Of course what most of us tout is location,
location, location. It is important to understand how price and location fit
together. When it comes to selling, the importance of pricing a home is superior
to everything else. A simple illustration is to picture a home for sale in the
best location you can imagine. Then put a price on it that is too high by market
comparison. The result will be that the home may be admired by many but no
offers will come since the price is attracting the wrong crowd. To further
illustrate, take a less popular location and market-price it, the buyers will be
lined up with offers. Location factors in to correct pricing the way other
important features do when assessing the likely sale price of a home. Correct
pricing then, when it comes to selling, plays the leading role followed by
strategic marketing and negotiating in order to obtain optimum
value.
Location is paramount on the other hand when assessing where the
highest rate of appreciation might be expected over a period of time. Locations
that are superior for neighbourhood, proximity to schools and shopping, receive
a steady demand on the part of buyers and usually produce a higher increase in
value and of course a quicker sale when that time comes.
When buying,
there is a trade-off for location. A home for sale on a main street for example
will usually have more features for the price, than the same home on the nearby
crescent. So a main street may be just what a consumer prefers knowing that they
are getting more of the features they want for their money. On the other hand, a
buyer may prefer to take the "crescent" home with less features for the money
preferring the added safety that accrues to that location, where small children
may be a concern.
It is by and large a matter of choice and most folks
whether buying or selling want to come away from the process feeling they were
well informed and pay or receive a fair price.