The importance of neutral paint color in the sale of a home cannot be overemphasized. Its right up there with Location, location location!

Although your home may be beautifully decorated, the chance of every buyer out there having the same taste is remote.

Consider the top 10 reasons to go with neutral paint on sale day:

1. Your home will be ready to move in ready on settlement day. This is important for the buyer. The more "to do's" that add up in the buyers mind, the less chance they will put in an offer for full price.

2. If you keep your magenta and yellow walls, the buyer looking in your neighborhood will prefer blue and green tones. Murphy's law!

3. There will be no discussion among couples regarding whether to keep the paint color or go with their favorite color (which is often not the same).

4. Furniture placement is simply easier to imagine with a neutral background. Potential buyers are as attached as you are to their favorite furniture pieces so imagining them in your home is a major plus.

5. Fix up costs for sale, if done within a certain time frame, are deductible. Check with your accountant on this point.

6. Buyers are typically cash poor on settlement day. They have spent money on inspections (home, septic, well, termite required mortgage escrow reserves, transfer taxes etc.) and want the comfort level of not having a ready made "to do" list when they move in.

7. Many buyers are not able to take time out of their schedules to paint themselves and/or they aren't able and don't have the expertise to do so.

8. If your goal as a seller is to sell in the shortest time frame for the highest and best price having a neutral canvas in your home will ensure you meet your goals!

9. Offering an allowance for paint and carpet will not do the trick if it does not allow a buyer to imagine themselves in the property. Plus the allowance may not be allowed by the mortgage lender at settlement.

10. Buyers love the smell of paint when viewing homes, it give them the impression the home has been well. This impression creates the confidence to buy this home!

Are you preparing to sell your home? Call me for a free color consultation today, I can point you in the right direction!

Have a great day!

Carla Brooks

PS Most photos courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.com

PPS If you or anyone you know would like to buy or sell a home call me today, I am here to earn your business!

Here we go with the latest monthly market statistics straight from mris.com. And, btw, anyone can log on and review these. One doesn't have to be a member to do so. Simply click on the MRIS button on my blog page and go to Market Statistics.

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February 2011 Real Estate Market Statistics for

Mid-Atlantic Region (MRIS)

Statistic	Values	YoY	MoM
Total Sold Dollar Volume	$1,746,216,263	-1.54%	-0.58%
Closed Sales	5,858	+0.38%	+0.67%
Median Sold Price	$235,000	-5.62%	0%
Avg Sold Price	$298,091	-1.91%	-1.24%
Avg Days on Market	105 days	+19.32%	+5%
Avg Sold to Avg List Ratio	91.35%	-1.59%	+0.34%

80 miles

Road

Aerial

Hybrid

0
77,075
154,150
231,225
308,300
385,375
462,450

County	Median Sold Price	YoY Change	MoM Change

Falls Church City	$462,450	-18.93%	26.7%
Arlington	$441,500	3.88%	0.8%
Alexandria City	$393,000	4.8%	2.01%
Fairfax City	$390,000	15.56%	9.86%
Howard	$385,000	14.58%	11.59%
Rappahannock	$370,000	47.76%	37.55%
Washington	$360,000	7.46%	-4.81%
Fairfax	$357,500	3.62%	-0.69%
Loudoun	$354,250	3.17%	11.57%
Montgomery	$300,000	-7.55%	-11.24%
Talbot	$295,500	-12.05%	17.73%
Anne Arundel	$286,650	6.17%	-3.97%
Calvert	$259,900	8.29%	-2.29%
Fauquier	$250,260	4.28%	15.06%
Queen Anne's	$245,500	-10.73%	13.66%
Clarke	$242,750	10.34%	4.66%
Carroll	$240,000	-14.29%	2.13%
Prince William	$228,925	0.85%	1.86%
Kent	$227,900	158.24%	16.87%
Harford	$227,250	1%	-3.61%
Saint Mary's	$225,000	-21.74%	-5.86%
Frederick (MD)	$215,000	-1.6%	-2.03%
Charles	$210,000	-12.41%	-8.66%
Baltimore	$203,000	-5.58%	4.73%
Orange	$199,900	11.12%	37.86%
Cecil	$199,000	-15.41%	13.1%
Stafford	$191,000	-18.72%	-11.14%
Manassas City	$189,000	26%	35%
Culpeper	$187,500	-7.41%	13.64%
Garrett	$185,000	-8.42%	-52.26%
Madison	$184,000	37.31%	-0.51%
Winchester City	$172,000	8.55%	-4.42%
Manassas Park City	$171,950	-8.17%	4.37%
King George	$171,500	-38.64%	-18.33%
Spotsylvania	$165,150	-5.63%	-3.73%
Frederick (VA)	$159,000	7.07%	-0.63%
Prince George's	$157,000	-15%	-4.85%
Fredericksburg City	$155,000	-27.54%	-38%
Franklin	$152,450	1.26%	2.38%
Jefferson	$132,000	-14.84%	-28.65%
Berkeley	$130,000	-7.14%	13.14%
Warren	$129,900	-21.27%	13.05%
Dorchester	$124,500	-27.15%	13.18%
Washington (MD)	$121,000	-23.42%	-3.2%
Caroline (MD)	$117,762	-44.45%	20.77%
Caroline (VA)	$110,000	-29.62%	6.8%
Morgan	$110,000	-25.68%	-21.37%
Hampshire	$106,450	35.26%	77.42%
Shenandoah	$94,575	-27.22%	-21.19%
Page	$87,000	-55.3%	-38.73%
Hardy	$74,900	-54.19%	-25.1%
Allegany	$67,500	-22.5%	-12.9%
Grant	$64,000	76.8%	-59.56%
Mineral	$60,000	-62.5%	-47.25%
Fulton	$55,000	-53.19%	-42.11%
Baltimore City	$53,000	-51.77%	-26.64%
Pendleton	$0	-100%	n/a