So, you've decided to take the big plunge and sell your own home without the services of a professional real estate agent. Its a big step. Here's one way you can avoid a potential mistake.

When your home is first put on the market it will attact the most attention it will ever get. The most common mistake is to overprice the house. This is a real bad idea because just when you're getting the most attention you're ever gonna get potential buyers will be turned off because they'll see that you've priced your house out of the market.

So how do you get the right price when you don't have the advice of a professional real estate agent? Well its not hard to do. Contact a licensed (if your state has licensing) home appraiser and hire them to prepare a written appraisal of the value of your house. They'll generally accepted standards and compare your house to three or more comparable properties that have recently sold. This will give you a real good idea where the market is.

Now that you have your realistic market price, price your home at the lower end of the price spread. Sure, you want to make the most you can on the sale but if you can sell the house 3 months faster the savings in interest payment will often offset the reduced price. And even better, you'll be done and on your way to your new house.