1. Find the right representative
The experience and knowledge of a dedicated real estate professional can be priceless. A good Realtor® forms a powerful team with his or her clients that makes it possible for them to have a smooth, successful, stress-free sale.

2. Determine your needs/wants for the sale and for your new home
Selling your primary residence can be tricky because you have to simultaneously be thinking about where you would like to buy. First weigh your priorities – selling price is certainly important, but having a quick and efficient sale can often be worth accepting a slightly lower offer. Talk to your agent and make sure you’re comfortable with where your priorities are.

At the same time, you should be compiling a needs/wants list for the home you will buy. You will probably have to act fairly quickly when your house sells, so any amount of preparation you can do will serve you well.

3. Prepare your house for showing
Underprepared homes can be sales disasters. Your home will never get as much attention from potential buyers as when it is first listed, so clearing clutter, cleaning, making repairs, and putting your home’s best foot forward is essential. Don’t “open for business” until your home is ready to be seen as favorably as possible.

4. Find out what your local market looks like
Being realistic about your market is the key to a smooth sale. There is no substitute for a professional real estate representative when it comes to local market knowledge.

5. List away!
Lots of photos and online exposure are the key to getting a good response for your listing. Working with an agent who uses Point2 Agent software is a great step in the right direction. Now just “open” the house and sit back and wait for the flood of eager buyers!

If you are selling your home in Westfield, Southwick, Agawam, West Springfield or the surrounding Western Massachusetts towns, then I would love to interview for the position. My 21 years experience in Western Massachusetts real estate will help smooth your move.

My latest listing found me on Google by researching the term "short sale real estate agent in Western MA" and has been following my blog articles of short sale advice and education. 

While it is never a great thing to have to sell your home via short sale, I am honored that she valued my input enough to want guidance through this and I am thrilled that I may be able to help her through this difficult time. 

She tried to get several other agents to help her with getting informed and they gave her answers like: "short sales are too much work". 

While there is some truth to the fact that there can be extra work involved in selling a short sale, each one is different and they can go fairly smoothly.  They are also a reality of our market right now. 

I find great pleasure in helping sellers with their short sale situations for a few reasons:

#1- I was there and feel empathy for their level of stress.  I want to help that stress decrease.

#2- It is a hands on way for me to help the housing market recover and stop properties from foreclosing

#3- It is an avenue of business for me.

So, if you are a homeowner in Western Massachusetts who needs a real estate agent to help you make a short sale work, call me.  If you are a REALTOR in Western Massachusetts who doesn't want to work short sales: refer those clients to me, I will take good care of them!

Home Value Update for Springfield MA Through September 2009

According to Zillow.com, the listing prices of single family homes have increased 3.6% in the last 3 months, and listing prices of condos have increased 11.7%. The current mean listing price of homes for sale on the market in Springfield, MA, is $140,000. Below is a chart of the trend of listing prices of homes for sale in Springfield, MA, in the past year through September 2009:

If you're looking for a home or condo to purchase in Springfield, MA, or in the surrounding area, then try this home search.

You can still buy a home with no money down with the USDA Rural Development Home Loan program. With the FHA Mortgage program, you can purchase a home with as little as 3.5% down. When you're ready to buy a home, find out how much home or condo you can afford to purchase in Springfield, MA, or in the surrounding area.

Holland MA Real Estate: 3rd Quarter Market Report 2009

War Memorial and Holland Elementary School

This report focuses on real estate activity in the town of Holland, MA, in the time period of July 1, 2009, to September 30, 2009.

During this quarter, ten single family homes sold.

The average sales price of these ten homes was $186,100.

The average time on the market was 262 days - almost a year! For a lake community, this is surprising. Usually summer is a fairly busy real estate season for towns like Holland that center on lake style living.

Let's take a look at the same time frame in 2008:

10 homes sold

Average price $192,215

Time on market 137 days

And 2007:

13 homes

Average $243,031

Time on market only 92 days

The trend is easy to see: Low number of homes sold, average price decreasing, and time on market increasing. For those who are trying to sell their homes in Holland, MA, these numbers can not be ignored. For buyers, this is another sign that it is still a great time to purchase a home.

If you would like additional information on the Holland real estate market, please do contact me.

Don't miss my listing at 29 Old Acres Road in Holland. Waterview with private beach rights - move-in condition - open floor plan - perfectly priced at $189,000.

Yours in real estate,

Get a Free List of Websites of Government and Bank Foreclosure Listings in Springfield, MA

There are a number of websites that contain free listings of government and bank foreclosed homes in Springfield, MA. These websites contain descriptions, color photos, and addresses of the foreclosed homes for sale in Springfield, MA. And, most of these websites have government and bank foreclosure listings nationwide.

There's no charge to search the foreclosure listings on any of these websites, and there's no 7-day free trial period either. Virtually all of these websites do not require any personal information to get access to the government and bank foreclosure listings. You can access these foreclosure listings anytime you want and as often as you want - free of charge!

Get your own directory of free websites of government and bank foreclosures in Springfield, MA. While registration is required to get access to the free directory of websites of foreclosures, the information will be provided to you instantly, and is completely free-of-charge and without any obligation!