Tips to Sell your Home to Prevent Foreclosures!

While in the past, selling your home might have seemed more like a sprint (put it on the market see several buyers in a few days and close a few weeks later), it is more likely to feel more like a marathon these days (see a few buyers every week or so for a month or two, then close several weeks later). In most cities, the easy days of putting a house on the market, receiving several bids, accepting an offer in a few days or weeks, and getting more than you asked, are over. Now in most parts of the country, it is a buyers market, meaning that there are more houses for sale, prices are lower, and the houses are on the market for longer stretches of time. Those wanting to sell their homes need to be ready for a long, sustained effort on their part. The average home for sale is staying on the market for about 4 months. Many sellers have tried to sell and have been unable to, and are now facing foreclosures. Here are a few things you should do before you sell your home to possibly quicken the sale:

1. Know that every housing market is different-Just because in one part of the country prices are still high, or the market has completely fallen does not mean that this is true for your area. There is no such thing as a national housing market, every area has its own trends. Don’t rely on a single person’s advice-speak to several real estate professionals in your area, do your own research, and get to know the area in which you are selling.
2. Have your house inspected-Do this before you even call a real estate agent or put your home on the market. This will give you an early heads up on any repairs you will have to make so that you have plenty of time to do them-it also allows you to prevent a buyer from pulling out at the last minute if there is something that an inspector finds that they don’t like. Knowing the problem also allows you, the seller, to pick who fixes the problem, enabling you to get the best price.
3. Make your home appealing-You always want to put your best foot forward when you are selling your home-freshen up paint in areas that need it, make sure both the inside and the outside of the house are clean, and add some landscaping to your house to add a little curb appeal. This will increase your chances of people being excited about your house as who can resist a property that looks nice!
4. Get together a marketing plan-Are you going to use a real estate agent, or sell it yourself? If you try doing it yourself, you will need to do all the marketing yourself. Think about ads you want to place in the local paper, flyers you want to post or hand out, and other ideas you might have to market your home in your area.
5. Set a price-Because most of the nation is experiencing a buyers market right now, the rules are a little different. You cannot overprice your home by 10-20% to leave a little room to negotiate-this could really backfire in this market. If the price of your home is too high, buyers might not even look at it. You can get your own comparisons to other houses in the neighborhood online, and you can also look in the newspaper to see other comparable houses and the prices that they are selling for. You need to set a realistic number for the price of your house-you want to make sure that the perfect buyer for your house will not be scared away by the price, but that you will still be able to make a profit off the sale of your house. You might be able to pad the price a little in your area-but remember, too much and you are going to lose potential buyers.
6. Understand the price that you set-You do not want your house to be undervalued, however, do not expect to make as much as your neighbors made last year when they sold their home. If you are expecting to make a certain amount, and find that houses in your area are not selling for that amount, you might have to adjust your expectations, or wait to sell.
7. Get rid of the “stuff” in your yard and house-Because buyers have more options, they are going to be more particular right now. Throw things out or store them somewhere else if they are cluttering up your space. Buyers are looking for light and space, and to highlight all this light and space in your home, you need to get rid of all the extra stuff that you have (including furniture, knick knacks, clothes, etc).
8. Know your market-Again, you need to stay on top of the market in your area, and any changes that might occur. Keep an eye on trends and changes before they happen.

Hopefully some of these tips helped, and good luck selling your home!!!

Selling your homes is a great way to avoid foreclosures!