Why Do You Want to Sell? Do you want to sell your home in order to move to a different neighborhood, school district, or to be closer to family or employment opportunities? Perhaps you’re leaving the area. Maybe you want a country setting or want to be closer to town. Or maybe you need more bedrooms or storage? You may even want to downsize. As an experienced real estate agent, I counsel our clients to help you understand not only your underlying reasons for wanting to sell, but the implications of how selling might impact your life and finances in ways you might not have anticipated. When appropriate, I will suggest other options for you to consider that might help you better reach your financial, lifestyle and real estate goals.

When Do You Want to Sell? If it is critical for you to sell quickly, using a top-producing real estate agent can help you expedite the process compared to selling your own home. Or, perhaps you have the flexibility of deciding when you want to sell, and there is no urgency. I can help you understand the current market conditions in your area, and help you decide on the optimal time to place your home on the market.

What are the Current Market Conditions? The current real estate market may affect not only how much your home might sell for, but also how quickly. For example, in a buyers market, there are more homes for sale than there are buyers, so buyers have more negotiating power. In a buyers market, having an agent with excellent negotiating skills on your side can be instrumental in a successful sale, preserving your sales proceeds as much as possible. In a sellers’ market, there are fewer homes on the market, prices may be increasing and there may be multiple bids on desirable properties. In this kind of market, an experienced agent will help you price your home properly correctly to maximize your exposure and bring you the best market price and terms available within your time frames.

Optimizing Your Finances & Taxes: Has your current income level increased or decreased? Whether you are trading up, trading down, or even trading across, your monthly ownership expenses will change, and I can help you estimate the cumulative impact of all these changes to make sure you are making a financially sound decision. I can also help you estimate the potential proceeds from selling your home net of selling expenses which may include transfer taxes, tax withholdings, real estate commissions and in some areas certain legislated repairs. Finally, I can suggest tax savings and estate planning strategies that should be addressed with your accountant or attorney prior to completing your transaction. Depending on your circumstances and level of interest in real estate, you may even be able to become a real estate investor.