The time has come to list your home for sale and it is decision making time with regards to the inclusions and exclusions in your listing contract. What are you willing to leave for the buyer? What must you take with you due to sentimental value?

OK, so let me take a step backward for a moment. Let's not totally forget about the past, just the learn and remember the lessons that it has taught us. Now move forward!

Well, that depends. Sometimes those sentimental items such as chandeliers, mirrors, sconces, gazebos, patio furniture, etc. make your house show better while on the market. But you can be almost sure that the buyer will also love them and include them in the offer.

Every depression is preceded by a boom of which real estate dominates. So, of course, the question is when will this end? When will housing values begin to increase? A crystal ball is a wonderful item, but since the one I have doesn't appear to work well…

I prefer that my sellers remove any items that they wish to take with them, before the home is listed. Out of buyer's sight, out of buyer's mind. The agreement of purchase and sale is for the house, not the chattels. I am in the house selling business, not the used appliance business. Many offer negotiations get tangled up with inclusions. When including chattels, make sure they are all in good working order or else make sure they are noted in the listing as in "as is" condition. Buyers today expect all chattels to be in good working order on the date of closing and you don't want to get a call from your lawyer the day after closing stating that the washing machine is leaking.

But history indicates that a balanced market is on the horizon. We are already seeing some improvements, albeit not very dramatic or maybe even permanent. But they are steps in the right direction.

If it is not, you may expect a call from your lawyer. It is important to leave your home in the same condition you would expect to find in your new home. Sometimes it is well worth hiring a maid service to do this job for you. Closing day is very stressful and it is well worth the money to have this chore taken care of.

Now on the bright side, unemployment is down and tourism, or at least the hotel occupancy rate, is up having hit a 3-year high. These are some key factors in the Greater Orlando area which has a tourist economy. The facts are that the month over month figures show that the number of sales are up as are the average and median sales prices. Also, the inventory has been reducing and in greater numbers as each month passes. The unfortunate item is that foreclosures and short sales still dominate the market, but this too shall change as well as we progress.

Harris Smith runs the home equity line of credit website. Don't Miss Out! If you're up to your eyeballs, the fantasy of Debt Consolidation can suck you right in.