Sell your home fast!

The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun
Posted Monday, September 10, 2007Read Comments-->09/10/2007 -->
There are plenty of houses for sale, so if you want your house to sell fast, consider these tips:
• Think like buyers. "That gives sellers a clearer picture as to how their home would compete against the other active homes in the area and in their price range," said Carlo Lombardelli, broker associate with Re/Max Real Estate Consultants.
• Offer a complete package. "Staging a home has proven to be one of the most impactful solutions to selling it -- giving one property the competitive advantage over the rest," said Debbie Toohey of Debbie Toohey and Associates in Palm Springs, Calif. "Discriminating buyers primarily seek a turnkey, finished property that is ready to move in and enjoy."
• Price is critical. "Price your home aggressively and competitively to open it and expose it to the market," said Rich La Rue, president and broker of Realty Executives Desert Cities in Palm Springs. Don't overprice it, he emphasizes, because it will narrow market exposure -- and help sell everyone else's house.
"Price it for 90 days from now. You'll be ahead of the market, stand out from the rest of the inventory and be happily moved while the others sit on the market for sale for another nine months."
• Go for emotional appeal. Use lighting, flowers and accessories to create an emotional tie with the buyer, suggests Susan Eidler, with Desert Dreaming Realty in La Quinta, Calif. Provide buyers with plenty of light by opening curtains, shutters and drapes. Turn on lights at night to add warmth and color that make people feel welcome.
• Use incentives. "Consider offering an incentive to the buyer," La Rue recommends, such as paying closing costs or moving costs.
• Maximize curb appeal. First impressions are crucial, Eidler said. Mow the lawn, paint the front door, plant flowers.
• Take it to market. Seek out an active, aggressive company that knows how to expose your home to the marketplace in numerous ways, La Rue said.