IF YOU TRY TO "TEST" THE MARKET YOU WILL FAIL

If you are serious about selling your home it is imperative that you price it correctly right from the beginning, the first 30 days are make or break for the seller, the reason is that buyers and agents are watching the new listings like a hawk, in fact the Internet has made the data so easy to get that buyers are educated like never before.
In the "old days" sellers could go in a little high on their asking price and negotiate their way to a deal that is equitable for everyone, this is what "testing" the market means, today in a market that is so top heavy in favor of the buyers that luxury is no longer affordable. The smart seller will actually price the property a little in front of the curve, this gives them an advantage over other sellers in being that they will get more showings and the listing will have a longer shelf life because it will actually remain relevant long after comparables are overpriced by thousands.
When you are in the process of interviewing listing agents and its time to identify the listing price, in reality all agents get their data and comps from the same source, so the listing price among multiple agents should be very similar, you must know that there are lots of agents that will tell you anything they think you want to hear and inflate the listing price in order to get you to sign, if a particular agent comes in with a listing price thats way higher than the others, you need to quiz them on how they arrived at that price, if they do not have the figures on paper to show you how they came up with that price....well you know the rest of the story.

HURRY UP AND WAIT FOR A FORECLOSURE SALE

There are lots of great deals on the foreclosure and short sale market, but be prepared to wait it out while the clueless banks take their time fumbling around with the particulars, some banks are better than others, but most of them are always waiting for an appraisal or to find out if there are any clouds on the title.
If you are renting or in a similar situation where you don't have anything to sell and there is no chain reaction that needs to take place, you are in the drivers seat. Typically it takes about 3 months from start to finish, less if you can pay cash, but be sure that you get a title insurance policy to protect you against any unforeseen liens or encumbrances that may have been overlooked, alot of times in a foreclosure situation the former owner "forgets" to pay taxes and other things like mechanics liens or permanent improvements, the title policy will insulate you against costly litigation and other headaches.
Please contact me if you have an interest in a foreclosure or short sale property, I will help you find the best deals available.

POST ELECTION SELECTION

Lets get it over with already, the presidential election used to be kinda fun, the country came together to try to figure out who will do the best job in keeping America strong and steer her on the right path to prosperity. Now we just hold our breath and try to figure out which candidate has the least checkered past, the least amount of scandals and most importantly, who will do the least amount of damage.
The real estate market always gets sluggish right before the presidential election, granted, it has been sluggish for about a year now but we need leadership and direction to get us back on track, the congress is so awash in partisan politicking that they will not be effective stewards for significant change. The real estate market fueled the longest sustained economic growth that the country has ever experienced, mismanagement, malfeasance and sloppy banking practices caused the derailment.
The true American does not depend on the government to dictate their financial decision making ability, what we should be doing is trying to make November 4th just another day.

FEAR FACTOR : OVER ZEALOUS INSPECTORS

Home inspectors do the home buying public a great service, they are kind of like referees in a football game or umpires at a baseball game, however at times they can be a little too nit-picky. It's true that they are usually working for the buyer in a real estate transaction and their fiduciary duty is too alert the buyer of serious problems with a property, it's also important to point out some not so serious problems as well, it is never their duty to recommend whether the buyer go through with a purchase, they should just present the facts and offer solutions on how to address these problems.
Like sporting officials, they do their best work when they are "invisible" to the principles involved, a good home inspector will point out problems without alarming the interested parties, I have witnessed good home inspectors scare their clients unnecessarily over problems that were very easily fixed or negotiated, the great home inspectors are the ones that can prioritize the problems and help walk their clients through the reality of their findings.
As a Realtor I admire what I consider a "great" home inspectors services, this usually comes along with lots of experience and a true knowledge of their craft.