being home so help alleviate that situation by letting your Agent know that you will need more than 30 minutes to preview each property. There's nothing worst than showing up later than expected to find the sellers at home and trying to be sales people and give you a "tour of the property".

Now, if you're looking at 6K to 8K+ square foot homes, that's a different story. The average time for buyers in that category is 45 to 90 minutes and your Agent should already know that.

Make sure you bring the following things with you while previewing the properties:

a comfortable pair of shoes that you will easily be able to take off and put back on (you'll be walking through homes a bit and many sellers wish for people to take their shoes off) a note pad and pen/pencil to take notes of the properties as you're going through them a camera to take pictures of properties so that you can remember them later (the pictures online and in the brochures are not always accurate or of high quality) if you have a significant other that will be helping you make the decision, make sure that they are present. Once you've seen all the properties, you will probably know which one is the most appealing to you. If you're waivering between a few, go back to your lists (see above) and rate each one of them on a point system to see which one is at the top of the list. Some people know the second they see a property whether they want to place an offer on it while others like to sleep on it. Whatever works for you is what you should do.

But keep in mind that you are not the only one that may know that these are the best valued properties in that price range and that there may be other interested buyers looking to place on offer on the same property. This is not meant as a sales pitch to get you to rush in and buy something. It is simply a disclaimer so that you don't yell at your Agent (or me) for not warning you beforehand. I've had competing-offer situations many times even in this market because I'm always looking for the best value and typically not the only one doing so.

After deciding that you want to move forward with presenting an offer on a property, you'll need to figure out what strategy to take with this particular seller. A great Buyer's Agent will have great negotiating skills and know what to look for in order to negotiate in your best interest. But here's the "Catch 22"...if you've already found the best/under valued properties to begin with, their may not be much room to negotiate on the price so keep that in mind.

But price is not the only thing that you should consider. That's where the terms and contingencies come in. Here's a list of some commonly seen terms and contingencies that you may consider:

Do you wish to have a Home Inspection? Do you wish to have a Radon Inspection? What is your preferred settlement date? Do you wish for the seller or you to pay for a Home Warranty Policy? Do you wish to have a copy of the seller's Owner's Title Insurance Policy in order to save money on your Owner's Title Insurance Policy? Do you need a pre or post-settlement occupancy agreement for you or the sellers? Do you wish for your closing costs to be paid for by the seller in the form of a seller concession? Do you wish for the seller or you to pay for the termite inspection? What amount will your Earnest Money Deposit be? What personal property and fixtures do you wish to convey with the property? Do you wish to have an appraisal contingency? Do you wish to have a financing contingency?  Are there any other terms or contingencies you wish to have a part of the offer (Sale Of Home Contingency, Coinciding Settlements, etc)? These are all contingencies and terms that will effect the amount of leverage you have while negotiating. As a general rule, the more contingencies you have and the impact of the particular contingencies on the seller, the less leverage you have when negotiating on the price. You and your Agent should also go over the comps when deciding on a price to offer. "Comps"  are comparable/similar homes in the same and possibly neighboring community that have sold as well as gone under contract within the last 3 months along with comparable active properties. You should also review the latest market conditions in detail.

Once you have agreed on the offering price and terms, your Agent will prepare the offer, review it with you and have you sign and initial where applicable. Your Agent will need to have the Earnest Money Deposit check and lender letter in hand in order to make a copy of them and submit them with the offer. This is to strengthen your leverage as a buyer and necessary in today's market.

And in case you're wondering, the new Regional Sales Contract is 10 pages; the Virginia Jurisdictional Addendum is 5 pages; the Disclaimer is 2; the Contingencies and Clauses addendum is either 2 or 3 pages depending on which ones apply; the Buyer's Agency Agreement is 3 and the Disclosure Of Brokerage Relationship is 1 (if you haven't already signed them) and it typically takes 45 to 90 minutes to go over all the paperwork. It's not as bad as you think, either.

Once you've got the offer finalized, your Agent will either hand-deliver, fax or email the offer to the Listing Agent or seller (if FSBO). They should call the agent before delivering it as a professional courtesy and what we call "Registering An Offer" in Agent lingo. This makes it so the Listing Agent can contact the sellers and make themselves as well as the sellers available to review your offer. The typical response time is within 24 hours though it may be longer if the sellers are out of town, had an emergecny, etc. But the Listing Agent will usually make your Agent and you aware of that ahead of time.

