Tools you'd use whether or not you ever call.

Buyer Guide

1. 1Get clear on the number you can actually carry.
2. 2Pick the neighborhoods before the houses.
3. 3See homes with someone who knows the streets.
4. 4Write smart, inspect honestly, close clean.

Buyer Notes

• ✓Roof, AC, and water heater age. The big three down here.
• ✓How the street lives at 5pm: traffic, sun, sound.
• ✓What the HOA covers, what it costs, what it won't allow.
• ✓Insurance and flood zone before you fall in love.

Seller Guide

1. 1Price with real comps, not hope.
2. 2Prep the home for the buyers who'll actually pay.
3. 3Market it where local buyers are looking.
4. 4Negotiate direct and keep the deal together.

Seller Prep

• ✓Fix the small stuff buyers trip on: doors, drips, dead switches.
• ✓Skip the big remodel. That money rarely comes back at closing.
• ✓Curb, entry, kitchen. The first sixty seconds do the selling.
• ✓Declutter and brighten before anyone talks photos.