Selling your Blacksburg home.

What the market says today

410 homes sold in Blacksburg in the last 12 months. 124 are for sale today, and 35 more are under contract. At the recent pace of sales, today's listings would sell through in about 3.6 months. Fewer months means homes are selling faster than new ones arrive.

61 of the homes for sale now have had at least one price cut. The market page tracks all of this month by month.

Price it from real sales

Buyers compare your home to what sold nearby, so you should too. Start with recent Blacksburg sales and your neighborhood page. Look at homes like yours in size, age, condition and lot, sold in the last six months.

Want a number for your home? Ask for a free valuation and a local agent will prepare one from recent nearby sales.

Timing matters too. Over the last five full years, the most Blacksburg home sales closed in June, May and August, which together accounted for 35% of the year's closings. Closings come about six weeks after contracts are ratified, so the busiest stretch for new contracts starts earlier in the year.

Get the home ready

1. 1

   Fix what an inspector will find

   Leaks, worn roofs, failing systems and missing handrails turn into repair requests after the inspection. Handling them first keeps the negotiation simple.

2. 2

   Clear and clean

   Pack what you will not need for a few months. Clear counters and closets. Clean everything, including windows.

3. 3

   Photos that do the work

   Your photos are your first showing. Bright, professional photos of every room, taken on a clear day, make the case before anyone visits.

4. 4

   Gather the paperwork

   Have your survey, any warranties, recent utility costs, and records of improvements ready. If you have an association, start the resale certificate early.

What Virginia requires of sellers

A written listing agreement. Before an agent provides brokerage services, Virginia law requires a written agreement with a definite end date (or it ends 90 days after signing), the fee and how and when it is paid, and the services the agent will provide.

The disclosure statement. You give buyers the residential property disclosure statement published by the Virginia Real Estate Board. It tells buyers that you make no representations about the home's condition and that they should do their own due diligence, such as a home inspection.

Association resale certificate. If your home is in a homeowners or condominium association, you (or your agent) obtain a resale certificate from the association and provide it to the buyer. Buyers can cancel within a short window after receiving it, so ordering it early protects your timeline.

Lead-based paint. For most homes built before 1978, federal law requires you to disclose known lead-based paint and hazards and to give buyers a 10-day period to test, which can be changed or waived in writing. About 26% of the Blacksburg homes for sale today with a known build year were built before 1978.

Offers and the road to closing

Compare offers on more than price. Look at the financing, the size of the deposit, the contingencies, and the settlement date. A slightly lower offer with fewer conditions can be the stronger one.

After you ratify a contract, expect a home inspection and possibly repair requests, an appraisal for the buyer's lender, and the buyer's final walk-through. The buyer chooses the settlement agent; you can hire your own attorney to review documents and advise you. From a ratified contract to closing is about six weeks.