I can’t stress enough to my clients how important it is not to overprice their home. Many people think, “why not? Price it higher and see if anyone will pay it!” We’re going to discuss some of the reasons why this does not work.

OVERPRICING WILL BRING FEWER BUYERS TO YOUR LISTING.

Internet Searches

When you list your home too high, you prevent some buyers from even finding you. Many buyers start looking for their new home before they even call an agent. These buyers are searching online, and will pick a price range in which to look. If your house is appropriate for them, but listed out of this range, they won’t even see your listing. They may print out a stack of homes for their agent to show them, and your house won’t be in that stack. Some agents might not even stray from the client’s list, or the buyer may settle on another house before a saavy agent digs up your listing and realizes it could be in budget.

In my experience, I’ve actually had sellers admit that their desire to price a home higher than my suggestion does not work! I had one client, Heather, who worked in the mortgage industry and was determined to sell her home higher than my suggestion. She says, “I thought [Amy] was just trying to sell a house, and the lower the price the better off she was because it would sell faster… boy, was I wrong.”

The internet traffic to Heather’s listing proved that overpricing will hurt your online listing. “I had 37 views on the first day, half that on day two, [and] by the end of 7 days, ZERO traffic until I changed the price. Then I ONLY had half of what I had on day one, but could never get the traffic back from that first day,” Heather says.

A Waste of Time

Internet traffic is super important. Buyers may start looking online as far as 12 to 18 months before they hire a Realtor. They learn the market and what they can get in their price range.

When these buyers start working with an agent, that agent is working within the buyer’s price range. My Buyer Specialists are not going to take our clients to a bunch of overpriced houses that are out of the buyer’s range. That can make our clients frustrated. It’s the same reason car dealers won’t have you test drive a luxury sports car when you’re looking for a cheap used sedan, or a wedding stylist won’t have you try on a $10,000 gown when your budget is $500. It’s a waste of their professional time, and the clients are just going to get frustrated and walk away. So this is going to bring fewer agents into your home for showings. It’s a red flag that says you could be a difficult seller, or that your selling agent isn’t clued in to how to properly price a home. That’s why I don’t want overpriced homes in my listings, because I would rather get your home sold.

Helping the competition

You might not realize it, but you’re just making your [very tough] competition in this market look better. When buyers or agents see comparable homes priced less than yours, you are making those homes look like the best deals on the block. They’re going to start with those homes that are closer to their budget rather than bother with your overpriced listing.

It’s a buyers market, and the inventory is high. When you prevent buyers from even seeing you, you prevent yourself from getting sold. Is fewer buyers and extra time on the market worth that slight chance that some buyer might pay your unreasonable price? Consider how unlikely this is, and concentrate instead on an appropriate price that is going to put more eyes on your home and get more buyers in for showings.

Stay tuned to the blog for more information about the pitfalls of overpricing.

Read more on AmyBSells.com:

Sellers: Avoid These Pricing Mistakes

Are You in DENIAL About Your Home Sale?

Winning (and Selling!) with your Realtor

Related...

• April 22, 2010 -- The AmyBSells Team Pleases Another Client
• March 30, 2010 -- Sellers: Avoid These Pricing Mistakes
• March 3, 2010 -- DIY Staging Checklist
• December 19, 2008 -- Not Happy With Your Hamilton County 2008 Market Value?

The National Association of Realtors has reported a rise in existing home sales nationally in April. (Existing home sales means transaction closings on single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops.) This is on top of a rise in March as well.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist said the gain was not surprising. “The upswing in April existing-home sales was expected because of the tax credit inducement, and no doubt there will be some temporary fallback in the months immediately after it expires, but other factors also are supporting the market,” he said. “For people who were on the sidelines, there’s been a return of buyer confidence with stabilizing home prices, an improving economy and mortgage interest rates that remain historically low.”

Local Numbers:

In Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, sales were up 33% and 23%, respectively. In April, 1,843 homes were sold in Greater Cincinnati, compared to 1,389 in April 2009. In Northern Kentucky, that statistic was 485 homes, up from 393 in April 2009.

