Buying or selling a home ranks right up there on the list of stress-provoking situations. If your home sells quickly, you may worry that you sold too low. If your home takes months to sell you may wonder if anyone will ever buy it. Buyers agonize over paying too much, and everyone complains that the process takes too long.

People move for a variety of reasons, sometimes by choice but often not. Frequently a move is forced on a family because of a death, a divorce, a job loss or an unanticipated transfer, so even the reason for the move can be stress-filled.