Selling Home & Garden

10 Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House - Home Selling  You are here: About > Home & Garden > Home Buying / Selling > How To Sell a House > 10 Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House - Home Selling Home & Garden Home Buying / Selling Essentials 10 Things Home Buyers Shouldn't Do Best Tips for First Time Home Buyers "Must-Do" Tasks Before You Sell How to Buy a Home, Step by Step For Sale by Owner Advice Articles & Resources How To Buy a Home How To Sell a House Celebrity & Historic Credit Reports & Scores Design & Remodel Home Maintenance Inspections & Appraisals Investing & Foreclosures Modular & Manufactured Mold, Radon, Lead, etc. Mortgage Advice Moving & Relocation Real Estate Careers Real Estate For Sale Vacation Homes Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Home Buying Books Foreclosure Books Mortgage Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Home Buying / Selling newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Home Buying / Selling Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page More Home Selling Articles Understanding Material Facts and Property Disclosures Get Ready for Your Home Inspection Should You Buy a Home Warranty? More Home Selling Resources How to Read the HUD-1 Settlement Statement Getting the House Ready to Sell How To Measure Your Square Footage Recent Discussions Excellent credit, no savings- help!! Buying an out of state home ? Re-financing... Related Blogs Mortgage Fraud Blog The Real Estate Blog The Money Pit Most Popular Modular and Manufactured Homes Finding Your Best Place to ... Home Buying Don'ts First Time Home Buyer Tips Before You Sell Your Home What's Hot Coping with Unethical People How To Buy Land Real Estate Appraisal Before You Buy a Log Home Package Home Buying / Selling - GuideReviews Related Topics Home Repair Architecture Credit / Debt Management Housekeeping Landscaping 10 Important Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House From Janet Wickell , Your Guide to Home Buying / Selling . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Essential Home Selling Preparations The home selling process differs from state to state, but there are some important steps that most home sellers should take before listing a house with an agent or selling it for sale by owner. Every bit of prep work you do helps you get the most return from your investment. 1. Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan I've known sellers who signed a contract to sell their house before they knew if they were qualified to buy another. Either their financial circumstances had changed since their last purchase, and they could no longer qualify for a loan, or they weren't able to sell at a price that allowed them to buy the type of replacement house they wanted. They ended up renting or buying something that was far from ideal. Before you decide to sell the house, get pre-approved by a lender you trust and research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement. Start looking for two types of real estate: houses that seem to match the one you'd like to buy and houses that are similar to your current home. How do the two categories compare in price? Can you handle the difference if you're planning a step up? Mortgage Helpers: Are You Pre-Approved for a Mortgage? And to compare for-sale homes to your own, learn how to Measure Residential Square Footage . 2. Check Your Mortgage Payoff Call your lender to check the payoff for your current home mortgage. You'll need the figure to complete Step 6. 3. Determine How Much Your House Is Worth Determine your home's fair market value. Real estate agents will usually help you determine value as a courtesy, but you might take it a step further and order an appraisal . 4. Estimate Your Costs to Sell Real estate commission if you use an agency to sell. Advertising costs, signs, other fees if you plan to sell by owner. Attorney, closing agent and other professional fees. Excise tax for the sale. Prorated costs for your share of annual expenses, such as property taxes, home owner association fees, and fuel tank rentals. Any other fees typically paid by the seller in your area (surveys, inspections, etc.). Real estate agents deal with transactions every day and can give you a very close estimate of seller closing costs. 