runmiarun Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 We got an offer tonight!!!!! What an awesome b-day gift!:w00t: It was the buyers who came through last night and emailed our agent today to see if there was other interest. They offered full price with us paying $7000 toward closing costs, but they are willing to accomodate the closing date we need for the new house we are building (mid-June) which means we won't have to move twice. I'm quite pleased with the offer. Dh not so much because we had just dropped $10K and these people originally scheduled a showing for today before we dropped the price. In their mind they are offering full price and accomodating a long out closing, but in dh's he's taking a big cut (I think he's kicking himself for agreeing to the reduction, but I keep reminding him that he may not have gotten the offer at the higher price or it could have been lower.) Our realtor is advising us to take it and I agree. How great it would be to have that part done, not have to move twice, and move on and out. On another note, Kototg (hope I got your username right:)), I hope you get feedback from your open house. Don't get discouraged even if you didn't have many people show for it. Sometimes it takes time. If you still aren't getting many showings though, you may consider a price reduction if you can. I've read that for every 10-12 showings you should recieve an offer and if not a price reduction is in order. For us it was exactly that - showing #10. Good luck!! Woohoo!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runmiarun Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 We're getting so many calls on our house. Tons. 4-5 calls per day. Every day. Late at night. "How much for that basketball goal out front?" (basketball goal has now been stolen, thank you very much) "What's the price for renting?" ***uhm...add not-being-able-to-understand-the-difference-between-"For Sale"-and-"For Rent" to the buyers-with-no-imagination realm. And all of the renters are Section 8. I refuse to get involved with the government in renting my needs-work house. It's too old and needs too much work to meet Section 8 standards. It would be GREAT money, but not worth the headaches. Our only good news was that we were able to secure affordable insurance for it yesterday. Thanks to our new insurance agent for the house, who happens to live across the street, we have it as a secondary residence rather than a vacant house. Hubby is putting minimal furniture and clothing in it this weekend to make it "residence-like". This will save us $3500 over the next year in insurance. Yes, you read that right. Vacant home insurance was going to be $4300 for the year. I really don't think the housing market is recovering as well as it's being spun by the talking heads. We were very blessed to get our current house but it was difficult, mostly from the actions of the other agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 It really is amazing how often you hear, "buyers don't have any imagination!" Really--none of them?! It's so hard to believe that if we had left our dining room set up as an office/music room, buyers would have walked through the house completely confused, "but, I don't understand? Where's the dining room?!" And, yet, you do see that kind of thing on House Hunters, et. al. all the time....people saying stuff like, "ooh--I really hate this color!" as if they've never heard of paint before.[/QUOTE] Thank you for saying that (in red). I think that some of those shows are responsible for the unbelievable dumbing down of America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Well, not good news. Our agent came by after meeting with other people. Their bottom line price is the same as ours, but their house is much more updated: granite countertops, hardwood floors, all new windows, new roof, etc. And pretty much the same exact layout and square footage. Sigh. They mostly just care about selling fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runmiarun Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Well, not good news. Our agent came by after meeting with other people. Their bottom line price is the same as ours, but their house is much more updated: granite countertops, hardwood floors, all new windows, new roof, etc. And pretty much the same exact layout and square footage. Sigh. They mostly just care about selling fast. Ugh. I know that's disheartening. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Well, not good news. Our agent came by after meeting with other people. Their bottom line price is the same as ours, but their house is much more updated: granite countertops, hardwood floors, all new windows, new roof, etc. And pretty much the same exact layout and square footage. Sigh. They mostly just care about selling fast. oh no.. I'm so sorry. My husband is a "sell is as quickly as possible" guy. I'm trying to counter that with "I don't think our wonderful (former) neighbors would appreciate it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Well, not good news. Our agent came by after meeting with other people. Their bottom line price is the same as ours, but their house is much more updated: granite countertops, hardwood floors, all new windows, new roof, etc. And pretty much the same exact layout and square footage. Sigh. They mostly just care about selling fast. I am so sorry -- we've been in that situation and it stinks.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thanks, guys....it's pretty much the worst case scenario. I mean...if they were in such a hurry to sell that they wanted to WAY underprice it, they'd sell it fast and be out of our way, and people would figure it was just a fluke. I'm worried that as it is, it could stretch out for months with us waiting for them to sell so that people will even look at our house. And to top it off, our agent confirmed (or confirmed that the other sellers told her) that the foreclosure that sold recently is being flipped, and the guy might have it on the market in less than a month, too. And I'm sure that will be more granite to wow people. This is a really small subdivision....maybe 100 houses or so....it's pretty much unheard of for there to be 3 houses on the market at the same time in here. She wants us to put in an offer with a contingency on the foreclosure we really, really love. The reasoning is that it doesn't hurt to try, and that if we KNOW we can get something that much under our budget, we can be more flexible on price here. We're going back to look at it again on Friday with our agent and her contractor husband--so he can give us an idea of how much money we might need to put into it. We know it has a bad leak in the sunroom and needs a couple of new windows there. And the power and water are cut off; the HVAC looks really old, so I'd just go in assuming that would need to be replaced. But it's such a big, lovely house! We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicMama Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Your house wouldn't happen to be in Canton/Woodstock would it? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) Your house wouldn't happen to be in Canton/Woodstock would it? :bigear: it would! Hickory Flat area. Are you looking to buy? If you are, I'll be sorry I just told you you can get a house with granite right down the street for about the same price ;) Though I should mention that WE have a lovely screen porch and big deck, and they don't Edited March 14, 2012 by kokotg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicMama Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Yup, My husband teaches at Sequoyah. Pm me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in Ohio Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 We're getting so many calls on our house. Tons. 4-5 calls per day. Every day. Late at night. "How much for that basketball goal out front?" (basketball goal has now been stolen, thank you very much) "What's the price for renting?" ***uhm...add not-being-able-to-understand-the-difference-between-"For Sale"-and-"For Rent" to the buyers-with-no-imagination realm. And all of the renters are Section 8. I refuse to get involved with the government in renting my needs-work house. It's too old and needs too much work to meet Section 8 standards. It would be GREAT money, but not worth the headaches. Our only good news was that we were able to secure affordable insurance for it yesterday. Thanks to our new insurance agent for the house, who happens to live across the street, we have it as a secondary residence rather than a vacant house. Hubby is putting minimal furniture and clothing in it this weekend to make it "residence-like". This will save us $3500 over the next year in insurance. Yes, you read that right. Vacant home insurance was going to be $4300 for the year. I really don't think the housing market is recovering as well as it's being spun by the talking heads. We were very blessed to get our current house but it was difficult, mostly from the actions of the other agent. Are you selling your home without a realtor? That must be why you are getting so many phone calls. Too bad they aren't legitimate buyers. When we had our house on the market last fall, our house was used in a Craigslist/Zillow rental scam. So we had a constant stream of people driving up to our house asking if it was for rent. It was so frustrating! Wow, $4300 a year for insurance!! No way. Yeah, I don't have a good feeling about the real estate market right now. In the fall, we had 8 showings in 8 weeks. Now we've had 1 showings in 3 weeks (and at a lower price). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 We seem to have a lot going on. I always prefer that to nothing going on. the other house is on the market at 157, and we just dropped ours to 155. Dh and the kids are going to CA without me in a few weeks, so I can stay here and take care of house stuff (and not have to board all the animals, which would cost a fortune). I mentioned to my agent today that I would have time to paint the kitchen cabinets while they were gone, and she offered to come and help me! This is why we love her. Well, one of the reasons. so we'll see what the price drop/competition does. I've seen pictures of the other house now, and I feel better. It definitely has some nice things about it, but I think ours has advantages, too. Our porch/deck is much nicer (we have a big screen porch and huge lower deck that we added a few years ago; they have a small deck with no yard access), for example. I suspect that our house will appeal more to people with young families and theirs to older people/people with no kids. But we'll see. One advantage of having the same agent is that I imagine we'll hear the feedback when people compare the two. How's everyone else doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 How's everyone else doing? Waiting.....waiting.....waiting.....Open House on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 How's everyone else doing? Still working everyday on something in the house. We had the wood floors refinished yesterday so there's DUST everywhere We're planning to go over there with the kids on Saturday and clean, clean, clean. We should have it on the market by next week. We're having the swimming pool professionally opened on Monday. This is something I haven't