New signed purchase agreements are down 17.7 per cent from this time last year in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There is always an annual pause in realty at this time of the year, so it is not surprising that buyer activity is reported as slow at the moment. If you are living there, or in one of the many other places suffering a slow-down, you may like a few down-to-earth tips for beating the competition and selling your home.



However, there are several steps you can take to make sure that your home gets a fair chance. The very first chance you have at getting a buyer is to ensure that they SEE your home, the second chance is to ensure that they will be IN your home and the third chance is in offering an INCENTIVE to close the deal.

With regard to the first chance of 'seeing your house'; over 80% of all buyers browse the Internet first when choosing a home. Make sure your real estate agent has a great spread of your house on line on his web page.

The main picture is the one that will attract viewers into the virtual tour. If your home has beautiful trees in the garden, get him or her to step back and get some greenery in the photo. Wait for a sunny day; it makes a lot of difference.

If you have not chosen your real estate agent yet, go on line to the realty sites, and see which one is most user-friendly. Can you just click on the houses you want to look at? Do they access the virtual tour very easily? Or did you have to fill in lots of details about yourself first? If so, forget this site, people loose interest too easily!

There are still people who drive by, so display your agent's board, and make sure the clutter is kept in the back yard and not the front yard. Remember to put on your lights at night, so the house looks warm and welcoming. Park your own car in the garage so that the driveway is clear, to show the house at its best.

If the first step is completed, then the second chance of buyers 'being in your home' should automatically follow. Here you can use your discretion a little. If they casually ask if something is included in the house, think before you answer! Do you really need it? Might it clinch a deal?

If it is such a thing as the perfect drapes for the living room, or the kiddies swing set, you could just answer in a positive way, so that nothing is ruled out. For instance, "It could be included."

Remember to try and view your home the way a stranger would and remove all clutter to keep it looking spacious. Invest in a plug in air freshener right near the front door. Put on all your lamps and try a pink bulb in one of the living room lamps to give added ambiance.

If an offer comes in, cherish it and try and nurture it. Obviously it will be less than you want in these days of the buyer's market, but these buyers have chosen your house, so work with this. What incentives can you offer to them, while you push up the price? Perhaps the swing set or perhaps some other financial help. Money talks, as they say.

If their lender offered less financing on your home than the buyer expected, they may be short of cash; many sellers before you have clinched a firm deal by offering to pay the closing costs.

This saves their actual personal cash, as the mortgage will cover most of the house purchase, so it is good incentive. Do not offer this without your real estate agent's agreement as it must be part of a firm and legally binding deal for you.

Why would you help someone to buy your house? Only you can decide if it is worth 'giving away' maybe three or four thousand of your own cash to actually sell your home.

Lowering the price will just delay the paperwork, allowing for changes of minds and also it will not solve the problem of the buyer's immediate cash flow. Life needs strange solutions for strange times - but it will be your final decision to make.