Admin

Home Selling

It's been said that the only thing in real estate that is more confusing than purchasing a home is selling one – especially if you've never done it before. Where to start? Who to turn to?


These are good questions and – lucky you – the answers are right here within the pages of ActiveRain, the top real estate social network on the planet.


Within our content library you'll find more millions of articles, written by the pros, on home selling topics like how to choose a listing agent, the questions to ask before hiring one, how to stage the home and create curb appeal. What happens if the appraisal comes in lower than the amount the buyer has offered? Is an offer from a buyer with a conventional loan approval better than one from an FHA buyer?


We have the answers here at ActiveRain and chances are great that if you can't find them now (which is hard to imagine!) you will find them tomorrow or the next day because our experts add hundreds of new posts every day.


Only ActiveRain gives you the chance to read news and advice from professionals who not only talk the talk, but walk the walk – the boots on the ground every day in the real estate industry.


Expert real estate advice, free for the reading – you gotta love that!

Recent blogs on Home Selling
By Christopher Webster, Columbia South Carolina Real Estate For Sale
(Epique Realty)
Columbia Home Sellers List With Confidence — Christopher Webster, REALTOR®, Broker, Epique Realty — 104 Fallen Oak Drive SOLD in 28 Days — Woodlake NE ColumbiaThinking of selling in Woodlake or NE Columbia? Get your FREE home valuation here: What's My Home Worth — See what your home could sell for in 28 days.Columbia Home Sellers List With Confidence — Woodlake NE Columbia SOLD in 28 DaysI'm Christopher Webster, REALTOR®, Licensed Real Estate Broker with Epique Realty, based right here in Pontiac / NE Columbia, SC — serving Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Fairfield, Sumter & Calhoun Counties for 23 years.After almost 23 years as a licensed South Carolina Broker — License #47107 — I don't make moves lightly. And I don't list homes lightly either.JUST SOLD — 104 Fallen Oak Drive, Columbia, ...
Comments 0
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
Most people who own a house in Fort Worth have never looked at who owns the ground underneath it. There is no reason they would. You bought the house, you got a deed, the deed had your name on it, and that felt like the end of the question.Then a buyer's title company runs the search, or a landman knocks, or a permit notice turns up in the mail, and it turns out the answer was more complicated the whole time.In Texas, the ground under your house can have a different ownerTexas treats the surface of a property and the minerals beneath it as two separate estates that can be owned by two different people. Once they have been split, which lawyers call severance, they stay split. A severance that happened in 1948 is still in force today, and it travels with the land through every sale after ...
Comments 0
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
Almost every seller who asks this question has already tried the normal route. The house went on the market, showings happened, an offer came in, and then something in the financing or the inspection stopped it cold. Now the question is not really about speed. It is about what is actually blocking the sale, because until you know that, every "fast" option you look at is a guess.In North Texas, one blocker shows up far more than the rest, and it starts underground.Fast is usually a financing question, not a pricing questionSellers tend to assume a slow sale means the price is wrong. Sometimes it is. But a price problem looks like silence: no showings, no offers, no second visits. That is a different failure than what most people describe when they say they need to move quickly.The patter...
Comments 1
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
The usual advice for a tired house is to fix the obvious things and then list it. Replace the windows, put on new siding, deal with the porch. In parts of San Antonio you are not allowed to do any of that until a commission says yes, and doing it anyway costs you a stop work order.This catches people who inherit a house more than anyone else, because they are often the ones deciding what to repair before a sale and the least likely to know the house is inside a designated district.First, find out whether the rules apply to your addressThe City of San Antonio draws the line by zoning, not by how old the house looks. Its Historic Design Guidelines apply to "all exterior modifications to buildings and sites that are: Individually designated landmarks (zoned with an HE, HS, or HL); and/or W...
Comments 0
By Tom Gilliam | RE/MAX Classic, Your Trusted Oakland County REALTOR — 24 Years — 7
(RE/MAX Classic)
  Packing Timelines Aren't Just a Mover's Problem: What Agents and Sellers Should Both Know Tom Gilliam, RE/MAX Classic — Farmington Hills, Michigan TL;DR: A seller's packing timeline and their listing timeline are the same conversation, not two separate ones. If you're an agent, raising packing logistics at the listing appointment rather than after signing leads to better showings and fewer closing-day surprises. If you're a seller reading this, the same logic applies directly to you: start packing storage areas before your home hits the market, not after. This one's written for two audiences at once. If you're an agent, this is a practice worth adding to your listing appointments. If you're a seller planning a move, this is the reasoning behind why your agent might be asking about yo...
Comments 1
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
