Can't sell house in Blue Ridge, WHAT GIVES?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

It only takes one buyer. Your open house is also a good way to get FEEDBACK. And when the people say they "love it" then it's the agent's job to turn around and then say, "THEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE AN OFFER?"
If they say no, then there is obviously some objection. It is the agent's job to then find out what the objections are if they have to pry it out of them.

Any realtor worth their salt will tell you that a very small number of houses are sold at open houses. Buyers do not want the owner or the seller's agent in the house when they look. They want to schedule an appointment and look around without being watched or overheard. That's why you should always leave when a showing is scheduled.

You get the feedback from the buyer's agent. You don't get honest feedback face to face at an open house. Our agent used a computerized system to schedule viewing appointments and get feedback.

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

Anybody who says an open house is useless, has not been using open houses properly or has not given the property adequate exposure to drive traffic to the open house.

Your opinion but not that of me or my agent, who was the top selling agent in our area for about 15 years and who sold our house in 13 days, for over asking price, with 3 offers bidding.

[Ollie1946]

Mountain properties are usually second homes. Second homes are not moving. Primary homes are moving slow enough in many markets including Florida. many of the new folks in North Ga come from Florida. That flow has eased off as people have lost their savings, their jobs, their investments and on and on. We are in the middle of a disaster. A catastrophe. Our government continues to dig the hole deeper. You need to arrange your affairs around the possibility that you cannot sell the house period. Or, you might have to sell it for what you still owe on it though it may be an upside down mortgage (probably). I doubt there is anything wrong with the house, the location or even your realtor. Realtors are in shock. They have never lived through a down market. This market is not only down, it is obliterated. If you must be out from under the mortgage, then it might come at a terrible cost to your credit rating. I wish you well. But I think you must be realistic as to the conditions we are in. I used to live in the Hiawassee area. I occasionally look at prices there--Towns County and I must say I am amazed that houses for sale are still asking fantasyland prices. There are very few qualified buyers who can get mortgage loans. A lot of mortgage companies are not terribly enthusiastic about second/vacation homes.

[marmac]

Originally Posted by gamntn757

Thank you for all your help.
The house was appraised in January, before it went on the market, and we priced it about $100K less than what they said. Since no one has even looked at it, we lowered the price two times and are considering lowering it a third (to around 380) and trying a different agent/company. It is the second lowest priced home in the neighborhood, but the one lower than mine has significantly less square footage and doesn't have a view.

Looks like I may be "up in the mountains" longer than I wanted. I guess these days you don't make money on a home, but rather try to minimize the loss as much as possible.

Thanks again for the help. At this point, I'm open to all suggestions..

--" I guess these days you don't make money on a home--"

Yup, there is a reason home builders aren't buying up lots and building like crazy these days.

[MoreCowbell]

If the house is still on the market (and I hope it isn't) have you thought about having it staged? Since you are going for an upscale market, especially if your home will most likely sell as a vacation home, making it look GORGEOUS inside and outside is really important, as is highlighting features (such as awesome views)...staging is all about showing the home's potential and appealing to most buyers or the kind of buyers you're likely to attract. HGTV has a couple of shows on the subject, The Stagers is my favorite, and there are several full episodes on their website. Watching them would really help you get a feel for what buyers look for. Main things are fairly neutral colors on the walls, NO CLUTTER, no pets, and minimal furniture (but enough) that will show buyers what they can do with the home and what each area "is", like the dining area, etc.
Oh, and I agree with everyone that you need to get a different agent, one that works in the upscale/vacation homes market.
Good luck!