IN Peters Township April/May 2017 | Page 65

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : R E A L E S TAT E 9. SELLING: Don’t spend earnest money! Many sellers make the mistake of depositing and spending earnest money before closing day. If the transaction doesn’t go through or the buyer pulls out due to repair issues, it is up to the seller to return the cash. It is recommended to have a real estate agent or broker hold the deposit. Most buyers’ earnest money will be held in an escrow account until the closing day, allowing the money to remain untouched by either party. 10. SELLING: Consider Names & Numbers Just when you think you’ve checked all the boxes for an easy sell of your house, take a second look at your address. According to Zillow, street names and house numbers matter! If you happen to live at 666 Fanny Hands Lane, you may be out of luck (however that particular street is in the United Kingdom, so you should be safe). Innuendo-laden street names tend to not sell as quickly as something like Thunder Road, for example. American numerology says that 666 is bad luck and could decrease the value of your home by 2 to 3 percent. Also, steer clear of the number 4, considered unlucky in Chinese culture. Stick to the number 8, or include the lucky digits 316 in your asking price! n Peters Township | April/May 2017 | icmags.com 63