Jeff Lewis Gets Real on Flipping Real Estate

• Jul 22, 2008 04:00 AM ET
• by damian holbrook

With the housing market such a mess, we hit up neat-freak real-estate guru Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out (Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET, Bravo) for his top tips on how to sell your home without, well, flipping out.

1. "Pricing is everything. [List] your home 5 percent below the most recent comparable sale."

2. "Always make your house available for showings and open houses. Don't give a buyer a reason to buy the house next door."

3. "Keep your house clean and orderly while on the market. Keep your yard and lawn maintained and manicured."

4. "Respond to all offers, no matter how low. Buyers will lowball just to see how motivated you are. Don't take it personally."

5. "Since 25 to 33 percent of buyers cancel escrow, do whatever you have to do to keep your buyer happy. This may include giving a credit, doing repairs or paying a portion of your buyer's closing costs."

Check out full episodes and clips of Flipping Out in our Online Video Guide.

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