Sellers, Why hasn't your house sold?

If you are one of those 268 homeowners who have their house on the market now, you may want to reconsider why the property has not sold yet. Or if you are a homeowner planning to sell your home this year, you may wish to consider the following strategies to accomplish the sale.

1. Price your home to sell. Look at all the competing listings that are currently on the market and price your home below the competition. Do not follow the market downward, instead stay ahead of the curve to get results. Do not believe that an appraisal done for a mortgage refinance or an appraisal published by the town for tax valuation is an indication of value. These are specific appraisals used for targeted purposes and their purpose does not support a price that a real buyer would pay. After the property has been shown 10 times without generating any offers, lower the price. The market is rejecting the current price, so make the necessary adjustments to accomplish the sale.

2. Pay attention to the appearance of the property. Have the house professionally staged. Think of it as finding a date. If there are 500 men out there and only 50 women, the men would really have to dress themselves up to make them stand out in the crowd. Some other important quick fixes are, fixing up the front yard to improve curb appeal, replacing the front door with a new one, installing new windows, moving the laundry room up from the basement and putting in a stainless steel refrigerator.


3. Choose an experienced agent, one with local marketplace knowledge and a large network of local contacts. Choose an agent who has worked in and experienced different real estate markets, not just a boom market. Choose an agent who truly likes the business and likes people as well as is excited about helping you sell your home. An agent who has extensive knowledge of the internet and real estate websites and who will embrace the technology to expose your property. And finally be wary of an agent who comes in with the highest price as that may be an indication of trying to buy the listing.