Real Estate Financing and Investing/How To Get Top Dollar for Your House

Getting top dollar for your house when you sell hinges upon a number of factors. They are:

• Ask the right price. Get several brokers to look at your house. Have them do "comps" on their computer.
• Sell by July. Statistics show that of all home sales, over 70% occur in just four months, April through July. Most buyers want to move before school starts for their children.
• Put some cosmetics on your house. It is usually worth investing some money to put a pretty face on your house.
• Pick a top sales agent. See if you can find a Realtor of the Year type because he or she is a performing broker.
• Don`t be stingy on the standard commission. A full price broker may give up some portion of the commission to clinch your sale.
• Sign up for a shorter term listing (like no more than 90 days).
• Take advantage of a multiple listing.
• Do not oversell. Sit back and let the broker do the talking. You don`t want to point out too many things (such as a fireplace) about your house.
• Avoid any offer that is contingent on the buyer`s selling his or her own house. Avoid any chance the deal may fall through.