There are times when surprises can be fun... like that great surprise birthday party a few years back, or the huge return on that small investment. Other times surprises are the furthest thing away from what you're wanting to see. Such as when you're buying or selling a home.

If you're about to list a home in Kansas City this summer, follow these three simple steps to be sure that you maximize your sale price and limit your time on the market. Working with buyers I can tell you these three things are the first key to making buyers choose your home.

There have been a lot of news stories lately touting the improving Kansas City real estate market. A lot of my colleagues are experiencing the same extreme increase in business as I am, which leads to a lot of positive buzz in the industry and great anecdotal evidence of recovery in motion. However, many skeptics are looking for hard evidence and proof positive of the increase.

If you're looking to sell your Kansas City Area home make sure that you choose the right Realtor to represent you. Your Realtor will wear many hats and must understand them well. Some of the roles played by a successful Realtor are expected. Those include being a top marketer, great stager, talented negotiator and of course tour guide. There's another role that many seem to downplay but it's very important.

The experts will tell you that Spring represents many aspects of life. Mainly they all revolve around renewal or a clean slate. Many people love the new and fresh feeling that Spring brings with it. The lovely flowers in bloom, the green grass, the clean streets after that heavy rain and many other great things that announce the season has changed. Realtors love this time of year too... it's when the buyers come back out. March, April and May are all very popular months for buying and selling property in Kansas City.