Anyone who has attempted to sell their home in the past two years has learned a lot about the "dos and dont's" of selling your home.
In a very short time period, it seems, homes in neighborhoods across the country went from being slightly overvalued to grossly undervalued - a fact that can be attributed to a sharp rise in foreclosures and short sales.
Despite some very popular stimulus packages, including the Federal Home Buyers Tax Credit, even the best real estate has been known to sit on the market for several months.
So what is a homeowner to do when the market is crowded and the buyers are few? After interviewing experts from real estate research firms RealtyTrac and Zillow, Yahoo! Finance offers some excellent tips for selling your home.
Here are some highlights of the article.

1. Work with a broker who has a sterling reputation in your region.
   Remember, the best brokers are not necessarily the ones with the greatest number of listings.
   When you call one of these overloaded Realtors, you usually end up working with a less experienced broker, or whoever in the office is available.
   
2. If you want to sell you home quickly, pricing it correctly is extremely important.
   When an appraisal shows that the home is worth less than the agreed-upon price, it is easy for a deal to fall apart.
   Stay one step ahead of potential buyers by knowing what your home is really worth.
   This includes getting market comps from comparable properties in the market, including foreclosures.
   Pricing your home too high in a neighborhood plagued by foreclosures may result in it sitting on the market for months.
   
3. Don't be afraid to request a new tax assessment from local authorities, based on the current value of your home.
   This is one of the most important tips for selling your home, but many people neglect to do so.
   As prices have dropped, many homeowners are requesting lower tax assessments to make their property more attractive to potential buyers.
   
4. Turn off the lights! When you sell your home, potential buyers will want to know how much to expect in utility bills.
   One way to keep them from getting "sticker shock" is by cutting back on electric and gas usage for a few months.
   

Summary In short, the following are tips for selling your home: work with a broker with a sterling reputation in your region; determine the correct price of your home (this is extremely important; request a new tax assessment from local authorities; and turn off your home's lights and cut back on electric and gas consumption.
You will learn some other ways to make your home more attractive to buyers in Part 2 of this article.