Joyfullyblessed Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hello, We have had our house on the market for one month now and have only received one call and one showing the whole time. We are baffled! Homes in our area are definitely selling and selling well. We have dropped the price quite a bit already, but still nothing. Our home is in multiple listings, photographed well, in a great location, etc... We do have a contract on another home, but it is contingent upon us selling this house. We are keeping the house crazy clean, have done many repairs and home improvements, and are keeping the yard looking nice. It seems we are doing everything we need to do and yet no calls are coming in on the house. :( How can we get a contract if we can't even get people to look at the house??? Anyway, does anyone have any great ideas or tips that we may be overlooking? Our agent doesn't like open houses because she says they don't really work. That is fine, but we need to know what does work. Thanks so much and have a great day!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Beshears Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Would you be brave enough to post a link to your listing so we can look at photos? We have flipped houses for years, mostly those that we have lived in, and staging your house is really key. Good to hear that you are keeping it clean- that's really important. Here's some staging tips: http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/15-secrets-to-selling-your-home/pictures/index.html If houses in your area are selling and you aren't getting showings- something is either wrong with what people are seeing in the photos on your listing or your price is still too high... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Our agent doesn't like open houses because she says they don't really work. That is fine, but we need to know what does work. Please tell me she means a public open house, and not the realtor one. In our old town, where we sold our last two houses, they do realtor open houses every other week. This is when the realtors go to all the houses that have gone up for sale since the last realtor open house. The realtors give input on price, condition, etc, and become familiar with your home so they can recommend it to their clients for a showing. Within days of the open houses, with both of our sales, our showings went up, and we had offers to consider. I know they do something similar in the town we live in now. Even if they don't, where you live, there is no reason your realtor can't do one for you, sending out invites to all the realtors in town (not just the ones at their brokerage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 how many photos do you have up? Do you have ones of your kitchen, bathrooms and yard, also family room. I am looking at houses online and if there are no pix of kitchen or yard, I pass it by. I personally don't care to see pictures of furniture which is what most pictures of bedrooms seem to be. I especially want to see a couple or more photos of the back yard when I am looking online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 What does your agent think is the issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfullyblessed Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Thanks for the quick responses. I do not feel comfortable showing the link on here, but I will post some of the pictures we used later today. I am about to head out in a few minutes. The pictures are pretty good overall. There are 22 photos and the only rooms not shown are the 1/2 bath and our laundry room, everything else is shown. We have several of our backyard too because it could be a great selling point. There are two of our kitchen. We have tons of cabinets in our kitchen which shows great storage. Our agent was referring to a public open house, but I know that my husband mentioned the realtor open house too because I had brought that up as well. I think we will mention that idea again because it sounds very smart. Thanks again and I will try to post pictures later when I get back. Hope I can remember how! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfullyblessed Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Oh, and the agent hasn't offered up much which is frustrating. We are the ones who have been trying to figure out things to get the house shown. She just seems to be doing whatever we say without any other beneficial input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Oh, and the agent hasn't offered up much which is frustrating. We are the ones who have been trying to figure out things to get the house shown. She just seems to be doing whatever we say without any other beneficial input. Do you have a contract with her? Maybe it's time to get a different agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I think the realtor open house would be very helpful! Are your kitchen and bathrooms updated? Not just clean, but newer fixtures, etc.? (I don't mean brand new, but not 20+ years old). If other homes in your area have nicer, newer kitchens and bathrooms that could be a reason people aren't looking at yours. Also, are the photos good quality and are there photos of all the rooms and the yard, front and back? If you have nice features, such as a covered deck or patio, definitely have photos of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Honestly, I would have thought her marketing strategy would have been part of her proposal to secure you as clients. We had three agents do proposals for us last time. The proposals included marketing strategies, comps, and guidance on what they thought we needed to do to make our home marketable. I would be very frustrated with your agent at this point. I would not just keep lowering the price either. You may need to wait out the contract, and start from scratch, with an agent with a good marketing plan (in writing!), if this agent doesn't start marketing your house (which is more than making sure it's listed in the MLS!