On this day of red hearts, flowers and candy, Valentines Day, Love may seem to spring eternal….but eternal is shorter from some people. In years past, when values weren’t crushed by the economy, the house was something often fought over. Now it might be the hot potatoe no one wants to be left with.

Stuck In The Middle With You

This is where the Realtor stands. Smack in the middle, where the goal is often to meet her financial requirements with the sale of the house and his new-found freedom by simply getting rid of the house. So if you are going through a divorce, or are planning to go there (you know who you are), then here are 5 things to consider when selling your home (outside of legal advice which I am not providing):

1. Get an appraisal. A Realtor will put together a Competitive Market Analysis or CMA, which will tell you what your home will likely sell for. However, in most divorce decrees one party will often have the right to select the agent that will list and sell the property. If you feel there isn’t impartiality, then pay for an appraisal before you put the home on the market.

2. Don’t determin market value by “what you need” out of the house. This is true whether there is a divorce involved or not, however it is very common in divorces for one party to focus on need rather than reality.

3. Allow the Realtor to communicate freely with both parties, regardless of which person selects the Realtor. The Realtor will identify items of maintenance or repair that may be necessary in order to garner the best price. They will provide feedback on showings and bring up the topic of price adjustments if warranted. This information should come from the one person who’s only agenda is to sell the home.

4. Don’t tell your agent who is responsible for various costs, payments or reimbursements associated with the sale. Your divorce attorney is representing you regarding those items and your agent can’t do anything about them.

5. Finally, consider your ultimate goal. Is it to get rid of this asset so you can move on with your life? Squeeze every penny out of the sale, regardless of how long it will take? Is there a timeline that must be met? It may be some or none of these, but what ever your goal – consider it carefully and ask your Realtor how to achieve it in the most painless way.

Hopefully you found this information useful. For those that don’t need it, here is some fun insight into those that do: Real Estate and Divorce