Ask Yourself the tough questions before you list your Long Beach home

Do you think you should ask yourself a few questions prior to listing your home? I mean even before you call a real estate professional to interview for the job. I am not talking about who you are going to use but I am talking about what is important to you. In today's long beach real estate market there are some questions that you should ask yourself prior to picking up that phone or going on to Google to search for the real estate professional who is going to help you.

So what are the tough questions that you should actually ask yourself? That is the topic of today's post and these are always the toughest questions to ask. We will discuss some of these questions in the post and let's open it up to comments for the ones that aren't discussed.

• Do I have to sell?
• What is my motivation to sell?
• How motivated am I to sell?
• Am I committed to selling my home?
• What are my options if I don't sell or don't get the price I hope for?

We want to take a few of these and discuss them. It is important to be brutally honest with yourself prior to selling so you don't get in a situation that will cause you more stress and work.

Do I have to sell?

If you have to sell because of a job change or an adjusting loan make sure you know that you absolutely have to sell. Is there a severance package that you get or can you get a short term loan till your next job. Have you evaluated that you must sell. Make sure that you know the answer to this because often it isn't as bad as one things.

Am I committed to selling?

If you are really committed to selling make sure that you ask yourself this question: If I got 15% less than I was hoping for would I still sell. If it isn't a YES make sure you have all your numbers worked out and really know your motivation level. Use a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being you aren't motivated and 10 is you wish you were gone yesterday. If you are 8 or above proceed with more investigation.

What are my options if I don't get my price?

Remember above I asked you to think about 15% less than you thought? Well if you did get 15% less could you still move? Would you have enough for the next down payment? Can you use your proceeds in a different way or is your future impacted?

It isn't always about how much money you receive from your sale but how you use your money. Keep that in mind when you are looking at accepting an offer or considering a price reduction.

If you want to know what your market is doing fill out the market snapshot form on the right to get an idea of what your home would be worth in today's market.

Long Beach Home Auction, Part 2

So are you ready for an auction? In the last post we spoke about the upcoming auction here in Long Beach. In today's most I want to cover 4 things that you absolutely must to prior to walking into that auction.

4 MUST DO Items that you need to do prior to attending an auction

1. Pre-approve with a lender you know - I know that the auction company conveniently allows you to pre-approve through their lender. While that is all well and good you want to pre-approve through someone whom you have used in the past or been referred to.
2. Inspect the property ahead of time - That's right most auction companies don't allow you to inspect after you bought it but they do allow you to take a look prior to the auction. The one coming up in Long Beach,CA has a day where you can get into the properties through various open houses.
3. Consult Your Real Estate Professional - Now I am not saying this because I happen to be a real estate broker but you should consult an expert in the area you are buying and preferably one you have used in the past or one that has been referred to you. Remember the auction company wants the most for the property not what is in YOUR best interest. Some Realtors will work as a consultant for you for auctions as most auction houses do not pay commissions to Realtors. Some Realtors charge a flat hourly rate for the time at the auction while others charge a flat fee. Make sure they help you analyze the properties you want to bid on ahead of time.
4. Know the Rules - This is very important. Some auction company's have a buyer premium that is 5% or more on top of your final bid. Make sure you factor this in to what you will pay and make sure you know if you have financing contingencies or any other real estate protections. Not knowing the rules could cost you big $$$$.

Remember the auction is coming up on April 5th. To see more details on this auction refer to part 1 of Long Beach Home Auction.

Home Auction in Long Beach, CA Part 1

Have you ever attended an auction? If you haven't attended you are truly missing out on an adventure. There is a home auction taking place in Long Beach, CA where around 220 homes will be sold to the highest bidder. Does this sound interesting or scary now? Well it should be a little of both. This is part 1 of posts that will be doing as a series leading up to the home auction in Long Beach on April 5th 2008. Make sure to check back in for details about the auction process, what to watch out for, and how best to protect yourself.

Here are some items to consider:

• No one represents you! - You have to look out for yourself. No one is going to make sure that things are done right for you. They are interested in getting the highest bid possible and getting rid of what they consider a problem.
• Read the fine print - We will speak more about this later but make sure you know what is
• Don't get caught up with emotion - Buying a property at auction can be exciting and entertaining. You need to make a business decision ahead of time before getting caught up in the moment.

So where is this auction in Long Beach taking place? Details of the event and a link to the auction company website are below:

When: April 5th 2008
Where: Long Beach Convention Center
Number of properties to be sold: 220+
Auction Company: Real Estate Disposition Company
Website: http://www.ushomeauction.com