This is for you, Mr. and Mrs. Seller. I hope this does not describe you. But it might.

I see a lot of Carlsbad sellers who are sabotaging their home sales in this market. I think of them as saboteurs, since they are doing things, either intentionally or not, that are making it hard, if not impossible, to sell their homes in a reasonable time frame and for top dollar.

Or they are not doing the things they ought to do that would facilitate a sale.

And they make other comparable homes look like a better value.

So what might these sources of sabotage be? And if you are totally honest with yourself, are you, unfortunately, engaged in this behavior?

PRICING - probably the biggest offender. No matter how nice the home looks, no matter how much marketing is done, if the price is too high the market will rebel and will reject you. Do YOU want to be rejected by the market? You won't overpay for something you see in a store that you know you can get elsewhere for less money, or if you feel it costs more than it's worth, would you? SOLUTION- grit your teeth and price it to sell NOW. Forget what your neighbor got 2 years ago or what your friends tell you your home is worth. They ain't sellin' it, YOU ARE.

AVAILABILITY TO SHOW - many people have busy lives, small kids, and other issues which make it tough to show their house. And it IS a pain having to keep it clean all the time. But if you are serious about selling, limiting the showing times will definitely hurt your chances, especially given the multiple options that buyers have in their price range and other requirements. SOLUTION - talk with your agent and loosen up the schedule. Ask for notice so you have time to prepare but try not to limit daytime or weekend showings. Be as flexible as possible.

INTERIOR CONDITION - if your lifestyle tends to result in a lot of personal stuff laying around, or your home just does not look inviting inside (need for paint, need for repairs, dirty carpets, etc.), it might make buyers want to run the other direction. Even if the price is reasonable, buyers will tend to look the other direction, because they can, or they will start subtracting dollars from a potential offer, or get concerned that there is a lot of deferred maintenance. SOLUTION - get RID of clutter, pack all your personal belongings (you're moving anyhow), hire a staging professional, take care of the repairs, clean the carpet, paint

CURB APPEAL - does your home encourage buyers to want to see the inside or does it make them decide to keep on driving? Is the yard a mess? Bushes and grass not trimmed? Junk all over the yard? Will buyers see it as a place that will require a lot of elbow grease in order to make it presentable? Would they be ashamed to be the new owners? SOLUTION - be critical and clean up what need it. Get rid of stuff, trim the bushes, cut the grass, add some flowers, paint the front door. Your staging professional may have some good ideas too. Make buyers WANT to come in the front door to look.

Unfortunately, there is another possibility. YOU might be doing everything right, but because of the agent you chose, things are not going well.

YOUR AGENT - did you by chance hire an agent who is not doing the job? And is that agent, perhaps, sabotaging your home sale, even though you have the best intentions? Read more about how agents can sabotage their clients and what you should know. SOLUTION - you need to confront the issues, look at the data, find out what is being done and not done, and if needed, hire another professional if your agent will not or cannot change his or her behavior.

This is a tough market for sellers, and buyers are still pretty wary, especially now with all the concerns about the mortgage industry. If you are really serious about selling, then your actions need to show it. This type of sabotage sends a message, perhaps unknowingly, that selling may not be your objective.

If I can provide further assistance in your home search for Carlsbad and surrounding coastal communities or answer any questions, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or by email to JDowler@remax.net.

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