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Update on mortgage cancellation debt, short sales, IRS, and FTB liabilities

December 5, 2013 By Roy Hernandez

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12/4/13. The good news just keeps continuing. Letter from California Assosiation of Realtors:

As we anticipated, C.A.R. today received a letter from the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), obtained by the State Board of Equalization, clarifying that California families who have lost their home in a short sale are not subject to state income tax liability on debt forgiveness “phantom income” they never received in a short sale.

Last month, in a letter to California Sen. Barbara Boxer, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognized that the debt written off in a short sale does not constitute recourse debt under California law, and thus does not create so-called “cancellation of debt” income to the underwater home seller for federal income tax purposes.  Following the IRS’s clarification, C.A.R. sought a similar ruling by the California FTB.  Now with the FTB’s clarification, underwater home sellers also are assured that they are not subject to state income tax liability, rescuing tens of thousands of distressed home sellers from California tax liability for debt written off by lenders in short sales.

We are pleased with the recent clarifications issued by the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board, which protect distressed homeowners from debt relief income tax associated with a short sale in California.  We would like to thank Sen. Boxer and BOE member George Runner for their leadership in obtaining this guidance from the IRS and FTB.  Distressed California homeowners can now avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy and can opt for a short sale instead, without incurring federal and state tax liability, even after the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 expires at the end of this year.

Sincerely,
Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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The Road Map to Homeownership

December 3, 2013 By Roy Hernandez

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Citibank offering 3% conventional loan with NO PMI

November 20, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

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Here are some of the programs that Citibank has to offer :

  • On time Closing Guarantee, if we don’t close on time, we will give $1500 credit to the buyer
  • 3% conventional loan with NO PMI ( first time home buyer)
  • Govt loan  FHA/VA
  • Conventional loan
  • Jumbo Loans :   CitiQuick loans qualify for limited doc, rate protection up to 3yrs, if rate drops by 0.25%, we lower it at no cost to the borrower. Asset based cash flow, we can use borrowers asset to derive income to help qualify for a loan
  • And much more…..
  • Click here for PDF flyer

Contact Roy Hernandez for more details!

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Great news from IRS for sellers that short sell

November 15, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

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November 15, 2013

Dear Roy,

As the new president of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, I’m pleased to be the first to inform you of some very good news.

We have been working with California Sen. Barbara Boxer to protect distressed homeowners from debt relief income tax associated with a short sale in California.  As part of this effort, Sen. Boxer requested the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide guidance on whether mortgage debt forgiveness in a lender-approved short sale would be taxable income under federal law, given California’s recent non-recourse laws for short sales, which were hard fought victories by C.A.R.

The IRS has clarified in a letter that California’s troubled homeowners who sell their homes in a short sale are not subject to federal income tax liability on “phantom income” they never received.  The IRS recognizes that the debt written off in a short sale does not constitute recourse debt under California law, and thus does not create so-called “cancellation of debt” income to the underwater home seller for federal income tax purposes.  This clarification rescues tens of thousands of distressed home sellers from personal liability upon expiration of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 on Dec. 31, 2013.

C.A.R. is seeking a similar ruling from the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), which has been awaiting the IRS action; we anticipate the FTB will act promptly.  Short sales may raise other tax issues and, as always, you should advise your clients to speak with their tax professional regarding the tax consequences of a short sale.

C.A.R.’s Legal Department has prepared a Realegal to further explain the IRS’s clarification.

I know you join me in expressing our thanks, as well as those of our troubled homeowners, to Sen. Boxer for her leadership on this issue.  I will keep you informed and provide additional details as I have them.

Sincerely,
Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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New FHA guidelines coming: Purchase 1 year after “Economic Event”

November 15, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

HUD headerRead the full article HERE

The financial crisis took its toll on Wall Street and Main Street alike.  Mistakes were made and bills went unpaid on both sides of the fence, but Main Street sees Wall Street bailouts and asks “where’s my bailout?”  Specifically with respect to the housing market, borrowers who have had bankruptcies, foreclosures, deeds-in-lieu, short-sales, or other adverse credit have heretofore been unable to quickly reestablish themselves as worthy borrowers.  That’s changing.

