Selling a house is a complicated process, no matter how good the real estate market is. Whether you’re a first-time home seller or not, you’ll probably have a many questions. Although the Internet has made it easier to sell your home without an agent, about 93 percent of home sales are still done with some type of real estate agent.  There are many reasons why hiring an agent can be helpful.  By using Sam Hawkins and his team, you gain his years of industry experience and education, knowledge of the market, and negotiating skills, which in the end will save you time and energy.

What are the major concerns, common questions and what to expect during the process of selling your home?  We have created a quick overview that will walk sellers through the home selling process and offers answers to these frequently asked questions.

Here a few general tips that sellers should also keep in mind:

1) Home Appraisal.  Knowing the value of your house and exercising patience and restraint are key, so be sure to get your home appraised. In a good market, the sale price can be 10 percent to 15 percent above the appraisal. In a weaker market, the sale price may be around the appraisal figure.

2) Home Inspection.  A home inspection is important in avoiding complications during your sale. The seller will get an inspection, but discovering problems during a pre-sale home inspection allows you to have more control over how to handle them.

3) Market as long as possible.  If you are able, try to put your home on the market as long as possible before buying a new one. Otherwise you may end up paying two mortgages, which can be difficult to afford. If you do end up finding a house that you can’t wait to buy before selling your own, you can ask your lender for a bridge loan or you may also be able to get a home equity loan in order to help with the dual mortgage payments.