Now more than ever, working with a REALTOR is your best bet!

Everyone knows that the real estate market is depressed right now. Foreclosures are up and inventories are at higher levels than we normally see in most areas. Is it still possible to sell a house this year? The answer is YES, absolutely. I have been telling sellers that they should plan for the worst and hope for the best - actually, that's good advice no matter what our market condition!

If you want to sell to take advantage of favorable prices on your next purchase, or need to move due to your job, or for whatever reason, as long as you enter the market with your eyes open, it doesn't have to be a waste of your time and effort.

Proper pricing has become increasingly difficult. It is very important that you either hire a professional residential real estate appraiser in your area, and ask for a market value appraisal, or, speak to one or two reputable real estate agents in the area. Ask them to come preview your home, talk to them about the age of your roof, systems, etc. Tell the agents or appraiser about any new major projects in the house, i.e., new hardwood flooring or all new appliances. What about an addition? Have you increased the heated square footage of your home since you purchased?

All of these points are relevant. Not every item is going to come back to you dollar for dollar in any market. However, many things speak to the overall condition and desirability of the home and can make a difference, even if only in helping you to sell faster than your competition.

Once you decide on price, the home needs to be prepared for sale. The way that we live in our homes and the way that we stage them for sale are two very different things. I have had people say to me "but we still live here." Well, nobody is asking you to do anything harmful to your health or that will pose a major inconvenience to your lifestyle. Mentally you have already left this home. The house is now a product and we need to put our best foot forward.

When you sell a car that you've had a few years, do you spiff it up? Maybe get it detailed and buy new floor mats? Of course you do. You can look at one of the auto pricing websites and get a fairly good idea of what you are likely to get for your car, but, only if the condition of the vehicle is comparable to others, or what is expected from the buyer market. If you want top dollar for your car and it's trashed and dinged up, it's not going to happen.

The same is true when you sell your home. Yes, it has been good enough for you, but that's not good enough for the buyers. Buyers have many more choices than they usually have and buyers are more saavy than they have ever been. They have access to tons of information and if your house doesn't measure up, you probably won't even see qualified and serious buyers in your price range.

Seriously, this has all become alot more intense than it once was. I remember when I have sold homes in the past, or when my parents sold a home. You just made certain it was really clean and you were good to go. You could expect to sell the house in a fairly short period of time, usually less than 60-90 days. REALITY CHECK: those days are gone for a long, long time to come for most areas. Sellers need to expect to be on the market for up to 12 months.

Your professional REALTOR can help you decide what really needs to be done and what is not so important. It is proven by the sales records, staged homes always sell first and for the highest price.

Do you want to get rid of the wallpaper that you spent 6 months selecting 15 years ago? Maybe not, but, if you don't, prepare to be on the market even longer. The home needs to be a neutral palette that will appeal to the largest number of ready, willing and able buyers. If you leave the home in disrepair, with poor curb appeal, and a very dated interior, your home may never sell. We (agents) know that is a tough pill to swallow. We are not telling you this to be ugly or because your home doesn't suit our personal tastes.

Experienced and well trained REALTORS know that all the marketing in the world won't sell a house that the majority of buyers will find objectionable. Remember what I said earlier? Buyers have choices. Carpet, paint, all of that "decorative" stuff is in play these days. Yes, it is just a gallon of paint. But, to a buyer it's much more than that. If they don't like your son's orange walls, they perceive that as an immediate project that they will need to tackle. If you have chocolate brown shag carpet in the house but everything else is neutral and perfect? That's unfortunate. You just stopped short of being in a fantastic position to sell before many of the homes you are competiing with.

An experienced and well trained REALTOR can guide you through the process. It is in our best interest to sell your home as quickly as possible. If our hands are tied, that is not going to happen.