For professional track sprinters, getting out of the starting blocks quickly, fast, and first is often the difference in a race. There is plenty of preparation and training to be that runner that is the fastest off the blocks. The initial lunge is crucial and is an advantage that often propels the athlete with the best start across the finish line with arms raised high in the air.

Similarly, when a home initially comes on the market, pricing a home accurately is the difference between a seller raising their arms in celebration within the first few weeks versus taking months to sell and likely for much less. In today’s market, values are slowly declining. The longer a seller takes to properly price their home and secure a successful outcome, the more money they will ultimately lose.

One of the most crucial steps in being able to sell quickly, open escrow, and obtain the highest possible net proceeds from the sale of a home is to carefully arrive at its Fair Market Value. In every price range, homes sit without success, leaving these sellers wondering what in the world they are doing wrong. 37% of all homes in Orange County have been on the market for over two months, and 44% have reduced their asking price at least once. Throwing a price out there just to test the market is not a wise strategy. Instead, carefully, and methodically pricing a home is vital to cashing in on the Golden Opportunity, the first few weeks after coming on the market. It would be better to spend several hours coming up with an extremely accurate price than to waste weeks, or even months of precious market time.