done in years! Talk about sticker shock. Nearly $300 for them to pull plugs and get the filter running... ugh. But, it looks better if a company has something written up about the condition of the pool, so I'll do it this once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in Ohio Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 (edited) How's everyone else doing? Still no showings. :confused: I had the basement carpets cleaned-- it smells and looks great. Yesterday, I spraypainted the outside light fixtures. What a huge improvement! Today I'm going to clean windows and scrub the garage door. I bought a few pretty things at Pier 1 yesterday. We hung new pictures in the dining room. I think the house is looking quite nice. We'll drop the price $10,000 at the beginning of April. Edited March 15, 2012 by Dawn in Ohio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 we just relisted on Sat. after our buyers canceled out of the contract. We had a showing Sun. one yesterday and have one for tomorrow and the weekends are when the people come down from Philly to look at the shore homes and everybody says that the season is just starting so we are hopeful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 How's everyone else doing? Still working everyday on something in the house. We had the wood floors refinished yesterday so there's DUST everywhere We're planning to go over there with the kids on Saturday and clean, clean, clean. We should have it on the market by next week. We're having the swimming pool professionally opened on Monday. This is something I haven't done in years! Talk about sticker shock. Nearly $300 for them to pull plugs and get the filter running... ugh. But, it looks better if a company has something written up about the condition of the pool, so I'll do it this once. Still no showings. :confused: I had the basement carpets cleaned-- it smells and looks great. Yesterday, I spraypainted the outside light fixtures. What a huge improvement! Today I'm going to clean windows and scrub the garage door. I bought a few pretty things at Pier 1 yesterday. We hung new pictures in the dining room. I think the house is looking quite nice. We'll drop the price $10,000 at the beginning of April. we just relisted on Sat. after our buyers canceled out of the contract. We had a showing Sun. one yesterday and have one for tomorrow and the weekends are when the people come down from Philly to look at the shore homes and everybody says that the season is just starting so we are hopeful. Here's hoping we all have one of these on our front lawn VERY VERY soon.......VERY VERY VERY VERY soon.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristyB in TN Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Well, I can commiserate and 'm on the other end, I'm a realtor! Today I am having a crazy back and forth with a realtor who wants to show a house of mine but she wants to preview it before she takes her clients. I don't do "previews," myself because they are a giant waste of time, especially for a seller. Most of the time, my clients have an idea of what they want but they usually end up buying something they hadn't thought of before they saw it. Had I previewed all the houses and showed them only the ones that met their criteria, they wouldn't find the one they love. This realtor simply won't do it. My clients now have to keep their home in tip top shape all weekend FOR HER so she can see it on Saturday morning and take her clients on Sunday morning, the most inconvenient time for my people. I WANT to be rude to her so badly, but I'm not going to but it isn't easy. Her voicemail even makes me want to yell and run from her. She is a local realtor and I've never heard of her, I wonder why....;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 Showing today! both houses, of course. But, hey--if someone buys the other one, at least we don't have to compete with it anymore. But maybe big screen porch and deck will trump granite for these buyers :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Well, I can commiserate and 'm on the other end, I'm a realtor! Today I am having a crazy back and forth with a realtor who wants to show a house of mine but she wants to preview it before she takes her clients. I don't do "previews," myself because they are a giant waste of time, especially for a seller. Most of the time, my clients have an idea of what they want but they usually end up buying something they hadn't thought of before they saw it. Had I previewed all the houses and showed them only the ones that met their criteria, they wouldn't find the one they love. This realtor simply won't do it. My clients now have to keep their home in tip top shape all weekend FOR HER so she can see it on Saturday morning and take her clients on Sunday morning, the most inconvenient time for my people. I WANT to be rude to her so badly, but I'm not going to but it isn't easy. Her voicemail even makes me want to yell and run from her. She is a local realtor and I've never heard of her, I wonder why....;) I think you have the patience of a saint. really. :grouphug: Showing today! both houses, of course. But, hey--if someone buys the other one, at least we don't have to compete with it anymore. But maybe big screen porch and deck will trump granite for these buyers :D honestly, granite is inexpensive and an easy do compared to a big screen porch and a deck - I would always opt for the 'extra' that I didn't really feel like I could live through. Granite is done in a day -- hoping it goes well for you and you get buyers with a brain.