Late last week, The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday unveiled a new set of guidelines under the FHA program specifically geared toward homeowners and prospective homeowners adversely impacted by the Great Recession.  The “Back to Work” program, as it’s called, doesn’t constitute a free pass for those who would otherwise be unable to qualify for financing, but it does reopen the housing market to a great many borrowers who would otherwise have been waiting for 3-7 years to tick off the clock–depending on their initial credit issue–before being able to qualify for a mortgage.  In FHA’s words:

“As a result of the recent recession many borrowers who experienced unemployment or other severe reductions in income, were unable to make their monthly mortgage payments, and ultimately lost their homes to a pre-foreclosure sale, deed-in-lieu, or foreclosure. Some borrowers were forced to file for bankruptcy to discharge or restructure their debts. Because of these recent recession-related periods of financial difficulty, borrowers’ credit has been negatively affected. FHA recognizes the hardships faced by these borrowers, and realizes that their credit histories may not fully reflect their true ability or propensity to repay a mortgage.”

The program will require prospective borrowers to thoroughly document the nature of the “Economic Event,” that it resulted in derogatory credit, and that there has been a satisfactory recovery from the Event per the new guidelines.

Lenders will consider the Economic Event to have caused the derogatory credit if:

  • The prospective borrowers had satisfactory credit prior to the event onset
  • The prospective borrowers’ derogatory credit occurred after the onset of the event
  • The prospective borrowers have reestablished satisfactory credit for at least 12 months since the the end of the event

Lenders will consider borrowers to have reestablished satisfactory credit if:

  • The borrower has no late housing or installment debt payments for the past 12 months
  • Open mortgage accounts are current and have been paid on time for the past 12 months
  • Borrowers have adhered to the agreement of any open modification plan for the past 12 months
  • Complete a course of Housing Counseling in person, via telephone, via internet, or other methods approved by HUD (who provides a list of Counseling agencies).

For the purposes of this program, an “Economic Event” is defined as “any occurrence beyond the borrower’s control that results in loss of employment, loss of income, or a combination of both, which causes a reduction in the borrower’s household income of twenty (20) percent or more for a period of at least six (6) months.  The Onset of an Economic Event is the month of loss of employment/income.”  Lenders will verify the reduction in income or loss of employment with at least one of the following:

  • A written termination notice
  • Other publicly available documentation of the business closure
  • Documentation of the receipt of Unemployment Income

Additionally, lenders have to verify a 20 percent loss of income due to the Economic Event by documenting borrowers’ income prior to the event.  This requirement can be satisfied either with a written “Verification of Employment” form with income details provided by the employer or signed tax returns (or W-2s).

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U.S. Home Value Appreciation to Slow in 2014

November 12, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

Pace of Annual Appreciation to Fall to 4.3 Percent in 2014, 3.4 Percent by 2018; Panelists Say Federal Government Should Back 35 Percent of Mortgages, According to Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey

SEATTLE, Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — More than 100 forecasters said they expect the U.S. home values, as measured by the Zillow® Home Value Indexi, to end 2013 up an average of 6.7 percent year-over-year, according to the latest Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, before slowing over the next five years. Most panelists also said they would like to see the federal government maintain a considerable role in the mortgage market.

The survey of 108 economists, real estate experts and investment and market strategists was sponsored by leading real estate information marketplace Zillow, Inc. and is conducted quarterly by Pulsenomics LLC.

home expectations

 While appreciation is expected to remain strong through the remainder of this year, the pace of home value growth is predicted to slow considerably through 2018. Panelists said they expect appreciation rates to slow to roughly 4.3 percent next year, on average, eventually falling to 3.4 percent by 2018.

Based on current expectations for home value appreciation over the next five years, panelists predicted that overall U.S. home values could exceed their May 2007 peak by the first quarter of 2018, and may cross the $200,000 threshold by the end of 2018.

“The housing market has seen a period of unsustainable, breakneck appreciation, and some cooling off is both welcome and expected,” said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. “Rising mortgage rates, diminished investor demand and slowly rising inventory will all contribute to the slowdown of appreciation.”

