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Tips on Selling Your Home
Want to get the best price possible for your home? Want to sell it fast?
Following these steps will help.
 Choose the right real estate agent.
Licensed real estate agents have the training and marketing skills to
accurately price your home and attract qualified buyers. Look for an agent who
specializes in your area and your type of property. Questions you might ask an
agent include:
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What homes have you sold in my area in the last 6 months? |
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What things will you do to help me determine the right sales price for my home?
(The answer should include a Comparative Market Analysis.) |
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How quickly can I expect to sell my home in the current market? |
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What will your marketing plan for my home include? What specific things will
you do and when? |
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How often will you stay in touch with me and how can I reach you? |
To find a licensed real estate agent near you, see our Directory
of Real Estate Professionals.
 Price your home effectively.
Some sellers price a home high to make it easier to drop the price during
negotiations, but this strategy can backfire. Buyers comparison shop and know
when a home is fairly priced. If yours isn't, they may not even make an offer.
Here are a few general rules of pricing:
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If you don't need to sell quickly, price your home a little on the high side
and see if you can fetch top dollar. |
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If you need to sell fast, price your home competitively. |
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Remember home sales tend to be seasonal. If you're selling in spring or summer,
more buyers will be looking. If you're trying to sell in fall, it's usually a
tougher market with fewer buyers. You may have to ask a lower price. |
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Houses sell differently depending on whether it's a buyer's or seller's market.
If there's high demand for houses, you can get top dollar. If the market is
slow, you'll have to be very competitive with your price. |
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 Spruce up your home.
There many ways you can make your home more appealing without investing a lot
of time or money.
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Increase curb appeal. Keep shrubs trimmed and your lawn mowed. Add new
mulch to plant beds. If your house needs a paint job and you can afford it, do
it. Fresh paint is one of the most effective improvements you can make to speed
up a sale. Otherwise, try cleaning your home's exterior and repainting the
trim. Add inexpensive annual flowers in strategic places for color. Make sure
the front door is clean, freshly painted and oiled. |
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Tidy up. Neatness really counts. Don't let clutter distract buyers from
your home's high points. Put tools and gardening equipment away. Coil hoses.
Polish door knobs. Do a thorough spring cleaning. Pack away bric-a-brac. And
keep your house ready for showing. Your agent can need to show a buyer your
home at any time. |
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Make your kitchen and baths appealing. Buyers react most strongly to
kitchens, closets and bathrooms. Concentrate your efforts in these areas. Keep
them clean and tidy. Repaint if they need it. If the caulk around sinks and
baths is old and cracking, considering recaulking. It can make a dramatic
difference. |
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Have an action plan for showings. Keep a plastic basket full of your
favorite cleaning products, plus a hand vacuum, sponge and paper towels, for
quick cleanups. If your house is a complete disaster that day, warn your agent
and suggest another day. |
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Go all out for open houses. You've heard the old adage about baking
cookies. Do it. Some people swear by ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls. Consider
putting out vases of flowers. If it's a cold day, light a fire in the
fireplace. Make your home look bright and cheerful by having all the lights on.
Then disappear. This is your agent's time to sell. Your presence could distract
potential buyers. |
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 Selling to buy another home? Let Countrywide give you a buying advantage too.
Most people are looking for a new home at the same time they're selling. We can
help with:
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Pre-Approval Make your offer the one the seller accepts. By being
pre-approved for a loan, you look like a much better bet for completing the
deal than someone who hasn't even talked to a lender yet. Get
pre-approved now.* |
*Pre-approval subject to satisfactory appraisal and title review and no change in financial condition.
 Select the best offer.
In a hot market, you could get multiple offers. Look them over carefully. Some
may be contingent on meeting certain conditions. Look for the offer that:
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Gives you the best price |
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Has the fewest number of hurdles |
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Is made by the best qualified buyer |
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Has a pre-approval from Countrywide (we'll gladly provide one if a qualified
buyer hasn't gotten that far) |
 Got a buyer? Make sure you get a good appraisal.
A good appraisal is important in making sure the deal will go through. Here's
what you can do to help ensure you get a fair appraisal:
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First impressions count While appraisers are more interested in your
home's physical condition, a neat and tidy home and lot gives the impression
the home has been well-maintained. |
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Be there for the appraisal Accompany the appraiser on the tour of your
house and point out major improvements you've made to the home. If you can't be
there, be sure to have your agent give the appraiser a list of key improvements
and features of your home. |
 Keep the deal going smoothly.
When negotiating any point of the sale, don't leave anything to a verbal
agreement. While it's customary for fixtures (anything fixed to the walls or
property, such as light fixtures, built-ins and window coverings) to be
included in the sale, put it in writing. Appliances like refrigerators, washers
and dryers can be negotiable. Try to negotiate in good faith and strike a fair
compromise.
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Equal Housing Lenders. © 2008 Countrywide Bank, FSB, Countrywide Home Loans Division. Member FDIC. Trade/service marks are the property of Countrywide Financial Corporation, Countrywide Bank, FSB, or their respective affiliates and/or its subsidiaries. Some products may not be available in all states. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved.