The number of new listings coming to market has been increasing for the last few weeks, signaling a possible break in the inventory logjam that has driven up prices and forced would-be buyers to up the ante.

Not everyone will be as lucky as the seller of a modest house outside of Washington, D.C., which recently drew 88 offers -- 76 of them cash -- even though it looked like it needed a lot of work. It was listed for $275,000, but sold for $460,000.

"I had no idea how the floodgates would open," says agent Ellen Coleman of RE/MAX. "I knew we would receive multiple offers above list, but nowhere near this."

More and more sellers are hoping for a similar windfall. That's why they're listing now, before the seller's market runs out of steam, as it eventually will. But it's not always as simple as sitting back and waiting for the horde of buyers to arrive with all the money they can muster.

For starters, every would-be seller has to ask themselves where they are going to live when the house is sold. If you plan to buy another house, you become, at least temporarily, just one more member of the pack of scrambling buyers.

"The very thing that makes it a good time to sell makes it a tough time to buy," says NerdWallet's housing guru, Holden Lewis.

Even though new listings jumped 40% for the week ending April 10, the number of active listings are still 53% lower than a year ago, according to Realtor.com. Consequently, competition is fierce.

Redfin says 64% of the offers its agents wrote for buyers faced competition in March. As a result, not only are 45% of houses selling above their listing prices, a record high, they are selling in just 21 days, a record low. Nearly 60% went under contract within two weeks -- also a record.

Still, sellers can't just sit back and expect the offers to come pouring in.

"Some people think all you have to do is stick a sign in the yard," says Elizabeth Weintraub of Weintraub and Wallace in Sacramento, California. "It might be easier to sell in a seller's market, but it takes a lot more than a sign."

First, clean your place from top to bottom, and take care of those long-postponed projects. You may not need to make any expensive presale renovations, but the leaky faucets and sticky windows you've ignored could turn off buyers.

"My advice is always clean, clean and do more cleaning," says Joan Cox of House to Home in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

You also might want to obtain a home inspection, for two reasons: One, it will alert you ahead of time to any issues that a buyer's home inspector is likely to discover. And two, your report could give buyers some assurance that the place is in decent shape, should they decide to waive their right to their own inspection.

Next, get all the necessary papers in order. Beside the inspection report, you might need your homeowners association documents and any other disclosures required in your state.

Now it's time to get your house ready for showing. If your place doesn't pass the "view" test, it may not sell as quickly or for as high a price, says Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com: "Buyers are still pretty choosy."

Here, you might want to consider hiring a professional home stager to make your house as presentable as possible to the largest share of buyers. Agents generally concur that staging makes it easier for buyers to see a property as their own. Moreover, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors, staging increased what buyers were willing to spend. Agents on both sides of deals said offers on staged houses tended to be between 1% and 5% higher compared to similar places that haven't been staged. Staging also tends to decrease the amount of time a house is on the market.

If you don't want to foot the bill for a stager, than at least declutter. Put away those distracting family photos; clear off your kitchen and bathroom counters so those rooms look, well, more roomy. Get rid of all the ancient clothing hanging in your closets so they appear larger. Dump any excess furniture, and do whatever else is needed to make the house inviting.

Finally, set a reasonable price. Since housing prices are marching higher almost every day, some sellers think they can price above market -- way above market, in some cases -- and wait for buyers to knock down their doors offering even more. But you can get more with honey than vinegar.

In other words, it's better to price your house just below market. That way, you should attract more attention and create more competition -- which is what leads to more showings and more offers at higher and higher prices.

Only after you do all this can you sit back and wait for the bids to come rolling in.

A recent column about would-be homebuyers giving up because they keep losing bidding wars brought a flurry of responses: Readers want to know how they can become winners in this arena.

The competition factor certainly isn't going anywhere. According to Redfin, more than half of all houses on the market drew competing offers in January. In one case last year, a rather lackluster house in Los Angeles drew offers from 39 wannabes.

Here, then, are some timeless tactics that should give you a fighting chance.

-- Ready and set. Line up the professionals you'll be using in advance -- lender, lawyer, home inspector, appraiser -- and make sure they can be ready to go at a moment's notice.

-- Preapproved. Get preapproved, not just prequalified, so you'll know exactly how large a mortgage you can get.

-- Start lower. Search in a price range somewhat below your upper limit -- if you find yourself in a bidding situation, you'll have some wiggle room.

-- Go higher. Offer more than the list price. At today's low interest rates, an extra $10,000 may add only $40 a month to your mortgage payment.

-- Escrow up. This is the amount you attach to your offer to show the seller you're serious. The money will be held in an escrow account and used as part of your down payment at closing. The more you can put up at the start, the better you'll look. If the deal falls through, as long as it wasn't your fault, you should get your money back.

-- All cash. An all-cash deal tells the seller you won't be stopped if your financing falls through.

-- Clean offer. The fewer the contingencies, the better. One to jettison for sure: the one about you selling your current house first. In this frenzied market, no seller is willing to wait around for that. If you really must sell first, consider selling to a company that buys houses as-is.

Also consider crossing out the contract stipulation that the house must appraise for no more than a certain amount. Think twice, though, about giving up your right to have the place inspected. Otherwise, you could be buying problems you never bargained for.

-- HOA. If a homeowners association is involved, you usually have about a week to review those documents. Use that time to obtain an appraisal and an inspection. And since you can use the HOA document review to get out of the deal for any reason, you can cancel if the appraisal or inspection turns up something you don't like -- even if you waived those contingencies.

-- Step up. Think about adding an "escalation clause," which says you agree to bump your offer by a certain amount above your competitors'. So if you offer, say, $300,000, and someone else bids $310,000, you promise to best that amount by $1,000. The more, the better, but make sure to set a limit.

-- Other items. Offer to pay some of the seller's closing costs -- title insurance, transfer and recordation taxes, for example, or even moving expenses -- up to a certain amount. Be creative: If you have a service you can offer, do so. If you are a mechanic, for example, offer to tune up the seller's cars for two years. If you are an accountant ... you get the idea.

-- Timelines. Allow the seller to remain in the house for up to 90 days after closing. This will not only give you time to sell your place, should you need to, but it also will give the sellers any extra time they may need. Out of the goodness of your heart, you may not even want to charge them rent, or at least not more than what your mortgage payment will be.

-- Love letter. Write a heartfelt missive about how wonderful you find the seller's house, how well taken care of it seems and how you will cherish it once it's yours. Corny, yes, but with some sentimental sellers, it works. You can also consider meeting with the sellers and pleading your case in person. Dress up your little ones, tell them to mind their manners and bring them along.

-- Hang tough. Deals fall through all the time. A recent survey said 1 in 4 don't make it to closing, for any number of reasons. So ask that your offer be held as a backup, just in case. There's nothing wrong with coming in second or even third if you get to move up the line if the bidder ahead of you falls by the wayside.

-- Ask why. If you continually strike out, ask the seller or the agent why. Then you can reevaluate your strategy and craft your offer a little differently next time.

-- Time out. If you don't feel comfortable with being this aggressive, allow yourself to step away and come back when the market calms down. There's nothing worse than making a huge financial mistake -- especially one that you'll have to live with a for a long time.

A key federal watchdog agency has warned companies that administer mortgages, either for themselves or on behalf of investors, that they must be prepared for the coming surge of borrowers seeking relief.

Unprepared is unacceptable, said Dave Uejio, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"There is a tidal wave of distressed homeowners who will need help in the coming months," he says.

Uejio's message was directed at so-called "servicers" -- the companies that collect monthly payments from borrowers, pay their property taxes and homeowner's insurance and send the proceeds to those who own the loans. Some lenders manage their own loans, but most use these third-party companies.

But the 2.3 million borrowers who are still in active, federally mandated emergency mortgage relief programs should take heed, too. The day is rapidly approaching when they are going to be asked to start making their full house payments and start paying back what they owe.

As Uejio told servicers, "There is no time to waste, and no excuse for inaction. No one should be surprised by what is coming."

After being extended several times, the federal foreclosure moratoriums are set to expire on June 30. But earlier this month, the CFPB proposed extending the freeze until the end of the year. The final rule won't see the light of day until early June at the earliest, depending on the number of comments the bureau receives and what stakeholders have to say.

But even if the moratorium is extended, it doesn't mean you can stop making your payments. That would make you delinquent, negatively impacting your credit and making it harder to catch up.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties because of the pandemic, you have only until June 30 to ask your servicer for forbearance. That's when the COVID forbearance period comes to an end -- unless it, too, is extended, of which there's no indication at this writing.

As of early April, 93% of all mortgages were current, but 4.7% were in a forbearance plan, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Some 1.8 million of those are already behind by 90 days or more, and 78% are in plans that have been extended beyond their original three-month period.

For anyone struggling to keep up with their house payments, the first step -- even before you actually fall behind -- is to get on the horn with your servicer. (Or reach out online, says Jane Mason of Clarifire, a company that automates customer service functions for lenders and servicers.) Servicers are being told to be proactive, but don't wait for them to contact you.

Asking for forbearance is as easy as raising your hand. All you have to do is say that you've been negatively impacted by the pandemic. For most loans, no documentation is required -- just your word -- but be truthful. Don't lie just so you can stop making your payments for a few months. That's not right.

Once the relief period ends, though, anyone seeking help will have to document their financial hardship, so the time to act is now.

The CFPB's website (consumerfinance.gov/housing) lays out the five steps troubled borrowers need to take. If you qualify, relief will be granted for three to six months. It can be extended for up to 18 months, in some cases, if you need more time.

Servicers are being reminded they should contact borrowers before the end of their forbearance periods so they have time to apply for an extension. But more time won't be granted automatically. You must request it.

If you've exited a forbearance plan previously, you can ask to enter into a new one if your circumstances warrant. But again, you have only until June 30 to ask.

The CFPB has reminded servicers they must ensure that all homeowners have an opportunity to save their homes before foreclosure is initiated. The agency's rules apply to all loans touched in one way or another by the federal government. That includes those purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as those insured by the Federal Housing Administration, guaranteed by the Veterans Administration and/or underwritten by the Agriculture Department. Most private lenders follow similar guidelines.

Generally, four forbearance repayment options are available:

-- Repay. If you can afford to add more to your regular monthly payment once you exit the program, you can make up for the payments you missed as you go along.

-- Defer. If you can't afford to increase your payments, the missed amount will be added to your loan balance.

-- Modify. If you can't resume regular payments, your loan can be extended or your interest rate could be lowered. That way, your payments may be lower, but it will take longer to pay off your mortgage.

-- Reinstate. You make up your missed payments all at once. But note: Lenders cannot require you to make a lump-sum payment. So if that's the only option offered, the CFPB says to ask what other choices are available.

To help determine which option is best for you, servicers will ask if you can resume making payments, says Mason. They must evaluate your income based not only on earnings, but also public assistance, child support, alimony or other sources.

If there is no hope for returning to normal, the next choice is between selling your place or giving it back to your lender. Otherwise, unfortunately, a foreclosure is in your future.