Why in the world wouldn't you want to sell in this market?
This is absolutely the most fantastic time to sell and buy a new home! Lets look at it from a Birdseye view, statistics are out for the month of May 2010. May stats show that nationwide, the housing market as declined from the previous few months, HOWEVER if you look at the fine line it is still up in comparison from May 2009. It's really a situation where the biggest boast from the first time tax buying credit came in the March & April months, where people were really scrambling around to get their "dream home."
Listen I'm not going to stand up at the podium and preach to you on what you should do, or have to do. I'm not trying to sell ice to the Eskimos, or build a false reality in your life. I am a Realtor, and I have strong belief in the United State's strongest investment......the housing market. The bottom line is you have to play to win, and putting it off until tomorrow is going to afford you the opportunity to lose that "perfect house" you had your eye on.
Lets say you bought your house in 2000 and you paid $400k for it, and you saw the prices rise where you could have sold in 2004 or 2005 for $650k. You didn't, you lost, and that's fine! Now your house is lucky to get you $500k possibly. Well guess what? If you're upgrading, that house down the street you were looking at that cost $800k, may get you a steal at $600k or $650k in this market. If you're downgrading, that $400k home in the fast market, may only be $330k in this market. Are you really losing by selling, or GAINING?
In the areas of my expertise: Silver Spring, Greater Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, Cleveland Park, Tenleytown, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Glover Park, Georgetown all have fantastic homes for sale at unbelievable prices. You need to take advantage of what could make you happier and more stable as the market begins to pick up again. Make your money back on the buy!
5 quick tips to help you sell your home in a slow market
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Fix what needs to be fixed- You know your home better then any single person that will ever walk in there. If there is something that needs to be fixed such as a crack in the wall, hard to open windows, chipped paint, unfinished hardwood floors, etc. Get it done! Don't play the game of hope, where you WISH the potential buyer doesn't see the fallacies....they will!
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Price the house to sell - All to often I see sellers price way to high to "try" and net the most money possible. One thing be true and told that when you over price, you end up reducing the home to a price that is lower then where you should have been all along. The market is constantly changing, and I would hate for you to have to get less money in the long run, because you didn't price it correctly initially.
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Showtime all the time- Years ago as a police officer, I had a training on verbal judo, and one thing they taught was "it's showtime". They said pretend like the cameras are always rolling every time you step foot out of your cruiser. Guess what? It applies to you as well, once that house goes on the market it's showtime! You're home is now a product for sale, and you need to keep it in mint condition, you need to make the beds every day, you need to leave fresh flowers, you need to keep it smelling good, you need to you need to you need to.............
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Limit the no's and expand on the yes - Each time I call you to let you know that there is someone coming in an hour, be ready to say yes with open arms. Each time I call you to say that I have a potential buyer coming around 7PM, be prepared to open your home with open arms. It's okay to say no sometimes, but in a slow paced market every showing is a potential sale for you. The last thing you want is to say "no" to someone who really was going to buy your home.
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Don't throw that contract in the trash just yet - In this market, unfortunately there are buyers that think that they berries have fallen and they can pick whatever they want, for whatever they want it for. Sometimes it has to do with a buyers agent lack of reality, and sometimes it has to do with their strategy. They design counter offers for a reason, it is a tool that gives YOU the ability to negotiate the terms that you are comfortable with. If you take nothing from this particular blog, I want you to ALWAYS remember this - no contract is as good as your first contract...this is my golden rule!
I'm Stanley Barsch, and I'm ready to sell your house in this slow market in Maryland & Washington DC.
Read more about me at http://www.stanleybarsch.com or call me at 240.882.8512
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