The most optimistic quartileii of panelists predicted an 8.3 percent annual increase in home values this year, on average, while the most pessimistic quartileiii predicted an average increase of 5.6 percent. Expectations among the optimists fell from 9.3 percent in the last survey, but rose from 5.1 percent among the pessimists. The most optimistic panelists predicted home values would rise roughly 12.5 percent above their 2007 peaks by the end of 2018, on average, while the most pessimistic said they expected home values to remain about 6.2 percent below 2007 peaks.

Diminished, But Still ‘Significant’ Role For Federal Gov’t in Mortgages

A number of public and private plans for overhauling the nation’s mortgage finance system and reforming government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been proposed, all of which seek to reduce and redefine the government’s role in the mortgage market to some degree. As these policy conversations begin, panelists were asked how involved they think the federal government should be in any re-imagined mortgage system. Among those panelists expressing an opinion, the majority (58.4 percent) said the federal government’s involvement in the conforming mortgage market should be “somewhat significant,” “significant” or “very significant.” Only 8 percent of respondents said the federal government should have a “non-existent” role in the conforming market.

Panelists were also asked to define an appropriate level of government-backing for mortgage loans going forward. Among those panelists expressing an opinion about what maximum percentage of all new mortgages should be backed by the federal government, the median response was 35 percent, roughly the level seen in 2006 at the height of the housing bubble.

“Policy discussions centered on reforming the nation’s housing finance system have only just begun, and it will be very interesting to see what comes out of these debates and how the market will react to new proposals,” Humphries said. “How much mortgages will end up costing average consumers, and the continued availability of traditional mortgage products like the 30-year fixed rate mortgage, are among the critical issues currently at stake for consumers in these debates.”

“Currently, the federal government backs roughly 90 percent of all new mortgage originations in the U.S. in some form,” said Pulsenomics® Founder Terry Loebs. “In 2000, prior to the bubble, the government backed about 50 percent of new mortgages. These benchmarks and survey data are another reminder of the challenges that lie ahead in reforming U.S. housing institutions.”

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Top schools equal higher home prices

October 14, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

Any good parent wants their child to attend the best school possible, but when it comes to finding a home in a top school district, how much more are buyers willing to pay? A recent study performed by Redfin suggests that many parents are willing to shell out even more than you might think. If you’re trying to sell a home and want to get the most for it, you might want to consider “selling” the school first.

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Schools have always played an important role in the buying and selling of real estate. More recently though, premiums for homes served by top-ranked schools have been going up, indicating that buyers place remarkable importance on the quality of schools when buying a house.

An analysis by Redfin illustrates the steep price premiums that homeowners are willing to pay for homes served by top-ranked schools, offering the latest concrete evidence that buyers place remarkable importance on the quality of schools.

The sky-high premiums help explain the ongoing race among listing sites to provide razor-sharp school information.

They could also add fuel to a debate over whether buyers and the real estate agents representing them give too much weight to rankings, which school officials say don’t always provide a complete picture of the differences in the quality of education provided.

Redfin’s study found that buyers pay an average of $50 more per square foot for homes served by top-ranked schools than for those served by average-ranked schools. It also found found that, even within the same neighborhoods, buyers will pay substantially more for homes served by top-ranked schools than they do for comparable homes served by average-ranked schools.

“Homes just a short distance apart with nearly identical attributes are selling for drastically different prices,” the report said. “We’ve looked across the country at homes that have sold in the last three months and found five examples where the prices vary on identical homes by as much as $130,000.”

Not accounting for home size, San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Calif., carry the highest price premiums for top-ranked schools while Queens, N.Y., Raleigh, N.C., and Eugene, Ore., carry the lowest of all the metros that Redfin analyzed.

redfind-school-study

The report adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that many homebuyers are ready to shell out substantial cash for access to top-notch schools.

Three out of 5 homebuyers who responded to a recent realtor.com survey said that school attendance boundaries would be a factor in choosing a home, and most of that group said they’d be willing to go above budget or give up amenities to have their children go to their school of choice.

