Real estate market data is readily available to home sellers across the United States. With this information at your disposal, you should have no trouble maximizing the profits from your home sale.

Now, let's take a look at three real estate market data that every home seller needs to check out before listing a residence.

1. Prices of Comparable Houses

Let's face it – determining a competitive price for your house may prove to be difficult, regardless of your home's age or condition. Fortunately, if you analyze the prices of comparable residences in your city or town, you can better understand how your house stacks up against the competition and price it appropriately.

Furthermore, it may be beneficial to conduct a home appraisal prior to listing your house. This appraisal enables a home expert to assess your house both inside and out. Then, you'll receive an appraisal report that contains a property valuation, which may help you determine a competitive price for your house.

2. Prices of Recently Sold Houses

Are you preparing to enter a buyer's or seller's market? Review the prices of recently sold houses in your area, and you can find out whether the current housing market favors buyers or sellers.

If home sellers are receiving offers at or above their initial home asking prices, now may be an ideal time to list your residence. Thus, you may want to add your house to the real estate market sooner rather than later to capitalize on a housing sector that likely favors sellers.

Conversely, if home sellers are receiving offers below their initial home asking prices, you may want to allocate significant time and resources to find ways to improve your house. Because if you enhance your house's exterior and interior, you may be able to help your house stand out from the competition and increase the likelihood of a profitable home sale.

3. Average Amount of Time That a House Is Listed

Check out how long houses stay on the real estate market before they are sold – you'll be glad you did. With this housing market data in hand, you can assess the pulse of the real estate market and map out your home selling journey accordingly.

If you need help collecting or analyzing real estate market data, there is no need to worry. Hire a real estate agent today, and you can gain the insights that you need to make informed decisions throughout the home selling journey.

A real estate agent is a housing market expert who is happy to help you in any way possible. He or she will provide recommendations about how to price your house and improve your home's interior and exterior. Plus, a real estate agent is available to respond to any of your home selling concerns or questions, at any time.

Ready to list your home? Review the aforementioned housing market data, and you can obtain deep insights into the real estate sector prior to selling your house.

Tweet

It may be a great initiative for you and your family to do what you can to become more environmentally friendly. Saving the planet starts at home! There’s so many different ways that you can make your home more eco-friendly. We’ll give you a few ideas here. Even if you commit to making one change each month, you’ll notice a big impact over time. 

Replace Your Lightbulbs

CFLs are known as compact fluorescent lightbulbs. These come in many different sizes and colors. Incandescent bulbs are now obsolete, because CFLs are much more energy efficient. Keep in mind that CFLs must be disposed of in a recycling center because they do have a trace of mercury in them. They are overall much better for the environment.

Get An Energy Audit

You can arrange to have an energy audit through your utility company or an independent contractor. This can help you to find areas of your home where insulation is lacking. You may even be able to get a rebate form your utility company for completing something like this.  

Turn Down The Heat

You can keep the temperature of your water heater down to 120 degrees. You should wrap an insulating blanket around your water heater in the winter if it’s not insulated. If the heater is gas, be sure there’s room for ventilation. To help keep pipes form freezing in winter, you need to keep your heat running, but make sure it’s around 64 degrees. 

The same principles go for cooling devices and air conditioning units in the summer months. In this case though, you’ll need to make the temperature higher. 

Turn Off What’s Not In Use

Everyone in the house should be in the habit of turning things off when they’re not in the room, or not using the item. Leaving televisions and lights on wastes an immense amount of energy. Also, when you buy appliances, make sure that they are Energy Star rated.  

Conserve Water

Water is another type of energy we often take for granted and waste. When water needs to be warmed for showers, dishes and laundry it’s often running for long periods of time. You can take shorter showers to help with this. You may even consider shutting the water off while you’re soaping up. You’ll even want to shut the water off when you’re brushing your teeth. These little changes can make a big impact on the environment.  

Use Power Strips

If you use power strips and turn them off when they’re not in use, you can save up to 10% on your power bill. You’ll also want to take the time to shut down computers and office supplies like printers in order to save more energy. These items use power even when they’re in a “power saver” mode.

Tweet

If you have a list of home contractors that you use and are satisfied with, consider your yourself lucky!

Many homeowners find themselves in the unenviable position of having to blindly search online for reputable contractors, sort their way through dozens of miscellaneous reviews, and then hopefully find a handful of promising candidates to interview.

Even after all that, there's no guarantee you'll be 100% satisfied with your choice!

Although picking a contractor may sometimes feel like a gamble, there are strategies for lowering your risk factor.

A personal recommendation from someone you know and trust is usually the most reliable method of finding the right person for the job. If a relative or friend has had a positive experience with a roofer, bathroom remodeler, or plumber, then there's a good chance, you'll be satisfied with them, too. It's still a good idea to get two or three contractor estimates, but a good starting point is to have at least one recommendation from someone who has your best interest at heart.

Do Online Reviews Help?

Online review sites can also provide helpful information and feedback, but they're not always the "unvarnished truth". In spite of efforts by review sites to discourage biased reviews, some are probably going to slip through. For example: Have you ever read a review that sounded like it was an advertisement for the contractor? Sometimes when the praise sounds just a little too glowing and over the top, you can't help but wonder if those reviews are genuine and unbiased. Although the majority of online reviews are probably legit, the best way to view them is with a healthy dose of skepticism.

When it comes to the occasional scathing review by a disgruntled customer, one has to put it in context and look at "the big picture." There are some customers who are literally impossible to satisfy and will always find something to complain about. However, if a contractor has more than one or two negative reviews online, and they're not offset by a couple dozen positive ones, then that could be a potential red flag. Since you don't know the reviewers personally, and the reviews are often posted anonymously, the credibility factor is much lower than if you got a recommendation from one of your parents, a close friend, a next-door neighbor, a sibling, business associate, or your real estate agent.

The point at which you should be able to separate the "wheat from the chaff" is during your face-to-face meetings. If a contractor gives every you indication of being professional, honest, knowledgeable, experienced, ethical, and customer-service oriented, then they're probably a good prospect for the job. Other factors include the price they quote, their Better Business Bureau rating, and their willingness to provide references, proof of insurance coverage (such as general liability and Workers' Comp, if applicable) and direct answers to all your questions

Tweet