Help! Bad realtor, great house lowered the price $150,100 how can I market it myself? (Fair Lawn: jumbo loan, how much)

[darylnb]

Sari,

I saw your Virtual Tour in the MLS, I didn't notice it earlier. Just my comment, my impression of your home by looking at pictures and virtual tour is that although the square footage is big, the hallways looked cramped, stairs too near the rooms, it just doesn't look very spacious and too much walls/divider. It just looks like too much house was put in a small lot. I did like the Master BR though, but kitchen looked small. This is just my impression based on the pictures/tour. Hope my comments help you present it better & get it sold sooner.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by sarimcg

Anthony,

I am selling for a multitude of reasons... I gave up many opportunities over the years such as having my own children's television show and doing a children's radio program, doing voiceovers, etc... I haven't been able to have another child because I am doing too many things - owner anad teacher and director of a preschool, illustrating and writing children's books, calligraphy for events, planning fundraisers and a million other things and I am exhausted, my health has been suffering. I really want to have another child and I need to be able to give my children the attention they need. They need a mom who is there emotionally and physically more than they need this big beautiful house. I had no family nearby and my mother in law is getting older and she lives in LBI which is close to Manahawkin. We were told by many realtors that we could get in the 800's or 900's for our house so we thought we could sell our house and move closer to Mom and I could have another baby and not work on anything other than illustrating and writing the children's books, etc... Which is why this is so hard to keep lowering the price because now I am moving from where I love where I was my own boss and I will most likely have to work again. There is no way we will have a house that can compare to this one so I just pray we are doing the right thing. Had we known 5 months ago that we might get in the 650,000 range, we would not have put it on the market. At this point my husband has a new job, my daughter is in school and we have many friends here in LBI but I need to get into a home of my own ASAP.

I love all your reasons for moving. I hope they are still your goal.
When you are old and grey, its not your home you will be thinking about.
It is the things you wanted to do, with the children you wanted to have.
Do what you can to make your life whole. The things you want in life can be had. You may have to compromise on your home issue. Move inland a bit from Mom.......find a more reaonable town. Do the things you love.
Life is short........its your memories that will stay with you forever. Not the material things like your house and car.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Originally Posted by sarimcg

I am desperate!!! My house has been on the market for 5 months. During that time, I have found 14 couples who wanted to purchase my house but could not sell their houses or could not get the financing. I located these people through my own marketing strategies - not my realtors. Over the past 5 months, my realtor has done maybe 10 open houses if that, and advertised in the paper for the first 3 1/2 months , almost every week, but for the last seven weeks, she put one ad in the paper and has not had one open house since July 31st. She claims it is the market and that there are no buyers in the price range of our house. We were told by 12 realtors in April that our house's market value (comparitive to what was on the market) was between $825,000 - $925,000. We put it up for $875,000 .We also had a well known preschool on the entire first floor of our house that I owned for the past twelve years and never advertised. I closed the school but would include it as a turn key business to a qualified person. The area that the school is in is very clean and not cluttered looking, you can see past it being a school and invision it as family space. It could easily be a mother daughter with a separate kitchen or any in home business - it has a separate entrance - or it can be an awesome above grade level finished family room/entertainment area, etc... When the house didn't sell after one month, we lowered the price to $850,000 then to $759,900 now it is at $724,900. We have approximately 1300 more square feet than any other house in town at this price range and it is in completely move in condition. There is NO clutter, the kitchen is brand new - granite, ss appliances,the bathrooms are brand new, all freshly painted, all hardwood floors and mouldings, etc... top of the line everything,the whole house has been redone between 2004 - 2007. We are running out of time for this selling season and I am hoping to get some ideas as to other ways to market it. There was a house across the street that is a typical split level (we are a newly renovated three story house) it was under contract in ONE day!!! Three offers and it sold for $620,000. Another split level house went on the market on our block for $900,000. We have approximately $175,000 more dollars in upgrades than this house. Other than continuing to lower the price to a ridiculous number, what can we do? Our town is wonderful and we live on one of the best streets, very quiet- NYC trans at our corner and a ton of restaurants and ammenities down the block, close to the parks, etc... We moved four months ago and are living with my Mother in Law, running out of savings paying for the mortgage not to live there! Any suggestions?

contact seller helper asap and use a real estate attorney to do the actual sale. save big bucks stop signing long listings, too much commission for too little work.
stephen s
san diego ca

[Roselvr]

I had a longer day then I thought and will try to look at the listing tomorrow. You've gotten a lot of feedback so far, hopefully getting pictures of the area will help everyone understand.

Seriously what I would do after reading the comments... Your contract is almost up, don't give the agent new photos but take them anyway. You need to ditch this agent, hopefully in your contract there is a way out due to non preformance.

I'm over on Route 70, my husband drives to Port Jersey every day to work. You sound like you love the house a lot, and I wonder if your MIL came to live with you in that house if you could some how keep it?

Go to zillow.com, put your addy in and claim your house if you haven't already. Put the new photos there for now while you search for a new agent. I made the decision recently to not renew our contract in part to open house issues. Mine was not reading as open on the MLS nor on realtor.com. We did not have directional signs (you need them) nor helium balloons. Even after I said something to my agent, her assistant still did not bring helium balloons for the 2nd, so it was our last. I will not waste her time or my own trying to have an open house when she is not doing her part. In most towns, open houses do not sell houses, they are a way for agents to get clients. There is the slight chance a buyer will come and if that happens then it is worth it.