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 honestly, granite is inexpensive and an easy do compared to a big screen porch and a deck - I would always opt for the 'extra' that I didn't really feel like I could live through. Granite is done in a day -- hoping it goes well for you and you get buyers with a brain.:grouphug: thanks! And my house is $2000 cheaper right now, so...there's your granite! If I were the buyer the biggest advantage I'd see in their house is the newer windows and roof, really. But it's not like there's anything WRONG with ours; the roof is just 9 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 we had a realtor preview our house once, she walked in (while on a personal phone call) took 2 steps then turned around and left. We wanted so much to yell to her "Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out" On the other hand, we had another realtor preview, she looked thru the entire house, took tons of notes, had her clients come back twice. THey made a offer and then withdrew it when our neighbors house came on the market. But at least the did her job and did bring them to see our house twice,and make an offer even tho it did not work out. This was not the buyers that we had a contract with and they canceled at the 11th hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristyB in TN Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I think you have the patience of a saint. really. :grouphug: honestly, granite is inexpensive and an easy do compared to a big screen porch and a deck - I would always opt for the 'extra' that I didn't really feel like I could live through. Granite is done in a day -- hoping it goes well for you and you get buyers with a brain.:grouphug: Maryanne, You're kind, but I really have no patience. Every time she emails me I scream and tell everyone in the office what she is saying. We all have a mental image of what we think she looks like, my image includes horns. Now she wants to know if we are offering incentives. Well, no. Since the house is only hitting the market this weekend and it is awesome and I'm selling it, I think a commission may be incentive enough for all of us. Really. She is wearing me out. I'm going for a run to clear my head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 It is early in the season, gals. HANG in there! Our market in the greater Dallas area is smokin' hot...we haven't had this much activity in March in the last six years.....so it's coming back. I hope it gets to your neck of the woods mighty fast. I am reading all your posts. I so wish you were in my area, so I could be your realtor...y'all sound like great, hard-working folks to work with! Sending each one of you positive vibes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Sounds like things are picking up for many of you:). Our buyers had their inspection this morning. I was a bundle of nerves, terrified of a long list of things wrong or them backing out altogether. I didn't expect to hear anything today, but our realtor called this afternoon and said the buyers are asking for only 2 things - a home warranty and some minor electrical work (we'd already notified them of an issue in this area saying we'd have it fixed by a contractor). Very minor, inexpensive things, so that was a huge relief! On the buying side we got to pick out all the stuff for our new home, so that was fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 We re-rented ours for the summer. So, we're off the market 'till the fall again. Being a seasonal location, we can break-even or sometimes better by renting for 3-4 months of the year. The downside to that is, as you can imagine, the pool of potential second home buyers isn't unlimited, and the number of lenders willing to lend for a second home...well, let's just say, until settlement is final around here, nothing is a foregone conclusion. Best of luck to everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Maryanne, You're kind, but I really have no patience. Every time she emails me I scream and tell everyone in the office what she is saying. We all have a mental image of what we think she looks like, my image includes horns. Now she wants to know if we are offering incentives. Well, no. Since the house is only hitting the market this weekend and it is awesome and I'm selling it, I think a commission may be incentive enough for all of us. Really. She is wearing me out. I'm going for a run to clear my head! You are more patient than me -- I would have totally blown up at her - in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Whipperwhirl Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 We were getting so close to finishing our painting and DH put his foot through the floor of our attic - arrgh! I dont think we are ever going to get this house listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 It is early in the season, gals. HANG in there! Our market in the greater Dallas area is smokin' hot...we haven't had this much activity in March in the last six years.....so it's coming back. I hope it gets to your neck of the woods mighty fast. I am reading all your posts. I so wish you were in my area, so I could be your realtor...y'all sound like great, hard-working folks to work with! Sending each one of you positive vibes![/QUOTE] That is so nice -- thank you!!!!!