Prepping a house

for the market

Several steps are involved when it comes to selling a home. Some can help move the selling process along, while others can improve the look and property value of a home for sale. A number of websites offer a range of tips on how to sell a home and increase a home's sales appeal. Here are a few places worth a visit:

Bankrate.com: Contains tips and tricks to selling a home, and how to create curb appeal. bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/selling.asp

HGTV Front Door: Offers a wide range of info and resources for home sellers. frontdoor.com/sell

National Association of Realtors: Provides seven steps for home selling, with additional insights. realtor.com/home-finance/sellers-basics/home-sellers-basics.aspx

RealEstateABC.com: Explains how to sell a home in a slow market. realestateabc.com/insights/sell-your-home.htm

Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Spelling's $85 million house

wins this contest

Many of the celebrity houses that are for sale that we often feature in this space are in Los Angeles County. And most of the big home sales from last year there have finally made their way into the public record. Here are the largest sales, compiled using PropertyShark.com data and Los Angeles Times archives:

Topping the crop was Candy Spelling's $85 million sale of the Manor in Holmby Hills. A distant second, by comparison, was the sale of La Belle Vie, the mammoth Bel-Air residence built in 1993 for philanthropist Iris Cantor by her husband. It was sold for $40 million. Actress Jennifer Aniston parted ways with her Beverly Hills estate for $35 million.

Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times staff