Selling and Buying....when to panic??? (wood floors, for sale, rent)

[DMBFan]

We are trying to sell our starter home Moderator cut: removed and are hoping to buy a new construction currently in the process of being built (slated for a early June 08 finish). We have had over 17 showings (only one a 2nd showing) and still not even a bite. All of the comments are great about the interior of the house....but we keep getting comments about not having a fence, not having a garage, not being close enough to RTP. Most of the comments are things which a realtor or the buyers themselves should know if they are doing their research about our house. We are getting really anxious about whether or not our house will even sell in time to purchase our new home (we need the money from the sell for our down payment).

My real question is.....when do we start to panic??? It is definitely a buyer's market, but why are people so picky about a house not having a fence when you can EASILY have one installed ( we are willing to offer up to 4k in negotiations) and if they are pleased with the inside of the house. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a lot easier to deal with installing a fence, than to have to repaint the whole interior, or install all new flooring, or change the layout of a house. We've had nothing but great comments on the interior, which is really all we can control.

We're just at our wits end. BTW the house has been on the market for approximately 40 days.

[MikeJaquish]

Panic is not productive.

40 days is not a long time.

Many Buyers don't have the cash to install a fence.
There are many Buyers at your price point who have hopes of 100% funding, and just don't have a few thousand bucks to put into a fence.

And a lot of feedback has trumped up reasons not to buy, just to offer something.

People will look at homes outside their driving range, hoping to see a great deal that justifies the longer commute. Then use the commute as the reason when the house just doesn't click for them.

I sympathize with you.
Selling can be stressful, especially when it is linked to another event, like a new home.

[saturnfan]

Originally Posted by MikeJaquish

Panic is not productive.

40 days is not a long time.

Many Buyers don't have the cash to install a fence.
There are many Buyers at your price point who have hopes of 100% funding, and just don't have a few thousand bucks to put into a fence.

And a lot of feedback has trumped up reasons not to buy, just to offer something.

People will look at homes outside their driving range, hoping to see a great deal that justifies the longer commute. Then use the commute as the reason when the house just doesn't click for them.

I sympathize with you.
Selling can be stressful, especially when it is linked to another event, like a new home.

Great analysis.

Some folks just want a graceful exit as you described.

[tluv00]

You pretty much answered your own question...you don't have a garage, you are far from RTP (gas is getting more and more expensive) and you don't have a fence which to me may say something about your neighbors. Take that into consideration. Are your neighbors really close? Do you not have enough privacy? why would someone "need" a fence on your lot?

[sneezecake]

That's exactly right what people have said above - the justification process. We've looked at homes that weren't ideal "on paper" for us - not enough bedrooms, too small of a master bedroom, no fence, yadda yadda yadda, but we look because we want to see if there's something...ANYTHING about the house that is simply irreplaceable and would motivate us to compromise.

We are not even considering homes without garages, but if my realtor showed me a listing that had the most beautiful kitchen and master bedroom I'd ever seen, and the price on the property was good, I'd give it a look. If we decide that we cant live without those positive features, maybe we consider building a garage, using a carport, or street parking as a compromise...just in the same way people look at homes above their price range - if they HAVE to have it, they'll find a way to overlook the negatives.

[playnice]

Do not panic. That will not help anything. 40 days on the market is not a long time nowadays anyhow. Just keep doing what you are doing (and do not install a fence), it well sell.....eventually.

I will agree that feedback does indeed seem to be a joke.

[coltank]

Buyers are always looking for a way to eliminate your home from their search not a reason to include it. Many of these people may not have been in a real position to buy anyway. My sister has her home for sale, and the first people to view it wanted a pool and a screened porch, and then it came out that they haven't even sold their current home.

[ferro28]

Could never understand some things about selling either. My house was for sale in 2005.... for 6 months! In pristine condition, close to RTP, 2 acres, new paint, wood floors, new carpet, etc, etc, everything fixed, spruced up before sale inc. landscaping, siding.... got 100+ people looking- approx 97% said great home BUT: (3200 sq ft home)

1. wished the island had a sink rather than stovetop
2. too small a neighborhood (you didn't know that before you came?)
3. too small den
4. don't like open kitchen to den
5. living room too small
6. don't want the decorative pond (less than 1ft deep, could fill it with dirt at my expense- no deal)
7. too many trees- will bring bugs
8. didn't want the attic finished- need it for storage

I bought this house because my buyers broker suggested this model would sell the fastest... my other homes sold in a day, and 1 month- but that was in NY.

Eventually I sold- to someone who had seen it weeks before and never left a comment.... go figure... I rent now

You just have to hang in there and hope for the right buyer. Good luck!

[Funky Chicken]

I'd ignore all feedback. Feedback is left by people looking to give an excuse, and sometimes is something they just made up because they just didn't like your house.
It took 153 days and 35 showings to sell our home last year and the person who bought it left no feedback.
Try to separate yourself from being the property owner and look HARD at the curb appeal. Is there anything that's less than 100% when someone pulls up to the house? Is the front door clean and freshly painted? is the mulch or pine straw fresh? Are the shrubs overgrown?
Good luck with the sale-it's a very stressful time.

[VickiR]

Originally Posted by Funky Chicken

I'd ignore all feedback. Feedback is left by people looking to give an excuse, and sometimes is something they just made up because they just didn't like your house.
It took 153 days and 35 showings to sell our home last year and the person who bought it left no feedback.
Try to separate yourself from being the property owner and look HARD at the curb appeal. Is there anything that's less than 100% when someone pulls up to the house? Is the front door clean and freshly painted? is the mulch or pine straw fresh? Are the shrubs overgrown?
Good luck with the sale-it's a very stressful time.

Wow. How right on the mark you are!

As an agent that sometimes shows 8 houses to one buyer in one day, I always leave feedback for the listing agent. Sometimes I can barely remember the house, other than knowing that it just wasn't the right house for my buyer!

In most cases, the feedback left IS the buyer's excuse for not liking the house but its usually the most obvious flaw that the buyer found and mentioned. If a buyer loves the house, something like "needs carpet cleaned" isn't going to stop them from buying the house.

That said, you must get rid of all the negatives that you can so that buyers don't feel overwhelmed by them and CAN see the beauty of your house!

Vicki