More numbers:

• The national average commitment rate for a 30-year (conventional, fixed-rate) mortgage rose to 5.10 percent, up from 4.97 percent in March. This is higher than April 2009.
• Housing inventory rose in April to 11.5 percent with 4.04 million existing homes available for sale — an 8.4 month supply at the current rate. This is higher than a year ago, but still more than 11% below July 2008 record of 4.58 million.
• The national median home price is up 4.0% from April last year.
• Distressed home sales were 33% of the market in April, down two percent from March.
• In the Midwest, existing home sales rose 9.9 percent in April. This is 29.1% above April 2009.
• First time buyers purchased 49 percent of homes in April, according to an NAR survey. This up from 44 percent in March.

According to Yun, “Although inventory levels remain above normal and much of the gain last month was seasonal, the housing price correction appears essentially over. In fact, a majority of the markets have seen price gains recently. A return to old-fashioned responsible lending and buying will help the housing market avoid disruptive and painful bubble-bust cycles.”

Read the original article.

More:

• Cincinnati Business Courier
• CNN Money
• ABC News

Related...

• August 25, 2009 -- The Market: on a Road to Normalization?

The AmyBSells Team has been featured in the blogosphere, with a positive write-up over at Working Moms Against Guilt.

The writer, a client of mine, shares a great, personal story about both the strain and reward found in working hard to sell your house.

“It happened so quickly, it almost might look “easy” to a casual observer. But let me tell you, transforming a totally messy, dirty, toy-infested house into a staged, real estate-ready model home was no easy feat. I literally spent an entire week decluttering, moving stuff into storage, cleaning, and decorating (per our wonderful stager’s direction) until the house looked perfect. As good as it could possibly look.”

Check out the entire blog entry at WorkingMomsAgainstGuilt.com, and thanks for the mention!

Related...

• March 3, 2010 -- DIY Staging Checklist
• July 9, 2010 -- Overpricing Can Attract Fewer Buyers
• November 2, 2008 -- Staging… Cincinnati Style
• October 23, 2008 -- Four Staging Challenges

In this tough market, pricing is KEY. I will work tirelessly to price your house appropriately, but it helps when sellers understand the dos and don’ts. Frontdoor.com outlined six major selling mistakes and tips on how to avoid them. We’ll elaborate on them here.

Mistake #1: Forgoing Research.

Not basing a listing price on careful research could leave your home languishing on the market. And it’s more complicated than just looking at what a house down the street is listed for, or making something up that sounds appropriate to you.

What I will do is a comparative market analysis, which is a report that looks at similar properties in your area that are similar to yours, and what price they sold for.

Mistake #2: Hiring the agent who offers the highest list price for your home.

If you interview several agents and one agent gives you a significantly higher price, be wary! He or she may be trying to “buy” your business by suggesting he/she can get more for your house than anyone else. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and it will cost you time and money to  When you price your home too high, it will sit on the market and end up having to slash the price to move the property.

Mistake #3: Getting emotionally involved.

This part is tough. Homeowners are often attached to their homes. They think of the money, time and memories that are part of the house. Sellers want to wrap these memories and meanings into the sales price, but what a seller thinks a home is worth is irrelevant to the appropriate sales price.

Just remember this is a business transaction. I’m here to help you price the home objectively, and will be encouraging you to set your sentimental feelings aside when settling on a price. Focus on statistics and facts, and don’t be offended by low offers from potential buyers.

Mistake #4: Pricing too high from the start.

The first 5 days are crucial to your home sale. When your listing is fresh it will attract the most buyers — people who are ready to buy and checking for new listings often. If you enter the market too high, buyers will click past you because you’re out of their price range. Thinking you’ll just try it high and reduce it later is not a great idea. The new reduced price might look good, but they’ll be wondering why it’s been on the market so long and why it needed a reduction. They might think something is wrong with your home.

