Never underestimate the power of a well-maintained home. Buyers don’t want to have to do a lot of maintenance work when they move in.

A clean home conveys the message that the home has been cared for and looked after. When potential buyers walk into a clean home, they immediately assume that the home owner has maintained the home.

When potential buyers walk into your home, you want them to imagine their family living there. You need to remove the clutter, put away the family mementos, and arrange your furniture to show how much space your home offers.

Make no mistake, when you are selling your home, you are competing against all the other homes in your area. Make sure you know what homes are for sale, how much they are selling for and how they compare against your home.

Attract the right buyers right away! You will receive the highest number of showings in the first two weeks of your listing. It is extremely important to be priced at your “Selling Market Value” within this 2 week window.

In a buyers’ market, you may have to throw in some additional incentives. Take some time to think about what you would be willing to give to close a deal. Many first time home owners need furniture, washer, dryer, TVs, and other items when they are starting out.

Buying a home can be stressful – especially if it is your first home or your first home in a while. To help ease that stress, Sali Homes recommends you build a budget, know your credit rating & get pre-approved for a mortgage. Our extensive Professional Network can help!

The second most important decision, after knowing what you can afford, is deciding where you are going to live. Once you’ve made a short list of neighborhoods, take tours through them so see if they “feel” right.

Create a home buying checklist for yourself and use it to compare all the homes you see. What are your “must haves” vs. your “nice to haves”? What are you willing to compromise on? What are the most important items on your list?

Use your REALTOR® wisely here. You don’t want to offer more than the home is worth (or more than you can afford). Likewise, you don’t want to offer so much below market value that you offend the seller.

Just like the stock market, it’s impossible to time the real estate market. The best time to buy is when you find the home that is perfect for you, in the neighborhood that is perfect for you, and at the price that is perfect for you.

The home inspection is your opportunity to discover any items you didn’t see that might impact your purchase decision. Depending on the size of the issue, you may decide to withdraw your offer or perhaps negotiate a price reduction.