I don't know how you feel about living in Browns Mills, but the taxes are very good here. You can still buy a house for a decent price and in some areas have a well (no water bill) with city sewer. If your hubby is working down rt 72, it doesn't take long to drive there.

Try to relax. Selling the house is stressful and to sell in this crummy market is even worst, especially if you are like me and already found the dream home. I wish I could sell...

[Roselvr]

I see I do have it open... the description stinks - get rid of the capital letters - it's a turn off to a buyer. Also fix the errors...

SPECTACULAR 5 BD,3.5 BTH, 3900SQ FT HOME ON QUIET ST ON GLEN ROCK BORDER. EXPANDED & COMPLET.RENOVAT,ATTN TO DETAIL IS A CUT ABOVE. GORGEOUS MBR W/ 11'CATH.CEIL. HW FLRS THRUOUT,STAIN.STEEL APPL,HOT TUB,GRANITE COUNT,2 ZONE C/A, NEW DRIVEWAY, ARE JUST A FEW OF THE LONG LIST OF AMENITIES. NEAR NYC TRANSP & HOUSES OF WORSHIP. GROUND LEVEL IDEAL FOR EXTENDED FAM. ALSO ZONED PROFL USE. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. NOT AHOME TO BE MISSED!


The main photo is bad - why are they only showing part of the house? How come there is no lot size? I'm also not nuts that the agent is using all caps for everything else also - do they not know how to take the cap lock key off?

From what I do see, it looks like a beautiful house. Love the kitchen!

[Summering]

I agree, the Main photo of the home is not good.
I changed my photo once, showing the depth and a different direction and it got me a buyer. The photographer was not a happy camper about coming back to take it.
They need more outside photos in your video. Your yard? Pictures surrounding the home outside.....at all angles.
I'd change one thing, and I only looked very quickly. I'd take that large dresser out that is blocking the arched window in the Master Bedroom. Take that out, and open the curtains to each side at least. To show off that beautiful window. I'd never block a window like that. Open it up, let it show, and let the light in.
But, you seem to have realtor problems. Why are there so many who just get a listing and forget the rest. Or get a sale and forget to continue onward. That bothers me, it happens far to often. People are not standing for it, they use too, but they are not now.

[JCParalegal]

Originally Posted by sarimcg

But if you are saying it looks more appealing, then maybe we do need to change our pictures and put some sizes of our rooms in.

You also need to list ALL of the things (like the hot tub, decks, etc) that make your house so special, AND put photos of all these fabulous things up.

Roselvr is right about the spelling and all caps thing. It makes it look like a 12 year old on AOL prepared the listing.

Asking what resources for selling a broker has available to them is something that needs to be done before you give them the listing. Your broker could do a commission split with a buyers agent. See if your listing agreement addresses this.

I know a lot of brokers in Hudson County, and every single one of them pimps all of their properties like crazy. I can honestly say I have never met a broker who doesn't.

[sarimcg]

I think my realtor is a 12 year old in a 45 year old body! Bunky39 - what is Seller Helper? I agree about the caps. Everyone is really giving me some good things to consider and work towards - thanks. The window that you mentioned Summering - we have 6 of those beautiful windows upstairs! I will open it up for a picture. My realtor keeps telling me we are limited to the amount of photos we can use on the sites we are on. We are on Zillow already but some of the Zillow info is wrong. Their tax info and original info on the house isn't accurate. We were on Craigslist as well. Does anyone know any other free websites that I can put a listing and some pics? I'm going back on Saturday to do my own Open House. I think my realtor spent all her time this summer in the tanning salon and at the beach. I am going to try to get new pictures on the mls. I'll let you know when I succeed - please check the site to give new feedback on the pictures! There are all those other reasons we are selling as well as the mother in law. She wouldn't leave her house anyway! Thanks again for all the feedback. At least I feel proactive in trying to come up with ideas to sell it instead of sitting around complaining that my realtors not!

[Roselvr]

How long is the contract for? You don't seem willing to think about canning the agent even though they aren't doing their job. May I ask why?

Think of it this way, if you put the new pictures up now with this agent, the contract expires in a few weeks. The next agent has to take new photos. What if the landscaping isn't as good? What if they take similar shots to what you will get this weekend?

Changing agents and using almost the same photos or the same ones will not make the listing appear new. People watching your house that have no walked it will wait until you come down more in price because they now think you are getting desperate.

This agent is not doing you any favors.

[sarimcg]

The conttract ends October 25th but I am afraid that will be too late in the selling season. I am going to see how to go about breaking the contract. I am hesitant to go with another agent for fear it will be the same thing all over again - all talk and promises and then put it on the MLS and wait for someone else to sell it! And then get stuck for another 3 - 6 month contract. I am almost ready to try FSBO again since I got so many more potential buyers that way in the beginning. As to people thinking we are desperate, the realtor already blew that one - in her last ad July 29th the title read - DESPERATE SELLERS. How's that for marketing? One realtor wanted to buy the house himself when it was at 875,000 but he could only afford 700,000 - I just spoke with him and he just bought a house last month for 700,000 - UGH!!!