I have to tell you, it’s getting painful to watch the news…even the financial networks, which are my favorite places to park…are stressful.  I never feel more like jumping into bed and putting a pillow over my head, than after I listen to the news!  But here’s the truth:  It isn’t NEWS in our society unless it’s BAD NEWS.  We all should remember that when we foolishly elect  to watch a steady diet of the news.  I never thought I’d see the day we’d have to ‘talk ourselves down’ from a 15 minute break watching the news.  Does it make you hyperventilate??  It does me sometimes…so I switch to National Geographic.  God forbid there are animals killing animals when I do that..:-)

Everybody has an opinion about the economic future, and some are based more in a need to make ‘news’ than to put forth reality.  Yes, even the guys in suits on TV are giving an opinion, not gospel.  Hey, there’s a good chance they are wrong.  So why risk the pillow over the head.  Put the stock ticker on and turn down the volume.  That’s the best bet.  And remember that our market is still strong and people still need to buy homes AND sell them. 

The truth is: Interest rates are the lowest we’re likely to EVER see them again.  Folks, it’s the strongest BUYER market we’re likely to experience again in DECADES!  It’s very likely the best time to buy a home you’re ever going to see!  And real estate is still a good investment.  Did you see what happened to gold prices when George Soros dumped his shares? 

For sellers, yes, there is a lot of competition out there. But if you are willing to make your home sale worthy, you can still sell your home!  The trick is to beat out your competition with regard to price and appearance.  Remember, if you don’t do what you need to do to compete in this BUYER market, your prospects have lots of other homes from which to choose…and they’ll go there, by the way.

If you can paint, paint.  If you can replace worn carpet, do that.  If you have bad smells in the house, please fix that immediately.  If you can upgrade to granite countertops, do that.  Your realtor’s not just saying that to make noise come out of her head.  She’s telling you what the market says you have to do to compete.  Did you know that some homes in the $120,000 price range now have granite countertops and stainless appliances?  Some builders are doing that! 

I still say that you’re either going to catch or repel your buyer the minute they walk in the door.  If it FEELS good, smells good, looks good, the temperature is comfortable, you have a shot.  If not, I have seen buyers turn around in the foyer and leave.  Yep, that happens. So here are some of the most common complaints:

1) Bad smell; 2) brass fixtures date the house; 3) yard looks terrible; 4) bedrooms too small; Oh, here’s a big one, 5) too cluttered; and the grand finale: 6) price too high!  By the way, if the complaint is that the room is too small, all you can do is eliminate as much clutter/furniture as possible…as in, make the room LOOK bigger.

No, you can’t deliberately price to high and hope for a lower offer.  People won’t even come SEE your house.   Pricing is the first, most significant hurdle you face. You USED to be able to price too high; not now.

You can’t sell clutter.  There are 8 houses near you that look perfect inside.  No, you can’t offer carpet allowance; buyers can find 6 other homes where the seller has put in new carpet AND painted.  I know!  But it’s true!

We can’t all afford to do expensive upgrades, but the bottom line is this: The days of selling whatever we put out there are on hold for now.  You have to compete, and compete strongly in this market.  Want to know what to do to get started?  Let’s talk!