Mathieu Newton Sotheby’s International Realty

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How long you should live in your home before you sell?

Neil Bock
Photo/submitted

Are you considering upgrading, downsizing, relocating? Consider these factors when deciding if now is the time to sell.

Mortgage – If you want to make money when you sell your home, then your sale price must be greater than what’s left of your mortgage. When you first buy your home and pay your mortgage, the first few years go towards interest rather than the principal amount. This typically means that it’s more difficult to make money off your sale if you purchased under five years ago.

Equity – You’ll want to have a lot of equity built up when you decide to sell. The amount of home equity you’ve obtained depends on remodeling or renovations you’ve made as well as your mortgage. If the home you bought was in tip-top shape, then it may be difficult to build equity. If you’ve remodeled the kitchen, bathroom, redone the flooring, or made other renovations around the house, then you have likely gained home equity. You can also increase your home equity by paying off more of the principal on your mortgage.

Market conditions – One of the common reasons you’re eager to sell your home is to make money on your property. Have you taken note of homes near you that are selling? We always keep track of recent home sales in the area and can send you an up-to-date market report to review. With a good economy, low interest rates and high employment there are many buyers still looking for a home. This can always change so keep that in mind.

Capital gains tax – If you don’t qualify to avoid paying capital gains taxes on the sale of your home, you may not want to sell your home yet. Call me to discuss your situation.

If you’ve taken these factors into consideration and decided that it’s time to sell, take the first step and give me a call to discuss in more detail. The Mathieu Newton Sotheby’s International Realty® brand is synonymous with excellence, isn’t that what you want for your home sale? I can be reached at neil.bock@mnsir.com or 774-258-0064.