So now the nail biting and possible sleepless night begins. You'll probably be thinking to yourself:

"What will the sellers response/reaction be?" "Will they accept, counter or reject my offer?" "What if they counter or reject - I really like the house!"

It's not fun, but every buyer goes through it. But keep in mind...Sellers usually want to sell their home as much as you want to buy it so they will want to get a response back to you as much as you want a response back.

The sellers have the option to accept, reject or make a counter-offer. If the reject it, you have to evaluate why and if it's worth presenting an offer higher in price and/or with better terms. That's something you have to decide along with a discussion with your Agent.

If they make a counter-offer, that's better than a rejection! And they've already shown you that they are willing to negotiate. You have the option of accepting their counter-offer, rejecting it or making a counter-offer of your own. Typically, you end up meeting somewhere in the middle and everyone is happy. But once again, thats something you have to decide along with a discussion with your Agent.

Hopefully, you'll have your offer accepted in its entirety. There may be some slight clerical or administrative changes, but they've accepted the price and terms. It's been delivered to both parties and is now a Ratified Contract - congratulations!

You might be used to the smell and the shedded hair, but it's new to your guests. This goes for you, too, small dog people. Because they do. Never fool yourself into thinking your pets Do not stink. Bad yards make the neighborhood look bad and bring property values down, plus they're an eyesore.

You'll get the whole neighborhood quietly hating you, making passive aggressive comments, and then one morning you wake up to find the whole block cleaning up your yard, as you stand on the porch in your robe with bed head. Every street has one, but Do not be that guy! Do not be the person who doesn't take care of your yard. You've got to keep the money you put into your house realistic compared to the average price of houses that are similarly sized in your immediate area; otherwise it is extremely difficult to get your money's worth. However, you need to keep your remodeling within the general costs of your neighborhood.

Now you might have so much money that you just need to get rid of it, and if so, might we recommend a few charities that do some good work? Do not remodel too much. Not a good idea. Same as with number one, except that you have the added danger of getting electrocuted.

Do not do your own electrical. Of course, if you like the texture of pocketed space, more power to you, but also more cost to you. The reason not to do this is simple: The cost per square foot of this improvement is so high that you might as well opt for a more sizable addition at a much lower cost per square foot. Bump-outs are when you move a wall out a few feet just for a little extra space (like a bay window, but to a greater degree).

Do not do bump-outs. However, if you are doing it yourself, you need to ask an engineer or a solid contractor. Certainly, if you are working with a quality contractor, this professional will know which walls can come down and which can't. Do not remove walls between rooms without knowing if it is load-bearing.

Plus we just wanted to let you know that we didn't miss this one. But, you'd be surprised. Now we know what you're saying, anyone who cares enough about their house to read an article about things you shouldn't do to them already knows not to do this. Do not park in the yard. Plus, if you mess something up, water gets everywhere and might ruin a great many things.

It's not so much that houseowners can't do this or can't learn, but most houseowners are not familiar with the safety requirements laid out in the Uniform Building Code (UBC). But even if you are an ambitious and skilled DIYer, just leave this one to the pros. If you already know how to do it, then this is just a list of the top seven things you shouldn't do. Do not do your own plumbing.

Our apologies if you've already done one of these (or several). Of course Do nots include set it on fire, paint it all black and take off the roof are givens, but we've come up with the top eight items to be avoided that many people already do.  The list for things you should do to your house are endless -- change furnace filter, clean gutters, leave a faucet running when it's freezing out -- but there are likewise many things you shouldn't do.

"Now that I've decided that I want to be a home owner, where do I start?"

So you've decided to purchase a property...now what? Well, the first step is to analyze your credit worthiness, assess your overall financial situation, explore your financing options and obtain a lender letter. This is the first and probably most important part of the process.

• Do you know what your credit score is?
• Do you know if you're viewed as favorable, mediocre or high risk to a lender and how that directly effects your interest rate and which of the 250+ loan options you qualify for?
• Do you know how much of a down payment you will need?
• Do you know how much you truly have to put down once you factor in closing costs and Paid-Out-Of-Closing Items?
• Do you know what information and paperwork you will need to provide the lender before they can qualify you?

