You're not crazy and it WILL work! :) New roof and new furnace? Talk those up when you sell it ~ those are major expenses if they need to be replaced, so it sounds real good that they're new. Find the receipts if you can and give your real estate agents copies when you list it. Ditto for the siding and bay window. Siding is another nice thing to be new when you're selling. Floors are important. You know how everything looks great right after you vacuum, even if there are a few clothes on the couch and everything needs dusting? ;) Fix those floors if you can right before you put it on the market, even if you just do a quick sand/buff job on the wood and put in cheapo linoleum elsewhere ~ it's new and clean and will look good for the moment. Fill the holes in the walls ~ white toothpaste works great on a white wall and is so easy. If you can touch up the walls inside, do. Even if you don't have any paint left from the last paint job, but can computer match it at the paint store. Attempts at touching up look better than no attempt at all. Bathrooms and kitchens are "in" right now and everyone wants a custom job, so I wouldn't worry TOO much about them as whoever buys your house will probably want to do something different anyway. Fix anything that won't allow for immediate move-in or just looks really bad and leave it. And remember curb appeal. Go out to the street in front of your house and take a loooong, hard look at it, remembering that this will be the FIRST view the buyers will get of your place and you know how people go for first impressions. THAT will tell you more of what you need to do than I can. Good luck! :)!

Here is a direct quote from the US Treasury Dept website. "Several companies, or locator services, engaged in the business of identifying and recovering unclaimed assets for profit, acquire federal check issuance data from FMS and various federal government agencies under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The information requested by these companies pertains to specific check symbols, numbers and dollar amounts identified on Treasury check cancellation listings compiled by FMS. These listings are not searchable by personal identifiers, such as a person's name or social security number. Personal identifiers may, however, exist in federal agencies' check issuance or cancellation records. Using such personal identifiers, if available, these locator services attempt to locate the prospective beneficiaries, or "payees," for canceled/unpaid government checks and, on their behalf, attempt to collect the payment amounts from the federal agencies that originally certified the payments. It is important to note that these firms are also involved in recovering unclaimed property in the possession of state and local government entities." There is nothing illegal about notifying some one there is unclaimed property available to them. No one has to use their services to get the money. Any one can do it on their own, but it is certainly not illegal for them to take a percentage of the money if you use their service.

sorry, by "he gets it fixed cheap", I meant that he gets it repaired or replaced for the service fee only. The first time I placed a service contract on a house, many years ago, both water heaters & an air conditioner went out the first year. The homeowner was delighted; water heaters & air conditioners *will* go out, & he got brand new units for under $200 out of his pocket. The service companies have contractors who give them a discount for the volume of business. A service company isn't an insurance company, so you are not indemnified; you don't necessarily get like for like, you get builder grade, but if you prefer, you can get a check from the service company & buy your own replacement, or you can get the contractor to install an upgrade & pay the difference. Service contracts aren't the answer to every prayer, but they fill a gap.

I would ask about his/her "networking circle" and how quickly they respond to calls or inquiries. Anyone can list your house. You can list it yourself with a FSBO broker paying the buying agent 2-3%. Although, not ALL agents utilize all the possible websites to market your property. It costs money, so some scrimp, and therefore your house may show up only on the MLS and couple of other sites. They all work hard, and all promise to sell your property. Some will claim that they have a buyer in order to get your listing... To me, an agent who is liked in the community and one who has a lot of friends, and one who is active in the community has a larger buyer pool....friends of friends, fundraiser friends... They have to be responsible (answer calls promptly, keep their word), a go-getter, an outgoing person with PEEPS ;) If you try to reach them and it takes a while for them to return your call, do NOT employ them. That tends to be more of an irresponsible personality.