The online survey, conducted this summer, found that of those who said school attendance boundaries were important:

  • 23.6 percent would pay 1 to 5 percent above budget.
  • 20.7 percent would pay 6 to 10 percent above budget.
  • 9 percent would pay 11 to 20 percent above budget.
  • 40.3 percent would not go above budget.

school kids      Some school officials have questioned whether buyers and their agents are relying too heavily on test scores and school ranking sites when pricing listings.

      The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that buyers in San Mateo County, Calif., are willing to pay premiums of $200,000 or more for homes served by schools that score only slightly better than other schools in the same school district. School district officials told the newspaper that homebuyers and their agents may read too much into simplified school rankings offered on real estate sites, and are working with Realtors in the hopes of helping them gain a better understanding of what qualities make for a good school.

     A Canadian real estate agent who’s branded herself as her community’s “#1 schools advisor” has rankled school district officials and parents by posting not only standardized test scores on her website, but devising her own system for ranking them. The ranking system penalizes schools with lower household income and parental education levels, or a higher prevalence of single-parent households and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students.

The increasingly evident focus among buyers on school quality has helped spur a push by listing services to offer deeper school-centric features and data.

Zillow rolled out a school search boundary tool earlier this month that lets users filter home searches for public, private and charter school attendance boundaries by their ratings from a national school rating site.

A handful of other sites, including realtor.com, Trulia and Century 21 Real Estate, offer school-based search tools.

For its study, Redfin analyzed listings on multiple listing services that sold between May 1 and July 31; school zone boundaries provided by Maponics; and additional school data provided by Onboard Informatics and GreatSchools.

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Forecast: Calif. home prices to rise 6% in 2014

October 8, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

California home prices and sales are projected to continue rising next year, but price gains will be much more modest than seen in the past year, according to the California Association of Realtors’ 2014 housing forecast.

The 2014 median house price house is projected to rise to $432,800 statewide, up 6 percent from this year’s projected all-year median of $408,600.

The median price of an existing single-family home was up 28.4 percent in the year ended in August and is projected to end the year up 28 percent from 2012 levels. But prices climbed dramatically this year due to a tight supply of homes for sale just as demand came roaring back and interest rates remained at historic lows.

The gains meant that more homeowners who owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth were freed up to sell their homes.

“As the market continues to improve, more previously underwater homeowners will look toward selling, making housing inventory less scarce in 2014,” said association Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “As a result of these factors, we’ll see home price increases moderate from the double-digit increases we saw for much of this year to mid-single digits in most of the state.”

Realtor economists also project that home sales will rise 3.2 percent in 2014 to an annual total of 444,000 sales, the most sold in eight years. The 2013 sales tally is projected to fall about 2 percent short of 2012 levels.

Also on the increase: mortgage rates. The association predicted that interest on the traditional 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage will rise to 5.3 percent next year, up from an average of 4.1 percent in 2013.

For a median-priced home with a 20 percent down payment, that 1.2 percentage point gain amounts to a $236 increase in a monthly mortgage payment, or nearly $85,000 in increased interest over the life of the loan.

“The housing market has improved over the past year, and we expect this trend to continue into 2014,” said association President Don Faught. “As the economy enters the fourth year of a modest recovery, we expect to see a strong demand for homeownership, as buyers who may have been competing with investors and facing an extreme shortage of available housing return from the sidelines.”

Article courtesy of OC Register.

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O.C. homes for sale double in 6 months

October 2, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

mtyqaj-thomasinventorysept262013Homes for sale in Orange County have nearly doubled in six months, rising to 6,298 listings as of Thursday, Steve Thomas of ReportsOnHousing.com said in his latest report.

 Listings in the Realtor-run multiple listing service were up 98 percent since mid-March, a low in almost nine years of data.

“Orange County housing is moving away from a sizzling hot seller’s market with rapid appreciation to a cost conscious cooler market with restrained appreciation,” Thomas wrote in his latest report.

As listings increased, the number of contracts signings began dropping, falling 25 percent since mid-June, he said.

