• 5 Feng Shui Concepts to Help a Home Sell
• 5 Things to do Before Putting Your Home on the Market
• 8 Reasons Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®
• 12 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your REALTOR®
• Checklist: 17 Service Providers You’ll Need When You Sell
• Does Moving Up Make Sense?
• Understand Agency Relationships
• Navigating Short Sales: What to Do When the Sale Price Leaves You Short
• Forms You’ll Need to Sell Your Home
• Open House Safety Tips
• How to Get an Offer on Your Home
• Moving Checklist for Sellers
• Simple Tips for Better Home Showings
• Low-Cost Ways to Spruce Up Your Home’s Exterior
• 12 Tips for Hiring a Remodeling Contractor
• Understanding Capital Gains in Real Estate
• What to Have on Hand for the New Owners

• Simply Stated Closing Summary: A quick reference guide used during the closing process to help the homebuyer better understand the key terms of their settlement documents. (Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Japanese, & Tagalog)

• Prepare and Avoid: 70-Something Ways You Could Lose Your Home:  (Available in English, American, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Hindi, & Punjabi)  Title insurance is one of the most valuable forms of security that a home buyer/seller can have, yet its benefits are rarely explained.  This brochure provides the information.

• 41 Steps To Buying Your Home (Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, & Vietnamese) This color-coordinated checklist outlines the functions of the real estate professional, the lender, and the title company team.

• En Camino Al Sueno Americano -The Home Buying Process DVD This seven minute step-by-step description of the home buying process will assist in explaining the real estate process to first-time homebuyers, in Spanish.

Does Moving Up Make Sense? 

These questions will help you decide whether you’re ready for a home that’s larger or in a more desirable location. If you answer yes to most of the questions, it’s a sign that you may be ready to move.

1. Have you built substantial equity in your current home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don’t build up much equity in the first few years of your mortgage, as monthly payments are mostly interest, but if you’ve owned your home for five or more years, you may have significant, unrealized gains. 
2. Has your income or financial situation improved? If you’re making more money, you may be able to afford higher mortgage payments and cover the costs of moving. 
 3. Have you outgrown your neighborhood? The neighborhood you pick for your first home might not be the same neighborhood you want to settle down in for good. For example, you may have realized that you’d like to be closer to your job or live in a better school district.   
4. Are there reasons why you can’t remodel or add on? Sometimes you can create a bigger home by adding a new room or building up. But if your property isn’t large enough, your municipality doesn’t allow it, or you’re simply not interested in remodeling, then moving to a bigger home may be your best option.  
5. Are you comfortable moving in the current housing market? If your market is hot, your home may sell quickly and for top dollar, but the home you buy also will be more expensive. If your market is slow, finding a buyer may take longer, but you’ll have more selection and better pricing as you seek your new home.  
6. Are interest rates attractive? A low rate not only helps you buy a larger home, but also makes it easier to find a buyer.

Reprinted from REALTOR® magazine (REALTOR.org/realtormag) with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.