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You've found your dream home. Make sure missteps don’t prevent a successful closing.

1. Be truthful on your mortgage application

2. Hold off on big purchases

3. Keep your job

4. Meet contingencies

5. Consider deadlines immovable

Before deciding which house to buy, think about your lifestyle, your current and anticipated housing needs, and your budget. It’s a good idea to create a prioritized list of features you want in your next home – you'll soon discover finding the right house involves striking a balance between your "must-haves" and your "nice-to-haves." 

To start, consider your lifestyle. If you love to cook, you'll want a well-equipped kitchen. If you're into gardening, you'll want a yard. If you're planning your office at home, you may want a room for a separate library or work space. If you have several cars, you may require a larger garage. Use this list as your search guide. 

Next, think about what you might need in the future. As you consider your housing needs, it's important to consider how long you may live in your home. If you're newly married, you might not be concerned with a school district right now, but you could be in a few years. If you have aging parents, you may want to look at homes that offer living arrangements for them as well as you. 

It’s important to think about your new home’s location just as carefully as you do about a house’s features. Location is a huge part of any move. In addition to considering the distance to work, you need to evaluate the availability of shopping, police and fire protection, medical facilities, school and day-care, traffic and parking, trash and garbage collection, even recreational facilities. 

Perhaps the most important decision is deciding on the type of home you want. Do you want a condominium or a co-op? A town house or a detached single-family home? Do you want brick, stone, stucco, wood, vinyl siding, or something else? Do you prefer a new home or an older one? 

Through all of this, make sure to talk to your real estate professional about where you want to live. While more buyers now use the Internet to gain access to listings, or available properties for sale, it is still a good idea to use an agent. The agent brings value to the entire process: he or she is available to analyze data, answer questions, share their professional expertise, and handle all the paperwork and legwork that is involved in the real estate transaction. 


CENTURY 21 professionals have the expertise to help their clients narrow down their choices by sharing market trends and local information.

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions you will make. That's why it's in your best interest to choose an experienced real estate agent who listens to and understands your needs, and works in the area where you want to live. 
When you choose a CENTURY 21 Agent, you're dealing with an experienced professional who understands your concerns and will provide you with the personalized service that makes all the difference. CENTURY 21 is in 68 countries, with more than 7,700 offices, 104 languages, and represented by 117,000 agents who understand the life changes that real estate decisions can bring. 
What should you expect in your first meeting with a real estate agent? A CENTURY 21 agent typically will talk to you about the neighborhood where you want to live, home prices, schools, transportation, and the surrounding commercial and residential areas.

1. Ineffective marketing plan. When we list your home our reputations are on the line. Hard work and the power of today’s technology are proven methods of getting a property SOLD. We don’t just put a sign in the yard and wave as we drive off!
2. Poor communication. Teamwork between the seller and their agent is key and cannot be overstated. Are you a team of one? Does your agent take time to communicate as often and effectively with you as you would expect?
3. Condition of your Home. Have you made your house someone else’s dream? Do cash allowances work in a sale or is there a better way? We will advise you as to the best approach.
4. Your home was not accurately priced. We will research and conduct a Comparative Market Analysis for you. The facts in our report will pinpoint the fair market value of what your home should sell for.

Real estate agents who provide clear communication and walk buyers through every step of the purchase process including appraisals, inspections and home warranties are more likely to earn high marks for customer satisfaction, according to the latest J.D. Power Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study.

For seven years running, the J.D. Power study has measured customer satisfaction among first-time and repeat homebuyers and sellers with brokerages affiliated with the nation’s biggest franchisors.

Five-star rating image via Shutterstock.

1. Ineffective marketing plan. When we list your home our reputations are on the line. Hard work and the power of today’s technology are proven methods of getting a property SOLD. We don’t just put a sign in the yard and wave as we drive off!
   
   
2. Poor communication. Teamwork between the seller and their agent is key and cannot be overstated. Are you a team of one? Does your agent take time to communicate as often and effectively with you as you would expect?
   
   
3. Condition of your Home. Have you made your house someone else’s dream? Do cash allowances work in a sale or is there a better way? We will advise you as to the best approach.
   
   
4. Your home was not accurately priced. We will research and conduct a Comparative Market Analysis for you. The facts in our report will pinpoint the fair market value of what your home should sell for.

Learn how to decide whether a repair is worth making before you put your house on the market.

Beth Dana Design

General Questions
These first three questions will help you take the temperature of the real estate market in your area and assess the competition. 

