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No matter how bad you want out there is a sadness with closing a chapter and moving. I won't miss the taxes but I'll miss the home and my community tremendously. It's a great area despite the Cubs and the winters.
I know how you feel -- we just moved from one city to another, from a house that we lived in for 13 years. I really didn't like the area where we were, because it was super-suburban, kind of like where you are, although it wasn't quite as far from the city (not Chicago area), it was still a pretty big PITA to get downtown (there was no train option).
We made walkability our new priority, and we love where we are now, but I'm still sad thinking about new people living in my house that I loved and had poured my heart into to look the way I wanted it. And even though I love my new town much more than my old town, I miss the people we were friends with.
Good luck with your move. It's always trying, especially when you have kids.
I think your home is fine and won't benefit from the added cost of a stager. You've been on the market less than 90 days, so it's not bad for the area. You are priced a little higher p.s.f. than comps - there may be good reason for this. I'm also in Lake County but not trying to sell my home. I think the right buyer will come along. Looks like you've come down in price every thirty days, which makes it look like you are willing to negotiate. That's good. Curious as to what your realtor is saying now.
Is your spouse not willing to move into temporary housing at his new location? I understand about wanting to move before your kids start school. How old are they?
Agreed. I think your home looks beautiful, OP. It's neat as a pin and furnished just the right amount. I'd buy it in a second if I were looking for a home in that area. However, it's in IL, and there's the rub. I don't think you should continue dropping the price; it just makes you look desperate. Just try to be patient and make sure it is listed on all the possible sites. Sometimes it just takes time to find the right buyer.
I know how you feel -- we just moved from one city to another, from a house that we lived in for 13 years. I really didn't like the area where we were, because it was super-suburban, kind of like where you are, although it wasn't quite as far from the city (not Chicago area), it was still a pretty big PITA to get downtown (there was no train option).
We made walkability our new priority, and we love where we are now, but I'm still sad thinking about new people living in my house that I loved and had poured my heart into to look the way I wanted it. And even though I love my new town much more than my old town, I miss the people we were friends with.
Good luck with your move. It's always trying, especially when you have kids.
I SO get that. We were in the country with woods and a pond, and had great big parties and lots of kids around. After the last kid left home, we found it too hard to take care of the place, but our hearts ache from missing the good things. The buyers have not taken care of the landscaping well at all.
Now we live in a mild climate, with lots of activities and restaurants and a beach, and could do something fun every weekend if we wanted. We still miss the old place, even though NOTHING ever happened there.
My aunt is a land developer with a project going on in Antioch. Very slow moving, it's just not an ideal area to be in, too far from Chicago for a commute, and with high taxes and the lack of large job centers, it cuts out a lot of potential buyers in that price range.
The state's financial woes certainly aren't helping any either. I think you're better off pricing it to sell (and I mean aggressively) and take your lumps and move on.
A Chinese firm just bought the huge abandoned Motorola complex in Harvard. Wonder what that could turn into.
I SO get that. We were in the country with woods and a pond, and had great big parties and lots of kids around. After the last kid left home, we found it too hard to take care of the place, but our hearts ache from missing the good things. The buyers have not taken care of the landscaping well at all.
Now we live in a mild climate, with lots of activities and restaurants and a beach, and could do something fun every weekend if we wanted. We still miss the old place, even though NOTHING ever happened there.
Isn't it funny how we get attached to homes? I still have the occasional dream about a house I owned 20 years ago. The theme is always the same..that I visit it and sneak inside only to be sad about the changes made and the state of disrepair.
A lot of lip service is given to the phrase "great neighborhood" but in my case it's true. This subdivision has been the best I've ever lived in. It has great balance between friendly but not too friendly. Everyone helps each other out if needed but you don't have the gossip or cliques that form when people are too familiar. Every lot having an acre gives people their privacy but a feeling of belonging. In prior houses sometimes I never knew my neighbors even a few doors day. People just went to work and came home.
In prior houses sometimes I never knew my neighbors even a few doors day. People just went to work and came home.
I like that. I don't want to have small talks with a neighbor that's more than 90 seconds. If I need socialization, I can get it from friends. However, I want them to help me call 911 if there is an emergency, notify me if something weird or harmful happening to my property, etc.
THE HOUSE IS FINE. No staging, no adjustments, it's good enough to sell as-is to the right buyer. Pictures are good enough and should do the job of getting showings. Rearranging furniture and "looks" at this point is just plain silliness and avoidance of the problem.
The simple problem, which you have identified, is your price. Don't chase the market down, be the house you are hating right now, the house that is listed and provides better value than yours. 5 showings in 87 days is utter incompetence. After 30 days, the price problem should have been obvious, and acted upon, aggressively. Forget what you want to get or need to get. Buyers don't care, and neither will you when buying your next home.
Sometimes you have to take a big loss to move forward. Just do it. Shorten this process. Keep your sanity. I am sure family life is being disturbed by this nonsense, and that could become a big problem if it lingers for too long. If $299,000 is what it takes, make it happen and move on.
Great post and good points. Some RE agents are not honest with the sellers about what they can really expect to get for their homes, so they agree to list them at an unrealistically high starting price, setting sellers up for discouragement and disappointment in the process. Fair or not OP, you can only get what you can get for the house. The market is what it is.
Assuming you have committed to relocating, if you really want to get rid of the house right away, your only option is to lower the price a lot. I did suggest taking a wait and see approach in my earlier post, but both ideas can be difficult pills to swallow. If you keep the price the same and the house still doesn't sell, you have the house becoming even more stale on the market, which further diminishes the chances it will sell. But if you dramatically cut the price, you will take a big loss. Only you can determine which is best for you. But do keep in mind that selling a home takes a big emotional toll as well, which can't be measured in dollars and cents.
Great post and good points. Some RE agents are not honest with the sellers about what they can really expect to get for their homes, so they agree to list them at an unrealistically high starting price, setting sellers up for discouragement and disappointment in the process. Fair or not OP, you can only get what you can get for the house. The market is what it is.
Assuming you have committed to relocating, if you really want to get rid of the house right away, your only option is to lower the price a lot. I did suggest taking a wait and see approach in my earlier post, but both ideas can be difficult pills to swallow. If you keep the price the same and the house still doesn't sell, you have the house becoming even more stale on the market, which further diminishes the chances it will sell. But if you dramatically cut the price, you will take a big loss. Only you can determine which is best for you. But do keep in mind that selling a home takes a big emotional toll as well, which can't be measured in dollars and cents.
You know, Scooby, I was going to strongly disagree with your wait and see post. Classy move to come back and change your opinion.
Those are crazy taxes. I wouldn't be willing to run in head first either with taxes like that.
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