5. Estimate Costs to Buy a New Home Calculate moving expenses, loan costs, downpayment, home inspections, title work and title policy, paying for a new hazard insurance policy--all expenses related to buying a home. Your lender should give you a disclosure of estimated costs when you apply for loan pre-approval. 6. Calculate Your Estimated Proceeds Deduct your mortgage payoff from your home's fair market value. Deduct your costs to sell from the remainder to get an estimate of the proceeds you will be paid at closing. Will your closing proceeds cover your costs to buy a new home? If not, do you have cash or other funding to make up the difference? 7. Make Necessary Repairs Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. I'm not referring to cosmetic updates--just items in need of repair. Anything that's obviously broken gives potential buyers a reason to offer you a lower price, especially if it's one of several repair hot spots that worry buyers the most. 8. Get the House Ready to Show Most houses need at least a little spiffing up before they are shown to potential buyers. Great curb appeal , fresh paint indoors (and sometimes out), organized closets and cabinets, sparkling clean windows and appliances and a clutter-free look are essential if you want the house to appeal to buyers. Be sure to avoid the things buyers hate most about houses. 9. Get Psyched Up to Let People In If you're listing with a real estate agent, she'll ask you to leave when the house is shown. Why? Because lurking sellers make buyers nervous--they don't feel comfortable inspecting the house when they feel they are intruding in your personal space. Unless there's a valid reason for it, don't ask your agent to be present for all showings, because that requirement can be the kiss of death for showing activity. Other agents want privacy with their buyers and they don't usually have time to work around your agent's schedule. Make the house accessible. That means it should always be ready to show. Many agents won't bother showing a house that takes 24 hours to get into. 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Apartments.com - Free Nationwide Apartment Search with the Most Visual Rental Listings Online. 2005 People's Voice Webby Award Search millions of apartments, condos and houses for rent. Corporate, senior, and student housing, too! Map City / Zip Name Web # Corporate Housing More Listings from more sources... so you can find a better place and a great deal! Newspaper Listings Hidden gems found only in your local paper and here! Private Landlords One of a kind spaces in your favorite neighborhood. Managed Communities Professionally managed and move in ready. Short on time? Get new apartment listings emailed to you . Have a Vacancy? Reach thousands of renters! Enter Zip: Renew/Edit your existing listing Get Help with Your Move Free Credit Reports | Find a Roommate | Moving Quotes | Auto Insurance Quotes | More Services Support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Search Rentals by Top Cities - Albuquerque apartments - Allentown apartments - Atlanta apartments - Austin apartments - Baltimore apartments - Birmingham apartments - Boston apartments - Charleston apartments - Charlotte apartments - Chattanooga apartments - Chicago apartments - Cincinnati apartments - Cleveland apartments - Columbus apartments - Dallas apartments - Dayton apartments - Denver apartments - Detroit apartments - Durham apartments - Ft Lauderdale apartments - Fresno apartments - Greensboro apartments - Hampton Roads apartments - Hartford apartments - Honolulu apartments - Houston apartments - Indianapolis apartments - Jacksonville apartments - Kansas City apartments - Knoxville apartments - Las Vegas apartments - Little Rock apartments - Los Angeles apartments - Louisville apartments - Madison apartments - Manhattan apartments - Memphis apartments - Miami apartments - Minneapolis apartments - Nashville apartments - New Orleans apartments - New York apartments - Norfolk apartments - Oklahoma City apartments - Omaha apartments - Orlando apartments - Philadelphia apartments - Phoenix apartments - Pittsburgh apartments - Portland apartments - Reno apartments - Richmond apartments - Rochester apartments - Sacramento apartments - Salt Lake City apartments - San Antonio apartments - San Diego apartments - San Francisco apartments - San Jose apartments - Seattle apartments - St Louis apartments - St Paul apartments - Tampa apartments - Tucson apartments - Tulsa apartments - Washington DC apartments - Wilmington apartments Click Here! ');}//--

