How to sell your home when prices start to level off

Reports abound that the real estate market is heading for a slowdown. Depending upon the recent runup in your area, the landing could be hard or soft. Here are some strategies for selling in a level or declining market:

Find a good discount broker - Internet companies now provide services for home sellers that weren’t available just a few years ago. Flat fee MLS listing is now a good option that allows you to keep more of your home equity. Instead of paying a listing commission for inclusion of your property in the Realtor MLS and on Realtor.com, you can pay a flat fee of somewhere between $400 and $500 and get the same exposure as Realtor listed properties.

Get proper pricing assistance - correctly valuing your property is ALWAYS priority #1 when selling your home. Lots of online services provide access to property sales data. You can also get this information yourself with a trip to the local property assessor’s office. If you have a unique or unusual property or have made major upgrades, your best route is a professional appraisal. Although this is a bit more expensive than other alternatives, it truly provides the most accurate valuation. 2 truisms apply: 1) You get what you pay for 2) appraisal isn’t an exact science