Special offer

Yesterday's Price - Market Adjustment = Faster Sale

By
Managing Real Estate Broker with NextHome Experience 17050

 

My mom used to watch Days of Our Lives every afternoon when I would come home from school. Although I haven't watch a Soap Opera for years, I can still here the music and the announcer's voice over "Like Sand through an hour glass....these are the days of our lives"

For many home owners having their property listed may seem as painful as watching grains of sand slip slowly through the hourglass.....day after day living life outside their regular routine; making the beds every day, (yes, some people don't make their bed every day!) keeping the dishes out of the sink, the dog in the laundry room...whatever the hoops they need to jump through may be. The fact of the matter is, if you want to sell now, you have got to price your home aggressively and if it doesn't sell, be prepared for a price reduction.

In my market area, of the 29 stick-built homes with sales pending, 75% made at least one price reduction after the initial list price. These homes were on the market an average of 124 days.

Compare that to the 25% which came on the market at a relatively aggressive price, never reduced and sold in an average of 22 days.

The name of the game today is PRICE. Buyers must have a reason to buy your home, over the dozens of others on the market today.

Let's see, make the bed 124 days in a row or 22 days in a row and still end up at the same price?

Seems like an easy choice to me!

____________________________________________________________________

Looking to Buy or Sell a home in Maple Valley? I can help! Since 1990, I have been successfully marketing and selling Residential Resale and New Construction homes in South King and North Pierce Counties since 1990, but I specialiize in the greater Maple Valley area, Whether you're interested in Buying, Selling or need more information because you are Relocating to the Puget Sound Region, email me or give me a call, I'm happy to help!
Maple Valley Listings delivered to your inbox via email
Complimentary Online Market Analysis of your Maple Valley Home
View or Post Maple Valley For Sale By Owner Listings
Learn more about the Maple Valley Community including information on Tahoma Schools and Maple Valley Neighborhoods

  Copyright 2008. Colleen Fischesser, All rights reserved.

Posted by

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 


 

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Colleen Fischesser REMAX

 Serving the beautiful Pacific Northwest Since 1990!

 

Colleen M. Fischesser, Managing Broker

RE/MAX Advantage, L.C.

Serving Seattle and the Chelan Valley

206-491-3819  (Cell/Text Seattle)

509-699-1611 (Cell/Text Chelan)

 

 www.ColleenFish.com

www.ChelanPropertyShop.com

www.NWPropertyShop.com 

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a personal blog based on my opinion and experience in the real estate industry. All content is provided for informational purposes and should not be construed as legal, financial or tax advice. Laws, industry practice standards and procedures vary by state. Readers are advised to contact appropriate third parties for professional advice when needed. Any questions please let me know!

 

Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary
LemonTree Realty - Orlando, FL
First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes
Collen I dont make my bed every day but I dont really destroy it either. You would think it would be an easy choice but sellers have so much emotion attached to selling that I think it hinders proper judgment sometimes.
Feb 19, 2008 02:10 PM
Lisa Heindel
Crescent City Living LLC - New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Real Estate Broker
Great analysis of the bottom line here, Colleen.  Making the bed is so overrated - who wants to do it more than they have to?
Feb 19, 2008 02:18 PM
Kelly Sibilsky
Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD. - Lake Zurich, IL
A great argument for pricing correctly right from the beginning!
Feb 20, 2008 12:27 AM
Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop
NextHome Experience - Chelan, WA
A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!

Heather, don't tell anyone, but I don't always either :-)

Lisa, agreed...100%

Kelly, analyzing the numbers is a little more difficult than it has been in the past, but they always show what's really going on.

Feb 20, 2008 02:54 AM
Norma Toering Broker for Palos Verdes and Beach Cities
Charlemagne International Properties - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Palos Verdes Luxury Homes in L.A.
Colleen - You are so right, keeping a house in show condition is a full time job.  That's why when making the corporate moves in my past I always asked the agent to give me a price that would sell it within 30 days.  With four kids there were a lot of beds to make!
Feb 20, 2008 04:30 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Great analogy, Colleen. I have a seller who has a hard time keeping the home spotless while it's on the market, so he moved out. Thank goodness. I've sold several homes for this seller before, so he's been through the wringer a few times already. It is a complete hassle to keep a home in showing condition every day and never know when a buyer may show up to see it. The shorter the period, the better. But then there are appraisers, home inspectors, yada, yada. :)


Feb 20, 2008 05:19 AM
Melissa Olson
HOPE Lending LLC - Bellevue, WA
HOPE Lending LLC
Coleen - nicely done.  In the current market I wonder if it is better to price it lower and hope for competitive bids.  By the way, I have watched Days of Our Lives for the last 30 years!  :)
Feb 20, 2008 06:09 AM
Obeoman Glade Jones
www.obeo.com - Salt Lake City, UT

Colleen,

 

...geeze, I do not know what this would do to the value of our house....

bear the blog dog

 

...Bear kinda runs the show around here...

 

Blog on!

Steve

 

 

Feb 20, 2008 07:43 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Colleen, why don't I learn these days of making beds in Real Estate School? You have all the INSIDER information right here : )

I think this observation DEFINITELY goes in my listing presentation when talking about pricing.

Feb 20, 2008 01:08 PM
Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop
NextHome Experience - Chelan, WA
A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!

Norma, I've been really lucky too. Whenever my husband and I have sold our personal residences we have never been on market longer than 5 days. I can't imagine having to keep everything ship shape for months on end.

Elizabeth, moving out is definitely an option, although for many it isn't always financially possible....as I know you know.

Melissa, that's too funny. Is it really still on the air? All I remember is the lady named Audrey (I think this was DOOL) who had the french twist/bee hive. I'll have to ask my Mom if I have my soaps straight.

Steve, gotta knock a few thou off for the dog in the sink. Sorry to be the "bear-er" of bad news LOL!! Geesh, I crack myself up

Gary, were you sleeping? I'll pass you notes anytime you need to catch up ;-)

 

Feb 20, 2008 05:08 PM
Lisa Bosques
Burien, WA
Well stated - I wish every seller would realize that the days of overpricing and 'testing' the market are over. I'm off to pull the same stats for my area now.  
Feb 24, 2008 03:11 AM