Pricing it right first gets attention from the buyers most suited to your home.

Mistake #5: Overpricing because you have “time.”

What if you aren’t in a hurry? Just price it high because you have extra time, why not? Not a great plan. In a lot of markets prices could still be falling at the time you list. Waiting it out could cause you to lose money.

Don’t take the chance hoping to make more with an overpriced home. Your best bet is still to price it right in the first place, or you might miss your chance to get the best offer.

Mistake #6: If sellers fall behind a market with falling home values, they can end up chasing the market down, because home values are always falling faster than their price reductions.

Mistake #6: Chasing the market.

If you price too high at the get-go, you might find yourself trying to lower it incrementally to catch up to the market.

If prices are dropping anyway and you start too high, your multiple reductions will not only look bad to potential buyers, but you may never catch up to the market and you’ll remain consistently too high.

A price reduction is never out of the question, and I’ve certainly had to do it before! Selling your home is always better than not selling it. But we’d never want to price purposely high and plan for a reduction — it’s not the best formula for a sale.

Related...

• December 19, 2008 -- Not Happy With Your Hamilton County 2008 Market Value?
• August 13, 2008 -- Home Sales are Key to Economy
• July 27, 2008 -- Oversupply Continues to Drive Sale Prices Down
• May 23, 2008 -- Cincinnati Real Estate Market Update

You may have heard this announcement earlier this month: “January new home sales fell to a record low.”

This is true, but we can put it into perspective. Perspective is always important in managing consumer confidence!

The record low applies to new construction, not overall home sales. While there are great deals in new construction right now, builders simply cannot discount homes like regular sellers can. Builders have a finite cost to everything they put in. The deals they will offer are free upgrades, appliances, and other benefits. They can only slash their prices so much — this leads some buyers to resale instead of new.

January is already a very slow month in home buying. And to close in January usually means you went under contract in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday or during Christmas. This is not a very popular time for people to buy homes unless they need to.

Another possible factor in January sales is the availability of tax credits. Some buyers did their best to squeeze their closing into the 2009 calendar year in order to get the benefits of home buying on their 2009 return. This can leave a bit of a lull after people rush to get their purchase complete before the end of the year, or before the Christmas holidays. This is a potential reason for a slow January in any year for any type of home sale.

Finally, you can never judge the market by one month. The market can change a lot from month to month, and average out. Remain calm! Monthly numbers can make exciting headlines, but they aren’t always a true indicator of the market because they cover such a short span of time.

With the entire Eastern part of the country buried under a major snow storm for a large part of February, we could expect some low numbers in home sales after this month is over. Just remember, there are factors like this that can affect monthly sales.

One more fun fact: in the Midwest, these numbers are actually UP 2.1%, so it is not as relevant for our area. So remember that when you hear an announcement on the news, it may vary by region. (The Northeast new home sales were the hardest hit.)

For Cincinnati and its specific neighborhoods, check out my Market Statistics.  You can follow a specific zip code in the Cincinnati area and be updated by email with the latest data.

Read more:

CNN: New home sales fall to a record low.

USA Today: New home sales drop to record low.

Other Posts

• October 27, 2008 -- Open House: Helpful or Wasteful?
• January 26, 2010 -- Keller Williams Day in Cincinnati
• June 2, 2008 -- AmyBSells Giving Back – St. Cecilia School Drive (Oakley)
• August 18, 2009 -- It's Duck Season!

Normally, we recommend you consult or hire a stager before listing your home. But some of my clients want to get a head start, and this is what I recommend. I find my clients are becoming more savvy about how to prep their homes for sale. (Thanks goes to HGTV, I suspect.)

This is a long, detailed list. (You can download a printable version.) However, I can sum it up easily: De-clutter, use a storage unit, and CLEAN. Your home must be as clean as possible. I recommend a pre-listing professional cleaning, and have put it on the list.

