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Please don't shoot the messenger!

In the last 5 days I've received 2 inquiries
from home owners who want to sell their
homes and are naturally worried about the
market values.

These people are not in foreclosure, have
paid their bills on time, are current on their
property taxes and want to move either out
of state or have relocated already.

Within the first few moments of talking with them I feel as if I need to don a
bullet proof vest. The shots are going to be coming my way, and I know it.
I'm prepared for it.

I am not at fault for the declining property values in Macomb County.

There, I've shouted it out. As I am the first real estate professional
these people have spoken with I know I am going to receive their
frustrated volleys. That's ok, I can take it, I've gotten thicker skin
over the years, although I don't have a cannon proof vest.

Vent to me, I can handle it. I will then try to explain to you how
the foreclosed homes around you are setting the new market values
in your area.

This will change. I don't have a crystal ball and can't predict when
the change will occur. In some areas of Macomb County Michigan
we're already beginning to see some signs of stabilization. When
will property values start to rise again? I don't know. I won't pretend
to know. Most "experts" don't know, no matter what they preach
to you.

What I can do is this: Be honest with you.

I will not give you false hope, nor will I over-inflate the value of
your home to put my sign on your lawn. Others may, I refuse to
do so.

Talk with me, vent with me, I'll listen. Just please don't shoot
the messenger. This messenger is simply being honest with you.

Kris Wales - RE/MAX Advantage 1, Inc. Search Michigan homes for sale
Chesterfield Township - Macomb County Michigan

586-840-1876 (direct line)
http://macombhomes.com

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Posted by Kris Wales - Macomb County MI real estate blog & homes for sale search site on 10/03/2007 05:43 AM

Comments (19)

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19 Comments on Please don't shoot the messenger!

OCT

2007

Kris - You really do need to have armor plating these days! It's not quite so bad here in Ft. Worth, but some neighborhoods are affected. The only people it's really hurting are the ones who have only been in their house a couple of years and did 100% financing. They are really upside down.

The only thing we can do is be honest with them. I've turned down about 3 listings this past month because they were unrealistic. Let somebody else get yelled at over their home not selling...I'll pass.

Linda: I've turned down several myself and the odd thing is, none of them have listed with anyone else. Either they're hearing the same thing from others or they are digesting what I said and showed them and are weighing their options. One thing I will not do: Lie to people about the market. They need the truth, and I won't "lie" to get my sign in the yard and give them false hope. I'm glad to hear that things aren't as downturned for your sellers in Fort Worth. You're correct, those affected the most are those with little or no equity.

Kris, I always go to a listing presentation with a written market analysis that has both side-by-side comparisons for the comparables and a narrative section talking about the market in that neighborhood. If I were in Macomb County, I could just imagine starting off the first paragraph with: "OK, please don't shoot me!"

Kris, be yourself, be honest and professional. I know that you will my friend!

Patricia: I'm starting to preface all talks and interactions with a "Please don't shoot the messenger" and a hopeful smile on my face :-) Comparable sales aren't doing it in our market, comparable properties ON the market points in the right direction for valuation purposes. It really is a challenging market here, but homes ARE selling.

Charles: You know me, I can't be anyone but myself and I wouldn't try to be. Thanks for stopping by this morning and commenting.

Kris...being the constant cheerleader that I am; let me just say this...I congratulate you for getting two calls from interested sellers this week! For some, the phone isn't ringing at all...so good for you--you must be doing something right! Maybe swing by your local sporting goods shop and pick up a cute bullet proof vest, just to be on the safe side! Keep smiling;)

I find it the same here in Tampa. Honesty and integrity will win out. Some agents who kept giving inflated values to get lisitngs have very few these days. But I still have to remind prospective customers not to shoot the messenger.

Kris... seems like a strong but easy message to follow. Being the messenger even with bad news is sometimes easier. Because I can explain why. The longer that I am in this business, the easier for me at least to explain the ins and outs. As several have said, honesty and integrity, people will usually see this also.

jeff belonger

I love this message; we should have it engraved into every marketing piece we do!

Faith: Have you ever read the Janet Evanovich line of Stephanie Plum books? Your comment of picking up a cute bullet proof vest reminded me of the character Stephanie :-) Be your cheerleader self, that's a great thing!

Rick: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'm sorry to hear you're having to say the same thing in Tampa. I'm prefacing all my talks now with it :-)

Jeff: You're absolutely correct, being able to explain the "whys" helps tremendously.

Diane: Hopefully the message won't have to be there for long - that would mean the market is on the upswing and we can have that engraved on our marketing materials.

The market has changed and may continue as is for awhile and that is how it is. As a home stager, I know that more effort needs to be taken to have the best presented "box on the block".

Kathleen: Your words should be written in stone: "More effort needs to be taken to have the best presented 'box on the block'" This is MORE important now then I have seen in my almost 11 years in real estate. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting.

Kris, It's sometimes strikes me strangely that people think we are magicians who can draw a price out of a hat and force a buyer to pay it. I learned long ago to just say to myself, whenever someone wanted to shoot the messenger 'oh well, put on another layer of skin.'

I really wish I was a magician.....life would be so much easier.

OCT

2007

Kris, I left you a comment here yesterday, but it is gone. This has happened several times to be lately. Did you see it and then it disappeared ?

Jo-Anne: That's the hat we should be wearing! (The magicians hat) Can you imagine how happy we would make people if we had that power?

Missy: I didn't see the comment you left yesterday. In fact, my "notifications" that come through my email didn't have one come through for you. I recieved one just a moment ago, that's how I know to come back to the post and reply. Also weird: I left Jo-Anne a reply last night, and it wasn't showing up. I just noticed that myself now. Perhaps the comments are going to the same unknown location that the sock monster uses?

Weird, I left Jeff a comment too and went to check and it wasnt' there either.

Missy: This one just came through my email notification also. I tell ya, it's the sock monster on a new quest to drive us batty...

OCT

2007

No reason to be dishonest. It will just delay the sale of the home and get them madder at you in the long run. You can't control the price of their home it is based on supply and demand. If people are not willing to purchase the home for what they say it is worth, then they will eventually just have to be honest with themselves anyway. The bank appraiser is going to be honest later anyway and tell them the value of the house, so just get it right now.

Todd: Dishonesty or "hedging" the truth when it comes to market value only hurts the clients. You're right, the appraisor does have the final word and the truth always comes out at that time.

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