While it is true that Huntsville has seen a decline in home sales and pricing, there’s no reason to hit the panic button. As history shows, our real estate market is cyclical, based largely on the state of our economy, which will, overtime, improve. But what do you do if you’re a seller, and need to sell your home in the upcoming months? First, you must be realistic about “value”. Your house is worth exactly what a buyer is willing to pay. Buyers determine “value” based on other home sales in your neighborhood. And in this market, buyers are largely concerned about overpaying, particularly if they believe values will be coming down. Right now “pricing” and “presentation” are the keys toward a successful home sale. Pricing your home at fair market value, and “staging” your home will bring you the needed traffic to generate an offer. But here’s another thought. In a down market, though you may lose money on your existing home, you will gain more on your purchase. For example, if the market is down 3%, your $200,000 house would be worth $194,000. However, that $400,000 house you’ve been eyeing would now be worth $388,000, making your net gain $6,000! A down market is a good time to trade up!