Home Loan Program VA

Information on the VA Home Loan Program Information on the Home Loan Program Am I Eligible for a VA Loan? Property Management Construction and Valuation Lenders & Servicers Contact VA Loan Guaranty Service Forms Loan Guaranty HomePage VBA HomePage VA Homepage If You Owe VA VA Monitoring Unit Loan Production Specially Adapted Housing Information on the VA Home Loan Program VA Pamphlet 26-4 VA-Guaranteed Home Loans for Veterans. This pamphlet is designed to help veterans planning to purchase or construct homes, particularly those veterans who intend to finance with VA home loans VA Pamphlet 26-91-1 A Quick Guide for Homebuyers & Real Estate Professionals VA Pamphlet 26-6 To the Homebuying Veteran - A guide for veterans planning to buy or build homes with a VA loan Start here for brief information about VA Home Loans. Pamphlet 26-71-01 Questions and Answers on Manufactured Home Loans for Veterans . The questions and answers included in this pamphlet are intended to cover major items of interest to veterans interested in buying a manufactured (mobile) home. VA Pamphlet 26-93-1 VA Direct Home Loans for Native American Veterans Living on Trust Lands . VA direct home loans are available to eligible Native American veterans who wish to purchase or construct a ho me on trust lands. Home Buying Links Useful links to help you with your homebuying experience . Fact Sheet Information on VA Home Loans Information on the Home Loan Program / Am I Eligible for a VA Loan? / Property Management Construction and Valuation / Lenders & Servicers / Contact VA Loan Guaranty Service / Forms Loan Guaranty HomePage / If you owe VA / Monitoring Unit / Loan Production / SAH Disclaimer / Privacy & Security Statement / Freedom of Information Act Contact the VA / VBA HomePage / VA HomePage This page has been accessed since February 16, 2003. Reviewed/Updated: May 19, 2005 [kt]

Real Estate Agents This

Real-Estate-Agents.com: Directory of Agents in US / Canada Real-Estate-Agents.com Find Real Estate Agents in the US and Canada HOME || Contact Us Directory of Real Estate Agents This site is a "no bells, no whistles" directory of links to real estate agents in the US and Canada. Somewhere in here is the house or property of your dreams! It's our goal to list more agents than any other directory, both residential or commercial. If you know an agent who would like to be added, please navigate to the regional listings and look for the "Add your Agency" link near the bottom of the page. We hope our listings help your real estate search, but please note that local real estate agents we list are responsible for their own websites and their own business practices. REAL ESTATE AGENTS: UNITED STATES Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Tips and Articles REAL ESTATE AGENTS: CANADA Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nunavut NWT Yukon Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan REAL ESTATE AGENTS: OTHER Europe Other Areas BACK to TOP Shopping | Privacy | Contact Us

Property Search

Century 21 Real Estate: home buying, home selling, financing and property listings. español Put My Century 21 to work for you, simply register your email address and create a password. Once you're registered, you'll be able to • save property descriptions • store your search criteria • file agent information • build a custom library Find out more or register now! Already registered? Sign in . -- Welcome to Century 21 Real Estate Century 21 Real Estate is your online resource for home buying, home selling, financing and property listings. Whether it's a house, condo, or any other type of property, we can assist you with your real estate needs. Search for Properties Looking to buy a new home, condo or any other property? Search thousands of properties in our real estate listings. Search Property Listings » First Time Homebuyers Guide » View Our Buyer Service Pledge » International Century 21 Real Estate LLC is part of the largest real estate referral network in the world - with over 110,000 brokers and sales associates in over 30 countries and territories. Access our world offices today» Sell a Property Let our real estate agents create a customized marketing plan to sell your property. List your Property » View Our Seller Service Pledge » View Mortgage Rates View current mortgage rates, apply for a home equity loan, crunch numbers with home mortgage calculators and more! Apply for a Mortgage Now» Use Our Mortgage Calculators » Find an Office or Agent Find and contact a CENTURY 21 Office or Agent to handle your real estate needs. Find an Office or Agent » Quick Vote! Your vote counts! Let us Know Where do you spend the most time? Bedroom Living Room Kitchen Bathroom Dining Room ©2005 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each CENTURY 21 Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. All rights reserved. Information appearing on this site has been produced by or obtained primarily from Century 21 Real Estate LLC and its representatives and from CENTURY 21 franchisees. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the broker information, sales associate information, listing information or other information provided by our franchisees appearing on or through this site. Such information has been provided by independent third parties who are solely responsible for such content. Certain conditions and restrictions apply to System promotions. Terms and Conditions of Use.