Should I rush to sell in a changing real estate market?

At this time of year, homeowners who are interested in selling figure the home-selling season is winding down and they put their moving plans on hold until spring. But this year, a changing market has given birth to a new mentality. Many prospective sellers have accelerated their plans and are listing their homes for sale now rather than waiting until next spring. The rationale runs something like this: Interest rates are rising and this is bound to change the market. If you wait until the spring of 2006 to sell, you could find yourself in a slower market. It might take longer to sell. And, you might not sell for as much as you could today. So, why not put your home on the market now? There's a sense of desperation in this train of thought. It's impossible to know exactly what next year's home sale market will look like. But, it's unlikely that this is your last opportunity to sell. In fact, you could argue that now is not the best time to sell given the recent decline in consumer con...