Real Estate Agents know how to sell their own homes and get top dollar. Selling homes is what they do. They package, market and sell homes for a living and they know what home buyers want. Here is a list of exactly what real estate agents do when preparing their own home for sale.The Interior* Pet odors are eliminated!* Soft jazz or classical music is playing on the stereo whenbuyers come through.* Furniture is removed and either put in the basement or intostorage. This makes the home appear much larger. You neverwant to make it difficult to walk through all the rooms in the house, so clear the pathways! * Electrical and plumbing are in working order.* Broken appliances are fixed.* The garage door works perfectly. * A fresh scent is always used to appeal to buyer's senses. Vanilla is on... 08/16/2008

Jean Chatzky, the financial editor for the Today Show, was on TV recently to talk to consumers about their credit scores. She confirmed something I already knew, but backed it up with some eye-opening numbers. Specifically, Jean was explaining the credit score you need to qualify for the best mortgage rates when buying a home. Here is how she broke it down: * May 2006 - Borrowers needed a credit score of 620 to get the best rates. * May 2008 - Borrowers needed a 760 or above to get the best rates. That's an increase of 140 points, which is a significant difference when you consider that the overall credit range only goes from 300 - 850. Recent Economic Changes Credit has always been important when buying a house and applying for a mortgage loan, but today it's more important than ever. ... 08/08/2008