Establishing Value

The truth is it doesn't really matter how much money you think your home is worth. Nor does it matter what your agent thinks or ten other agents just like her. 
The person whose opinion matters is the buyer who makes an offer. 
Pricing homes is part art and part science. 
It involves comparing similar properties, making adjustments for the differences among them, tracking market movements and taking stock of present inventory, all in an attempt to come up with a range of value, an educated opinion. 
This method is the same way an appraiser evaluates a home. 
No two appraisals are ever exactly the same; however, they are generally close to each other. In other words, there is no hard and fast price tag to slap on your home. It's only an educated guess and the market will dictate the price.

Hiring agents with no neighborhood knowledge

Agents either possess intimate knowledge or they know where to find the industry buzz about your neighborhood. They can identify comparable sales and hand these facts to you, in addition to pointing you in the direction where you can find more data on schools, crime or demographics. For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $350,000, but an agent will know it had upgrades and sold at $285,000 after 65 days on the market and after twice falling out of escrow


Not preparing your home for sale

• Getting your house ready for market goes beyond making the beds and washing dirty dishes. Although I've seen plenty of homes with toys scattered throughout and dishes piled in the sink; buyers can't get out of those homes fast enough. There are at least 10 essential steps to take to preparing the home for sale.  
• Some homes need updating and quick fixes. Doing repairs before resale can boost chances of quickly selling. If items are broken or buyers see deferred maintenance, they wonder what else is wrong. It's more expensive, actually, not to fix the house.  
• Dressing your home for showings is called staging a home. Think of the process like arranging flowers in an attractive vase. If you or your agent lack the vision or ability to stage, consider hiring a professional home stager. ( Call Us, we can help you find one)