Austin, Texas (PRWEB) June 18, 2013

The summer sales season has seen a hot market here, and inventory is moving fast. It is during this time of year that the real estate market becomes especially active, as more than half of home sales occur at this time. And though this year has seen very low home inventory levels, and price increases due to demand, it is still of utmost importance to properly plan before placing your home on the market. It is for this reason that listing specialist Vik Vad, of Cantera Real Estate, has launched a new website, SellHomeAustin.com, to educate sellers on the steps to take to effect a successful transaction, and to get top dollar for the home, in the shortest amount of time.

The first question most people ask themselves is “What is my house worth?”, even before doing anything else. This leads the homeowner to the internet, where information is available, but can sometimes be outdated, or just inaccurate. However, the new web portal allows for a seller to search the Austin MLS, and therefore to gain an idea of what other area homes are being priced at, and simply to see what kind of competition is currently there. After doing this, the next step is to ask a real estate agent to do a CMA, or comparative market analysis. This is a more detailed look into not just other available homes on the market, but into homes that have actually sold recently, at what price, and what the terms of the sale were. A CMA also makes adjustments to the comparable properties, taking into account differences in the homes, such as square footage, lot size, number of beds and baths, and other conditions.

Next, it is important to prepare the house for sale. With proper curb appeal, cleanliness, and staging of the home, it will eventually attract more buyers, and it will raise the potential asking price for the property. Some steps to make the exterior inviting from the start are to paint the home, and mow and landscape the yard to create a good first impression. The interior can then be decluttered, well lit, with the rooms tidied up, and even furniture and furnishings placed in a pleasing manner to make buyers feel at home right away. Any repairs can also be done beforehand so that the house looks well maintained, and do not get brought up later if the buyer conducts an inspection.

The website then outlines further steps to sell your home, such as a proper marketing plan coupled with market updates, to keep the homeowner aware of changing market conditions, while advertising it in the most effective way. Details are also provided regarding negotiations that are inevitable when a buyer makes an offer, depending again on market conditions, and the seller’s timeframe parameters. And finally, a whole host of issues is addressed from the time the home goes under contract, until the time of closing, so that a potential home seller can rest assured that this usually stressful transaction goes smoothly from start to finish.

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