Every spring, as tulips struggle to poke through melting snow in the North and rosebuds cautiously open in Southern climes, sure as tootin’ real estate signs begin multiplying like bunnies across the country. Soon as the For Sale signs are mounted on the posts, swarms of activity buzz in the streets as sellers, buyers and real estate agents crawl out from wherever they hibernated for the winter to welcome the spring sales season.

There is nothing like a spring real estate market. Offers fly over FAX machines and cell phones ring constantly. Everybody wants a deal, and everybody wants to sell. Typically the marketplace is flooded with inventory. There is more on the market in the spring than any other time of the year.

It’s also the worst time to buy a home. Except for one day. There is one day in the spring that a buyer will have the edge against all the other buyers.

The second best day of the year to buy a home is Easter Sunday.

A buyer looking for a fixer on the outskirts of downtown Sacramento lucked out last Easter. A home came on the market at an attractive price. The buyer immediately inspected the home and wrote an offer. Fortunately, the listing agent was also the seller, so it was very easy to present an offer. The offer was signed and accepted on Easter Sunday because there was no competition. Come Monday, offers started rolling in, but it was too late.

* Easter falls sometime between March 22 and April 25.

* It is the first Sunday after the ecclesiastical moon after the vernal equinox.

* The vernal equinox falls on March 20th or 21st, depending on the year.

The first best day of the year to buy a home is Christmas Day.

Almost nobody looks at homes on Christmas Day. But buying on Christmas Day is a smart move. If you scout out the homes on which you’d like to make offers a few days before Christmas, you’ll be better positioned. Why is Christmas Day so attractive?

* People are in good moods, celebrating, opening presents, enjoying family.

* People are more inclined to be generous, even if it means coming down on the price. “Hey, it’s Christmas, hon; just sign it.”

* Few buyers are out looking at homes during Christmas week, so the chance of multiple offers or any competition whatsoever is very low.

* Home prices are at a 12-month low in December.

* If a person has their home on the market over Christmas, that person is definitely serious about negotiating and selling that home. You can bet on it. Better yet, why not write an offer?

Of course, the key is to find a real estate agent who will a) work on Christmas and b) be aggressive enough to worm her way into the seller’s home without batting an eyelash. Those agents are out there.

There is some truth to those excuses, I mean reasons, but open houses also sell houses. About one in five of my listings sell at open houses. Consider also that many listing agents don’t want to give up their Sunday afternoons to sit an open house and talk to strangers.

Although not all homes are candidates for an open house due to location, condition or competition in the marketplace, you won’t know how much buyer traffic you will draw until you try. Exposure to potential buyers and to individuals who will talk about your home to others is almost always worthwhile.

Best Time for an Open House

* In many communities, Sunday afternoon is best.

* Two hours is typically the minimum, but some are held open four hours, for example, from 1 to 5 PM.

* Some agents do “blitzes,” and trade off shifts, holding homes open from early morning until late evening.

* Schedule your open house to avoid conflicts with holidays, community celebrations or special events such as the Super Bowl.

* Check the weather forecast, too, because cold or rainy days tend to make people stay home.

At Least 7 Days Before Your First Open House

Before my sellers finish signing the listing agreement, invariably they will ask if I’m going to hold their home open that weekend. Because after the decision to sell is made, most sellers are eager to get started. However, the home needs to be in prime condition first. Here are few things I suggest doing before holding your first open house:

* Host a broker preview. Even if your home is not listed with a brokerage, if you are willing to pay a selling agent a commission, you can invite agents and brokers to preview your home. Agents can give you valuable feedback about how your home shows and whether your home pricing will meet buyer expectations.

* Move some furniture into storage. Sometimes sellers don’t want to cooperate with home staging. Excuses I have heard are “my furniture is too valuable to move twice,” or “I think the rooms look lovely arranged this way.” But smart sellers prepare a home for sale and move at least one piece of furniture out of every room. It makes the space look larger and more inviting to buyers — to the people whose opinion matters.

