Selling Your House

So you've decided to sell your house and buy another. Okay the first thing you should ask yourself: Am I crazy? Do you even realize what a nightmare is the process of selling your house? The mounds of paperwork. The hours of fixing all the little problems and flaws?

So you've decided to sell your house. Okay, there are some steps that must be followed. Some questions that must be answered. First up: Are you prepared to do all the legwork yourself or are you going to pony up the green stuff to a broker so he can handle all the headaches involved in advertising your property and screening potential buyers. For argument's sake, let's say you decide to go the sane route and hire a broker.

There is still some legwork involved. Well, not so much legwork as questions to ask. For instance, is this person licensed? There are a lot of unlicensed brokers out there and while it's really not fair to generalize and call them all criminals, it is better to be safe than sorry. At least if they're licensed, you'll have some grounds on which to lodge a formal complaint or hire an investigator should they skip town. Which they probably won't. If they're licensed. Also ask exactly how they plan to go about advertising your house. With the internet and the availability and inexpensive video production, you should expect much more than a simple listing in the newspaper or even a real estate property listing book. Also ask if you will be getting multiple listings. It's not a bad idea to get an idea upfront of the price the broker plans to suggest for the house.

In addition, before signing any agreement with the broker make sure all the important info is in writing. What's the important stuff? Agreeing on your specific asking price. The amount of the broker's fee. And, perhaps most importantly, what is the exact time limit promised for finding a qualified buyer. Typically, this is going to be 90 days, but it's not carved in stone, though it should be carved into your contract.