☐ GET A STORAGE UNIT
☐ KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN

Outdoors

☐ Clean and revitalize front door and surrounding area
☐ Clean up deck/patio/porch
☐ Remove all outdoor trash
☐ Put away outdoor tools, toys and other clutter
☐ Make gardens look maintained and not dead
☐ Get a new large doormat
☐ Install outdoor lighting if needed
☐ Find a home for garbage cans
☐ Make garage look clean and large
☐ Complete all lingering outdoor repairs
☐ Spray off siding, and use a cleaning agent if needed
☐ Keep the house/driveway/walkway hosed down as needed
☐ Repair cracks in walkways and steps
☐ Clean gutters (and reroute them if they are causing a leaky basement)
☐ Mow your lawn and keep it weed free and green
☐ Trim hedges and put mulch around trees and shrubs
☐ Keep drive and walkways free of snow if applicable
☐ Arrange for these things to be done for showings if you are an absentee seller

Indoors – General

☐ Remove all dirt and grime from every part of your home
☐ Vacuum and dust continually
☐ Tackle all odors and freshen before showings with potpourri or fresh baked cookies (Avoid air fresheners, which are too strong)
☐ Make any needed minor repairs around the home: tighten, patch, replace, etc
☐ Consider putting some furniture in storage: start with large items, dated pieces, or those that lack purpose
☐ Arrange rooms with a clear purpose and natural flow, and maximize space
☐ Store any extra televisions (in kitchen or bedrooms) if possible
☐ Remove as many indicators of your pets as possible, and limit to one area
☐ Make plans for you and pets to be out of the home for showings
☐ Replace burned-out lightbulbs
☐ Assure that maximum light is coming through all your windows
☐ Clean windows and window treatments
☐ Touch up all scratches on walls and/or do fresh coats of paint where needed
☐ Fill nail holes or cracks

Living Areas

☐ Pack away all personal photos, you can replace some with more artistic photos
☐ Remove knickknacks and keep decor taste-neutral
☐ Add fresh flowers to an area
☐ Tidy up entertainment centers, eliminating messy cords and extra DVDs, etc.
☐ Clean up magazines, newspapers and mail
☐ Clean carpets and polish up hard floors
☐ Consider replacing heavily worn or damaged carpet/flooring
☐ Expose original hardwoods if covered by carpet
☐ Find a place for all toys and kids’ items, and limit these to their rooms/playroom

Kitchen/Dining

☐ Scrub all kitchen surfaces
☐ Eliminate most countertop appliances to maximize space
☐ Clear fridge of magnets and papers
☐ Consider new kitchen hardware or faucet if room looks dated
☐ Hide kitchen garbage, or invest in a high quality lidded garbage can
☐ Clean out pantry and cabinets and arrange to maximize space
☐ Keep refrigerator neat and odor-free
☐ Tidy up drawers, and use drawer organizers if necessary
☐ Make the table inviting with a centerpiece, place mats or table runner
☐ Clean or repair any damaged or stained grout/caulk (kitchen and bathroom)

Bathroom

☐ Shine up bathrooms, remove any stains, and keep waste emptied
☐ Consider replacing one or two fixtures in dated bathrooms, such as faucet, sink, hardware, etc.
☐ De-clutter bathroom of toiletries, add plush towels and use a clean shower curtain
☐ Fix leaky faucets, and consider a new shower head if yours is cruddy
☐ Limit items in shower/tub and organize necessities in a small bin or rack
☐ Clean up medicine cabinet, and keep prescription drugs out of sight

Bedrooms

☐ Keep beds made, and use fresh, matching linens
☐ Cut down on bedside clutter
☐ Find a safe place for jewelry and valuables
☐ Make sure dirty clothing in closets is not visible (eg: in an enclosed hamper)
☐ Clean out closets, organizing all items and putting off-season clothing in storage
☐ Tidy up shoes and accessories, eliminate some and use appropriate storage
☐ Eliminate random items from clothing closets that don’t belong there and store away
☐ Attack other closets, removing as much as possible and putting things in storage
☐ Use attractive organizing systems in closets where applicable
☐ Put loose items that must remain in matching solid bins
☐ Kids’ rooms should look like kids’ rooms, just keep them tidy