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 The realtors here call the realtor open house a caravan. One day each week realtors will take turns showcasing houses up for sale. Anyone can caravan around to look at the houses to see if they match potential clients. I would also see if your home has an MLS listing and then if it is on the realtor.com website and other websites that show homes for sale. We did much of our shopping online first before giong to look at homes IRL. If your realtor is not much help, then I agree. I would look at breaking the contract. Or, call the head of the company (the broker??) she works for and share your concerns. They get commission off her sales as well and if she isn't promoting, then they are not making money, or a good reputation, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 The problem we are facing, is bathrooms and some kitchen upgrades. We are asking ourselves if we want to put in 15K-20K in upgrades just to *try* to sell a house that might not sell and we are stuck with having spent all that money. It is a very difficult decision. Dawn I think the realtor open house would be very helpful! Are your kitchen and bathrooms updated? Not just clean, but newer fixtures, etc.? (I don't mean brand new, but not 20+ years old). If other homes in your area have nicer, newer kitchens and bathrooms that could be a reason people aren't looking at yours. Also, are the photos good quality and are there photos of all the rooms and the yard, front and back? If you have nice features, such as a covered deck or patio, definitely have photos of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Have your realtor host a realtor open house (offer to make cookies & serve drinks!) and make sure to run comparables to see if your price is in line with the market. Here having your home pre-inspected is a bonus as well (people leave the inspections out for showings). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 1. Tell your agent if she doesn't hold an open house, that you will show to any drive by people that are interested.... 2. CURB APPEAL usually does the trick. Plant pretty flowers, have your front yard (and back) perfect, beds clear of weeds, plants nicely trimmed. Put a kick plate on your front door (shiny!). Also make sure your house is clean (ex. vinyl is power washed). 3. Also, start packing and get clutter out of the way, and put boxes in an out of the way place (garage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfullyblessed Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 Thanks for all the input. We have talked about getting a new agent, but we have signed a 4 month contract with her. We can get out of it and also remove our listing for $50.00, but we have the contract on the other house which we really want to keep in tact. Our kitchen and bathrooms are a bit outdated, but we cannot put thousands of dollars into upgrading right now. Everything looks nice and our price reflects the outdated looks in the kitchen and bathrooms. We are not talking 20 year old outdates either, probably about 11-12 years. On the up side our home has been newly painted on the exterior, brand new architectural roof, new water heater, newer A/C units, brand new top of the line storm doors and entry door handles and locks, plus more. If we can just get people in to see all of this, I think the house would sell quickly. We are also on a cul-de-sac which is a huge plus for most people. The realtor open house really does sound like a promising idea. I have thought about even posting on Facebook, but I am not sure about that. One of my husbands friends is a real estate agent and post his listings on Craigslist. Again, I am not sure about that idea and the safety involved. Our realtor did not go over a marketing strategy with us aside from telling us what she would price it at, putting the sign in the yard, and printing some flyers that are placed on the inside of our home. When we drive around we tend to like picking up a flyer from the yard, but our realtor says that is not something she likes to do. She has a number on her sale sign and relies on that. Problem is that it is getting no hits. We also have a sign at the front of our neighborhood letting people driving by know that there is a home for sale. We can only put it out from 6PM on Friday to before 9AM on Monday or else the city will come by and pick it up. We just think that the longer it sits, the worse odds we have of selling. Anyway, thanks again for all the input. I am still not sure what we are going to do, but I do know that I am going to do everything possible to try and sell our home, with or without our realtor's help. The one showing we have had received incredible comments. The agent said that the house showed perfectly and that everything was just beautiful. That was wonderful to hear. We have greatly decluttered, put stuff into a rented storage room, de-personalized all rooms and it really did pay off. However, we need more people to see that. I have tried posting pics, but I obviously don't know what I am doing. Thanks again for the help. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Read through her ad and compare that to those of other homes for sale. Is the listing accurate? Does it fail to mention any key features? I would also check zillow, realtor.com and other on line sites to make sure your home is listed and properly. Sometimes a tiny error in the listing can keep away a lot of buyers. We bought a house that likely was the most dated of all we looked at (everything original 20 years old) BUT the flow of the house was exactly what we needed--along with the 5 acres for our horses. For us, the teal carpet and purple living room didn't matter that much as we knew we could easily change that. Floor plan though is much more difficult. I would also make sure your home is priced in line with what others similar are SELLING for. We offered full price on this home just hours after it hit the market as it fit our needs and was priced right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Perhaps your original price was too high. That tends to be the problem most often in a situation like yours. Many people don't want to do renovations, especially if it will be involving multiple rooms. You mentioned that the kitchen and bathrooms all need to be redone. That can be too much for a lot of people. If it were only that the kitchen needed new appliances, or maybe that one at room needed to redone, then buyers might not mind. However when too many rooms need to redone, you might need to lower the price a lot more to convince people to buy your house. Many people just want a move in ready house, not a fixer upper. Are your paint colors neutral? Unpopular paint color is also a common reason a house doesn't sell. Personally, I doubt this has anything to do with your realtor. I agree that hosting open houses generally doesn't help sell houses. Everyone searches on the internet and can see the pictures. You don't need to host open houses IMO. One more thing, do you have your price just above a commonly searched amount? For example, many people do a search for $150,000 or some other value that ends in the $50,000 or an even 100,000 number. If you have your house priced at $155,000, then you will be missing a lot of buyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 We've been house-hunting this summer, and we've seen many, many "staged" and "renovated" houses that look like garbage. I hate the whole concept. I see two things wrong with it: (1) Once the sellers decide to sell their home, they no longer really care about it in a deep way. They make quick, inexpensive repairs to make the house show better, but they don't care that much if a floor gets knicked or a mirror gets scratched. They won't be there much longer. (2) The seller's vision of what is going to attract buyers might be very different from what the actual buyer really wants. I want the fun of choosing my own colors and materials. I definitely don't want to have to redo a room that has just been painted and floored in colors that won't work for me. So I urge you to not try to make quick upgrades, hoping to attract a buyer. Maybe you could offer a decorating allowance? About open houses: Ask your realtor to hold them, and often! Someone -- who might not take the trouble to set up an appointment to view your house with a realtor -- might wander into your open house out of curiosity and decide they really like the place a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Thanks for all the input. We have talked about getting a new agent, but we have signed a 4 month contract with her. We can get out of it and also remove our listing for $50.00, but we have the contract on the other house which we really want to keep in tact. Our kitchen and bathrooms are a bit outdated, but we cannot put thousands of dollars into upgrading right now. Everything looks nice and our price reflects the outdated looks in the kitchen and bathrooms. We are not talking 20 year old outdates either, probably about 11-12 years. I agree that putting money into upgrades is wasted. There is nothing wrong with 12 year old stuff. On the up side our home has been newly painted on the exterior, brand new architectural roof, new water heater, newer A/C units, brand new top of the line storm doors and entry door handles and locks, plus more. Has your realtor highlighted these things in the listing? If we can just get people in to see all of this, I think the house would sell quickly. We are also on a cul-de-sac which is a huge plus for most people. The times when we bought a home (2 in the last 2 years), we did extensive internet research FIRST. If the listing looked bad online, but we thought it could be promising, then we would do a drive-by and look. We actually only went into a few homes when looking to buy. We eliminated a LOT by using the online listings and drive-by method. So I recommend making sure your online listing is as perfect as you can get it and the curb appeal is there. (I don't care much about curb appeal--I'm more interested in location). About curb appeal...clean, weed-free lawn, edged, mowed, tidy looking. To me, tidy is more important than flowers and such. The realtor open house really does sound like a promising idea. I have thought about even posting on Facebook, but I am not sure about that. One of my husbands friends is a real estate agent and post his listings on Craigslist. Again, I am not sure about that idea and the safety involved. When we were selling last year, we listed on Craigslist. Time and time again we got people who acted interested, wasted our time with a showing, and it turns out they wanted owner financing or wanted to rent. Craigslist does NOT (for the most part) get you a buyer. Our realtor did not go over a marketing strategy with us aside from telling us what she would price it at, putting the sign in the yard, and printing some flyers that are placed on the inside of our home. When we drive around we tend to like picking up a flyer from the yard, but our realtor says that is not something she likes to do. She has a number on her sale sign and relies on that. Problem is that it is getting no hits. Be demanding. We had to be with our agent. I even went so far as to do up our own flyers because hers looked like garbage. I would tell her what pics to put online, which ones to take off, wording to use...everything. Our agent was a lot like yours. Signs need to be placed at major intersections nearby (if it is allowed) and a box MUST go out front with PROFESSIONAL looking flyers! We went through over 50 flyers on our last sale and that is how we ended up getting a showing that led to a sale...the flyer. We also have a sign at the front of our neighborhood letting people driving by know that there is a home for sale. We can only put it out from 6PM on Friday to before 9AM on Monday or else the city will come by and pick it up. That stinks. We just think that the longer it sits, the worse odds we have of selling. Anyway, thanks again for all the input. I am still not sure what we are going to do, but I do know that I am going to do everything possible to try and sell our home, with or without our realtor's help. Yes, the longer it sits, the more people will think that something is wrong with it. Pricing is SO important!!! If you have already lowered your price within the first month, it shows desperation. I think you need to hold tight where you are, do research of your own, get comps for recent sales, become knowledgeable about what is going on in the local market. The more you know, the more you can direct the agent. Look at MLS listings every.single.day. 15 minutes of research daily will give you a great picture at the local market within just a few weeks or a month. The one showing we have had received incredible comments. The agent said that the house showed perfectly and that everything was just beautiful. That was wonderful to hear. We have greatly decluttered, put stuff into a rented storage room, de-personalized all rooms and it really did pay off. However, we need more people to see that. I have tried posting pics, but I obviously don't know what I am doing. Thanks again for the help. :) I know the situation is frustrating because you already have a contract on another home. But honestly, in 30 days if you've not received any good solid leads on a sale, perhaps you should let the contract go on the other house, fire your agent, and get someone who will work for the commission! I've had 2 very, very good agents who worked hard and one like yours (and one I won't even talk about...lol). The difference is night and day. Selling homes isn't easy like it used to be. There is so much out there and people can be much more choosy now. When we sold a house 2 years ago, it took 18 months to sell (we were in a tiny, isolated community...and that was average for that particular area). This last year, our southern Arizona home sold in 9.5 months. Time...selling takes time. :grouphug: I'm sorry...I know how it is when you are ready to go and you have to sit and wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfullyblessed Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) Wow, thanks again for the great responses! :) As far as our kitchen and baths being "outdated", please let me clarify that they are not bad at all. It is just that they don't have brand new appliances, granite countertops, etc... Everything is in great condition though in all of the rooms. Plus, things are very clean. I know that this has to be somewhat important because as my husband and I have looked at other homes any that were dirty, cluttered, or had icky smells were ones we couldn't get out of fast enough. It really makes a difference when walking into a clean home even if it is slightly outdated as opposed to one that has not been kept up well. Our home is move in ready and would not need immediate work unless someone just had to have granite countertops, etc... Plus, I did also think about how many people like to come in and make a home their own by putting their own stamp on it. It was interesting to read that someone else felt that way as well. :) I think we will get some flyers for the front of the house. It sure can't hurt! I appreciate the opinion on Craigslist. It just confirms my thoughts on it not being a great idea. As far as pricing, I totally believe that ours was overpriced at the beginning. I think that has hurt us a bit and that is why we have dropped the price now quite a bit. I feel that we are finally at the proper price point for the homes in our area. Oh, and yes, all the improvements to the home are listed on the listing. Our neighbors put their house on the market two weeks prior to ours going up and received a contract within the first week. However, they did price theirs low to begin with. They are still getting hits on the house though whereas ours is not. We have to figure out the why behind this happening. Thanks to everyone again for all the helpful input. :) Edited July 7, 2012 by Joyfullyblessed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I would mention your house of facebook. Maybe one of your friends has always liked your home, but hadn't realized you were