Sometimes life throws us a curve and you have to sell your home quickly due to  job or life altering circumstances.   In this situation you can't wait for the market to turn around and the only option(s) left are to sell, rent or lose your home to foreclosure. If this is the case you need to be pro-active and think like a sales person in order to get potential buyers in the front door and ultimately to the closing table. You must separate your emotional attachment to the family home and concentrate on the financial interest in your biggest asset. In short you must approach the sale as a strictly business matter.

In order to do this you must keep the following points in mind:

1. DON'T WAIT AROUND:  In todays market it takes a long tome to sell a home. Don't try to time or wait out the market as hundreds of thousands of other homeowners are doing.  You need to put the home on the market as soon as possible. Take a hard look at your local market cycle(s).  Spring and early summer are normally the best time to sell but if this is not the case put it on the market anyway.

2. FIX IT UP AND CLEAN IT UP: Look at your home as if it was going out on a date. It has to make a good first impression. Don't spend a lot of money on expensive renovations. Do make sure that everything is in good repair and working. Give the home a make over with a fresh coat of paint and sprucing up.  While it may not give you an edge in pricing over less attractive palces, it will attract more buyers an hold their interest.

3. DECLUTTER THE HOME: Buyers do not want to see a home that is filled with your stuff. They want to be able to visualize what the home will look like with their belongings in place. Yo should lend serious consideration to satging the home with just enough tomake it look livable. The rest of your belongings should be placed in storage.

4. SET A REALISTIC PRICE ON DAY ONE: In other words price the home significantly cheaper than the competition. Don't let the home hang around on the market as you gradually lower the price. Smart buyers are looking for bargains so set your price accordingly.  Look at the prices of the other homes like yours in the area and set your price from 5-10% lower. While this may be painful, this is what it may take to sell your home quickly. Also check out the rents in the area and compare them to the costs of home ownership. The closer your home is to the rents the more interest it will generate among buyers.

5. HIRE A REAL ESTATE AGENT: Be picky and hire the best. A real estate agent will give your home way more exposure than you can by yourself or with a limited service. When the sellers market was hot you could hire the cheapest, but not theses days.  In todays market real estate agents are hungry and will do whatever it takes to sell your home. Interview various agents and have them explain how the would market your home. 

6. DON'T QUIBBLE OVER THE COMMISSION: Offer to let the listing agent list your home for an 8% commission but make sure the buyers agent gets 5% of that. The higher the commission the more activity your home will generate and the greater the edge you will have over the competition.  The goal is to sell your home by showings and not by price.

7. PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE:  Your agent should market your home aggressively. Ask your agent for a marketing plan on how your home will be promoted. However, you should also promote your home. Let friends, family  and c0-workers know your home is on the market.  One of my favorite forms is advertising to apartment complexes. You never know when some's lease is expiring and they are ready to buy a home.

8. PLAY THE BANKER:  In today's tight credit market this might work in your favor. If your home is paid off one of your strongest selling points might be your ability to finance all or a substantial portion of the buyers purchase. You have a lot more flexability to do this. However, be sure to engage the services of a real estate attorney to make sure there are no glitches and to set up a mortgage payment sys

9. TAKE THE OFFER: If any reasonable offer comes in be prepared to give it serious consideration. You don't want lose the deal over a few hundred dollars. Your agent has information at their fingertips showing what asking prices are and what the homes actually sold for in your neighborhood. It will very easy to tell if the offer is appropriate or not.

10. NEGOTIATION(S): On any offer you can decide to negotiate or not. But just remember the buyer has a ot more clout in todays market.  Your home will sell only for what a buyer is willing to pay for it.