Couple Share Proven Tips for Home Sellers: How They Sold Their House in Four Days for More than the Asking Price

Lancaster, Calif. (PRWEB) April 30, 2008 -- Kevin Von Tungeln (http://www.tvttrustlaw.com/) and Cheryl Von Tungeln know how to sell a house. They just sold their house in only four short days for more than their asking price. This despite the fact that the Lancaster, California area has been hit hard by the housing crisis; the market is crowded with bargain priced foreclosures and short sales. They credit following three basic steps to sell their house.

First, they set their asking price in consultation with their Realtor, Greg Eliopulos (http://www.tvttrustlaw.com/), of Troth/GMAC Real Estate in Lancaster, Calif. Kevin is an attorney who specializes in estates, trusts, and probate and has assisted hundreds of clients in selling homes after a parent or a loved one has died. Often, he sees sellers set their prices based on what their home was worth at the peak of the real estate and lending boom. They refuse to acknowledge that the market has dramatically changed.

"I see far too many sellers set their prices too high and chase the market, meaning they either don't sell their house or they sell it for far less than what they might have sold it for if they had been reasonable at the beginning," said Kevin L. Von Tungeln. "My clients have used Greg Eliopulos on dozens of probate and estate sales, and I have learned to trust his judgment of the fair market value of a house in any given market. We set our sales price in the range given to us by Greg Eliopulos and we sold the house in days at a fair price."

Second, Kevin and Cheryl spent the time and money needed to put the house into exquisite, move in condition. That gave them a huge advantage in the current market. Banks do not pay to fix up foreclosures, they don't even keep the lawns maintained. After buyers saw a steady diet of trashed foreclosure houses on the market, the Von Tungeln residence was like a breath of fresh air, especially since buyers are generally more interested in a move-in condition house than a fixer. The Von Tungelns did not drop a fortune to spruce up their house either; they spent a total of $4,000 on painting, replacing flooring, new blinds, and the like.

Third, they staged the house. Kevin and Cheryl did not furnish the house, but they did spend about $400 on highlight staging. They added appealing accents throughout the house to make the house more bright and colorful throughout. They even placed potted plants on the back patio. Using a decorator to implement visually appealing finishing touches was key to the house looking its best.

It is easy to lose hope while planning to sell a home. Seller are sure to be intimidated when a recent headline on CNN Money (money.cnn.com) screamed "Vacant homes for sale hit a record high" at the same time as there is a shortage of qualified buyers. However, following these three simple steps will maximize any sellers bargaining power without causing them to break the bank.

For more information, please visit http://www.TVTtrustlaw.com or contact Kevin L. Von Tungeln directly (661) 945-5868. You may also visit Greg Eliopulos at http://www.gmacrealestate.com/gregoryeliopulos, or contact him at (661) 948-4646.

###