Some homeowners have been waiting for years for a better housing market and a good time to sell. Is it better to wait a few more years and see if you can realize a higher sale price, or sell now and move on with your life?

The motivation for selling is a key factor. Are you commuting to work several hours a day and the commute is killing you? Are your children grown and your home is now too big, in addition to being a burden to maintain? Is your home too small? Have you taken a job out of the area? Can you no longer afford to own your home? Or do you no longer want to pay the price it costs to own your home?

These are all good reasons for considering making a move. Not only do current market conditions enter into the equation, but making a move like this is usually more complicated than it was the first time you bought a home.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: First, you need to find out the probable sale price of your home and access the state of the current home-sale market in your area. You also need to know what you can do to maximize the salability of your home. Then you should consider where you’ll live next and how much that will cost.

If you don’t already have one, find an experienced real estate agent who specializes in your area. Friends whose opinion you trust are the best source of agent referrals. Meet with your agent at your home and ask for a comparative market analysis. This will give you information about what homes like yours have been selling for in the current market.

You’ll also want to know how long you can expect it to take to sell your home. How many homes like yours have sold recently? Are homes like yours in high demand? Or, is it located in a less desirable area that could mean a longer marketing time and, perhaps, a lower price than you were expecting?

Ask your agent to walk through your home with you and point out what should be done to make your home marketable. Homes that sell today are priced right for the market and are in move-in condition.

You want to make cost-effective improvements. If the kitchen and bathrooms are outdated, consider a cosmetic redo. Update paint, hardware, light fixtures and floor coverings, if necessary. Don’t do a complete remodel unless you plan to stay in your home for years; otherwise, you won’t recoup your investment.

Deciding where to move — and when — can be difficult. Some buyers can afford to buy a new home before selling, and prefer to make the move that way. Most repeat buyers can’t afford to buy first. Others who can won’t buy first due to market uncertainty and the stress of owning two homes at once.

The most prudent approach to making a move from one home to another is to sell first and rent if necessary until you find the right home to buy. By selling first, you will know exactly how much money you have to apply to a new home. Today’s housing market is volatile. A dip in the market could shave tens of thousands of dollars, or more, off your selling price.

The other benefit of renting before buying is that you’re under no pressure to buy the first listing you see. Interest rates are low and are expected to stay low through 2012. Prices are also low and aren’t expected to move up much for the next several years.

THE CLOSING: This gives you time to find the home that will suit you for the long term.

Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years’ experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of “House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers” and “Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer’s Guide.”

Next Tuesday, the December 10- and 20-City Composite Case Shiller Home Price Indices will be released. Zillow is predicting the non-seasonally adjusted 20-City Composite Home Price Index will decline by 4.0% on a year-over-year basis, while the 10-City Composite Home Price Index will show a year-over-year decline of 3.9%.

We’re anticipating the seasonally adjusted month-over-month change from November to December will be -0.6% and -0.5% for the 10- and 20-City Composite Home Price Indices, respectively.

“As we mentioned last time, the Case-Shiller indices are experiencing the bulk of 2011 home price depreciation in the last quarter of the year contrary to the trend displayed by the Zillow Home Value Index, where the pace of depreciation has slowed since the start of this year with only December showing a significant pick-up in the depreciation rate,” said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. “While home values are expected to fall further in 2012 with a definitive bottom probably a year away, home sales are expected to pick up pace in 2012 stabilizing home prices across the nation.”

The full forecast and further commentary can be found on the Zillow Real Estate Research page.

Homebuilder confidence in the single-family homes segment jumped for the fifth consecutive month in February, reaching a four-year high, an industry trade group said Wednesday.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing market index, which measures homebuilders general view of the market, rose to a score of 29.

While that score is up from 25 the previous month, it is still far below 50, which generally indicates more builders view market conditions as good rather than poor.

“Builder confidence has doubled since September,” NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg said. “Given the recent improvements in new home starts and the increasing number of markets included in the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index, this consistency suggests that the housing market is moving toward more sustainable growth.”

Rutenberg asserted that all housing-market dynamics are local and he advised policymakers to steer clear of solutions that could impede quality lending and growth.

kpanchuk@housingwire.com

http://www.harwoodhindigrp.com

It’s no secret, men and women are wired differently. But recent research shows that when it comes to features that motivate them to buy, the connection between the sexes isn’t a battle.

America’s most lovable features

While there’s a small difference in what they love the most, our recent survey showed both men and women agree on which top features make them fall in love with a home.

When we asked first-time home buyers “which home amenity would make you, personally, fall in love with a home?,” here were the top answers:

Amenities All Respondents Men Women

Master Bathroom 70% 64% 75%
Walk-in Closet 63% 55% 72%
Gourmet Kitchen 56% 51% 62%
Outdoor Deck 55% 51% 58%
Wood Floors 50% 46% 53%
Pre-wired for entertainment system (e.g., home theater, surround sound) 35% 42% 28%
Pool 27% 27% 26%
Hot Tub 24% 26% 22%
Other 15% 15% 15%

The big feature conflict

While men and women agree that the master bath, walk-in closet and gourmet kitchen are top priorities when it comes to finding their dream home, not all features are created equal. Among the top features, women and men each showed they had a little more love for a few key features at the top of the list:

What women love (more than men):

Master Baths
Walk in Closets
Gourmet Kitchens

Favorites men love (more than women):

Pre-Wiring for Entertainment System
Pool
Hot tub

What the data means for agents

For buyer’s agents, be sure to send and highlight these key motivating features when selecting and showing homes to first-time buyers. For agents with listings, make sure you highlight these features in your listing description.