“The best time to think about selling your home is when you're buying it.”

Unless you know you're buying your very last home, make sure you don't invest in a property that's going to be hard to sell later on. Check out plans for development in your area. The two-lane road way out front could become a four-lane highway on your doorstep someday. High-power lines might be slated to run next to the home. The lovely open area out back could become a shopping mall or apartment community.

Be careful, too, about the kind of features you buy. Are you looking at the only modern home in a community of colonials? Will many buyers want a high-maintenance swimming pool, a corner lot or an especially small master bedroom?