You should consult a reputable and experienced lender to get a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) in order to answer these and other questions as well as obtain your lender letter. The GFE will also break down all of the costs associated with the purchase of a home including the interest rate of the loan and your monthly payment of Principal (P) and Interest (I). You will need to factor in Taxes (T) and Home Owner's Insurance (I) in order to come to your final monthly payment (PITI) and lenders will typically ask you for that information prior to providing you with a GFE. You can get tax information on any property off of public records sites (the County or State you are looking to move to) or the lender or your Buyer's Agent can research that for you.

If you are unsure as to which lender to use or who is reputable and experienced, here are some suggestions:

• If you are a member of a Credit Union, check with them. Their rates and closing costs are usually very competitive.
• Check with your banking institution. They may offer incentives to those who have an extended banking history with them and/or a certain minimum daily balance.
• Check with your coworkers, friends or Buyer's Agent to see who they have dealt with in the past and their experience with them.
• Speak with two to three lenders and getting three different GFEs for comparison purposes. Make sure that you speak with them all within a span of one to two weeks. They will each pull your credit and it will hurt your credit score if they are too far apart.

But don't confuse these suggestions with just "buying down the rate" to get a better rate. Yes, it does get you a better rate, but if you don't live in the property for more than 7 years, what you save each month with a lower rate may not outweigh what the cost of the point was.

Once you receive the GFEs from the two or three lenders you've checked with, make sure to compare them side-by-side. You can do this with your financial planner, friend or family member who has bought five to ten or more properties in the last several years or your Buyer's Agent. Understanding the entire GFE is key to knowing whether it just looks like a good deal or if it really is a good deal.

One thing that is intangible is the service and performance of the lender. Sometimes, if it's too good to be true, it is. The lowest quote may not always be the best one. What if it looks good, but the lender is sloppy, procrastinates or just doesn't have a good work ethic and your loan isn't ready come settlement date? Well, there are no current laws holding lenders accountable and YOU pay the price.

That's right...if the lender screws up and the loan docs are not ready or the lender pulls a bait and switch with higher closing costs or a higher interest rate and you don't want to move forward with the purchase of the home, you will be in default of the contract and may lose your earnest money deposit, etc. This is why it is so important to work with a reputable and experienced lender.

Sounds scary, but it really isn't. Seventy percent of Americans are home owners, which means that 210 million people have had to obtain some sort of financing and went through a similar process as you. And if you're informed and have people on your side looking out for you, you should have no problem.

If you wish to get a list of information you will need to provide a lender, a rough estimate of what you can afford and further information on financing and what to look out for, refer to The Buyer's Guide To The Home Buying Process. The Financing section provides information on interest rate tables, lender's calculations, maximum monthly debt ratios, a check list of items to provide the lender, etc.

 You may get a better price by dealing directly with the owner, because he or she will probably be anxious to avoid having a foreclosure on the credit history. During pre-foreclosure you will be able to negotiate directly with the home’s current owner, and have an opportunity to get a really close look at the home’s condition. When To Buy While it’s possible to buy beachfront foreclosures at any time between pre-foreclosure and the foreclosure auction, the time to act is really during the pre-foreclosure period. The banks or lending institutions benefit from having the homes reoccupied because they no longer have to pay to insure or maintain them, and buyers benefit because they can get into beachfront homes which would otherwise be beyond their means.

 Because banks holding title to beachfront foreclosures are motivated to have them reoccupied as soon as possible, buyers can often purchase beachfront foreclosures for surprisingly low prices. Like all foreclosures, beachfront foreclosures will usually sell for a price significantly discounted to their fair market value. Discounts To Market There is no difference between a beachfront foreclosure and any other kind; all foreclosures happen when a bank or other lending institution assumes possession of a name after its owner has failed to stay current on the mortgage payments for a long enough time. Beachfront foreclosures do exist, and for those willing to be patient until one comes onto the foreclosure auction market, can be the opportunities of a lifetime. But for those who are willing to make an effort to find their perfect place in the sun, searching through lists of foreclosure properties in the hopes of finding beachfront foreclosures can mean a dream come true.

  The idea Life that life’s a beach may seem like a fantasy to most people, simply because a life at the beach is simply beyond the means of most of us.

2. Why do real estate investors in Michigan spend 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 7 months fixing a basement, a roof, massive electrical work, new heating and cooling, dry walling the entire house - but balk at the idea of spending 30 minutes setting up a system on the Internet that will bring you Short Sale deals that require nothing more than paint and carpet and still has $40,000, $70,000 in equity left over?