Office

☐ Tidy office desks, corralling cords and storing seldom used computer components
☐ Tidy CDs, software, books, etc., and put some in storage if possible
☐ File all papers, and keep all sensitive documents safely hidden or shred them
☐ Make sure an office doesn’t look like a junk room — add a seating area if needed

Laundry/Basement

☐ Tidy up laundry area, and keep it free of dirty or drying laundry
☐ Resolve a wet basement, which could involve issues with windows or gutters
☐ If you can’t resolve a wet basement problem, call an expert to address it
☐ Maximize light in basement with light paint, uncovered windows and extra light fixtures
☐ Paint the basement floor if it will help the space look cleaner and brighter

☐ SCHEDULE PRE-LIST CLEANING: Call Cindy at White Tornado, 859-816-0287. Tell her Amy B sent you!

Related...

• April 22, 2010 -- The AmyBSells Team Pleases Another Client
• July 9, 2010 -- Overpricing Can Attract Fewer Buyers
• June 17, 2010 -- Cincinnati’s Free Computer Recycling – Drop Off Saturday
• November 2, 2008 -- Staging… Cincinnati Style

By Steve Habegger
AmyBSells Team Certified Distressed Property Expert

Short sales and foreclosures have become dirty words to the average person.  But in my experience and education, I’ve found that there are many average people who are unfortunate enough to encounter these realities.  Too many homeowners are making decisions without proper information.

That is why I have become a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) for the AmyBSells Team. A CDPE is a real estate professional with specific understanding of the complex issues that confront homeowners in distress. Through comprehensive training and market experience, CDPEs are able to provide real solutions for homeowners facing hardships in today’s market.

My goal is to help people make choices that can save them from foreclosures, primarily by using a short sale.   A short sale is a process, predicated by a homeowner in financial distress, in which the mortgage with the bank can be negotiated. This helps distressed homeowners sell their property in a normal sale without foreclosing it to the bank: saving their credit, dignity and ability to be homeowners again.

A Growing Need

Our team has run into an increasing proportion of clients who are in financial crisis, primarily due to job loss, job transfer and divorce.  Many circumstances leave families without the ability to afford their current mortgage, and facing the potential of foreclosure and/or bankruptcy.

Some of the statistics regarding distressed properties are truly unbelievable…

• 1 in 6 homeowners are behind in their mortgage payments by at least one month (this is  the beginning stage of foreclosure)
• between 1/4 and 1/3 of all mortgages are underwater, meaning that the decreased current home value is less than what is owed on the mortgage (those getting 100% financing or selling their homes in 2-3 years after purchase are often in this situation)
• 28.5% of home sales nationwide sold for less than what the seller originally paid

There is no doubt that nationally, the statistics are staggering, and while our local area may not be affected to the same degree as hot-spots like California, Nevada and Florida, there is no doubt that local communities are seeing increased levels of foreclosure.

Saving Your Credit

As you may know, foreclosure can be devastating to a family for many years, hindering their ability to buy a car, cell phone (any good one that requires a credit check), get affordable health insurance, car insurance, an apartment, another home (up to 7-10 years), and could even cause them to lose their current employment or have trouble finding a new job. Read more about how short sales or foreclosures affect your family.

Many people in these situations often do not know their options, and feel that foreclosure is the only way out.  It’s not, and my goal is to help people understand the consequences of walking into a foreclosure.

Helping Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods can be adversely affected by numerous foreclosures.  When a home enters foreclosure, the bank owns it, and must eventually sell it back to the market to regain their losses.

Typically, the sales price at this point is much lower that it would have been had the home not been foreclosed upon.  This is due to many factors, but mainly because the home has likely been abandoned and has damages as a result of lack of maintenance and care; water damage, unkempt lawns, smells, etc.  As a buyer, you can imagine that you would not want to pay full market price for a home that has some of these deficiencies.

