2. Study the local market. The most successful home sales are the listings that are priced right from day one. Ask any agent: even in the toughest markets, there are listing that sell quickly, mostly because the one-two punch of the property and its price look to buyers like a very strong value.

                 Visit a handful of open houses in your neighborhood. This will help you get a sense of the types of homes that are on the market, what condition they’re in, and how they are priced.  

                  Study similar homes for sale on Trulia! Pay particular attention to what features they have, how they are described and priced.  

                   Begin speaking with agents who sell homes in your area. Get a few referrals, call them up and tour them through your home. Then, ask these pros for their opinion on what you should list your home for, what recent sales they think are the most comparable.

3. Gather your paperwork. In planning for your sale next year, you can get a great head start by pulling together the necessary paperwork now. Keep in mind that the specific requirements vary by state, so this is not an exhaustive list. In general, you’ll need to have these ready:  Disclosure documents, compliance certificates, mortgage statements, and financials.

4. Prep your listing plan and timeline. After you’ve done all your pricing homework and have chosen a listing agent, you can create a plan and timeline for how all the moving pieces will come together - including who is responsible for getting which tasks done.

Kudos, in advance, for taking the time now to prepare for your home sale in 2012!  Selling in today’s market is no easy task, and doing the heavy lifting now - before your home goes on the market and, hopefully, while you're on vacation! - will help tremendously in making things go as smoothly, and profitably, as possible."

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