Let's Talk Real Estate

Regardless of where you are in your decision to sell your home, "decision" is the key word. Prepare to make lots of those. And pretty fast. Your realtor should be a valuable and trusted resource for you, guiding you along every step of the way. Still, nobody likes to feel in the dark when it comes to selling their home. Having a little background knowledge will give you more confidence as you navigate the waters of your home sale. To that end, here are some tips and resources as you get ready to list. (If you have any to add, let us know in the comments section.) Keep up with your local market and national trends. Do you know of a Metro stop coming your way in the near future? Or a shopping complex? Depending on your flexibility, knowing of imminent developments could impact your home's value and help decide your timeline. Simpler yet, just monitoring homes for sale in your neighborhood can be eye-opening. How many are there? How much traffic is going through? Ho...

A cracked window pane. A doorbell hanging by a wire. A hole in the living room wall from that time you practiced your golf swing inside. All of our homes have them--those annoying little broken things. We patch them up roughly, thinking "I'll fix that next week." But of course we don't. And in no time at all, we become totally blind to them . It takes your ever-observant mother commenting on your oven handle for you to remember that it wasn't always duct taped in place. Everyone's got their favorite fix-it juice (e.g., WD-40, Superglue, wood putty, etc.). What's your go-to? Repairs can be costly, especially if you're not particularly handy. (Of course. That's part of the reason people hold off doing them.) But especially for sellers, it's important to consider the cost of not doing them . That doorknob that came out in your potential buyer's hand? It could cost you an offer. And even the things a buyer can't see could both c...