A: This is a concern that often leads sellers to sit on the sidelines rather than call their Realtor and put that “For Sale” sign in front of their house.

There is a logjam of sorts in our market right now. The number of homes for sale remains far less than needed to adequately meet current buyer demand. Until sellers gather the courage they need to move forward this is likely to be the case for the foreseeable future.

NOW is a great time to sell, because:

1. It has become evident in the past 10 years or so that the real estate market is as volatile as the stock market. Its temperature is related to a number of factors (health of the stock market, employment figures, etc.). As it becomes more challenging to predict future market strength, making decisions about when to sell (or to buy) becomes more about what the real estate market is doing now.

4. If by chance you do not find your new home before you must move, there are good interim housing options, including short-term rentals, available. It is certainly true in my experience, that when a seller takes a leap of faith, with focus and intention, putting their homes on the market, even though they are uncertain about where they will land, the next “right” home for them appears just at the right time.

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Sound-Off-What-to-consider-in-a-seller-s-market-4321772.php

There’s no question that consumer confidence, or lack thereof, is the greatest barrier in the way of a full-blown housing recovery.

Credit, while tough to get, is historically cheap, home prices have fallen so far as to open the market to many more buyers, and there is ample inventory from which to choose.

The trouble is, no one wants to catch a falling sword, and home prices are still falling.

So what if you had a guarantee that even if your home lost value, you wouldn’t lose your initial investment? That’s the idea behind EquityLock Financial’s new “Home Price Protection.” It’s not insurance, but a warranty that you buy based on an index of home prices in your local area.

Here’s how the company describes it:

You purchase an EquityLock Home Price ProtectionTM contract that refers to a local index of housing values. If the index has dropped by the time you sell the house, we pay you the percentage of the index drop multiplied by the value of your home at the time you bought the Home Price ProtectionTM contract.

The transaction is structured as a contract, and not as an insurance policy; therefore the payment is made if the market index falls, regardless of whether you sell the home for more or less than you paid for it.

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Article source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/42419431?__source=RSS*blog*&par=RSS