Yes, you can sell your house even if you have a mortgage on it. Over half of all homes in the United States are mortgaged, so selling a home with a mortgage is a very common practice. The outstanding mortgage balance on your home will be paid with the proceeds from the sale of your home.

Naturally, if you’re selling your home, you’ll need a new place to live once your home is sold. You can absolutely work on buying a home and selling your existing home at the same time. Eaton Realty’s agents work with both buyers and sellers, so our team can assist you with both transactions. 

If you’re relying on proceeds from the sale to afford a new home, you do have options if you want to close on a home before your current house sells. You could finance a down payment by using a home equity line of credit (HELOC),  performing a cash-out refinance, or taking out a loan from your 401(k). You could also pay less than 20% down with the cash you currently have and then make additional payments once your house sells. Your realtor can help you assess your situation to determine the best route to take.

The length of time it takes to sell a home can vary widely depending on the location, market conditions, and the condition of the home. In general, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to find a buyer and close the sale. Homes in Tampa Bay typically remain on the market for 30 to 80 days.

Homes can be sold at any time of the year, but there are certain times of the year when selling a home is easier and more profitable. The best time to sell a house can vary depending on market conditions. In general, spring and early summer tend to be the most active and competitive seasons for home sales. You’ll typically make more selling your home in the spring or summer when demand is high.

The best way to figure out what your home is worth is to consult with a realtor. Real estate agents work in the housing market day in and day out. They’re well-attuned to local market conditions, demand, and features that will raise or lower property values. The real estate agents at Eaton Realty can perform a free comparable market analysis for you to help you determine what your home is worth. 

A comparable market analysis performed by an experienced real estate agent is going to be far more accurate than estimates you’ll find from home directories like Zillow. Studies have found that Zillow’s Zestimate can be thousands of dollars off in some cases.

Yes, you can sell a home that needs repairs, but the condition of the home is going to impact its value and appeal to potential buyers. It’s important to be realistic with your expectations when selling a home that needs repairs. Your real estate agent can help you determine an accurate value for your home in its current state and work with you to market the property effectively.

Selling your home isn’t your only option if you need to move. You could keep your home and rent it out to tenants. Whether you sell your home or rent it out is a personal decision. You’ll want to weigh a variety of factors when deciding the best course of action, including your financial goals and the local rental market. 

Eaton Realty can help you regardless of whether you decide to sell or rent out your home. We have a full-service property management division that can handle finding tenants and managing the property for you. Our team can help you evaluate your options so that you can make an informed decision on what to do with your existing home.

You can sell your house on your own, but this is never advised. Working with a real estate agent can provide numerous benefits when selling a home, including access to a wide network of potential buyers, expertise in local market conditions and pricing, and professional marketing and negotiating skills. You’ll make considerably more selling your house with a realtor and the process is going to be significantly easier with the realtor doing most of the heavy lifting throughout the process. 

On average, homes sold with the help of a realtor sell for 46% more. Your realtor will help coordinate with local professionals such as photographers, home stagers, and contractors (to make any necessary repairs). Your realtor will also help you price the home competitively, list the home, find potential buyers, negotiate a sale agreement, and handle the necessary paperwork required to complete the sale.

Generally, fixtures that are attached to the home (such as built-in appliances, light fixtures, and ceiling fans) are considered part of the property and must stay with the home. If there’s a fixture you really want to take with you, you may be able to negotiate possession of that fixture in the sales contract.

To prepare for listing photos, it's important to clean and declutter the home, stage each room of the house to highlight its best features, and make any necessary repairs or improvements. Your realtor will help you determine what preparations to prioritize to make your listing photos as appealing as possible.

It’s important to keep your house clean and tidy for showings to impress potential buyers. Ideally, your house should be in the same condition (or better) as it was for your listing photos. With photos, you only had to consider the appearance, but you’ll also need to consider smell with showings. Spray rugs, fabrics, and upholsteries with an enzyme cleaner to remove odors.   Pets should be securely locked away, or out of the house for showings. The best option would be to board your pets while you show the home. 

Your realtor will give you tips and tricks to help you prepare for showings and can also provide feedback after showings to improve the house for future showings.