I don't know how prices in your area have changed recently, but houses in our area are selling for $30,000 to $40,000 less than they were last year. (We are closing on a house on Monday. It's been on the market since March. We offered $50,000 less than they originally listed it for and they jumped at the offer. So, you may not make the profit you hope for. I hope your area is different than ours.

Real estate commissions are usually around 6%. So, for every $100,000 your home sells for, you fork over $6,000 to the real estate agent. If you've got the time to devote to selling the house yourself, you can put that money into your new place.

Check out http://www.forsalebyowner.com/?PID=QG-NA for more details.