You already know how much money you want for your home. You have done the research and know what it is worth. If you do not owe more than half of your original mortgage, you can ask for what you still owe on the property, plus a little more. If you hire a real estate agent to sell it for you, you will need to ask for a quite a bit more. Here are a few tips for getting your asking price for your house and still pay the agent who sells it for you:

Make Sure There Is Nothing Wrong with the Home's Systems

The biggest reasons buyers will decline to pay your asking price is because there is something amiss with the HVAC system, electrical system, water heater, roof, and/or natural gas systems. They will always counter your asking price with a request to either fix these issues (which can get really expensive!) or ask for a price reduction. If you know ahead of time that all of these systems and components are in tip-top shape, you can decline buyers' requests for a lower price on the house.

Hike the Price

Raising your asking price is not illegal. In fact, many homeowners who sell their homes ask for a lot more because they want their asking price free and clear of paying their real estate agents the agents' cut. Find out what your agent charges to sell the property, add that amount to the asking price of your home. Then add between five and twenty thousand more so that you have some wiggle room to come down. This gives you exactly what you want from the sale, gives the agent his/her cut of the sale, and lets the buyer feel like he/she got a great deal on the home.

Counter Shrewdly

Real estate is a cutthroat business. To get what you want, you have to bargain shrewdly. Do not be afraid to say no to every offer that does not meet your needs and expectations. Recognize when interest is waning in your property and take the best deal you can get. Your real estate agent cannot really advise you on what to do; it is a learn-as-you-go process. However, when you get an offer that is fairly close to what you want, and you make a profit without losing the profit to the payment of your real estate agent, take it.