Recent relocaters - give us tips to help sell your home faster (Raleigh: short sale, mortgage)

[mrsjdaniels]

Not the canned answers of 'price it right' or 'be patient'

I am talking did you offer some unique incentive, hold a one day auction, etc...

thanks in advance!

[trmaoy]

Originally Posted by mrjdaniels

Not the canned answers of 'price it right' or 'be patient'

I am talking did you offer some unique incentive, hold a one day auction, etc...

thanks in advance!

I can't help you with selling, but was just curious, how long have you been on the market? I noted you said you were from Detroit. Are you in the city itself or suburbs?

There are threads on the Raleigh forum that you can search where people offered really good tips on getting your house sold. Also, the MI forum has a thread that talks about what you can do if you get a low offer that doesn't cover the full amount that you owe. It's called a "short sale." I don't know how to copy the links but on the Raleigh forum, search "tips for selling your house." On the MI forum search "short sale."

Good luck. I'd like to hear how things go when you finally sell. I'm looking at starting this process soon.

[CouponJack]

Originally Posted by mrjdaniels

Not the canned answers of 'price it right' or 'be patient'

I am talking did you offer some unique incentive, hold a one day auction, etc...

thanks in advance!

The "canned" answer as you call it of price it right is probably the most important factor of selling your home.


Gimmicks for the most part don't work. Sure, Hovanian had their 3 day "fire sale" where they slashed prices to rediculous levels but that was just to raise some cash and dump inventory.


There is no "magic" bullet in selling. Just show/stage your house well, do your due dilligence in hiring a realtor who knows your area and who's been through market dowturns before, & be extremely aggresive in your pricing due to the market conditions today.

[wfpineda]

Watch HGTV. They have excellent ideas on how to stage furniture, add landscaping, remodel, etc. that will not cost you much but will appeal to buyers.

[FLtoNC]

I agree with the price being the most important factor. We tried giving a car to anyone who would buy our house (it was a Mazda Miata convertible with low miles), and this did not work. We put the car out in front of our neighborhood with balloons on it, and painted free car with purchase of house. We did this for our open house, and people still didn't come to look at the house (well 3 people did). Price was the factor that sold our house.

[chaz longue]

Have every document the buyer might want to consult (before writing an offer) available to take away. I'm not talking about flyers with pictures - I'm talking about SPIR, maps, deeds, all disclosures, (was your house built prior to 1978?) tax figures, sample mortgage numbers showing several scenarios...

Leave off-season photos on the kitchen table. Show 'em what your flowers look like, what the maple in the yard looks like in late September, perhaps even a winter photo with some tasteful outdoor lights. Is it Winter now? Do you have a photo of your yard with people happily grillin' and chillin' you could leave out?

De-clutter. Then de-clutter again. Then de-clutter your closets. Then pack what clutter you're not tossing...and store it somewhere else. Yes it's a pain in the ...neck. But clutter turns prospective buyers off faster than you can say "seller's proceeds".

Vanish for showings, turning lights ON and music OFF.

Price it right (if you don't like the CMA your Realtor offers, ask him/her to reimburse you for a HUD short form appraisal out of commission dollars) and you may well get multiple offers which can be quickly addressed to your advantage.

Proof the MLS data sheet carefully. Drop that tape measure...quote town records instead! Spelling counts. Assume your reader doesn't know the neighborhood: Are your driving directions and comments worded ambiguously?

Hope that helps...
David Beckett

[chaz longue]

Have as many excellent still photographs included in your MLS listing as the MLS software will hold. Ours holds 12. If it's possible to place a dozen photos in the MLS and there's only one there...I can only wonder why. Also keep personal items - and personal tastes - out of photos, by removing as much from the rooms as possible before taking the photos. I've seen glamorous old mansions look wretched in photos and I've seen very modest starter homes look warm, elegant and welcoming.

Even decor can be a turnoff. What I think is charming may not charm the buyers...it may keep them from seeing the house at all.

[FortMillBound]

It's the price and cleanliness/uncluttering. If you're not getting showings, you're overpriced. I cut my price three times before traffic picked up and I got an offer. My end price was 20% below the "top" tax value of 2005 of
$520,000 (northern Virginia/DC). I sold in May 2007. The CMA and list price of your competitors is not an indicator of what you can sell for. Theirs hasn't sold either (maybe on the market for months, years at their price). You've got to go way lower than you probably think your home is worth in this market (I sold for $419000 plus $25,000 cash back to the buyer for closing costs/improvements). Ouch!

It killed me to "lose" $100,000 that I thought I'd get out of my house, but I got out before it got really ugly in NoVA. It all depends on how badly you really want to sell. Good luck.

[mrsjdaniels]

thanks D Beckett...your answers were along the lines I was looking for.

I dont have my house on the market YET.
I do watch HGTV.
I do know how to declutter my house.

My home is pottery barn perfect (even with a small child) and all we will have to do is tidy up for company.

I was looking for unique stories that recent relocaters have had in this tough market to close that deal. But thanks to all who responded.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by mrjdaniels

Not the canned answers of 'price it right' or 'be patient'

I am talking did you offer some unique incentive, hold a one day auction, etc...

thanks in advance!

I had the house freshly painted inside and out, bought new appliances, cleaned my grout and bought new carpet. We staged it properly and then we gave the buyers 8,000 in cash to use how ever they wanted.