There are many types of sales that occur in Todays Real Estate Market. A word that was somewhat foriegn just a short time ago which is now very common is Short Sale.
A standard sale is where there are two principles who make the decisions, the buyer and seller. This is typically an offer with possibly a counter but time frames are usually within days, not weeks. When purchasing a standard sale, transactions go very smooth and they can usually close within days, especially if the buyer is all cash.
Emotions... what we mean by this is that sometimes sellers are unrealistic with value. They use their emotions to set value and not comparable home sales. Some are over priced and one way to help determine this is by looking at how long the home has been on the market for sale. If the average amount of time is 30 days and a home has been for sale for months, this is typically an indicator of an emotional sale or a very unrealistic seller.
We recommend that whenever you are going to purchase a home, have a Comparitive Market Analysis done so that you are educated on what you should offer. A lot of agents just say let's just write up an offer, a professional Realtor will educate you and show you what similar properties are listed at and what they sold for nearby.
Before you start making repairs, moving items out or make any costly home selling mistakes, consult a professional Realtor. Things you should consider when selling a home are the cost involved. Escrow, Title Insurance, Commissions, Home Warranty, Termite and reparis that may be required or requested by either the buyer or their lender.
When intereviewing a Realtor for the job, write down specific questions and their answers. Some of the questions might be, what is your marketing plan for my house. If they say they will advertise on Realtor.com and a couple other sites, odds are they are not doing an effective job on marketing your home. The listing agent is typically not the agent that is bringing in the buyer. There are a lot of great agents out there, find the one that is a perfect match for you.
Most people who sell do so to purchase another home. If the agent that lists your home for sale is doing a great job, odds are they will do a great job helping you find a new home. Compare new homes with existing homes. New homes usually do not have all the upgrades done or yards put in, but some of the benefits might be there based on your requirements. Get educated and know all your options.