Before Selling Your Home

Here are some important steps you should take before you put your house on the market:

1. Home Loan Approval for your next Home

You don't want to be signing a contract to sell your house before knowing if you are qualified to buy another. Your financial circumstances may have changed since your last purchase and you may not qualify for the loan amount you seek. You'll get a good idea of what you can afford by getting a pre-approval before selling your house. You may then take the decision of whether or not it would be reasonable to sell your house at this point of time or maybe consider renting something after selling the house instead of readily buying another.

2. Determine Fair Market Value of your House

You'd want to get the best price off your property and in the quickest time possible. However, over-pricing your home will only limit your chances of selling fast and under-pricing may speed up the process but you lose out in the bargain. An agent or an appraisal service (free home appraisal here) should be able to assist in determining the fair market value of your home. Another way is judging by how much other houses in your neighborhood sold for. Irrespective of the method, one must be used to determine the true and best value of your home to ensure it's sold in quickest time possible.

3. Estimate Cost of Selling

? Advertising costs, if you plan to sell home yourself.

? Real estate commissions.

? Attorney, closing agent and other professional fees.

? Excise tax for the sale.

? Property taxes and home owner association fees, if applicable

4. Make Necessary Repairs

You don't want to put off a buyer because of minor repairs which you haven't attended to so far. If you've decided to sell your house, it's time to finish with any pending repairs you may have felt minor and unnecessary to fix up till this point of time.

5. Get the House Ready to Show

Apart from repair work, you'll also want to see that your house is sparkling clean and everything is organized and in it's place when a buyer comes to see your place. A clutter-free environment is essential if you want the house to appeal to the buyer.

Sameer S Panjwani is the CEO and Founder of ChoiceOfHomes.com - Sell / Rent Your Home Online. The website is a useful resource of Home Listings, Articles and Information related to real estate.

MORE RESOURCES:

Realtors Say Foreigners Hold Key to Real Estate Revival - FOXNews

Investment Regimes for Indian Real Estate Sector Explored - MarketWatch

Real Estate Market Slumps, Showhomes Soars - MarketWatch

Moody#39;s: Commercial real estate prices rise - CNNMoney.com

Architects see drop in real estate design contracts - Los Angeles Times

Target shareholder revises real estate proposal - The Associated Press

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/hotStocksNews/idUSTRE4AI5MH20081119cid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFjV4WFB1jUd_a20HyiUvPHGaOOmAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=XVuA8yiQ2LIJimgurl=www.reuters.com/resources/r/%3Fm%3D02%26d%3D20081119%26t%3D2%26i%3D6876351%26w%3D192%26r%3D2008-11-19T193234Z_01_BTRE4AI1BTF00_RTROPTP_0_TARGET width=80 height=50 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Reuters/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izZJX0Q9xiHBM5Mg3-Ee1B6sI8wQD94I9R8O0cid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNGsmXK5LNIl2s3DVXWs1J3wGee3xwTarget shareholder revises breal estate/b proposal/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Associated Pressnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Ackman unveiled a plan last month that involves creating a breal estate/b investment trust that would take ownership of the land Target owns underneath its b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-1fd=Rurl=http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2008/11/17/daily25.htmlcid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFMXhk2mGZmE5SslOEea3tTfs4EmgPershing revises Target land spin-off proposal/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBizjournals.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-2fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/americasDealsNews/idUSTRE4AH7PD20081118cid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFzWf991VCnZ5wwfKTqr-l6bPphvAPershing#39;s revised Target proposal out Wednesday/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-3fd=Rurl=http://blogs.reuters.com/reuters-dealzone/2008/11/19/troubled-retailerackman-5-bln-reit-ipo/cid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFmzJOChgy4uwQ9-5BcUzCtjdtTsQTroubled retailer+Ackman= $5 bln REIT IPO?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters UK/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-4fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8044333cid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNGYg69OZRk0G_ZrsQbo3roYHR6GnAnobrguardian.co.uk/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-5fd=Rurl=http://leapsinvestor.com/market-news/ackman-target-shares-worth-37share-726/cid=1271977767ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNGNvsMcSlvr5glEi8B9_Ed--ITXYAnobrLEAPSInvestor.com/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1271977767hl=ennobrall 131 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

E-House Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results - MarketWatch

UPDATE 1-Dubai real estate suffers as distressed sales rise - Reuters

Artis Real Estate Investment Trust announces monthly cash distribution - FOXBusiness

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/artis-real-estate-investment-trust-announces-monthly-cash-distribution-319904495/cid=1272287796ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNHMNPH3NElRu3RHs1XHfTFBzpg8BgArtis bReal Estate/b Investment Trust announces monthly cash distribution/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFOXBusinessnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Artis is a growth-oriented breal estate/b investment trust focused exclusively on commercial properties located in primary and growing secondary markets in b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-1fd=Rurl=http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D2192:amid-global-economic-slowdown-investors-are-well-advised-to-train-their-sights-on-real-estate-%26catid%3D47:propertiescid=1272287796ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNGKsj_bT754EtUj656HNIzIrYWoBg‘Amid global economic slowdown, investors are well-advised to b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBusiness Mirror/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-2fd=Rurl=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2008/19/c2246.htmlcid=1272287796ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNEoeruBY2KnXjIEvzaa-H6GpvyJ0gCrombie REIT announces monthly distribution/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCanada NewsWire (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-3fd=Rurl=http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/investors-real-estate-trust-announces-increase-regular-quarterly-common-share-1154743513/cid=1272287796ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNH-miEMHTbM0qzbMt2GqcVKpa44NwInvestors bReal Estate/b Trust Announces Increase in Regular b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrFOXBusiness/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-4fd=Rurl=http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/holloway-lodging-real-estate-investment-trust-announces-monthly-distribution-1482787386/cid=1272287796ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNHbkspftdnYp2G9eEXoRM2d0sGMXgnobrFOXBusiness/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272287796hl=ennobrall 24 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Commercial Real Estate Debt Index Plummets - Wall Street Journal

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122703851606838297.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsjcid=1271977795ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFoYXZX-44ANhVQfimBtHhT-cA5QQCommercial bReal Estate/b Debt Index Plummets/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWall Street Journalnbsp;-/font nobrNov 18, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By PRABHA NATARAJAN WASHINGTON -- A commercial breal estate/b debt index plummeted Tuesday after a Credit Suisse research report warned that two loans included b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1933428520081119cid=1271977795ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNF53s6pecA1QLjharPybaAkDBXrkwUPDATE 1-Economy, TARP conspire against commercial mortgages/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-2fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601087%26sid%3Da7v3wNC8x9WA%26refer%3Dhomecid=1271977795ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFACyaaabj4FPOqZGexuIrP9EyrCwWestin, Promenade Commercial Mortgages Near Default (Update2)/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBloomberg/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-3fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1826572220081118cid=1271977795ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFMpA1_Jz9EQvK_SK4ZrrU0HknwvAUPDATE 1-Big CMBS loans seen near default, index yields soar/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-4fd=Rurl=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122703851606838297.html%3Fmod%3Dspecial_page_campaign2008_mostpopcid=1271977795ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNFIColsx-TMzk5-7mHZBBpN-hvoCAnobrWall Street Journal/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-5fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601087%26sid%3Da0GR3cE_UyEE%26refer%3Dhomecid=1271977795ei=C3UlSeGkAYu8yAS89N3IAQusg=AFQjCNGfUEN1rRwn18lPHScOds4o9y2LhAnobrBloomberg/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1271977795hl=ennobrall 31 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Real-Estate - Google News

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