THE SECOND STEP (SELLING YOUR HOME FOR MORE)
Prior discussion showed that there is no calculable certainty in setting the value of a home. There can be wide differences between the seller’s assessed price, the asking or listing price (market value), and the price at which the home sells (sale price). Let’s turn to what the homeowner/seller can do to elicit offers at the listing price, or even above, in a competitive market. 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 as well as the price at which the home sells. Prior to March of 2020 a market in which homes normally sold in no more than six months of listing was considered balanced or neutral, which means a good number of homeowners are selling and buyers are purchasing; therefore, neither has an upper hand. After March 2020, the market has tipped the scale toward homeowners, due to the lack of homes for sale. The typical selling time in this post March 2020 market is generally less than 30 days. Although it is not necessarily true for every house for sale, many factors still apply as to how long it will take for your home to sell. We do not know how long this market will last, but for now this is where we are. Historically, any number below six months is considered a seller’s market.
LIVING IN A SWIRLING FISHBOWL
A house on the market requires keeping the home in a constant “show-ready” condition, and adjustment to changes in day-to-
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