Every house has a story to tell.

Many agents will tell a seller right up front what they think of a property pro and con. But there things we either don't think about or just don't want to tell a seller either.

Once upon a time, before I was an agent, I owned a house in Denver. It was in a up and coming area, one with faults and flaws just like any other neighborhood. But people were starting to take notice of the Harkness Heights area before it became trendy. I had a cold call one day, before it was illegal to cold call, and the agent asked if I wanted to sell my house for substaintially more than I paid for it 3 years prior. Well, quicker than I could hang up the phone a sign went up out front.

After months and months, and dozens upon dozens of people coming threw the house I still didn't have an offer. The agent tried her hardest, fliers, open houses, tours the works - but nothing. When the listing contract expired I moved on to another agent who right up front told me some thing that floored me.

"Does the house always smell like this?" said the agent

"Clean? Like the products I use EVERY time I know there is a showing?" I exclaimed

"It smells like you just cleaned and like you are hiding something - does the bathroom have mold?"

Sure enough when I stopped using strong detergents and cleaning products in the house I got an offer.

Recently I met with a local builder in his beautiful home that is currently on the market with another agent. He furnished the photos of the house for all the fliers and MLS. The photos are goreous! But all the pictures were clearly staged and at night as to show off the house. The evening sun setting in the background all the interior lights on. The pictures make the house look like a Hollywood set. But the problem (the way I see it) is that the pictures are to good. No other photos on the MLS are done like this. It makes the house stand out but makes it look odd at the same time. If this house were in an area where all the houses had "Hollywood" staging I think it would be just fine. But as it is - a really good thing can look odd.

Moral of the story: go with the neighborhood normal standards. Be better than the rest but standing out to far from the crowd can make a listing look odd.