1. How hot or cold is the market in your area? Are homes being snapped up after the first open house, or are they languishing on the market for months? Are homes being sold at or near the asking price, or for much lower? Are open houses bustling with people, or is attendance sparse? Get a feel for the market in your area by talking with your real estate agent and checking local listings. If it’s a seller’s market, you may be able to get away with doing fewer repairs and modifications before selling, and still have good results — in a buyer’s market, expect to do more work to make a positive impression on buyers.

jodi foster design + planning

2. How fast are you looking to sell? If you need to sell your home immediately — say, because you have already committed to buying another home or need to move because of work — it is in your best interest to do everything in your power to ensure a quick sale at the highest price possible. If you have more flexibility, and you feel uncomfortable making too many pricey changes to your home before selling, it may make more sense to focus on cleaning, decluttering and making small cosmetic changes (like painting) — particularly if the market is hot and favors the seller. If you aren’t getting the offers you would like, you can always decide to spring for a few bigger changes later and relist your home.

Annette English

3. What is the condition of comparable homes on the market? It can be quite helpful to know a little about the homes that buyers in your area are looking at. Examine photos of homes for sale in your area or even attend a few open houses, and make a mental note of how the other homes compare to yours. Are the kitchens updated? Are the floors in good shape? If all of the other homes you see have a certain feature (for instance, an updated kitchen) that yours lacks, consider making that a priority. You don’t need to make your home exactly like all the other homes on the market; just make sure there isn’t a single factor that could give your home a disadvantage.

de[luxe] design studio

To Fix or Not to Fix: Deciding Which Repairs Are Worth Tackling
The next five questions will help you assess whether or not to make a specific repair or change before selling your home.
4. Does the faulty item give the impression the property has not been well cared for?Leaky faucets, cracked tiles, an overgrown lawn, broken appliances or anything else that doesn’t work as it should can immediately turn off buyers. At an open house, people often zip through quite quickly, and if they notice one or two things that send up red flags, they may not give your home another chance.

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

5. Can you find a less expensive fix? Let’s say you scoped out the comparable homes on the market in your neighborhood, and they all have updated kitchens, but yours hasn’t been touched since the ’80s. Rather than spend big on a full kitchen remodel, why not give your kitchen a less costly refresh? For instance, you could paint the cabinets, swap out cabinet hardware, change the light fixtures and upgrade the appliances to something current and functional but not top-of-the-line. You will put some money into it but not nearly as much as with a full remodel — well worth it if it gets your home in the running in a competitive market.

Warline Painting Ltd.

6. How much will you realistically need to lower the price if you don’t fix it? If you have a lot of costly repairs to tackle to get your home ready to sell, you may be considering selling it as is. But keep in mind that buyers looking for a fixer-upper will also be looking to discount the selling price for the repairs plus the hassle. In other words, you won’t be able to simply estimate how much the repairs will cost and deduct that from the selling price;you’ll need to deduct even more to make it worth the buyer’s time and effort. Discuss this with your Realtor and look into other fixer-uppers for sale in your area to come up with an appropriate selling price.

Peterssen/Keller Architecture

7. Is it one of the first things potential buyers will see? First impressions are key, and that is never more true than in the real estate business! If you have a repair you are unsure about tackling, use this as a litmus test: Is it something the buyer will see as he or she approaches your house and walks through the front door? If so, fix it.

Evens Architects

8. Could it be a deal breaker? Some home repairs, like a new roof, are just so major that they will scare off all but the most determined buyers. If the market in your area is hot (see No. 1) and you have ample time (see No. 2), there’s no harm in trying to sell without making the big repair, as long as you are willing to price it accordingly (see No. 6). If it’s a buyer’s market but you don’t have time to make the repair before listing, you could offer to pay for it as part of the sales agreement — otherwise it’s probably best to make the change first and then put your home on the market.

Tell us: Are you selling or have you recently sold your home? What has worked or not worked for you? Share your experiences in the Comments.

Laura Gaskill

Houzz Contributor. I cover topics ranging from decorating ideas, product picks, Houzz tours, and interviews with designers and architects, to the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write tend to center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Learn more, and follow my adventures in creating a warm and cozy home athttp://www.lolalina.com/.

RASE May 2014 Housing Market Statistical Reporting

• The biggest con is that you are forfeiting the accrued interest you would earn if your money stayed in the 401(k). Calculated over the long term, it can cost tens (even hundreds) of thousands of dollars in potential gain.
• Unlike a home equity loan, the interest is not tax deductible.
• Some plans do not allow contributions to the 401(k) for the period of the loan.
• If you lose or quit your job, the loan is often due in full in 30-60 days (although some plans are open to renegotiating the terms of the loan. Find out before you sign the papers.)
  
  If you default on the loan, it is considered a withdrawal and you will owe a 10 percent penalty plus a hefty tax payment. So if you had borrowed $50,000 and couldn't pay it back, you would have to pay a $5,000penalty and federal and state taxes that could take another $20,000 of the amount.

Did you know that making your home energy efficient increases its value?

A lot of the air you pay to heat or cool escapes through unsealed doors. Install or replace worn weather stripping. Replace broken or missing storm doors.