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 :cursing::cursing::cursing: Would it be so FREAKING difficult to pick up a phone and say simnply that you aren't coming after all????????? The house was perfect, cookies baked, kids, dog and I went out as we were told (and I spoke personally to the agent as ours is on vacation so I am taking the calls) they were coming between 3 and 4:30. Forget that I woke with a killer migraine -- I slept till 1pm, then the kids and I got it all done. Stayed out till 5:30 -- NO ONE, NOTHING, NOT A PHONE CALL!!!!!!! You know what? It's freaking rude. If your customers don't like the house to even come in, then at least PLEASE run in and leave your card so we know you have been here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sounds like things are picking up for many of you:). Our buyers had their inspection this morning. I was a bundle of nerves, terrified of a long list of things wrong or them backing out altogether. I didn't expect to hear anything today, but our realtor called this afternoon and said the buyers are asking for only 2 things - a home warranty and some minor electrical work (we'd already notified them of an issue in this area saying we'd have it fixed by a contractor). Very minor, inexpensive things, so that was a huge relief! On the buying side we got to pick out all the stuff for our new home, so that was fun. Boy that is a relief. We were getting so close to finishing our painting and DH put his foot through the floor of our attic - arrgh! I dont think we are ever going to get this house listed. oh no!! :grouphug: I know the feeling. Everytime I think we're so close to being finished I discover something else that needs fixing - but a ceiling hole is a big hassle. So sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 :cursing::cursing::cursing: Would it be so FREAKING difficult to pick up a phone and say simnply that you aren't coming after all????????? The house was perfect, cookies baked, kids, dog and I went out as we were told (and I spoke personally to the agent as ours is on vacation so I am taking the calls) they were coming between 3 and 4:30. Forget that I woke with a killer migraine -- I slept till 1pm, then the kids and I got it all done. Stayed out till 5:30 -- NO ONE, NOTHING, NOT A PHONE CALL!!!!!!! You know what? It's freaking rude. If your customers don't like the house to even come in, then at least PLEASE run in and leave your card so we know you have been here. Ugh! So rude! I hate when there's no card...I run all over the house looking for any tiny sign that something's different to confirm that someone was here. Like today...no card, but they left our front door unlocked. :glare: Nothing much to report here. We had another showing this morning, both here and the other house. Our agent reports that the people who looked the other day liked the other house better AND that one person went to look at the other house and didn't even want to see ours. It's the same house! If the new windows and roof were what people were mentioning, I could understand, but every single time it's that stupid granite. It's making me really hate granite and everything associated with it. We're supposed to be putting in the contingent offer on the foreclosure we love today, but I haven't heard from our agent. I suspect this means she has bad news of some sort or another. She doesn't like to give people bad news, I'm starting to gather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Sounds like things are picking up for many of you:). Our buyers had their inspection this morning. I was a bundle of nerves, terrified of a long list of things wrong or them backing out altogether. I didn't expect to hear anything today, but our realtor called this afternoon and said the buyers are asking for only 2 things - a home warranty and some minor electrical work (we'd already notified them of an issue in this area saying we'd have it fixed by a contractor). Very minor, inexpensive things, so that was a huge relief! On the buying side we got to pick out all the stuff for our new home, so that was fun. Yay! That IS a relief! I made the mistake of looking back through our inspection report from when we bought this house, and it terrified me. who knew so many things could be wrong with a house that looked perfectly okay?! We were getting so close to finishing our painting and DH put his foot through the floor of our attic - arrgh! I dont think we are ever going to get this house listed. Oh no! One of those someday you'll look back and laugh things I suppose, but not what you want right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Ugh! So rude! I hate when there's no card...I run all over the house looking for any tiny sign that something's different to confirm that someone was here. Like today...no card, but they left our front door unlocked. :glare: Nothing much to report here. We had another showing this morning, both here and the other house. Our agent reports that the people who looked the other day liked the other house better AND that one person went to look at the other house and didn't even want to see ours. It's the same house! If the new windows and roof were what people were mentioning, I could understand, but every single time it's that stupid granite. It's making me really hate granite and everything associated with it. We're supposed to be putting in the contingent offer on the foreclosure we love today, but I haven't heard from our agent. I suspect this means she has bad news of some sort or another. She doesn't like to give people bad news, I'm starting to gather. Granite? Really? Do they realize it is installed in a day. Your agent needs to point out to people is a REPLACEMENT, i.e., there was something else there and it was replaced with granite. A screened porch and a deck are ADDITIONS. Additions are worth more than replacements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Granite? Really? Do they realize it is installed in a day. Your agent needs to point out to people is a REPLACEMENT, i.e., there was something else there and it was replaced with granite. A screened porch and