When you figure out the loss, do you also take into account the commision arrangement that someone has with their realtor, or no realtor? Someone who only has to pay $5,000 in closing costs can sell at a much lower price and still clear the same $$ as someone who spends $30,000 and sells at a higher price.
In this first example, what was the total commision paid? IMO in this market a wise strategy would be to get a realtor who will sell it for 2%, with no additional charges if you find the buyer. On a $700,000 home this is a $15,000 savings in realtor fees which gives you much more leeway than your neighbor who will pay 5.5-6% in fees. Right off the bat you can ask 690k instead of 700, a 10k discount for the buyer and a 5k break for you.