When enough of these depreciated foreclosed properties sell in a neighborhood, normal home values are negatively affected by the lower sales numbers.

Averting foreclosures helps to sustain our neighborhood and city home values; by counseling families to escape foreclosure, I feel that I can contribute to the benefit of our neighborhoods.

Together, we can find solutions that help families and communities.

Steve can be reached at his Cincinnati Foreclosure Help website, by email at Steve@AmyBSells.com or by phone at 513.549.2373

Related...

• November 6, 2009 -- Foreclosures and Short Sales: the Dangers of Buying Them
• August 13, 2008 -- Home Sales are Key to Economy
• June 25, 2008 -- Financing Changes make Buying and Selling more Difficult
• March 25, 2008 -- State of Real Estate: The Good and the Bad, Honestly

Here’s a scenario: You bought your house a few years ago, and you NEED to move — whether it’s for a job relocation, a lost job, a divorce, or other life changes. You need to do it now because there’s no other option, but you owe more on your property than it’s worth and you’re going to need to bring a large amount of money to the table. Or, perhaps you’re in a situation where you need money due to a lost job or sudden major healthcare costs. What do you do to get money in an emergency?

Well, first and most important, you need to SAVE as much as fast as you can starting today.  Make spending and lifestyle changes before your credit is damaged. Following that, there are some other ways to get money in an emergency such as those mentioned above.

We’ve compiled a list of ideas. Keep in mind, many of these are drastic measures and not for casual use. We strongly recommend that if you are in this situation, and you need to get a chunk of money in an emergency, that you speak with professional financial, tax and real estate advisors to find the best options for your individual and unique situation. We can’t recommend you jump into one of these options just from reading this blog entry and not seeking professional advice — everyone’s financial situation is very unique. These are just ideas to get you going.

1. Get money from a relative. (Read more about financial gifts. It’s not as simple as depositing a check.)
2. Sell a car or other large item (such as a boat, motorcycle — should you happen to have any of these items.) You will need to prove transfer of ownership. You may also be able to borrow against a car if it is a newer car with low milage.
3. Open a personal line of credit with your bank. Sometimes you can get enough to cover your costs, especially if a husband and wife both apply. Amount will vary depending on your credit score and debt load. We have had clients choose this as a successful option, and find it better for them than carrying a larger home loan.
4. If you have a second mortgage on your home, see if your bank will allow you to convert it to a personal line of credit. Then when you sell the house you won’t be required to pay off the debt as you would with a loan or line of credit attached to the property.
5. Borrow from or cash in a life insurance policy. Some require repayment, talk to your insurance agent about your options.
6. If you have children and have started a 529 plan, you may be able to borrow against this. Earnings will be taxable.
7. Take a loan against a 401k (or 403b for teachers/nurses/etc.) You have to pay this back, but earnings are non-taxable.
8. Borrow from an IRA. You will likely incur a penalty for premature withdrawal and the money is taxable.
9. Take principal from a Roth IRA. You only pay tax and penalty on earnings. This will have to be repaid.

Remember, these are pretty extreme options only for extreme situations. We can’t guarantee you’ll be able to take advantage of any of these options, or that different restrictions won’t apply to you or your accounts. Talk to an advisor. If you don’t have an advisor and need help finding someone to help you with this difficult situation, discuss it with me.

Related...

• May 19, 2010 -- Buying a Home Soon? Don’t Buy a Car!

Sellers/Repeat buyers have only about THREE months to take advantage of the extended tax credits, which are available through April 30, 2010. People definitely have questions. This is commonly known as the “Seller” tax credit, but the credit is for the purchase of your new home.

“Who is eligible for the current home buyer tax credits?”

First-time buyers who have not owned a home in the past three years qualify for credit. Sellers/Repeat buyers qualify who have occupied their current home as principal residence for 5 consecutive years in the last 8 years.

“How much is the tax credit for repeat buyers?”

Repeat buyers qualify for up to $6,500, or 10% of the purchase price of the new home (whichever is smaller.) First time buyers can still receive the $8,000 tax credit.