a deck are ADDITIONS. Additions are worth more than replacements. I know, I know....I don't get it. And when I say they have granite, I mean just that....not that they've done some incredible kitchen renovation that includes granite....they still have very dated oak cabinets (as do we); they have white appliances (we have black, and ours are newer, I think)...but they slapped a granite slab on top of it all, so it's awesome. I guess people don't see granite that much in this price range, so when they do they feel like they're getting a FANCY house? I've kind of given up trying to figure out people today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Granite? Really? Do they realize it is installed in a day. Your agent needs to point out to people is a REPLACEMENT, i.e., there was something else there and it was replaced with granite. A screened porch and a deck are ADDITIONS. Additions are worth more than replacements. I agree... If you want "house beautiful" like in the magazines stop looking at older houses and look at the newly built ones. Why should I pay for someone else's personal tastes? I'm not a contractor or a home decorator, I'm a homeowner. I personally don't care for granite. I think its kind of ugly and higher maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saille Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I personally don't care for granite. I think its kind of ugly and higher maintenance. ME TOO! And MariannNOVA, I heya heya HATE when I can't tell if anyone showed up for the showing. So far, we've had an Open House, to which 9 families came, and four showings, one a second showing for someone who came to the Open House. We have another Open House next Sunday, and *three* showings tomorrow. Please, let somebody make an offer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I know, I know....I don't get it. And when I say they have granite, I mean just that....not that they've done some incredible kitchen renovation that includes granite....they still have very dated oak cabinets (as do we); they have white appliances (we have black, and ours are newer, I think)...but they slapped a granite slab on top of it all, so it's awesome. I guess people don't see granite that much in this price range, so when they do they feel like they're getting a FANCY house? I've kind of given up trying to figure out people today. DH and I walked into a house last summer that did that -- original oak cabinets and granite counters. I know that our agent didn't mean to let it slip out, but he said: 'Like putting lipstick on a pig.':lol::lol::lol: IMO, granite doesn't make a kitchen -- everything has to be well coordinated so someone just slapping on granite, well, it's heavy and a pain to get out of there. I cannot figure out people either -- their lack of critical thinking skills astounds me. I agree... If you want "house beautiful" like in the magazines stop looking at older houses and look at the newly built ones. Why should I pay for someone else's personal tastes? I'm not a contractor or a home decorator, I'm a homeowner. I personally don't care for granite. I think its kind of ugly and higher maintenance. :iagree: I would prefer something besides granite -- we put in granite b/c we knew we were going on the market and did not want to spend the $$$ on white marble or silestone. ME TOO! And MariannNOVA, I heya heya HATE when I can't tell if anyone showed up for the showing. So far, we've had an Open House, to which 9 families came, and four showings, one a second showing for someone who came to the Open House. We have another Open House next Sunday, and *three* showings tomorrow. Please, let somebody make an offer! Good luck with the three showings tomorrow! We have on Open House tomorrow -- dh paid the landscaper $1000. to do the spring property clean up, spread mulch, plant about 100 pansies, and I swear if no one shows up, it is not going to be fun around here tomorrow night.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 Three showings is great, Saille! fingers crossed! I'm so stressed out I'm thinking very seriously of making DH watch Beaches (featuring Bette Midler and a very young Mayim Bialik) with me tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Three showings is great, Saille! fingers crossed! I'm so stressed out I'm thinking very seriously of making DH watch Beaches (featuring Bette Midler and a very young Mayim Bialik) with me tonight. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 The agent who sat for our Open House said it went well. She told me she heard one wife say to her husband (who was complaining about the size of the MBR and MBA): "Honey, we will have to make compromises. We aren't going to get everything we want." I am glad I wasn't here to hear that --- I would have seriously injured myself when I fainted.:glare: And I started a thread about the kids and I sitting and observing a showing from our neighbor's driveway -- I will NEVER do that again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 The agent who sat for our Open House said it went well. She told me she heard one wife say to her husband (who was complaining about the size of the MBR and MBA): "Honey, we will have to make compromises. We aren't going to get everything we want." I am glad I wasn't here to hear that --- I would have seriously injured myself when I fainted.:glare: And I started a thread about the kids and I sitting and observing a showing from our neighbor's driveway -- I will NEVER do that again. Yay--realistic buyers! We're putting in an offer tomorrow on the foreclosure we really, really want. We came up with some creative financing ideas, so that I think we can do it without the contingency and still not go bankrupt if we don't manage to sell this house right away. Worst case scenario, we can look into doing a lease purchase or something here. But this house is enough of a bargain that, if we have it under contract, we should be able to get really aggressive on price here and sell fast. At least that is our hope! We decided we'd be kicking ourselves for decades if we let this slip away, so we're going for it. No feedback yet from yesterday or today's showings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I'll join in on the pity party. Here is our listing. