Friday 18 April 2008

Selling Then Buying A House - A Winning Strategy


By Amanda Searle

We are all aware of the recent changes in the real estate market. Due to the high number of homes for sale, days on the market have been increasing. This calls for an adjustment in your strategy if you are planning on selling your home and purchasing another home.

A year or two ago, it may have been possible to find the house you wanted and then list your house for sale. In today's market however, putting your home for sale should be your first step. Once your home is on the market, start researching the market in the area you want to buy in.

Once you get an offer on your house, then start looking at homes for sale. This strategy ensures that you find a house when you are in a position to purchase, rather than finding that perfect house and making an offer, but being unable to sell your own home in time. It also ensures that your offer price on your new house is as realistic as possible because you know how much your former home is going to sell for.

Remember, it doesn't cost anything to enlist a Realtor to market your house, a Realtor only gets paid if the house sells. If you are thinking about moving, remember the first step could be to get started marketing your current home for sale and then, shopping for a new home once you have a contract on your present house.

amanda@intownjacksonville.com