THE SECOND STEP (SELLING YOUR HOME FOR MORE) Prior discussion showed that there is no calculable certainty in setting the value of a home . Th ere can be wid e diff erences between the seller’s appraised 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 o ff ers at the listing price, or even above, in a competitive market. Th e seller’s time, e ff ort, and investment are the most important parts of the proces s. Th e 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 a ff ect both the sale period as well as the price at which the home sells. A market in which homes normally sell in no more than six months of listing is considered balanced or neutral, which means a good number of homeowners are selling and a good number of buyers are purchasing; therefore, neither has an upper hand. A variable, for instance, like a major company entering — or moving from — the area will tip the scale toward homeowners to make a sw ift m arket or toward buyers to make a slow market . Th e typical selling time in a sw ift m arket might be 30 days, while that of a slow market may be up to nine months. Typically, 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-day life that are inherent in the process. Sellers get out-of-business- hours phone calls from unrepresented prospects and buyers’ agents to show the home; frequent updates by phone, email, and text and show appointment scheduling messages from the listing
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