* Remove items not included in the sale. Telling a buyer she cannot have your dishwasher because it’s too expensive to leave behind or that the ceiling fan does not stay with the house because your father gave it to you serves only to make the buyer demand it. If buyers don’t see it, they won’t want it.

* Make arrangements for your pets to leave the house. Selling a home where pets live is difficult enough without advertising the fact that pets live there. Call a family member or friend and ask if they could take care of your pets for a few hours. Pets are also a distraction during an open house, and you want buyers to admire your home, not your cockatoo.

* Part of your home marketing should include printing four-color flyers or brochures promoting your home. I use card stock coated in gloss. It makes them hard to fold, and they stand out among the other flyers buyers pick up. But make sure you include photographs, specs and pertinent information such as the price on your flyer, because it’s easy for buyers to forget particulars.

48 to 72 Hours Before Your First Open House

Clean and scour the house top to bottom. Vacuum cobwebs from corners, wipe windowsills and wash the windows, inside and out. Forget preconceived notions about cleanliness — pay attention to small details and concentrate on making the home appear sterile.

* Buff surfaces, appliances and floors to a gleaming shine.

* Launder and fluff bedding, towels and rugs.

* Touch up spots on the walls.

* Sweep out the garage.

* Prune bushes, deadhead flowers, clean the sidewalks and mow the lawn.

24 Hours Before Your First Open House

Most of your work should be completed by now, and any anxiety that is sometimes caused by last-minute chores should dissipate. At this point, your home sparkles and glitters. In fact, you may be thinking to yourself that the house looks too nice to sell! Consider if you are truly committed to selling, because if you’re going to experience seller’s remorse, you may as well work through that process before your first open.

* Open all the windows to air out the house.

* Bake or pick-up treats for your open house guests.

* Give every room the “once over,” by standing in the doorways and scrutinizing the view.

* Set out cards that house hunters can fill out to give you buyer feedback.

* Arrange flowers in attractive vases and place in appropriate places throughout your home to add color and floral fragrance.

When you’re finished, go out to dinner and reward yourself. Dining out has an added benefit too; at least you won’t be temped to mess up the house.

So, you might think, “Hey, who cares?” but an agent’s reputation is important, especially in tight-knit communities. When buyers and sellers sign a purchase contract, their respective agents enter into a 30- to 45-day relationship; respect for each other and cooperation is crucial. So why do agents sabotage themselves? Or do they?

To Secure the Listing and Blow Away the Competition

* Sometimes It’s a Deliberate Lie.

As a seller interviews each agent, often the estimate of value creeps upward. Maybe the first agent knows there will be two other agents competing for the listing, so the first agent names an astronomical figure. The second agent, upon hearing the first agent’s price, beats it. The third agent comes in higher yet.

A seller who choose an agent based on which estimate is highest is the ultimate loser.

Yet almost every seller operates in this manner. It’s a shame because so few agents take the time to educate sellers that other factors such as marketing plans and the agent’s negotiation abilities are far more important than estimate of value. The comps speak loudly if anybody looks at them. Ultimately, the market place establishes value.

* Sometimes the Seller has Unreasonable Expectations.

This still doesn’t excuse the agent from explaining how appraisers determine value. A home came on the market on a storybook street in a desirable area of Sacramento, but it was priced $100,000 too high. When asked why, the agent replied, “I know it’s overpriced, but I would have lost the listing to somebody else if I didn’t agree to that price.” Turns out a home two doors down sold for a high figure, but that home had been meticulously maintained, and it boasted a newly remodeled kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances. By comparison, this home was a fixer, but the seller insisted he could get the same price as his neighbor.

BE AWARE THAT OFTEN IT DOESN’T MATTER TO THE REAL ESTATE AGENT IF YOUR OVERPRICED LISTING EVER SELLS

Free Advertising for the Agent

Every “For Sale” sign advertises the agent’s company and the agent. Many signs contain the agent’s Web site and cell phone number. Some even sport a large color photograph of the real estate agent.

Think of it like a giant billboard for the agent.

If the home is located on a major thoroughfare, all the better. Probably thousands of drivers pass the sign each day and will see that agent’s name. And after the sign post is in the ground, it’s not costing that agent one thin dime to leave it there.

