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Last month, I wrote about what you should do if you're not seeing eye to eye with your Realtor. The truth is that the easiest way to avoid this scenario is to find the right Realtor in the first place. But with so many agents out there, how in the world do you choose one to sell your home?

My advice is to do your homework, and that involves interviewing the agent during the listing appointment. Some of the questions below have no right or wrong answer but will help direct the conversation and give you a better feel for interacting with the Realtor. Get the answers to these, and you'll be well on your way to a great experience selling your home.

1. Are you a full-time Realtor and h...

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Selling your house, even in a busy market like the one Roanoke has now, can be a trying experience. You've got a lot wrapped up in your house -- money, of course, but also emotion and memories. Add to that the stress of having strangers in and out, navigating negotiations with buyers and preparing yourself for a move.

A good Realtor should make selling your home easier. He or she will get to know the particulars of your situation -- how much you need to get out of your house, how fast you need to sell it and where you can and can't compromise. Your Realtor will act as your negotiator, advise you as problems arise and help you see the facts if emotions start getting in the way. With the right...

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You've decided to buy a house and are working with a Realtor to find your next dream home. You're in the zone: You've separated your must-haves from your nice-to-haves, you've been prequalified, you've found lots of homes within your budget.

Now, put all that on pause for just a second.

In all the excitement and activity around buying a new home, let's stop for just a minute and think like a seller. When it's time to put this home on the market, what sort of return will you see on your investment? Will you get your money back? Better yet, will you be able to realize enough profit to make your next housing decision?

The potential resale value of your home won't be THE deciding factor...

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Living in your house while it's on the market can be stressful. Your home has to be presented in its best possible condition at all times, but you still have to live there.

Potential buyers understand that you still have to "do" life while you're showing your home, but a mess will turn them off immediately. And you never want to discourage a buyer from coming to visit your home with their agent because the house is a wreck.

Plan ahead with some of these suggestions to keep your home ready for every showing:

Pack, pitch, donate, sell and store.

Start packing immediately and don't let up. You might not know yet where you're moving, but get your belongings in order now, even if clearing out means sending some things to storage for a while. All those articles you've read about decluttering? Well, this is where it counts. Less...

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You hear Realtors around the Roanoke region talk so much about the busy spring and summer selling seasons, you might think listing your home during the holidays is a bad idea. But if your house is ready to go on the market now, there are several reasons to go ahead and list.

1. Buyers are serious about finding a home.

Typically you'll have fewer buyers in the market, but the ones who are out there are planning to buy now. Often, they have tax- or job-related reasons for wanting to complete the transaction before the end of the year or just after Jan. 1.

Also, it doesn't take much motivation to go out on a gorgeous spring day and look at homes. But this time of year, when it starts getting dark early and the weather gets cold and sometimes messy, buyers who are out there looking are seriously motivated.

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