Don't allow small hassles to discourage you ... pull through until you have that cheque for your property in your hands.

97. About that money

Ask your lawyer about asking for a down payment from the buyer. Some contracts require it to protect the seller: This down payment will usually make the buyer live up to his commitment to buy the property within a reasonable amount of time. This down payment is called earnest money by some people. It morally obliges the buyer to finalize a mortgage with his bank, to have the property inspected within a reasonable period and to be prepared to settle by a certain date.

This down payment is not refunded back to the buyer should the sale not take place. Down payments may range from R1,000 to as much as 10% of the purchase price and is kept in escrow by your settlement agent.

98. Crossing the ts and dotting the is

As soon as all paperwork is final and parties are ready to sign the contract, the settlement (also called closing in some parts of Canada) takes place in either of the following places: the settlement agents office, bank, insurance office, or anywhere where you and the buyer and your respective agents agree to meet and sign papers. This is the day you will probably get the biggest cash windfall in your life, and when someone else takes ownership of your house.

You can start breathing normally again when that check lands on your hands, and you and your personal effects are physically out of your house!

99. What, you've changed your mind?

Expect last minute surprises. A deal can be called off because:

The buyer could not get financing and has no money of his own,
Something went wrong with the title search or an insurance detail was not dealt with,
Someone suddenly is afraid and wants to back out, or
Some personal emergencies like a sudden death in the family or terminal illness are forcing the parties not to go through with the deal.

Whatever happens, just make sure you've not walking up the path towards financial ruin.

100. You've willing to pay more for my house?

When you put an ad for your house, and the price looks reasonable to the pool of buyers that are out there, you'll get end buyers.

End buyers are buyers who are looking to buy a house to live in.

You'll also get professional buyers they include real estate brokers looking for homes to buy, builders specializing in remodeling and reselling homes or developers who want to buy the property because of the land.

Don't be afraid of the professional buyers, because they know the true value of your house. They'll push the bidding price higher because they know what they're doing, and by pushing up the price, they weed off the end buyers who eventually drop out because the price is beyond their budget.

If a professional buyer offers you a price for your house that will make you happy, then by all means, go with the professional buyer.

101. Weeding out the curious.

If after you place your ad, you get 100 calls, don't let that make you comfortable thinking that your house is going to be sold immediately.

The truth is, of those 100 calls, less than half are serious buyers. Or half of them want your home but don't have the means to buy it.