Agents Find Buyers Through Listings

* Sign Calls.

If a buyer wants to find out the price of a home, typically they will call the agent’s cell phone number and ask. Agents who are on the ball will try to recruit that buyer to work with them, providing the buyer is not already working with another agent.

* Open Houses

Moreover, agents can hold an open house and find buyers that way as well. If the buyer is not interested in the home — and once they find out the price they won’t be — the agent is then free to show the buyer other homes.

* Newspaper Ads

An agent with an overpriced listing often won’t put the address in the paper but will list the details along with the price. That way, buyers who can afford to pay that amount will call to inquire. Now, all an agent has to do is suggest other homes in that particular price range that are worth what the seller is asking and she’s off and running into escrow on another transaction. Not yours.

Real Estate Agents Hope for a Price Reduction

Even if an agent knows she is taking an overpriced listing, she might be telling herself that when the home doesn’t sell within a few weeks, she can persuade the seller to lower the price and then earn a commission when it sells. So she justifies her actions and accepts the listing. Except that studies show that interest in a home typically wanes after a few weeks, so there are fewer buyers for that home when the price falls. Buyers also think there is something wrong with a home that doesn’t sell right away or they worry the seller dropped the price because a major defect was discovered. Price reductions hurt. They hurt the seller, and they often make a buyer wonder how much lower the price could drop. So, a buyer will often offer even less after a price reduction.

Conclusion: Choose your agent based on honesty, ethics, experience, competence and marketing, and don’t chase after those tossing around pie-in-the-sky numbers.

Besides, there will be plenty of time after the deal is signed to talk about the drawbacks.

1) The Gracious Welcome

Although the buyer is a guest in your home, you want the buyer to imagine owning the home. You don’t want to make the buyer feel like an intruder.

* Don’t expect the buyer to remove her shoes, unless you are selling to a buyer for whom religious or cultural reasons mandate it. Otherwise, the presumption is insulting.

* Leave the house. The buyer won’t talk about the house in front of you or open doors with you standing there.

* Don’t pressure or hurry the buyer. Tell the buyer to take all the time that is needed.

* Leave a bowl of wrapped candy or other treats near the front door with a small note thanking the buyer for coming to see your home.

2) Check the Temperature

* Now is not the time to worry about your utility bill. If it’s cold enough to wear a sweater to stay warm, turn on the heat.

* If it’s warm outside, turn on the air conditioning. It’s better to heat or cool the house a degree or two warmer / colder than usual and then set the temperature at normal. This prevents the heat or A/C from kicking on when the buyer is present, because some HVAC systems are loud.

* You want the temperature inside to be comfortable and to give the buyer more of a reason to linger, especially on hot or cold days!

3) Create a Mood

* Light a fire in the fireplace.

* Make it romantic by placing two champagne glasses on a nearby table.

* Turn on soft music. I used to play Enya until one day I heard it piped in at a mortuary.

* If you have water fountains, turn them on. They are especially useful for drowning out traffic noise.

4) Play Down the Scent

* Many people are allergic to certain scents and deodorizers, so don’t spray the air or plug-in air fresheners.

* Don’t burn candles or spray perfume in the bedroom for the same reason.

* If weather permits, open the windows — if there is too much noise outside, close them.

* If you’re going to bake cookies or simmer spices such as cinnamon in water on the stove, put out munchies so buyers aren’t disappointed. More than one buyer has said, “Oh, darn, I thought there were cookies in here!”

5) Play Up the Visual

* If you have seasonal photographs showcasing flower gardens, leaves bursting in color or a snow-covered lawn twinkling from street lights, then display them in a prominent position.

* Open all the window coverings to let in light.

* Keep blinds partially closed that otherwise show undesirable outdoor scenery such as a dilapidated fence or a nearby structure that obstructs views.

6) Light up the House

* Turn on every light in the house, including appliance lights and closet lights.

* Brighten dark rooms with few windows by placing spot lights on the floor behind furniture.

* Turn off TV.

7) Encourage Touching

* Drape sensuous fabrics such as velvet or silk throws over chair arms.

