That difference in size helps explain why home prices feel so much higher today. Buyers now have more styles and sizes to choose from than previous generations ever did. But with those choices comes a tradeoff; buyers must decide whether they prioritize price or size.

However, experts don’t live in your house, and buyers like to make homes their own—usually by repainting. That’s why we recommend cleaning and packing as part of your preparation to sell. Get your carpets cleaned and eliminate any strong odors. However, guessing what to remodel is pointless.   

Selling your house first provides a complete financial picture for your move, and as part of that sale, we can negotiate a timeline that gives you greater certainty when shopping for your new home.

Until there are more houses on the market than buyers, prices will remain. Historically, the average annual appreciation in real estate has been 4%. So our stock advice is: Get where you want to be! 

“What are we even doing?” one of my sellers asked. I responded, “We are putting lipstick on a pig.”

The acceptable offer was not contingent on an inspection, and the buyer had already reviewed the association documents. So this should go smoothly, oh wait, this is a condo and the condominium finance rules just changed.

We discussed that submitting an offer contingent on their home selling might not be in their best interest. We also discussed how strategically pricing their current home could lead to a quick sale, giving us negotiating power on their new home purchase.

Sure time could be spent painting and updating the property or we could just price the house strategically to sell.  For the sale, the septic system would need to be brought to compliance.  If we acted quickly we could get it installed before the frost set in.  The property was thoroughly cleaned and a few touch-ups were made.

In 2023, we helped 7 clients navigate septic system compliance. We orchestrated inspections, bids, installation, escrow accounts, and more. This is a sampling of the many services provided by the Family Realtor.      

Clients often question which personal property items are included in the real estate sale.  For reference, below is the pre-printed portion of the MN purchase agreement that outlines which personal property items are to stay with the property.  I’ve highlighted a few that are commonly in question.