Pam- All the answers were helpful - but Joe made a good point regarding "move in certified"

LYNN 911's answer was right on target.
What can you do to make your home stand out from all the others?
You need to be CREATIVE to gain a COMPETITIVE EDGE in today's market.
THE ANSWER: PRICE Aggressively then OFFER INCENTIVES to the BUYER!

For example, interest rates as low as 2.75% (and you DO NOT hold the mortgage)

Need help?
Barbara Q. http://www.321ADVANTAGE.com ...where we do the math for you!

All of the advice about the agents is good, especially with respect to teh staging and marketing and setting a price.

You might also consider having your home pre-inspected (calle da pre-listing inspection) by a professional inspector. This will help you identify any potnetial concerns so that you can be more accurate in setting your price (if it is an "as-is") or to help your asking price stick, by making it less likely that the buyer will ask for repairs or financial concessions on your part after his/her inspection.

It is even possible that you can market the home as "pre-inspected" or "move-in certified." In some rare circumstances, I have even heard of buyers forgoing their own inspection when the home was pre-inspected, but this is VERY rare, and not generally recommended to buyers.

If you have questions about how it works, etc, please feel free to call or email me and I can walk you trhough it.

Hi Pam,
A good local Agent will help you price your property right, he or she may even take you to see some of the homes so that you can see for yourself how yours compares to those competing for buyers!

After you have set the right asking price....
The following is of utmost importance:
Great curb appeal, spend a little time and money to make the front and entrance of home most welcoming
Unclutter your home, if it needs it, or make it look as big as possible by moving furniture either around or out
Staging is a really good idea, if you are lucky you will find a Realtor who is talented in that way and who will provide that service for free to you as I do to all my Sellers
When you have showings, all lights on, have something lovely cooking in the oven (like cinnamon buns or apple pie for example) or may be vanilla electric candles or something of that sort

A set dinner table, and some fresh flowers will help as well!

And the rest is clean clean clean.... If carpet needs cleaning do so

And a good coat of fresh paint in designer colors (soft ones for easy decorating) will certainly help as well!

Good Luck to you!
If you have not yet found a good local Realtor, let me know and I gladly recommend one of my partner Agents in PA to you to assist you in the selling of your home.... E-mail me directly to edithsellshomes@gmail.com
Edith YourRealtor4Life! Working always in the very BEST interest of her clients! And so do her partner Colleagues

Hi Pam,
Fastest way is to work with an agent who knows your area and the local market values, price the home right, not give it away.
Then get the home in its best possible condition based on what resources are available to you. Staging is great, taking care of details in the home is key, so it stands out amongst all the other homes available for sale in Mt Wolf, and the surrounding area.
Promoting is next with proper web advertising , multiple list entry, so all agents in your area know your home is availble for sale, Open houses, are just some of the methods we can use.
I would be glad to help with your home selling needs as I am a Realtor in York and assist clients both buying and selling homes in York County.
Please contact me so I can answer any others questions you might have , and to find out what else can be done to help you sell your home as quickly as possible.
My e-mail is craig.stauffer@longand foster.com
Thanks, look forward to hearing from you !
Craig Stauffer

Pam
If you look at the link below it appears that you are going to really have a tough time.
The average price per sq. ft. is down 33% compared to last year.

Let's talk about a couple of options:
If you need to sell, price it slightly below market, and sell now.
If you can negotiate, would it make more sense to sell after the market turns around? You'd have to do the math, however it looks to me as though it might be worth it.
Lastly, 37 homes for sale, 52 recently sold....the good news is that homes are selling.

Depending upon the specific circumstances it might be possible to re-negotiate your mortgage payment due to the divorce (called a loan modification). There are no guarantees, but if the mortgage payment was decreased, and your ex contributed to the support, would it pencil out?

Only those that absolutely need to sell should be selling.

Good luck!
Keith

Pam,

The chart for Mount Wolf looks terrible with yoy prices being down over 27%. To maximize your return in this type of market, you do need to sell fast. Enlisting the help of a top notch Realtor really gives you the best chance in accomplishing this. The link below may be of some use in finding one. Good luck.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/12/i_ve_got_my_fin…

Hi Pam,

Thanks for the clarification here from a similar question that you posted. I went through this exact situation 2 years ago.

Ok - so first thing. I know that you two are either already divorced or still embroiled in it. But - if you two can work as a team on this - and I hope that you can - then you can get maximum value. We had our tough days but put all that aside when it came to selling the house. I probably did more than my share but that's ok - it worked out in the end and those results are what mattered.

Our agent and neighbors didn't have the slightest idea that we were divorced until after the house sold. I would definitely not tell your future listing agent anything about that - this information might become compromised and work against you.

First things first - work together to get your home "prepped and staged". Big time! My "quick list" of staging follows:

1. Rent a storage unit and get Everything unneeded out of your house - giving it a bigger appearance. This is a good opportunity to throw loads of stuff out, and donate other stuff also. This also means packing up all clothing that you won't need for a few months - it'll make those closets nice and roomy! Some of this may be done as he may not be living there anymore?
2. Eliminate ALL clutter and Clean everything - make your house spotless
3. Paint all rooms that need painting. If you have rooms that are not neutral, consider re-painting them as such (this also can mean painting ceilings a nice flat white if they are not already. And don't leave the cans in some closet afterwards - as evidence that you just did it - put them in storage too or hidden in boxes. If you have a room with nasty stained carpet - replace the carpet. If your basement is unfinished, paint all walls white - preferably with dry-lock or similar. Please pay a lot of attention to the kitchen and bathrooms - even the grout needs to be fresh and clean.
4. Do any and all simple repairs (outside trim for example)
5. Make sure you have really good "front door appeal" - if needed, repaint all trim, the entire front door, and polish the door knob.

In short - avoid any "possible objection" that a potential buyer might have to buying your home. You never know what little thing will set someone off - to either not buy - or ... offer you LESS. Make it easier for your agent, whomever he/she is - give them a very good product to sell.

I've been looking at properties since last July and just went to contract a week ago. You might be shocked at the number of sellers that don't bother to properly stage - and by doing so - leave thousands of dollars on the table - and lengthen their sales cycle.

House staging isn't rocket science - everything you need to do is free info on the 'net - my list above will keep you busy enough anyway. You shouldn't need "a pro" to help with it - but a good realtor will help with honest feedback.

Let's say that he no longer lives with you in the house. It is useful to have some of his things still hanging in the master BR closet. If they are not, people might very well notice this fact - especially a buyers agent.

Start interviewing for your listing agent - 4-6 will likely do it. When you interview them, "play the game" - sit next to each other, hold hands, say things like, "that's interesting - honey what do you think"? Let them think you two are a couple - a team. If they see you two as being divided and difficult - well that makes their job more difficult and the info could become compromised.

Get a good understanding of SOLD prices for comparable homes - and your house needs to be priced accordingly - not too far above these numbers (unless you have really amazing upgrades to your home).

Well ... right off the cuff - those are my initial thoughts and recommendations.

Jeff

Try to price your home right from the get go any good listing
agent will be able to give a fair market value. If you have additional
questions you can direct them to me.
My Direct # 347-813-1290.
Here is my website http://fajardodelacruz.realtors.officelive.com
or my e-mail delacruz.fajardo3@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you soon.

Price is correctly, have incentives for buyer OR bonus for buyers agent attract more attention.

Preview other homes on the market have your home "stand out from rest" ...

Lynn911
~ National Featured Realtor and Consultant, Lecturer regarding Credit Repair, Mortgage Loan Officer