A deed is a piece of paper. Recording one does not require the owner's permission, or the owner's knowledge, or anyone at the county checking whether the signature is real. The clerk's job is to record what is presented, not to decide whether it is true.Which means somebody can file a document against your Dallas house and the first you hear about it may be when you try to sell.Dallas County will tell you for free, and most owners have never signed upThe Dallas County Clerk runs a property fraud alert service, and the county says plainly on its own page: "This service is free to the public." It runs through a partnership with Neumo Property Alerts, and owners sign up at dallas.tx.publicsearch.us/property-alert. The Clerk's recording division answers at 214-653-7099, weekdays 8:00 a.m. t...
Comments 2
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
Grand Prairie is one city with one mayor, one police department and one set of trash days. It is not one county. It sits in three, and which one your street falls in decides who appraises your house, which courthouse a foreclosure sale is held at, and where the paperwork on your sale gets filed.Most owners never need to know. The ones who need to know are the ones on a deadline, and they usually find out late.Three counties, one cityThe Texas Almanac lists Grand Prairie in Dallas County, Tarrant County and Ellis County. The city limits cross those lines. Two houses on the same side of town can sit in different counties, and nothing about the address tells you which.That matters because almost everything that happens to a house when things go wrong is organized by county, not by city.The...
Comments 1
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
If you are behind on a house in Waco, there are two completely different sales that can take it, and almost nobody realizes they now happen in two different places. One moved onto the internet. The other still happens on the courthouse steps on Washington Avenue, the way it has for a century.Knowing which one you are facing changes what your deadline is, where the notice will appear, and whether you can get the house back afterward.Two sales, two places, two clocksA tax sale happens when the taxing units foreclose over delinquent property taxes. A substitute trustee's sale happens when the lender forecloses under the deed of trust you signed at closing. They are separate processes with separate law behind them, and a house in trouble can be headed for both at once.In McLennan County the...
Comments 1
By Matthew Klinowski, PA, Naples Golf Guy | Find Your Dream Lifestyle
(Downing Frye Realty)
Just Listed: Rare Cedar Hammock Golf Home with Immediate Golf Privileges in Naples Finding a single-family home for sale in Cedar Hammock Golf & Country Club is not easy. In fact, only two single-family homes have been available for sale in Cedar Hammock during the past two years, making this new listing an especially rare opportunity for buyers searching for a Naples bundled golf community. We are excited to introduce 3602 Cedar Hammock Court, Naples, Florida, a spacious 4-bedroom, 3-bath Rutenberg pool home offering immediate golf privileges, an oversized .25-acre lot, a 3-car garage, and beautiful lake and golf course views overlooking the 10th hole at Cedar Hammock Golf & Country Club. Offered at $1,050,000, this home combines something increasingly difficult to find in Naples: a s...
Comments 5
By Manfred Lewis Leslie Horne & Associates, Realtor Spartanburg and Greenville SC
(Leslie Horne &Associates )
Selling your home with an agent helps you price it correctly, market it effectively, and avoid costly mistakes. And because an agent understands local market trends, they can position your home competitively to attract serious buyers while maximizing your return. If you're considering selling, send me a message to chat through your options. #realestate #realestateagent #financehub #buying #selling
Comments 1
By Christopher Webster, Columbia South Carolina Real Estate For Sale
(Epique Realty)
I'm going to be straight with you, because it's my job as a broker to protect your equity. I was a former smoker. I smoked in my own house for years. When I decided to sell a house I owned and went to remodel it to get it market-ready, I got sticker shock. What I thought was going to be paint and carpet turned into thousands of dollars of work for damage I couldn't even see. I'm not writing this to criticize anyone who smokes. I get it. I'm writing it because if you are looking to sell your home in the next year, you should not be smoking in it. It will cost you. It's Not Just Smoke. It's What's Left Behind. We call it thirdhand smoke — the chemical residue left behind when tobacco is smoked. It's toxic, it sticks to everything, and it can linger for years in dust and on surfaces. This...
Comments 1
By Manfred Lewis Leslie Horne & Associates, Realtor Spartanburg and Greenville SC
(Leslie Horne &Associates )
POV: you understood the assignment. ⭐🏡 Being prepared, knowing your priorities, and actually telling your agent what you think after a showing? Elite homebuyer behavior. No notes, gold star secured. 🤌 #thehelpfulagent #houseexpert #a091126 #realestate #goldstarbehavior
Comments 0
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
Most people on the coast assume a sale falls apart at the inspection. On a Corpus Christi house it more often falls apart later, at the insurance step, over a piece of paper nobody thought about until the buyer's lender asked for it.The paper is a windstorm certificate of compliance. If the house does not have one covering the work that has been done to it, the buyer may not be able to buy windstorm coverage, and if they cannot buy coverage, the lender is not going to fund. The house is fine. The contract is not.The step that kills coastal contracts is not the inspectionNueces County sits inside the area served by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, which describes itself as "a residual insurer of last resort" created to "provide an adequate market for windstorm and hail insuranc...
