1. Renovate Your Home | 2. Ten House-Selling Tips | 3. Manage the Sale | 4. Set an Asking Price
5. Accept an Offer | 6. Attend the Closing Meeting

3. Manage the Sale of Your Home

Your first big decision is whether to use a real estate agent or sell your home yourself. Some sellers feel more comfortable relying on the expertise of a real estate agent, while others want to manage the sale themselves to avoid paying a commission. By selling your home yourself, you could save up to 6 percent of the selling price that a broker typically collects.

Time is also a major factor in determining whether or not to sell your home yourself. Do you have a minimum of one hour per day to spend on advertising, screening buyers and showing your home?

If you decide to sell your home on your own, keep in mind that it'll probably take longer than if you're using a real estate agent. In a buyers' market, when there are more sellers than buyers, real estate agents have the advantage by using the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) when it comes to getting their homes in front of buyers. This computerized service lists homes for sale and homes that have sold by neighborhood, price and features. However, you may be able to list your home on the Internet with a variety of companies for a fee.

Business savvy also helps. When negotiating the sale, will you be able to keep your cool if a buyer wants to knock a couple of thousand off the price because the home "needs a lot of work"? Agents are used to negotiating and can be objective about the value of your home. You have to be prepared to do the same.

An Allpointe Mortgage Advisor can assist you today in deciding whether to use a Real Estate Agent. Call us at 866-255-3535 to discuss your options.