3. Why do real estate investors in Michigan try to recreate their rehabs to look like the homes they live in themselves even thought their buyers have never asked for all that over the top rehab they are doing? “Hey this is a $125,000 house – lets spend $50,000 rehabbing the kitchen and one bathroom- I am sure our buyers will appreciate the Italian granite counter tops we are putting in the kitchen.”

4. Why do real estate investors in Michigan never put aside any money to do a kick ass promo to sell the house when it is all fixed yet are perfectly happy thousands and thousands of dollars in rehabbing the house?

5. Why do real estate investors in Michigan never put aside any money to do a marketing campaign to sell the house yet are perfectly O.K with writing their contractors $20,000 checks every Friday?

6. Why do real estate investors in Michigan hate the Internet so much when it comes to putting a decent website for their own business for $500 (Craig’s List Gigs section) yet are perfectly O.K. with spending $10,000 rehabbing a basement?

Or worse insist on designing extremely crappy looking websites that are not readable and are pain to even look at for more than 30 seconds? (garish colors, third grade English, links that don’t work, long rambling paragraphs and an overall terrifying appearance. O.K. if you are tying to prove that you are an amateur newbie who just has no clue about anything related to the Internet….). Look pick who you want to be? A real estate investor in Michigan who will get big checks or a minimum wage web designer?

7. Why do real estate in Michigan investors wait till the rehab is done to sell their properties? Or better still don’t even give any thoughts to selling till the last contractor has left the house?

8. Why do real estate investors in Michigan feel morally obligated to spend every single penny their money source (hard, soft or private) gave them for the deal (HINT: websites don’t cost $35,000 in 2007) yet never allocate a dime to marketing or selling the house?

9. Why do real estate investors never spend three hours going to all the open houses in the neighborhood in which they are doing the rehab to see what their “competition” is offering to their buyers before deciding on what they are going to rehab in their homes?

10. Quick – given a choice between having sex and going to Home Depot – which one would you pick? If you choose Home Depot than congratulations you just joined the 95% of all real estate investors in Michigan who rather spend hours walking in Home Depot in a state of perpetual bliss with a goofy smile lining up on their faces as they gently caress a sheet of drywall. Hey at least take solace in the fact that YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR DECISION TO PICK HOME DEPOT OVER SEX. You have an entire community of your fellow Michigan real estate investors waiting for you at the gates of your local Home Depot.

Also Check Out: Virginia Real Estate

"You don’t get what you deserve in life. You get what you negotiate." Jim Camp, Author of Start With No - Negotiating ToolsThat Pros Dont Want You To Know

My students routinely pick up Michigan foreclosures using short sales AND knowing how to write killer offers for huge discounts in all parts of Michigan. Rajesh Patel, a Quick Start 2007 grad, bought a foreclosure for $75,000 that is worth AS IS $250,000 - no repairs needed; fully furnished in Freeland, Michigan in June 2007. Flipped within 3 weeks. What does he know? What is he saying to get big discounts while most Michigan investors struggle to get a lousy $20,000 discount from banks?

Here are my 10 Rules for Writing Killer Offers for buying Michigan Foreclosures with big discounts:

1. What is the top most number you are willing to pay for this Michigan foreclosure? Do you even know? Do you even know how to calculate that or do you think somehow things are going to work out for you in the end and there will be a check left? You always decide what you are going to pay for a foreclosure before you start doing anything. This is not an EBay auction for an iPhone where you are letting your emotions and ego driving you instead of your head. Got to know you FINAL NUMBER before you even write an offer.

2. Do you know how much money you want to make on this flip? Cindy Crawford once said that she will not get out of the bed for a modeling gig unless she was making $50,000 that day. You number may be lower that Ms. Crawford but you should have a “get out of the bed number.”

For every deal that you intend to do. For every Michigan foreclosure you want to make an offer on. I have a spreadsheet that actually calculates what is the least amount I got to have in anything and everything I do before I even bother looking at or making an offer. If the spreadsheet says “NO” then I walk away. Bigger question is of you don’t know that number then who does?

3. Do you know that this is NOT THE ONLY foreclosure available in Michigan right now in 2007? There is a whole lot more if you know where to go and find them. Which means that you don’t need to have a desperate look painted on your face, your voice does need to shake and you should be perfectly calm and happy and alright with walking away from the foreclosure if the numbers are not swinging your way. Another important thing to know is that most of times in 2007 banks are coming back “afterwards” and saying we tried selling the darn thing and now we are O.K. with your lowball offer. Off course at that point in time you need to lower you number even more.

