Debbie Baldes, Roseville, CA RE Broker-Owner

If you are trying to sell your home yourself you make want to consider a few things first like, "How should I price my home, how can I advertise, how am I going to show my house, and how am I going to protect myself." Selling your home can be challenging and risky.

How will you price your home?

Consider your competition. What is currently on the market? How do those properties compare to yours in terms of home size and lot size, curb appeal, upgrades, and amenities? What are the asking prices of those homes?

Consider appraisal value. What have other homes in your neighborhood sold for recently? What will your appraised value be?

Consider your reasons for selling. Do you have to move in a specified time frame? Are you facing an illness or other hardship?

How are you going to show and market your home?

Have you thought about how you are going to get buyers inside to take a look at your home? Do you have an advertisement and marketing plan? Can you make flyers and ads? Do you know haw to advertise on the web? Do you have a schedule that allows you to be flexible with the buyer's schedules for showing the home?

Are you going to have an open house? If so here are some safety tips:

• Take notice of the people that are approaching, and if possible jot down their license plate number.
• Let your neighbors know what you are doing and to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
• Keep the window shades open.
• Unlock the doors for an easy escape. If necessary.
• Determine several "escape" routes that you can use in case of an emergency.
• Carry a phone on you at all times.
• Never allow the party to split apart and keep you "pre-occupied" while the others are out of sight.
• Keep all medications out of sight, and if possible locked up.
• Do not have any firearms in the home.
• Keep jewelry and other valuable items out of sight.

Here are some tips for a successful open house:

• Open up the curtains, or blinds to allow as much natural light as possible.
• Turn on the lights in every room.
• Bake some cookies for your guests.
• Play soft music.
• Have a lender on site to talk to buyers about getting pre-qualified.

How many people will be involved in the transaction?

This depends on the buyer and who they choose to involve and who you as the seller choose to involve. There are many people from many different agencies that are involved in a real estate transaction here are just a few:

The buyer
The real estate attorney
The appraiser
The home inspector
The mortgage loan officer
The lender
An environmental specialist
The lead paint inspector
A mold inspector
The radon inspector
A Tax adviser
The termite inspector
A Title company
An insurance company ...just to name a few

Selling a home takes a lot of work; make sure you do your homework before you try to sell yours!

For more information for sellers visit our website at: www.ExecutivePropertiesOnline.com