Listing Price Tips for Folsom CA Real Estate and Beyond

Several factors should not influence your asking price:

·  Your cost. Suppose you had received the place as a gift. Must you then give it away?

·  Your investment in improvements. You put in that purple kitchen because you enjoyed it, but you are not likely to find anyone who feels your house is worth $15,000 more because of it. They may instead be calculating the cost of tearing it out and replacing it with something in turquoise.

·  Assessed value. This figure is set by the taxing authorities but even in areas where a sincere attempt is made to keep it at market value, it's almost never a dependable guide to what buyers will pay.

·  Your needs. You may require $50,000 clear to use for the down payment on your next home, but that's not the buyer's concern.

·  Emotion. Watch out that you don't ask too much for the place because your daughter took her first steps on the porch and your beloved Tabby is buried under the oak tree. On the other hand, don't let the stress of divorce, or the need to settle an estate quickly, lead you to underprice the place.

So what does count?

Only one thing.

What matters is how your home stacks up against the others currently offered for sale and recently sold in your neighborhood. Buyers will be comparing.

Supply and demand in the open market determine your value. Your agent can tell you what buyers are paying for similar property -- and that's what counts.

Alicia Naiman is a CA Realtor® and Real Estate Appraiser specializing in Folsom CA Real Estate.  For complete information about the Folsom, CA real estate market including a free list of current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Folsom CA Real Estate at http://www.livinginfolsomtoday.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than happy to answer them!

Call me at 916-502-4420 or email me at anaiman@connectrealty.com.