4. The bank might tell you that they have “other offers.” You need to open your mouth wide open and yawn when they say that.

5. This is a hard thing to sallow for most new real estate investors in Michigan but here it is – if your foreclosure needs rehab than sure you can ask for and get bigger discounts. But if your Michigan foreclosure DOES NOT NEED MAJOR REHAB you can still ask and get big discounts in Michigan no matter what city you live in or intend to buy and sell foreclosures in.

6. Just because somebody asks you to pay a price for a house; it does not morally obligates you to say YES. Learn the word “NO” – it is the best word in English language. If you have problem saying “NO” then stand in front of a tall mirror and practice it. After a while you will get it right. I am really good at saying NO. Most people choose to sit in the muck and buy bad deals by forgetting to say the word NO.

7. Deduct $5,000 from the FINAL number that you really want to buy the Michigan foreclosure at and start your offer from there. At least now you have $5,000 to fool around with and go up.

8. Ask for Seller Concessions – at least 3% on every Michigan foreclosure you make an offer on. Banks are pretty cool about giving out seller concessions on REO’s; a Short sale requires a different treatment though.

9. Pretty much every self help book out there talks about developing a “Prosperity Mindset” – if you ever read one or set thorough a self help seminar then you know what I mean. It sounds really good to ears but nobody practices it real life. Prosperity Mindset to me in flipping foreclosures is simply knowing beyond the shadow of doubt in my head that there is always “more” – more deals, more houses, more buyers, more money – where this is coming from.

So even the bank / sellers says NO or wont budge to a price that makes sense to me – Oh Well! There is always more. I am not going to fall to the floor, curl up in a fetal position and cry hysterically just because they are not taking my number. Who cares? There is always more.

10. One is the worse number – always have more than one offer in the pipeline – REO’s or Short Sale – the same way a bank comes back and says “we have another offer” you should also tell yourself in private “ I am looking at several Michigan foreclosures – THIS IS ONLY ONE OF THEM. Screw them if they don’t take my offer at my number and my terms.”

Also Check Out: Virginia Real Estate

1. Seek for the assistance of a high-caliber real estate agent There are lots of real estate brokers and independent agents that could help sell your house fast. However too few truly can sell it in a winning pace that would satisfy both your needs. Your first stop to finding one is to seek for the more credible agencies that specialize in your neighborhood. From your choices, trim down the actual agency that would work for you, remember that both of you are transparent in the agreements and everything in between.

An agent or a broker is a must when selling your properties unless you are skilled in this particular field or you are an agent yourself. There are lots of complex regulations and schemes in this industry that you cannot let just another person to handle your business. Ensure yourself of a good service and quality transactions. It is not enough that someone is there to work for you. What you should be looking after for is that someone's there to sell the house for you.

2. Make the price right. Sellers often have the tendency to overrate and underrate their properties. Both ways, you will lose much.

When you quote the property too high, the initial effect is to discourage buyers from entertaining your offers. On the other hand, when the price is too low, you are likely to face a lose-lose situation where you earned nothing in return but you still have to cover the expenses for taxes, unforeseen fees, and others.

In this regard, you have to hire an agent that could easily provide the reasonable price for your property. Most real estate agents have the full knowledge of the pricing in a neighborhood. Be sure to get in contact with only the best since they are the most reliable people in the industry.

3. Make your home inviting to new owners A common mistake among homeowners is to package the house including the clutter. Well, in most cases this is inevitable.

People typically become too much attached with their homes that they fail to see that there are things that must be taken away from the house during sale. For example, the sentimental value that a family picture may have could repel buyers from becoming interested in your house.

The principle in selling a house is to make it amiable with the new owners. Remember that it is no longer your house, it will soon become another person's home. Thus, your mementos, awards, picture and everything that reminds you as the past homeowner must be taken away and packed somewhere away from your house.

4. If nothing works, then rent it. Unless your house is ideally matched with somebody else's picture, price and all other criteria of a house, it cannot be sold so easily. In this case, it's best that you have your house rented for a while. This would help cover all costs while you are waiting for a buyer to come by. However, you must make a clear arrangement with your renters regarding the availability of showing the house to prospect buyers.

Also Check Out: Richmond, VA real estate