* Leave doors slightly ajar.

* If you have carpeting, vacuum in one direction.

Provide Thoughtful Cards

Attach printed cards to items and in rooms that provide further information the buyer might miss or might not know. You have so little time to make an impression.

* If you have an antique chandelier in your dining room, put a card on it that discloses its age and other important details.

* If you have removed the washer and dryer from the laundry room, attach a card to the wall describing the room.

* If your basement stairs are steep, attach a card to the railing that cautions buyers to watch their step.

* Take care when placing a card that says: “Not included in the sale.” That will make a buyer want it, but you can play that later to your advantage.

9) Top It Off With Food

The best way to entice buyers to linger and notice even more details about your home is to offer them food. You don’t need to cater a lunch, but finger sandwiches, cookies, soft drinks, water, desserts, all are welcome.

* Set out serving utensils, if needed.

* Provide plates, cups and napkins. They can be paper products.

* In plain sight, provide a waste receptacle.

10) Encourage Buyer Feedback

* Near the snacks, leave pens and a stack of preprinted questionnaire cards or a guest book to sign.

* Buyers will feel obligated to respond to your request after being fed.

* The showing feedback you receive will be invaluable.

* Allow buyer anonymity.

In buyer’s markets, it is especially important to pull out all the stops and make your home stand out among the sea of inventory on the market. Ask yourself why a buyer would choose your home over all the other homes for sale.

Poor Condition of Your Home

Check out your competition. If 90% of the homes in your market are not selling, then your home needs to outshine the top 10%. Look at the homes that are pending sales because that’s your current indicator. Sold comps could be two to three months in arrears of market movement. You want to know what is happening right now, and pending sale data will tell you which homes are selling.

Apart from preparing your home for sale, consider its condition. Perhaps you should consider adding updates or doing repairs before selling. If the top 10% on the market have new carpeting and your carpeting is worn and dated, your home is not going to sell. Replace the carpet. Paint the walls neutral — not white. Check its curb appeal.

Not Enough Photographs or Badly Shot Photographs

Homes in MLS that have one photo are passed by. Homes with dozens of photographs get noticed. Take quality photos or hire a professional photographer. Shoot wide angles with plenty of light showcasing your home’s best features. For goodness sake, keep the toilet lid closed.

* Unless your bedrooms differ from one another significantly, just shoot the master bedroom or largest bedroom.

* Don’t get yourself or the camera in the photo of the bathroom by shooting the mirror’s reflection.

* If your hallway is narrow, don’t take a picture of it. Get a close up of your fireplace or other interesting feature instead.

* Take several photos of the kitchen. The kitchen is generally the most important photo.

* Before photographing the dining room, set the table.

* Living room photos should show space, so move out some of that furniture.

* Remember to include the back yard and gardens.

* Add descriptive text to each photo; make your poetry sing.

You Haven’t Paid For Extensive Marketing and Advertising

No single aspect of marketing sells a home. It’s a combination of marketing efforts. If your newspaper makes a mistake and lists your home under the wrong section, don’t panic — homes have sold to buyers who found them in the wrong place. For that reason, consider placing an ad under several classifications.

* Print four-color postcards and mail them to surrounding homes in the neighborhood and to out-of-area buyers.

* Create four-color flyers containing several photos to distribute to prospects and those who tour your home.

* Hire a virtual tour company to shoot and upload videos.

* Massively advertise every weekend.

* Hold Open Houses on Sundays that coincide with other neighborhood open houses. Sometimes Thursday evenings attract buyers.

* Get feedback from buyers about what they liked and disliked about your home, and make adjustments to overcome objections.

* Consider shooting a video yourself and uploading it to YouTube.com, even if it’s just you talking about what you like about living there.

You Hired the Wrong Listing Agent

You want to work with an agent who is competent, experienced and honest. There are a variety of ways to find an agent but the easiest way is through referrals from friends and family.

If you desire full-service and want an agent to spend tons of money on the listing, hire a full service brokerage and interview several agents. To find the best listing agent, don’t base your decision solely on the suggested sales price or how much the agent charges you because there are other considerations. Discuss home pricing and commission negotiations last. First, find out the agent’s strategic marketing plan.

