Chapter 17

Ten Things to Consider When Selling Your House

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Deciding whether to sell

Bullet Pricing your house right

Bullet Choosing an agent

Bullet Planning for after the sale

When you own a home, the odds are extraordinarily high that someday you’ll sell it. People who live their entire lives in their first home are rare. (Coauthor Eric’s maternal grandparents accomplished this extraordinary feat — living more than six decades in the same home!)

Selling a house is generally somewhat less complicated than buying one. But just because selling a house may be easier than buying one doesn’t mean that most people sell their houses properly.

If word gets out that you’re considering selling your house, real estate agents will be attracted to you like hungry mosquitoes are to the only person on a desert island. And when you sell a house, the IRS and state tax authorities may be waiting to attempt to take a chunk of your profits, especially if you don’t take the time to understand tax laws and how to make them work for you before you sell.

So in this chapter, we advise you about some important ...

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