Continuing on from last week, here's more interesting tips to keep in mind when selling your home:

Field a great team. Selling your house usually requires that you hire and work with various real estate professionals (such as real estate agents, property inspectors, escrow officers, and, possibly, tax, legal, or financial advisors). If you put the right players on our team, you maximize your chances of a successful sale.

If you're going to have a real estate agent list your house for sale, invest the time to find the best possible real estate agent. An agent who doesn't know property values in your area or doesn't understand the best way to market your house can be a liability. A knowledgeable, market-savvy agent can help you obtain a higher sale price.

Be sure to thoroughly review and negotiate the real estate broker's listing contract, which is a personal services contract between you and a real estate firm. For most sellers, a 90-day listing that puts your house in the local multiple listing service is best. Remember that commissions and other terms of the listing agreement are negotiable.

"What's it worth?" is the most critical question you'll ask when selling your house. To get the answer, examine sales of houses comparable to yours in size, age, condition, and location (a good agent can assist you). Price your house right, and it will sell, because informed buyers recognize the value after seeing other houses with unrealistically high asking prices.

This week's tip is an excerpt from "House Selling For Dummies" by Eric Tyson & Ray Brown. This week's Weekly Tip is part two of a two part series. Be sure to read my previous tip from last week for additional house selling tips.

If you buy a home, the odds are high that, someday, you will sell it - people who live their entire lives in their first home are rare. Selling a home generally can be less complicated than buying one; but that doesn't mean that people sell their homes properly. Here are a few interesting tips to keep in mind.

Your most important house-selling decision is whether or not to sell. Take the time to research your options and the personal financial ramifications of each option before you sell.

The expenses of selling your current house and buying another will gobble a large chunk of your house's equity (that is, the market value of your property less the outstanding mortgage balance). Before you sell your house, weigh the expected benefits of buying a new home against these transactions costs. Be sure to estimate your proceeds of sale and relocation costs before selling.

Before you commit to selling your house, review the mortgage options for your next purchase, especially if you're trading up to a more costly property. Remember, mortgage lenders and real estate agents can't tell you how much you can afford to borrow; they can only tell you the maximum amount that you're eligible to borrow. To determine the price you can afford to pay for your next home, you must also consider your financial goals and objectives.

This week's tip is an excerpt from "House Selling For Dummies" by Eric Tyson & Ray Brown. This week's Weekly Tip is part one of a two part series. Be sure to read next week for additional house selling tips.

Tax season is around the corner. It's important to get yourself as organized and prepared as calmly and early as possible. By doing so, you may not only save yourself money but should be able to significantly decrease your stress levels.

Here are a few tips to help get you organized and on the right track:

• Purchase a notebook, folder or large envelope to keep tax-related materials organized.
  
  
• Locate any receipts or other documents that provide proof of money going in and out of your credit and bank accounts.
  
  
• Organize your documents that provide proof of all forms of income (i.e. wages, government checks, interest from bank accounts, earnings on stocks, dividends, rental properties, etc.)
  
  
• Hold on to receipts that show legitimate expenses you could use as deductions. Acceptable documentation can include; credit card statements, bank statements, receipts, donations, and paid interest (such as mortgages and student loans).

Tax returns can include many differing types of documents and data. The earlier you have your information together and prepared, the easier it is to file your return.

Like many financial and accounting offices, we can become very busy this time of year. If you need any documentation from us, the earlier you get your requests to us, the easier it will be to handle your request.

Additional Tip: Remember, the IRS website lets you download forms and publications for free. The site also has a search engine that lets you look up a form, by number, and learn more about that particular form. It's your responsibility to know which forms you need to file and what type of proof is necessary to back up any claims you make. Whenever you are in doubt, consult with David Cryden, your tax preparer, or attorney.

Today's Weekly Tip is written by Kymm Jones, Cryden Team Member