1.  Not getting pre-approved in writing for your financing before you start to shop. Without a written commitment, you may lose your dream home to another approved buyer. Most agents will not show you a home until you have been pre-approved.

2. Not working with a Realtor who represents you. Most buyers don’t understand that the agent who lists the home they are seeing is working for the seller only.

3. Waiting too long to make an offer on a home you love. In a hot market, they sometimes don’t last one hour.

4. Making low-ball offers. Some sellers get so offended that they will refuse to talk to you again. If your Realtor has  conducted a market analysis and confirmed that the asking price is right, offer them a fair price.

5. Writing too many contingencies into an offer. Contracts should be written to protect the sale, not to give the buyer a dozen ways out of it. If you’re afraid of everything and anything that may go wrong with a home, ask your Realtor about a home warranty.

6.  Listening to too many friends and relatives. Listen to the professionals (your Realtor, loan officer, etc.), and only be swayed by the facts.

7. Not reading the contract. Read it, then when you’re thoroughly confused, ask your agent to explain items you don’t understand.

8.  Not getting a home inspection. A few hundred dollars up front could save you thousands down the road.

9. Buying a big-ticket item before closing. Don’t change your debt situation by buying anything more expensive than a toothbrush before you close. Afterward, live it up!

10.  Calling all the listing agents of all the homes you want to see. That’s a big time-waster and, even worse, you will be working with the sellers’ agents. Find an agent, and let her do the looking and scheduling for you. Be sure to sign a buyer/broker agreement so you know your agent is representing you.

Selling your home is a complicated process under the best of circumstances. In today’s market, you must be sure to avoid these common seller mistakes:

1.  Overpricing. If you’re not sure what your home is worth, call a Realtor® to get a free analysis.

2.  Refusing to make profitable repairs. Updating the kitchen and the bath bring the most value, followed by flooring, interior features and landscaping.

3.  Rushing your home to market before it’s in show condition. In the long run, it pays to take your time and do the repairs and cleaning before you list your home.

4.  Refusing to “stage” your home. HGTV has numbered this as the top mistake sellers make. Staging is eliminating personal items, decluttering, and accenting your home’s best features.

5.  Failing to disclose known defects. If you’re not going to repair a significant defect in your home, you must disclose it to your agent. Even if you manage to sneak it past the buyer, it could come up after closing and wind up in court.

6.  Not understanding your rights and obligations. Make sure your agent explains all your obligations and your rights prior to entering into a contract.

7.  Failing to properly expose your home in the marketplace. It may take a lot of print and Internet advertising, along with open houses, to get your home sold. Make sure your agent not only has a personal web site for your listing, but is advertising your property on all of the major Internet sites.

8.  Not negotiating low-ball offers. These offers can be insulting, but they are rarely the bottom line. Keep talking!

9.  Limiting access to your home. People need to see your home when they want  to or they may buy elsewhere. Be flexible.

10. Choosing the wrong Realtor®, or not using a Realtor® at all in order to avoid paying the commission. Accept that there is no way to avoid the commission, because there is ALWAYS a commission paid to either a Realtor®, the seller (as more profit), or the buyer (through a discounted price, which is usually what occurs when you avoid using a Realtor®).