or even above, in a competitive market. As mentioned earlier, the partnership between seller and real estate agent will make an enormous difference in results. The agent can professionally market a house and bring in a qualified prospect, but then the deal is blown because the seller didn’t clear his garage of his beer can collection during a critical showing, or because the snow wasn’t cleared, or because the walls are painted kind of “funky.” There’s only so much even the most talented real estate agent can do. The seller’s time, effort, and investment are the most important parts of the process. The seller’s willingness to adequately prepare the home for presentation by improving, freshening, landscaping, and generally making the home pristine — and to live in that presentation readiness state for the time it takes to sell the property — will greatly affect both the sale period and the price at which the home sells. Knowing whether you’ll have to resort to a short sale or move forward with a traditional sale is all about time. If you approach a real estate agent early enough in the foreclosure process, you might be able to sell your home at its normal market value, or slightly below. This is also highly dependent upon your market. If you live in an area where homes are bought the minute they hit the market, your chances of selling at a higher price are good. But if you live in an area where homes languish on the market for months and often expire, you will likely have to proceed with a short sale.
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• When facing foreclosure, you can sell your home without neighbors and potential buyers being aware of your circumstances. • You’ll want to set your home’s listing price so that it sells quickly, while balancing that need with your desire to
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