“The market was starting to cool as values began to dramatically recover from their recession lows a few years ago,” he added. “What looked like a total deal and had attracted a wave of investors had lost a bit of its allure and luster. Investors started looking elsewhere. Homes began receiving fewer offers and buyers shied away from grossly overpriced homes.”

Last year at this time there were 4,416 homes on the market, 1,882 fewer than on Thursday, Thomas reported.

Thomas’ report shows further:

  • The biggest increase in listings occurred in the $250,000-to-$750,000 price range. Listings in that price bracket jumped 144 percent to 3,386 homes for sale. That category accounted for just over half off all listings.
  • The next biggest increase was in the $750,000-to-$1.5 million price range, which was up 97 percent to 1,536 listings. That group accounted for a fourth of all homes for sale.
  • Listings for $1.5 million and above — accounting for 17 percent of the market — increased 39 percent to 1,054 homes.

“Demand continues to drop as we make our way through the autumn market,” Thomas said. “This is cyclically a slower time of the year. … But the downshift is a bit more pronounced this year.”

Article compliments of Johnathan Lansner and Jeff Collins, OC Register.

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8 Top Home-Selling Mistakes People Often Make

September 9, 2013 By Roy Hernandez Leave a Comment

   It’s a challenging market for home sellers right now. Buyers have a lot of options—and they don’t have to buy what you’re selling. Your house is likely just one located in a sea of for-sale signs, so you can’t be sloppy about putting it on the market.

Luckily, we’ve rounded up the dos and dont’s that will help you collect thousands (if not hundreds of thousands!) for your place.

Homer1. Don’t … ask for too much money.

Yes, you know what you paid for the house. But that doesn’t mean that it’s still worth that amount—or that it’s appreciated in value since you bought it. “Your house is only worth what the market is willing to pay you,” says certified financial planner Ellen Derrick of LearnVest Planning Services, who has bought and sold at least eight homes, including investment properties. “It doesn’t matter what’s in it. And it doesn’t matter what your mortgage is.” Your realtor has an eye on the market and knows what kind of prices homes—just like yours—are garnering now. Pricing your home too high will discourage interested parties from making an offer, and your property could sit for months, which isn’t your goal.

What to do: Have a few realtors give you a price on the home (or get a comparative market analysis), and—this is key—don’t ignore them. Keep in mind that even if you’ve made pricey improvements to the home (granite countertops, stainless steel appliances), you may not get your money back if you’re the only home on the block with such upgrades. If comparable kitchens in the neighborhood don’t have similar upgrades, buyers aren’t expecting fancy perks in yours, and may not be willing to pony up for the difference.

2. Don’t … skip the marketing.

You may think that all you have to do is take one photo of the house, stick a “For Sale” sign in your yard and buyers will come pouring in the door. Au contraire. “The only way to guarantee that you’re going to get the highest price for the house is to use all of the marketing options available to you,” says Holly Mellstrom, a realtor in Pelham, NY. “This means Internet advertising, 30 pictures of your house, public open houses and even postcards.” The more people who see your house, the better your chances are of selling it. In an age when buyers start their searches online, counting on drive-bys and word of mouth isn’t enough anymore.

What to do: Don’t wait until the last minute to notify a realtor that your house is for sale. If you can, give her at least a month of lead time, so she can research comparable homes and set a good price. “Give them time to book their favorite professional photographer,” Mellstrom says. “And give them time to photograph your house on a day the sun is out.” In fact, if you live in a seasonal area, and you know that you’re going to put the house on the market in February, have photos taken in September, when the grass is still green and the trees have leaves.

selling your home

3. Don’t … go it alone, unless you know what you’re doing.

If you’ve bought and sold half a dozen homes of your own or you live in a sought-after neighborhood where they sell in two days, you might be able to pull off a For Sale By Owner. If you aren’t a seasoned pro, however, let a professional take the reins. “Some people don’t buy and sell houses more than once or twice in a lifetime, and there’s a lot of money at stake,” Mellstrom says. “And there are so many disclosure laws now. Depending on the laws in your state, you’re really accepting some liability by trying to sell it yourself, unless you have a friend or an attorney who can guide you through the process.” A realtor also knows what’s selling around you, and for what price. She can tell you whether an offer is reasonable, and help you negotiate smartly. Plus, you may not save as much as you think in the end. “People who buy For Sale By Owner houses automatically discount the price they’re willing to offer because there is no realtor involved,” Mellstrom says.

