The best chance for selling your property is within the first 7 weeks. Studies show that the longer a property stays on the market, the less the seller will net. Below are 5 main factors accomplishing this goal.

It is very important to price your property at a competitive market value right at the time you list it. The market is so competitive that even overpricing by a few thousand dollars could mean that your house will not sell. It's interesting, but your first offer is usually your BEST offer. Here are reasons for pricing your property at the market value right from the start in order to net you the most amount of money in the shortest time possible. An overpriced home:

* Minimizes offers
* Lowers showings
* Lowers REALTOR® response
* Limits financing
* Limits qualified buyer
* Nets less for the seller

80% of the marketing is done when we decide on what price to list your home. IF you are unwilling to list at current market value, you would be better off not putting your home on the market at this time.

Most people are turned off by even the smallest amount of uncleanliness or odor when buying a home. Sellers can lose thousands of dollars because they do not adequately clean. If your home is squeaky clean, you will be able to sell your home faster and net hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more. If you are planning on moving, why not get rid of that old junk now so that your home will appear larger? (See my "Garage Sale Helpful Hints" on this web site) Odors must be eliminated especially if you have dogs, cats or young children in diapers or if you are a smoker. You may not notice the smell, but the buyers do! Most agents have a difficult time communicating to their sellers about odor. If you employ an agent to get the most amount of money for you, please don't take offense if the agent must confront you about odor problems.

Top selling REALTORS® will not show your home if both the key and the access are not readily available. They do not have time to run around town all day picking up and dropping off keys. They want to sell homes! The greatest way to show a house is to have a key in a special locked box that is provided by the selling REALTOR®! That way agents can show your home, easily, when you are not available to open it up for them. When your home is being shown, please do the following:

* Keep all lights on
* Keep all drapes and blinds open
* Keep all doors unlocked
* Leave soft music playing
* Take a short walk with your children and pets
* Let the buyer be at ease and let the REALTORS® do their job.

Paint is your best improvement investment for getting a greater return for your money. Paint makes the whole house smell clean and neat. If your house has chipped paint, exposed wood or the paint is dirty and/or faded, it is time to paint. If your carpet is worn, dirty, outdated or an unusual color, you may need to seriously consider replacing it. Many houses do not sell because of this problem. Don't think that buyers have more money than you have to replace carpet. Chances are, they don't. They'll simply buy another house. In lieu of replacing the carpet, you may also want to consider offering the buyer a reasonable "carpeting allowance" at closing. That way the buyers can choose their own carpet. If you're not sure how much to "allow" for carpet, you may want to get some estimates, but don't get an estimate for the cheapest possible carpet, because, more than likely, your buyers will also be getting carpeting estimates and will expect a "reasonable" carpet allowance.

Your front yard immediately reflects the inside condition of your home to the buyer. People enjoy their yards. Make certain that the trees are trimmed so the house can be seen from the street. Have the grass mowed, trimmed and edged. Walkways should be swept. Clean away debris. Remove parked cars. Make sure your mailbox doesn't look beaten up or like it's falling down. This all adds to curb appeal. If a buyer doesn't like the outside, they may not stop to see the inside.

Many buyers are "turned off" when roof shingles looks like they are on their "last leg." Often times, the roof is good condition, but just old and bad. The Florida sun, heat and humidity are tough on roofs. Mildew reduces the life expectancy of a roof. Cleaning your roof can make all the difference in the "curb appeal" of the home. There are companies that specialize in cleaning roofs. A word of caution: Make sure the company you hire to clean your roof specializes in this area. Improper cleaning of a roof can damage it.