By Lisa Sevajian, Realtor · Published October 17, 2026 · Last updated October 17, 2026 · 9 min read

What Do Buyers and Sellers in Amesbury MA, North Andover MA and Salem NH Ask Me Most?

You didn't search for a Realtor today. You searched for the situation you're stuck in.

Maybe you feel stuck, worried or just tired of guessing. Maybe it's two houses and one deadline. Maybe it's a rate you can't stop thinking about. Maybe it's a school, a price, or a state line.

If you're stuck on this, you aren't alone. Whatever it is, you aren't the first person to ask it. In 19 years and almost 2,000 families, these are the six questions I hear more than any others.

Each answer below is short and straight. Where you want more, there's a full guide one click away.

Every big question gets easier once you can see your own numbers.

Should I buy first or sell first?

It depends on whether you can carry two homes. If you can't, sell first or line up both closings for the same week. If you can carry both for a short time, buying first takes the pressure off.

The first step is the same either way. Ask your lender to approve you two ways, once with your home sold and once without it. That one answer tells you which door is open.

Most of my clients line up both moves so they close the same week and move once. Here's how to decide which order fits you, and how moving up from a condo works in North Andover MA and Salem NH.

Is it a bad time to buy with rates where they are?

Not if the payment fits your life. The average 30-year fixed rate was 7.40% the week of October 15, 2026, up from 6.27% a year earlier, per Freddie Mac. On a $500,000 loan, that's about $377 more a month.

Here's the other side. Buyers in Amesbury MA had 22 single family homes to choose from at the end of September, up from 14 a year earlier. North Andover MA had 36, up from 19, per MLS PIN. More choices can mean more room to ask for things, like seller credits toward your rate.

I walk through the whole thing, with a payment table, in Is it a bad time to buy with rates over 7%?

Schools or the house, which matters more?

The one you'll still be glad about in five years. For some families that's the school. For others it's the yard, the commute or the payment.

I've made this choice myself, twice. Once I bought in the school district I wanted. Once I bought the house I wanted over a lower-ranked school. Both times, I'd have weighed the trade-offs more carefully, and that's exactly how I coach families through it now.

Start with how your kids learn and what you can afford without stretching. Then look at the house. My schools or the house series lays out the full framework.

What will my house actually sell for?

What a buyer will pay once they see it next to every other choice they have. An online estimate is a starting guess, not a price.

Before you choose your price, I walk you through three things. First, what sellers near you accepted recently, for how much, and what the buyer did to win. Second, every home for sale within 10 miles in your price range, so we know how to make yours stand out. Third, the accurate similar sales from the last 30 days.

Then you choose the price. We don't set it for you. Local numbers help too: from July to September 2026, single family homes in Amesbury MA sold for about 1.7% above the final asking price on average, and about 68% of homes in Haverhill MA sold above asking, per MLS PIN. Selling, I make sure you don't say yes to too little.

Should I fix things before I list?

Fix what a buyer will notice in the first five minutes, and skip most big projects. Paint, clean floors, working lights and a little less stuff on the counters usually beat a new kitchen.

Safety items and anything that could scare a lender or an inspector are worth handling first. A big remodel often costs more than it brings back, and it delays your move.

We walk through presentation and preparation together before you spend a dollar. Here's how we get a home ready to sell.

Massachusetts or New Hampshire?

The one where the full monthly cost and your daily life both fit. New Hampshire doesn't tax wages and has no sales tax. Massachusetts has a state income tax. Property taxes, schools, heating and home systems change town by town on both sides.

A lot of my buyers cross the border in both directions. One family moving from the Carolinas started out set on Windham NH and ended up happier in Haverhill MA. Read their story and my honest MA vs NH comparison.

What question should you ask next?

If you've been searching "questions to ask a realtor before buying or selling a home," bring these six. Then add the one that's yours, the one about your street, your family and your timing.

That's the one I like answering most, because it's the one no article can answer for you.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Check with your attorney, lender and CPA before you decide.

I'll guide you home.

Lisa Sevajian