Mortgage defaults in the Des Moines real estate market are all over the news, and home sellers are left wondering what will happen to their homes. Without the much needed level of subprime mortgages to balance out the market, how will home purchases rebound, or better yet, remain consistent? Home sellers will need to step up the game in order to entice new buyers to purchase their homes. It is no longer the simple task of finding a mortgage and buying, now, with mortgages being more tight reigned than ever before, it is about showing why your property is THE one to buy.

Home sellers can list their home below market value, offer open houses and even advertise their property only to find that their home remains on the market month after month. Mortgage approvals are following stricter guidelines thanks to a wealth of subprime foreclosures and buyers are feeling the weight of this crunch. If a seller wants to sell their home, they will need to show why the home is a great deal.

Sellers can start with researching the home values in the Des Moines real estate market. If homes have steadily increased in value, home buyers will see the home as more of an investment with guaranteed returns. Map out the home values in the area and offer this information during open houses. Do not try to wine and dine your guests, give them the facts they really want. The same facts they think you are withholding.

Sellers can also have the home inspected before the home goes up for sale. These reports with all of the problems and verifications that these problems have been taken care of, is proof to the home buyer that the property is ready for sale. This step may cost the home seller in the beginning, but a quicker sale will help in the longer run.

Des Moines Homebuyers also want to know about the area the homes are located in. Do not make them take their time to research crimes and school. Do the research for them, and offer handouts to the guests at your open house. If a home buyer can walk in to an open house and have more questions answered than they entered with, they will know you, the seller, have nothing to hide.

Selling a home in Des Moines Iowa amidst a tough mortgage market is going to take more than juice and cheese. Even great home staging will not tell a buyer what they really want to know. They want to know how well the value of the home will stand over the test of time. They want to know about the schools and the crime in the area. And, they want to know whether the home is really as good as it seems from the foundation to the roof. Give the buyer all of these answers up front and you will sell that home.

About the Author

Robb Spearman, CRS, ABR is founder and owner of RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts which he started in October 2000 from his home as an independent brokerage. Spearman, the 2005 RE/MAX Broker-Owner of the year for Iowa and Nebraska, and more recently.