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Selling a house vs. selling your home; leave the emotions out of it

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 GREC# 169695

When you made that offer or even when you signed that contract to have the house built it was just that, a house.  Now your family has been coming to Lake Sinclair for years and made so many memories in that house, it's not just a house anymore, it's your home. But the right time has come to sell that home. 

I know it's difficult to take emotions out the mix when selling a home that you have loved, but I think it's necessary. I have actually had buyers loose money on a home because of their emotions.  Case in point. Sellers Tom and Mary got an offer for $260,000 on their $275,000 listing.  They claimed they felt insulted over the "lowball" {their words} offer and refused to counter. Because of Tom and Mary's refusal to negotiate buyers moved on to a different house.   6 months later Tom and Mary had been on the road in their RV traveling for 4 months and an offer came in for $245,000.  They decided to negotiate. Final sales price was $257,000.  So you think they lost $3,000.?  They also lost:

  • 6 months in interest payments
  • 6 months in insurance premiums
  • 6 months in utility costs
  • 6 months in upkeep and lawn maintenance

I would guesstimate they lost between $15,000 and $18,000.  Now that's something to get emotional about I say. 6 months earlier Tom and Mary wanted no part of what I had to say about selling their home and negotiating.  But after a few months on the road without visiting their lake home they had less emotional attachment to the house. They realized that it was a house and only your heart can turn it into a home. Their new "home" was right where they were loving life and having fun.

So when you are ready to sell, remember you have to sell the house and not your home and not your memories which you get to keep.  When we do a market analysis of your home to determine the price we suggest listing it and the price range we believe it would appraise in and that you should accept an offer in that range we are NOT emotional about it at all, we are logically looking at the numbers and the data. I would also say that I personally feel it's a mistake to say to any offer that you have no willingness to negotiate at all. {I feel there is an exception to this for new contruction} When it comes time to sell you need to put logic before emotions. 

 

 

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Tammy@Lake-Sinclair.com

(Click on Lane Realty Logo for web site)

Tammy Lankford, Broker/Owner

 

Broker License # 169695  Lane Realty License # H-11420

Real Estate Instructor License # 355089

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Rob Thomas
Prestige Homes of The Tri Cities, Inc. CALL....423-341-6954 - Bristol, TN
Bristol TN-VA & Tri Cities Agent, ABR, GRI, e-Pro

Tammy ....Great post! I tell people this all the time ...Once they do it things go so much better!

Have a great night!

Nov 30, 2014 05:59 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

The emotional aspect does seem to work against sellers and you have done a fine job of pointing that out.

Nov 30, 2014 06:27 AM
Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

Not to mention taking on all the liability that comes with keeping a house for that long and with on one there to care for it. What if a tree had fallen on the roof. That's really a shame, they lost so much. 

Nov 30, 2014 07:23 AM
Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert
Zion Realty - Gilbert, AZ
Broker/Owner of Zion Realty ZionRealtyAZ.com

Tammy Lankford - It's so hard for a lot of homeowners to detach themselves from the life they built in a home. We can only do what we can to help that process along but in the end they finally have to reach the point of letting go.

Nov 30, 2014 08:51 AM
Sam Miller
RE/MAX Stars Realty - Howard, OH
Knox County Ohio Real Estate Specialist

Tammy Lankford, You are SO right about taking the emotion out of the listing and sale.  Making decisions based on logic instead of emotions makes a huge difference in the outcome and cost to carry a home.

Nov 30, 2014 10:10 AM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

My investor buyers have no trouble taking the emotions out of it. First time buyers have a difficult time leaving emotions to the side.

Nov 30, 2014 10:42 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

I think I may use parts of this post and create a scenario for my listing packet to explain what it costs to keep a house like that.  Upfront, before they get an offer or even before it goes on the market.

Nov 30, 2014 10:58 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Rob Thomas it sure does

Carla Muss-Jacobs, Principal Broker/Owner most of the time in a stable market an appraisal will keep emotional buyers from over paying.  Not so easy to do with sellers at offer time though.

Nov 30, 2014 11:34 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Debbie Laity most folks have people who take care of emergencies things, of course with additional expense, but no too much worry on liability issues.

Nicole Doty Gilbert Real Estate Expert I think a lot of agents just don't even go there in conversation.

Nov 30, 2014 11:36 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Sam Miller I can't think of a single time in my 23 year career that emotional attachment coming into play in an offer/counter situation has worked to a seller's advantage.

Debbie Reynolds buyers, especially first time buyers generally have the appraiser helping them from paying too much.  Listing agents are the sellers only hope... IF they listen to us.

 

Nov 30, 2014 11:39 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Evelyn Johnston my history has me with something about it in my listing package too.  Not in a presentation, but in what they get after they sign.

Nov 30, 2014 11:42 AM
Toni Weidman
Sailwinds Realty - Trinity, FL
20+ Years Selling Homes in New Port Richey, FL

It is sometimes very difficult to have sellers look at their home as just walls and a roof, Tammy.  Great post!

Nov 30, 2014 07:31 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thnak you for the great tips. I will share this post with others.

Nov 30, 2014 09:33 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Tammy Lankford it is true, when those emotions creep into a transaction it could end in less money in the end.    We have to try hard to help these homeowners see past these emotions!  

Nov 30, 2014 11:05 PM
Sharon Paxson
Sharon Paxson, Realtor® EQTY Forbes Global Properties - Newport Beach, CA
Newport Beach Real Estate

Hi Tammy Lankford, good post and I have seen the same thing and try to explain carrying costs, but some sellers don't see that far ahead. 

Dec 01, 2014 12:06 AM
Liz Wallace
Century 21 Sherlock Homes - Rockville Centre, NY
Broker C21 Sherlock Homes, Rockville Centre, LI, N

No matter how many times I say the first offer is usually the best, Sellers just believe that the pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow and the rainbow will appear any moment.

Dec 01, 2014 04:37 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

This is such a good example of how emotion can cost sellers money. It's business, not what your heart deserves.

Dec 01, 2014 07:25 AM
Ron Marshall
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

Tammy, you are right, but I would have to have a real awakening to get serious about selling our home.  When the time is right to list your home, however, you need to divorce emotion from logic and move on.  Perfect post!

Dec 01, 2014 07:32 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

I don't think, it is possible to separate your emotions if you sell the house that was your home. That's why sellers usually hesitate even if they know exactly what is the right thing to do.

Dec 01, 2014 08:32 AM
Winston Heverly
Coldwell Banker Access Realty - South Macon, GA
GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA

Hi, really enjoyed your post, I'm glad I stumbled upon it from the achieves. Make this a successful week.

Dec 01, 2015 12:19 PM