selling. ETA: Selling your home is not a good time for privacy. Let anyone and everyone know; more potential buyers that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 It still sounds, at least to me, that your realtor is not doing any active marketing (putting her phone number on the sign is standard practice, not active marketing, as is ensuring it is listed in the mls, as well as on other listing services). Push the two types of open houses. If she does them but doesn't give full effort, you really need to consider talking to her broker. She is supposed to be making every reasonable effort to market and sell your home. That is what you are paying her for when it sells. You should NOT have to make flyers for the front yard, she NEEDS to do that, and stop giving you excuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 As far as pricing, I totally believe that ours was overpriced at the beginning. I think that has hurt us a bit and that is why we have dropped the price now quite a bit. I feel that we are finally at the proper price point for the homes in our area. Oh, and yes, all the improvements to the home are listed on the listing. Our neighbors put their house on the market two weeks prior to ours going up and received a contract within the first week. However, they did price theirs low to begin with. They are still getting hits on the house though whereas ours is not. We have to figure out the why behind this happening. Thanks to everyone again for all the helpful input. :) I think this is important. We looked at a many houses when we were searching last year and many were just placed over the market. The one we bought was listed over night and by noon we had our offer in and it was accepted by 1pm. This house though was priced very fairly for the market. We didn't haggle on the price as it was listed for what it was worth. Honestly, if they had listed it for quite a bit more than it was worth we might not have even looked at it. I also agree with making sure the online stuff is as accurate as possible and has lots of great pictures. When we see one without pictures of kitchen, bathroom, main rooms, etc. we wonder what might be wrong with those areas. Make sure the listing highlights that it is CLEAN and well maintained. Ask your agent about the cost of offering a home warranty with the house. It might attract more buyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratford Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 We were in a similar situation when we sold our last house a few years ago. (Realtor not doing much in the way of marketing, house showed great but nobody saw it, etc.) After a painfully slow 3 months, we fired our realtor, who we found through our relocation company, and hired one that was recommended to us by several people who had sold homes with him. Our new realtor was great and marketed our house like crazy. We had a contract within the month. Good luck, I know that selling a house is stressful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Our realtor did not go over a marketing strategy with us aside from telling us what she would price it at, putting the sign in the yard, and printing some flyers that are placed on the inside of our home. When we drive around we tend to like picking up a flyer from the yard, but our realtor says that is not something she likes to do. She has a number on her sale sign and relies on that. Problem is that it is getting no hits. If it helps? The house we bought didn't have paper in front and it didn't cause us to buy one of the houses that DID have paper instead of it. The primary means I used to find a house was searching online in our favored area for certain stats and then driving by the houses to cut out ones that clearly did not work from the outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 One more thing, do you have your price just above a commonly searched amount? For example, many people do a search for $150,000 or some other value that ends in the $50,000 or an even 100,000 number. If you have your house priced at $155,000, then you will be missing a lot of buyers. One reason for this search is that most search engines don't let you choose your own range to search in -- you have to use their numbers. So the top of our range was $135K. We wanted to look to $140K but had to run a search to $150K and ignore the houses that were above our price range because that was the only option given on one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Are you right at the edge of a price range? Maybe going down a tiny bit will get more people in to see it. Double-check the MLS listing to be sure it's accurate. (For one of our houses, the MLS used outdated photos, despite the agent having taken new ones, and I had to request specifically that he use the new ones.) If you have special requests, like 24-hour notice, maybe remove them. Are people still offering assistance to the buyers with their closing costs? That might be one option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 You mentioned that the updating to the kitchen and baths were mainly pricey - granite and appliances. Are there any little things that you can do? Does the bathroom have wallpaper? If so, try removing it and painting with a neutral color (not necessarily white but maybe taupe, beige, gray, etc.). Drawer pulls also help in updating as well as light fixtures. Go to the realtor's site or realtor.com (or zillow) and search the houses in your area that are the same price as yours. Are they larger? If so, you may be overpriced. Sometimes