Seller's Remorse
At some point during or shortly after the sale of your home you may
become paralyzed by a gripping fear that you’ve sold or are about
to sell your house for less than it’s worth. This is a case of
seller’s remorse and it can come in a variety of shades. Perhaps
you’re upset about leaving the neighborhood or selling the home
in which you raised your family.
Experiencing seller’s remorse is not uncommon, after all, the
home sale transaction is one of the largest financial transactions you’ll
ever make and it’s one that’s wrought with emotion. Your
best defense against a paralyzing case of seller’s remorse is to
have a thorough understanding of why you decided to sell in the first
place and to know that you initially arrived at an equitable and profitable
sale price. Here are some additional tips that can help you battle seller’s
remorse:
An established set of motives listing why you decided to sell can
come in handy should you find yourself in a panic over a fast or imminent
sale. The list can be a simple garden-variety list of selling pros
and cons. If your decision to sell was initially well thought out and
well planned, your list of pros will outweigh the cons. Review the
list (often if need be) and you’ll likely lose the feeling of
doom.
Diligently select your Realtor and be sure to fully participate in
negotiations. Trusting your representative and knowing that you negotiated
to the best of your ability may help stave off a bad case of seller’s
remorse, particularly if you’re prone to obsessing on the final
sale price. Just because your home sold within a few days of listing
doesn’t mean the home was under priced—it may simply mean
that the home was properly priced and your Realtor did an excellent
job marketing the home to prospective homebuyers.
Reviewing for-sale home ads and visiting open houses may also help
you come to terms with your final sale price. You’ll likely learn
that there really aren’t home sellers out there who are getting
more money for a lesser house. If you go down this road, keep in mind
that asking prices are just that and it’s the final sale price
that matters.
Talk to friends and neighbors who’ve sold homes and learn about
how they dealt with seller’s remorse. It may help just knowing
that the remorse is a common byproduct of this emotional transaction
and that your feelings of dread or regret will fade with time
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