Important questions about buying and selling

The question is a valuable tool for a consumer. And that’s true when you are getting ready to buy or sell a home.

There is no reason for the average person to be an expert on home buying and selling. That’s why REALTORS® have jobs, right?

Honestly, I get a lot of the same questions from consumers. So do my colleagues. It just made sense to try and answer a few all in one place.

Understand, this is not a complete list. But maybe there will be something helpful here.

So, without further delay, here are some of the questions I hear most often.

Is fall/winter a bad time to put your home on the market?

Timely, huh? And the short answer is no. While there are more sales in spring and summer, that doesn’t mean it’s always best to wait. Inventory remains low in the Memphis area. That means less competition if you put your movein ready home on the market now.

Would you recommend one part of town over another?

It always gets back to what you want. Do you want a big lot or a small lot? Pool or no pool? Where do you work and is the length of your commute a major consideration or a minor one?

And over time, those answers might change. What I would be looking for now would be different than what I might have wanted 20 years ago or, for that matter, 20 years in the future.

In other words, it really depends on everything going on in your life and what you are looking for today. Your REALTOR® can help you work through a list of priorities as you narrow down the locations where you might live.

And making a list of what matters most is a good way to start the process.

Do I need to have my home professionally staged?

Not necessarily, but let me add this: Most people are not as good at creating an inviting atmosphere for wouldbe buyers as they think they are. This is because you’ve been looking at your surroundings every day. Over time, that tends to produce blind spots as far as what does and doesn’t work.

So, staging can help. And many REALTORS® have staging skills or work with a stager regularly.

Should I keep renting or buy for the first time? Why not just keep renting?

If you expect a job change in the next year or two that would require you to relocate to another city, you probably should keep renting. But otherwise, you’re missing an opportunity to invest in your home, this community, and a neighborhood.

Decades of research has shown that homeowners get more from their purchase than a tax break. They also get stronger feelings of security, stability, and the pride of owning a piece of the American dream that goes all the way back to our country’s founding.

Homeownership is a quality-of-life game-changer.