won’t be as good. Besides, the house around the corner sold for $475,000 just 60 days ago. So? Will you sell your home?” On the surface, it seemed like a great deal. Chuck could sell his home quickly and avoid the inconvenience of the standard selling process. Chuck accepted the $485,000 offer and moved on with his life. The sale Chuck accepted was quick and easy, as the buyer’s agent said it would be. But it wasn’t painless. A few weeks later, Chuck’s neighbor sold his house for $530,000. The neighbor’s house was slightly smaller than Chuck’s, but otherwise comparable and in similar condition. Why did Chuck sell his house for $45,000 less than his neighbor? What features made his neighbor’s house more valuable? Was it because it had a red door? Was it because the grass was cut? Why did Chuck bother to work so hard to pay down his mortgage? Why did he work so hard to keep his house in tip-top shape, only to sell it for less than it probably was worth? Why? Because, unfortunately, Chuck didn’t check with anyone to find out what his house was truly worth in today’s market. He didn’t get an appraisal or a second opinion. His great mistake was not talking to a real estate professional other than the buyer’s agent (who, of course, is looking to maximize the deal for his/her buying clients). Really, it was because Chuck was an amateur in the real estate game. Here is my tip on how to avoid having this happen to you: Obtain a second or even third opinion on the value of your home before you put it on the market. Valuing homes for sale is a range game; both art and science are involved in the process. But there’s a lot of art, probably more than you think. If you don’t price your home correctly, you risk selling it for less than it’s worth and/or wasting time while your home sits on the
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