Selling Your Home and Simplifying Your Life – One Agent's View

My life changed for the better the day I decided to sell my house.

Nothing is simpler than appreciating the beauty of the Kohala Coast

We’ve been in an iffy housing market the past few years, and I decided to figure out how to simplify my life during chaotic times. One option was to sell my house in Waikoloa Village. A lot of angst goes into selling a home, whether you’ve lived there a few years or a lifetime.

How do you know when it’s time to move on? There are usually plenty of reasons to stay with the status quo. So, you assess the pros and cons for how they fit into your vision of where you want to go next in your life. I started by asking myself what was, for me, the perfect place to live?

My advice to anyone selling their home is to take inventory of your feelings about selling and decide if it is really what you want to do. When you understand your intention for your life, the next step is easier. When you really want to move ahead, avoiding a possibly drawn-out ‘wrassle’ with the supply and demand of your local market, your best bet is to set a reasonable price.

A reasonable price is one that is set according to today’s market for your particular corner of the world. Your home may be priceless to you for all the good times and all the effort you put into making it wonderful, but its value on the market is exactly what a buyer will pay.

I contracted with Julie Keller, who also happens to be the Networking Wahine’s Listing Specialist, to sell my house. Julie and I went over the comparable sales in my area. We set a price the same way I do for my clients, careful to make it competitive, and it paid off; my house sold in 32 days!

And I learned something important. In deciding on an offer, I could be my own worst enemy, or I could be my best adviser. Real estate agents know that your first offer is often your best offer. Responding with a counteroffer is an option, but carries a risk. Julie and my advice was, to myself, to take the deal and run to the bank.

Now that the house closed, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Leaving the house behind has opened me up to a broader range of choices as I move ahead. My life is simpler. I am free!