Stubbornly Marooned on the Island of UnSold.

"Why, oh Why" you ask "is my house still unsold?"

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Seller, there are many reasons. 

REASON #1
You're overpriced.  This one seems like it should be obvious, but apparently it's only obvious to everyone but you.  Yes, the homes nearby that have sold, have sold for the same $550,000 price tag, as your listed price.

At $550,000, buyers have some specific expectations, and your house just isn't living up to those expectations.

The homes that have sold have had brand-new kitchens, stainless steel, granite, high-end appliances (Wolf, Sub-Zero), painted in popular neutrals, hardwood flooring and finished basements.

YOUR house, had a brand-new kitchen (in 1995... but you're still talking about it like it's new).. laminate counters, white on white appliances (except, of course for the dishwasher, which is avocado green... but still running like a champ... "they don't make 'em like that anymore" you say!).

You have three dimensional ceramic tile flooring... you're very proud of it, you had it imported from Italy, apparently directly from the Vatican, based on how you talk about it, but the stuff actually hurts to walk on barefoot, and the grout looks like it has developed into it's own new genus of mold and fungus. 

The bathrooms are small, and outdated.  The giant whirlpool tub in the master bath is large enough to seat seven, but the water pressure is so low that it would take two hours to fill, and by that time... well, let's just say I could have bathed in the sink using a teaspoon and a sponge.

The basement, oh... the basement... it was finished when the house was built, with very expensive and very rare Pecky Cypress Paneling, which you thought was a bit dark, so you had it 'painted'... a cheerful yellow (cheerful... yes... good-looking... no!).  The flooring is 5x5 vinyl asbestos tile in that once-popular black pink and white marbled look.  The baseboards of the cypress paneling show clear signs of water damage... water having capillaried up the wall.

But wait... you have an in-ground pool!!  That should be worth something... none of those other homes had an in-ground pool.  True enough, all they had was grass.  Lovely manicured lawns, in their backyard.  Some with patios and grills, others just a simple backyard.

Yours, on the other hand, you had a 40x70 kidney shaped pool installed at great expense... (in 1980)... that uses up the entire yard.  There's barely an inch to drag your little K-mart grill near the back door.  Yeah, the pool is old, and yeah... the pool is losing about an inch of water per week, but it's on auto-fill, and it doesn't really cost that much to keep filled.

REASON #2
Hmmm.... I guess there aren't many reasons, are there?  There's only 1 reason.  Based on the house you're selling, compared to other properties on the market... You're overpriced.

(250  -34)
But that pool costs me over $20,000!

ALAN MAY, Realtor®
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 2929 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
847.425.3779      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com
Evanston Real Estate & North Shore Real Estate

    

Do not copy the content of this blog, without first contacting the author for permission.  Reblogging is allowed. All other use is strictly prohibited without express permission from me. This blog is tag-resistant... Do not tag me, I don't participate in tagging, no MeMe's don't even think about it