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How Much Do You Know About Selling Your Home?

Take our quiz to see just how savvy a home buyer you are

John Waggoner,

AARP

En español

Published August 01, 2023

8 Questions

cd5ece83-e68f-4acf-968c-bfc1d76b70ac

How Much Do You Know About Selling Your Home?

[ {
  "question" : "How much of a down payment does a buyer need to avoid mortgage insurance?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "10 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "15 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "20 percent ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "25 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Most conventional mortgage loans require that you put down at least 20 percent of the home’s price to avoid mortgage insurance payments.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which of these additions do not add value to your home?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Kitchen remodel",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Swimming pool ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Bathroom remodel",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "New deck",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "You may love to swim, but not all buyers do — particularly families with small children.\n",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which of these are not considered hazardous?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Shag carpet ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Lead paint",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Lead water pipes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Underground storage tanks",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Shag rugs may be out of style and hard to vacuum, but they won’t raise safety concerns for new buyers.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Your house is haunted. Do you need to disclose this to a buyer?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Yes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Depends on the state",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Only if the furnace tells you to",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "No",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "According to Zillow, no states require you to tell your buyers to expect a specter. Some states do, however, require that you disclose if there has been a violent death in the home.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What time of year are houses cheapest?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Spring ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Summer",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Winter",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Fall",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Typically, homes are cheaper in the winter because sellers are motivated. Spring and summer are better times to sell your house. ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which of these is not a part of closing costs?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Title insurance",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Recording fee",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Yard inspection ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Attorneys fees",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Home inspections are primarily focused on the house, not the yard. Doesn't hurt to mow the lawn, though.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : " Where are the most expensive homes?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "New York City",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Los Angeles",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "San Francisco",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "San Jose, California",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "If you know the way to San Jose, you know where to find the most expensive homes in the country, thanks to its location in Silicon Valley. The median price in San Jose is about $1.3 million, just above San Francisco’s $1.2 million median home price.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which of these home expenses are not federally tax-deductible?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Property taxes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Wheelchair ramps",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Garage door replacement ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Interest",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Wheelchair ramps are deductible from federal income taxes if medically necessary, and interest and property taxes are deductible. You won’t get help from Uncle Sam for replacing a garage door.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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John Waggoner is a contributing writer of all things financial for AARP, from budgeting and taxes to retirement planning and Social Security. Previously, he was a reporter for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and USA Today and has written books on investing and the 2008 financial crisis. Waggoner’s USA Today investing column ran in dozens of newspapers for 25 years.