Comments 1
By Steven Hoeke, Breaking Down Fast-Sale Options for Texas Sellers
(House Buyers Texas)
If you own a house in one of Frisco's public improvement districts and you are getting ready to sell, there is a notice Texas requires you to hand the buyer before the contract is binding. Skip it and the buyer can come after you for damages up to four years later.Most sellers in this position do not know the notice exists. A good number do not know what they still owe on the assessment either, and the City of Frisco has said as much in writing.Two different Frisco payments that both get called the PIDThe City of Frisco draws a distinction on its own public improvement district page that is worth getting straight before anything else. In the city's words: "The PID fee that you are paying the Home Owners Association is for the ongoing maintenance," while "The PID assessment is for the fi...
Comments 1
By Wendy Rawley, Straight Talk. Clear Guidance. Real Results.
(The Wendy Rawley Team)
Updated September 2026. Last reviewed September 11, 2026.Here's the point that trips up a lot of long-time Placentia owners: equity and taxable gain are two different numbers. You can own your home free and clear, sit on 100% equity, and still owe little or no tax once the federal exclusion is applied. The Placentia capital gains math starts with your gain, not your equity, and those are not the same figure.What does an owner-occupant actually get to exclude?Under IRC §121, a single filer may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, and a joint filer up to $500,000, when the home was owned and used as a principal residence for at least 2 of the 5 years ending on the sale date. Taxable gain is the sale price minus selling costs, minus adjusted basis (original price plus capital improvements), the...
Comments 1
By Ellie McIntire, Luxury service in Central Maryland
(Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate)
Some homes give you more square footage. 858 Margo Court gives you more ways to enjoy it.Tucked at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Eldersburg Estates, this beautiful 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath Colonial offers a combination of space, privacy, and everyday comfort that’s hard to beat.Inside, you’ll find beautiful inlaid hardwood floors, spacious living and dining areas, and a kitchen featuring granite countertops, wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a cozy breakfast area surrounded by a bay window.The family room is made for gathering, with a wood-burning fireplace and direct access to the expansive rear deck. Outside, mature trees and peaceful countryside views create a private setting with plenty of room for grilling, entertaining, relaxing, and enjoying the swimming pool.And ther...
Comments 4
By Walter DiLoreto, Real Estate Short Sale Specialist
(PHP Houses)
Homes priced at $1M+ saw sales jump 14.8% compared to last year, even as the overall housing market cooled off. That’s according to the latest data from NAR.If you’re sitting on a high-end property, this is a good time to be selling. Buyers with serious budgets are active right now, and well-priced luxury listings are moving fast.Not sure how this applies to your house or our market? Drop a comment or send me a DM, and let’s figure it out together and build a plan that gets you the speed and price you’re after. Contact us:PHP Houses142 W Lakeview AveUnit 1030Lake Mary, FL 32746Ph: (407) 641-1531email: info@phphouses.comLet’s Connect:FacebookLinkedinTwitterInstagramThe information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice...
Comments 3
Deciding to transition your aging parents into a care facility is rarely easy. You're balancing their health needs, your own responsibilities, and the emotional toll of watching them age. Once you've finally found the perfect senior living community for them to call home, another significant hurdle often appears on the horizon. You now have to figure out what to do with their house.For many adult children, selling the family property feels overwhelming. This building isn't just a piece of real estate; it's a place filled with decades of memories, holidays, and milestones. Managing the logistics of a real estate transaction while also managing your parents' emotions requires a delicate touch. If you're standing at the beginning of this journey and aren't sure where to begin, here's a pra...
Comments 0
By Vanessa Calhoun, Powered by Data. Led by Heart.
(HomeSmart)
Why isn't my Cobb County home selling? Nationally, homes are sitting on the market longer than they have in six years, and the South has some of the strongest buyer's markets in the country! If your home isn't moving, the problem usually isn't you. It's normally pricing, positioning, or timing against a market that's shifted.If you've had a sign in your yard for quite some time, and the calls have slowed, you're not imagining it. You're also not alone. Search interest for "I can't sell my home" have spiked tremendously, and it's not because homeowners are doing something wrong. It's because the ground shifted under a lot of sellers at once, and no one sent a memo.Here's what's actually going on, and what it means if you're trying to sell in Cobb County right now.WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENIN...
Comments 2
Back to Top