“What do I have to buy to get the tax credit?”

You have to buy a primary residence. It can be a single-family home, a condo, co-op apartment, etc. But vacation homes and rental properties are not eligible. You also may NOT use the tax credit to buy the home from a relative, which includes a spouse, parents/grandparents, or children/grandchildren (etc.).

The house cannot exceed $800,000 to be eligible for the credit. The price of your current home is irrelevant to the credit. (For example, you do not need to buy a more expensive house than your current house.)

“When do I have to buy?”

You need to have a a written, binding contract in place by April 30 and close by June 30, 2010. If you’ve already bought, you need to have CLOSED on your house between November 7, 2009 and June 30 2010. If you signed a contract before November 7 but closed after November 7, you are eligible. (Beware of distressed properties if you are trying to close in a finite amount of time in order to receive the credit!)

“What about my income?”

For joint filers applying for the credit, your adjusted gross income cannot exceed $225,000 in order to recieve the max credit. For single buyers, income must be $125,000 or less for max credit. The credit is available but decreases for single filers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000 and for joint filers who earn between $225,000 and $245,000. The credit is not available for buyers earning an income higher than listed above.

“Do I have to pay it back?”

Not unless you sell your home within three years of purchase. If you do, you’ll have to repay the amount of tax claimed upon the sale.

“Are there any exceptions?”

Members of the uniformed services, Foreign Service and employees of the US intelligence community serving outside the country have an extra year to buy a principal residence and qualify (if they serve at least 90 days from Jan. 1, 2009 through April 30,2010). These individuals also are not held to the same three year rule if their jobs require a sale.

“Who should take advantage of this?”

Anyone who has owned a home for five years are more and considering a move soon, do it NOW before these credits expire. Especially if your current home is in a first-time buyer bracket, get your house among the inventory for these first time buyers who are taking advantage of the last months of the tax credit.

Read More: Realtor.org.

Related...

• July 15, 2010 -- Tax Credit Closing Deadline Extended for Buyers Who Purchased by April 30
• April 6, 2010 -- Remaining Weeks of Homebuyer Tax Credit
• February 8, 2010 -- Tax FYI: Energy Star Credit
• October 6, 2009 -- Filing for the Energy Tax Credit

If you’re preparing to put your home on the market, or you’re currently trying to sell, it’s important to keep your home and personal safety in mind! This is what Realty Times and NAR think agents should be telling their clients about safe showings:

— Strangers will be walking through your home during showings and open houses. Hide any valuables in a safe place. This includes items you might not initially think would attract interest, like prescription medications or alcohol, as well as information that could be used for identity theft.

— Not all agents, buyers and sellers are who they say they are. Strangers who stop by unannounced should be asked to make an appointment with the listing agent, and don’t allow them to enter your home without an appointment. Stress that you should never to show a home without the presence of an agent.

— You are responsible for your pets. If possible, animals should be removed during showings. If a buyer or an agent is attacked, you will be held liable.

— At an open house, your agent will be alert to the pattern of visitors’ arrivals, especially near the end of showing hours. In some areas, a group of thieves will show up together near the end of the open house and, while a string of “potential buyers” distracts the agent, the rest of the group walks through the house, stealing any valuables they come across.

— Your agent will make sure that all doors and windows are locked after any showings or open houses. Thieves commonly use open houses to scout for valuables and possible points of entry, then return after the agent leaves. Make sure your agent is doing this for you.

— Your agent will let you know that he/she will take all of the above safety precautions. But when you return home, you should immediately verify that all doors are locked and all valuables accounted for.

More Safety tips from Realtor.org.

More from AmyBSells.com:

• Open Houses: Helpful or Wasteful? — Open Houses are sometimes not worth the risk of inviting strangers into your home. It depends on the property!

(Source: Nevada County Association of REALTORS® (CA); Realty Times)

Related...

• February 22, 2010 -- Winter Safety for your Home