people search for houses in an area, but typically they are looking at houses that are within a certain price in certain areas. If you are over the "hot" price range, it will take time. You neighbor may have priced in the range that is the most popular for your area. We just finished house-hunting. If you want to PM me the link to your house I will honestly tell you my impression and any ideas that I have. Sometimes things just take time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I just want to second the idea of decluttering as much as possible. Even if you think you're decluttered, even doing a little more can help. Also have you checked to see what the ACTUAL selling prices have been for homes in your area? My mom and dad were getting ready to sell their house, and before even contacting a realtor he offered it to a guy he met at the YMCA (random guy) for a certain price. I quickly went to Zillow and determined comparable houses in their neighborhood were selling for 30K more than he had offered the guy! And the guy had already rushed over with his wife to see the house and really liked it! EGADS. So I said just tell him you need to at least offer it to all your family members at that price before anyone else, and that he was a little premature etc. Anyway they did end up selling for an additional 30K. (and no I did not take a commission! :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Be careful about using Zillow for comparable prices. Zillow is unreliable. OP what has sold in the last 3 months? Have your realtor do a comparables search of similar sized and aged homes in a 1 or 2 mile radius from you. What do you see? You'll need to be priced a bit over those sold prices. The rule of thumb is if you are on the MLS and getting no showings, you are too high. If you get showings and no offers, you are too high. Starting off too high is a listing killer. I pay more to have 'showcase' listings at Realtor.com for my clients. It does seem to attract a few more calls. Beautiful photos are a plus. I have flyers IN my listings not out front because I want interested parties to CALL me. (and I answer my phone!) I can engage them in conversation that way. Flyers in the listing are for potential buyers to take with them so they remember your home. I tell my clients that every house needs a WOW factor. Your cul de sac is a good thing...go around your house and list all the best features. You did that up thread, but I've taken two phone calls since I read it. Make sure those things are photographed well and showcased online. I do public open houses. In my pre-real estate days, I purchased a house I saw at an open. I tell my clients now that an open house brings fresh energy to the listing...often within three weeks of the open we have a contract. Shrugs...conincidence??? Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Be careful about using Zillow for comparable prices. Zillow is unreliable. I find Zillow can be unreliable in their estimates of what surrounding properties can be worth. However in terms of actual recent sales, they were spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Zillow is TOTALLY unreliable. It said our house was worth waaaaay more than it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfullyblessed Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Hello Everyone, I thought this post wasn't receiving any more response until I just checked it this morning. :) Just an update: we ended up having to remove our home from the market right now because my husband was laid off from his job just recently. We are going to re-list whenever he gets another job and we will be using a different agent. Right now the priority has shifted from selling our home and getting into another one, to making sure my husband has a job. Our attitude is very good and our faith is strong. We see exciting things in our future and we know that God is in control. Thanks so much for all the helpful advice. It is greatly appreciated! Everyone have a wonderful day! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Sorry to hear about your husband's job loss. Better now than when just getting in to a new house as a different job might change your needs a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I think the realtor open house would be very helpful! Are your kitchen and bathrooms updated? Not just clean, but newer fixtures, etc.? (I don't mean brand new, but not 20+ years old). If other homes in your area have nicer, newer kitchens and bathrooms that could be a reason people aren't looking at yours. Also, are the photos good quality and are there photos of all the rooms and the yard, front and back? If you have nice features, such as a covered deck or patio, definitely have photos of those. I agree. You need fantastic photos that show a light, bright, home. It needs to be impeccably eat-off-any-surface clean at all times. No pets (send them to Grandma's while on the market). Replace small things like old, shabby faucets, if you have them, because that's cheap. You can do things like that for 50 bucks. Keep updating, painting, or replacing small items until the house sells. If all else fails, reface the kitchen cabinets to make it all look brand new. Or new vanities with granite tops are not that expensive anymore. That's my plan. I always make it as perfect as possible, and then keep improving until I get a sale. Sorry, I just saw the job loss situation. I pray he gets a great job quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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