Wounded Sellers - what can they do?

Wounded Sellers seem to be everywhere in today's Real Estate Market. Whether it's a distressed Seller trying to avoid foreclosure or a non-distressed Seller trying to get their home sold; they're both wounded.

I have represented many Short Sale Sellers here in South Florida and the wounds can be deep. The majority of their wounds seem to come from a reduced income. We all know this all too common scenario due to South Florida's high rates of unemployment or under employment. Of course, this isn't isolated to just South Florida as it cuts deep nationwide.

Yet when faced with trying to avoid foreclosure and looking for foreclosure options the financial stress can stem from mounting medical bills, adjustable rate mortgages, divorce, loss of loved ones, out of county job relocation and other scenarios yet these are the most common.

Traditional Sellers are also affected when they need to sell their home in such a depressed Real Estate Market.  They all too often have great expectations of what price they'd like their home to sell for as they've loaded it up with upgrades, have carefully maintained their homes yet are frustrated by the distressed market bringing down their homes value. So what are their choices? Either sell it at depressed values or hold on to their home in hopes of increasing prices in the years ahead; and it likely will be many many years. This is a tough choice.

So what can the Wounded Seller do?

• Make sure that they have a Real Estate Agent on their side that is equipped to get their home sold:
• Having Solid Short Sale Experience
• Track record of selling homes and not just listing homes; Find out what they've sold in the past year
• Prepare their home to sell
• Neat and sparkling clean
• Remove the clutter
• Neutralize paint colors
• Arrange furniture for optimum flow allowing Buyer to imagine what the rooms are used for so they can imagine their family settling in to their home
• Don't forget about their home's curb appeal too
• Keeping their homes in "Showing" condition. Yes, this isn't easy yet can make the difference between a sale or no sale; dishes out of kitchen sink, beds made, bathroom towels neatly hung and remember, watch the clutter!
• Allow for showings and make sure the Sellers step outside to allow for Buyers comfort in viewing their home
• Respond timely to inquires made by their Realtor and when they've been assigned a task
• Don't be afraid to ask questions when you want to know what's going on; don't be shy.

 And remember to Never, ever Quit!

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail". - Ralph Waldo Emerson

+LynnPineda