What to do: If you can, get a realtor recommendation from a friend or colleague. Check references, conduct interviews and go with someone with a proven track record.

RELATED: So You’re Ready to Hire a Realtor

4. Don’t … neglect to fix things that are broken.

If sellers walk through your house and spot a handful of items that need immediate repair, they’re going to wonder how well you’ve maintained the things they can’t see. The entry way is a big tip-off. Got a loose hand rail on the steps, sagging screen door or jiggly door knob? Fix them. Clear your gutters, patch holes in your walls and address dripping faucets.

What to do: Do a walk-through of your own home, pretending that you’re seeing it for the first time. What things have you always meant to fix? Now is the time. Spend a few weekends dealing with all of those niggling projects to get your home in show-worthy shape.

5. Don’t … get emotionally involved.

Yes, it’s your house. Yes, you sweated blood and tears to get it just the way you wanted it. But, no, that does not make it someone else’s “perfect,” particularly when you’ve made some unique decorating decisions. You want the space to look as neutral as possible, so buyers can envision themselves in the space. So even if those teal walls in the bedroom look knock-out great with your duvet, they probably won’t match anyone else’s things. Let go of the features you love, and make it a house most people could love—and that might mean painting all of the walls a soft, neutral color. “My office at home is a robin’s egg blue,” Derrick says. “But if we get ready to sell that house, you can bet I’m repainting it.”

What to do: Have a realtor walk through your home, and when she tells you what you’ll need to change to make it marketable, listen to her. Start thinking about your house as a commodity, not an extension of your identity. If buyers don’t love it, it’s not a personal insult. It’s simply a deal that didn’t work out.

RELATED: 3 Unusual Tips to Help You Sell Your Home

6. Don’t … leave your stuff everywhere.

You want buyers to feel like they could move into your house tomorrow—with their things. And your collectible tchotchkes, photos and utility bills make the space feel a little too personal. “That first impression is really important, and if they’re greeted with a huge photograph of you on your wedding day 25 years ago over the fireplace, that’s really distracting,” Mellstrom says. “It sends the message to the buyer that ‘This is my house, not your house.’”

What to do: Before you put the home on the market, get a few boxes and grab every extraneous thing you see: photos, knick-knacks, books. If it helps, take a few pictures of each room, and try to view them through a buyer’s eyes. What could you remove from each room to make the space feel bigger? “You want it to look like a hotel room,” Derrick says. “Hotel rooms look comfortable, but they don’t look like they’re somebody else’s comfortable.” Also? Don’t hang out at showings. While you may want to tell prospective buyers about all of the things you’ve done to the house, it’s best to leave them be. If there’s some information you think is important for them to know, leave a flyer on the kitchen counter.

RELATED: Tackle 40 Household Tasks With Only These 5 Items

7. Don’t … get offended by a lowball offer.

Just because someone came in with a really low bid is no reason to walk off in a huff. Now’s your chance to negotiate. “Buyers are trying to buy your house for the lowest price possible,” Mellstrom says. “Don’t blow them off. They might love your house. You can’t blame them for trying.” In other words, it’s not personal, and it’s not a slam on your housekeeping. It’s a business transaction.

What to do: Come back with a counteroffer. Typically, most buyers will come back with a second offer, which is a better indication of what they’re really willing to pay.

8. Don’t … lose a sale over something stupid.

It’s possible to get 99% of the way through a home sale, only to stall out at the end over a minor detail. Don’t be that seller. “I’ve seen people throw away getting a $450,000 house sold over somebody wanting to take the mantle instead of leaving the mantle over the fireplace,” Derrick says.

What to do: Unless it’s an heirloom that’s been in your family for generations, remember that you can probably find another one—but you may not find another buyer at that price. To be safe, if there are things you’re feeling like you can’t live without, such as the curtains you found at a crazy flea market or the light fixture you discovered at an antiques store, replace them with something else before you show the house.

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