You Haven’t Priced Your Home to Sell

Sellers say, “But I don’t want to give away my house.” Of course, not. You want to sell it. To sell your home, the price must be right. Don’t “test” the market or ask an inflated figure because if you do, your home will probably sit on the market and the DOM will continue to tick. Dated listings don’t generally sell for list price.

To avoid overpricing your home, examine the sold comparable sales. Adjust for square footage, if necessary. If your home has a bad layout or is located in bad location such as next to a school, on or near a busy street or bordering a liquor store, you’re not going to get the same price as homes with a good layout and in a good location.

For example, if the last three homes sold at $400,000 but you feel they are not comparable to yours because they don’t contain updates — but they were located on a quiet street and your street is noisy — your home is probably worth about the same. A plus-$50,000 adjustment for the updates could wash out the minus-$50,000 for the busy street.

In a buyer’s market, price your home a minimum of 2% less than the last comparable sale. If you can’t live with that price, then don’t put your home on the market and set yourself up for disappointment. Overpricing is the worst mistake a home seller can make.

Number One Blunder: Refusing to Confide in a Trusted Advisor

This advisor could be your real estate lawyer or real estate agent. Buyers withhold information for a variety of reasons such as:

* Fear of how they will be perceived

* Irrational belief they have all the answers

* Don’t feel it is important enough

* Lack confidence in their advisor

Experienced real estate professionals handle such a multitude of transactions and personality mixes, there’s little they haven’t heard before. Your advisors are representing your best interests and have a fiduciary responsibility to do so. They can’t help you if they don’t know what you are doing behind their backs. Plus, they will likely have a better idea for you than you can dredge up.

If you have cold feet and have thoughts about backing out of the transaction, talk to your agent about those feelings. She can help walk you through the anxieties. Pros will help you to determine if you really need to cancel and, if so, manage the transaction so you can get your earnest money deposit back.

Number Two Blunder: Altering Financial Pictures Prior to Closing

When I bought my first home, I easily qualified because I had no car payment nor revolving debt. A week before closing, I bought a new car and financed the purchase. New ratios meant I no longer qualified. A frantic phone call to my mother, begging her to lend me the money to pay off my car loan (and threatening to show up on her doorstep with luggage in tow and a cat under each arm), was the only tactic that saved me from losing the house.

Today’s home buyers make the same mistake. Do not buy anything on credit and / or with a credit card once you have completed a loan application. Do NOT buy:

* Automobiles

* Washers, dryers, refrigerators

* Lawnmowers or garden equipment

* Expensive electronics or computers

* Furniture for your new home

Slight alterations in your credit ratios could cause an underwriter to throw out your loan and deny it. If your loan contingency has expired or been removed, you could forfeit your earnest money deposit in addition to losing the home.

Number Three Blunder: Buying the Wrong House

The very first thing home buyers should do is make a list of priorities and define home purchase objectives. Figure out what features and benefits are most important and which you can live without. Before you close escrow, review this list. It’s easy to overlook a major factor that could come back to haunt you later.

A buyer looking for a home in the midtown neighborhood of Sacramento, California, found herself swept up in the excitement of buying a home that was a bit less than she actually needed. She convinced herself that having one bathroom was suitable, but discovered shortly after closing that sharing a bath with two grown sons was impossible. It caused her so much tension and strain that she sold less than a year later. It cost her money to sell and more money to buy a two-bathroom home in another neighborhood. If the market had been depressed or a buyer’s market, she could have lost everything, like this next guy, instead of simply spending a lot more money than was necessary.

Another buyer purchased a home that cost him about $100,000 more than he was comfortable spending. But he fell in love with the Victorian character: the high ceilings, sparkling chandeliers and wide-planked floors. A year later, he could no longer afford to make his mortgage payment. The house was too expensive for him to maintain. He would have been better off buying a smaller home in a more modest neighborhood. But he let his soaring emotions cloud his good judgment. Since his purchase, the market softened and he could not sell. He lost his home to a short sale.