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3705-Wedghill-Way_Fort-Worth_TX_76133_M79021-14193?source=web Thankfully we are no longer living in it, so I don't have to deal with the constant upkeep while showing. My gripe: The people who complain about it needing some updating. Why oh why are you even looking in that neighborhood if you aren't prepared for an older home? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Yay--realistic buyers! We're putting in an offer tomorrow on the foreclosure we really, really want. We came up with some creative financing ideas, so that I think we can do it without the contingency and still not go bankrupt if we don't manage to sell this house right away. Worst case scenario, we can look into doing a lease purchase or something here. But this house is enough of a bargain that, if we have it under contract, we should be able to get really aggressive on price here and sell fast. At least that is our hope! We decided we'd be kicking ourselves for decades if we let this slip away, so we're going for it. No feedback yet from yesterday or today's showings. fingers crossed that you get good feedback and an offer from the showings. And, I think you are doing the right thing as far as not letting the new house get away from you. Sending good thoughts your way!:) I'll join in on the pity party. Here is our listing. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3705-Wedghill-Way_Fort-Worth_TX_76133_M79021-14193?source=web Thankfully we are no longer living in it, so I don't have to deal with the constant upkeep while showing. My gripe: The people who complain about it needing some updating. Why oh why are you even looking in that neighborhood if you aren't prepared for an older home? :confused: People are complaining about the house you sent the listing of???? It looks some comfy and homey. I've had it with people today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 People are complaining about the house you sent the listing of???? It looks some comfy and homey. I've had it with people today! Yep. They should see the house I'm living in right now if they want to see outdated! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runmiarun Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Our painters are almost done painting the interior of the house. Then we have to get the carpet cleaned. DH had to drive down this weekend to put a little bit of furniture in it so we could claim it as a second residence until it sells. He finally saw it "with fresh eyes" and doesn't think it'll sell all that quickly since it needs a lot of work (which I've been telling him for 2 years). A friend called asking if we'd rent it for lower than our mortgage payment since she's in desperate need of a place to live. He's game, I'm not. I don't want to deal with being a out-of-town landlord but she'd at least cover most of the mortgage. Ugh. Plus we've got almost all of the paperwork signed with our realtor so I think we're too far into that process to back out now. His sign goes up April 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runmiarun Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Still no showings. :confused: I had the basement carpets cleaned-- it smells and looks great. Yesterday, I spraypainted the outside light fixtures. What a huge improvement! Today I'm going to clean windows and scrub the garage door. I bought a few pretty things at Pier 1 yesterday. We hung new pictures in the dining room. I think the house is looking quite nice. We'll drop the price $10,000 at the beginning of April. Good luck! Maybe the price drop will attract people. My dad is a realtor in Phoenix and mentioned how aggravated he is with buyers lately. He's turned down 4 because they were demanding so much from the sellers of the house they wanted to look at before they even looked at them. Plus, they all want magazine-spread-worthy houses with foreclosure prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I'll join in on the pity party. Here is our listing. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3705-Wedghill-Way_Fort-Worth_TX_76133_M79021-14193?source=web Thankfully we are no longer living in it, so I don't have to deal with the constant upkeep while showing. My gripe: The people who complain about it needing some updating. Why oh why are you even looking in that neighborhood if you aren't prepared for an older home? :confused: What a beautiful house! I agree. If they want a new house then only look at new houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 You guys are making me afraid to EVER sell our not-quite-right-for-us house! (Not in a frivolous way . . .it's two-story and we have a child in a wheelchair.) If we do get brave, fix up, and list I think it's in the interest of my emotional health to not look at a single 'next house' until ours is no-turning-back sold. I'm exhausted for all of you. I don't think I can live through the process without ending up in an asylum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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