# Selling a townhome --- ugh!!! The Realtor...issue?



## vacationhopeful (Sep 18, 2014)

Okay, I listed an empty townhouse 31 days ago. 3bdr/2.5 baths. Paid a cleaning service to "clean" the place. Put new bushes with mulch, power washed the patio and slime off the sidling (not a major issue), rugs neutral dark brown, mini-blinds thru out, garage, 2.5 baths, 3bdr. Not an end unit, but no common walls in house are shared with the neighbors' living space -- between everyone's garages. Off street parking in driveway. Gas heat & central air. One thing not perfect or newer --- original kitchen cabinets & flooring (newer stove & dishwasher). No w/d or refrigerator. House is empty - has no smells (nonsmokers and no pets). Walls are without issues - all painted last time beige. 35-40 years PA & NJ built a bridge which caused farm fields to become developments who are the first effected by any recession - My TH was one of 31 built before mid 1980's recession (builder bankruptcy) and the balance of units (70+) built in the early 1990s. I brought 4 of the original 31 TH - sold 1 8+ years ago; this is the smallest of the 3 (put on the market as the others have tenants). 

One scheduled showing. Open House - nobody. Online realtor hits - each week, fewer and fewer; 266 first full week, 30 last week.

My Issues: Realtor has a priced based website- McMansions to slums over 4 pages (I am on the top of page 4; 2nd property above the RENTALS). 
My Issue: team selling. Face of team has never talked to me; I deal with a very nice gal (Betty) who listens to me and does address my concerns.

My contact's issue: Wants me now (after 30 days) to DROP the price by 7%. She still feels the original price was the market price was a good (was originally 169K) should be moved to $157K because there are no showings. I remarked a $157K asking price becomes a $149K or less set of offers.

My issue: Who in the crap is going to tab thru 3 pages of designer homes to look at a nice empty townhouse 12+ pictures above "the rentals" condos - most of which are the 2nd floor units with lofts? Me, after 2 pages of beautiful homes (McMansions at 4 to 7 times in price & size) ... HIGH to LOW.... I close out the browser due to depression and these aren't my people.

I THINK  I need a NEW team who sells my level of property - a new web site for the normal people who are buying a starter home. Either the realtor hands me off to a better placement or releases me from the Sales contract.

I did suggest 3 days ago - what about a lease purchase contract (house has been a rental property for the last 28 years)? My contact might have asked her boss and as her response was puzzling "as she thought I wanted to sell the property". Told her I did want to sell it -- just not give it away.

Nice contact - a little naïve - I have not been a meanie (Thanks to TUG, I am much better with newbies). 

And it also seems the current real estate sales market is all INTERNET based verses the supermarket picture books and realtor office visits. This particular area has a ZIP code shared with 3 towns which have 3 municipal governments plus 3 different elementary schools, 2 middle schools (and police departments) and 1 high school. This TH is in the town closest to the I-95 (1/2 mile away) and the bridge to another state (3 miles away). Has all services like 2 hotels, big supermarket, doctors, dining - McDonalds & Wendy plus pizza - BIG hotel has the only non-pizza restrauant to survive (was the ONLY prepared food for about 25 years).

Real Estate Sales has mortified in to some new form of business it seems! Help guide me! 

Push for lease/purchase deal?
Lower sales price to $157K? 
Stage the empty house? First Floor & master?
Drop this realtor?

PS AM NOT going to redo the kitchen for about $8500-10000 .... take about 3-4 weeks AND I want this place under contract before that ...

PM replies are TOTALLY WELCOMED -- ideas, honest comments, thoughts, general dealings with realtors ... is there some "game" these commissioned persons play ... HELP.


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## NKN (Sep 18, 2014)

Without committing, shop around for other Realtors to see how they would approach it.  Never hurts to talk abt it.


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## Chrispee (Sep 18, 2014)

Having only one showing and nobody attending your open house, I'd say it's a pretty clear-cut case of your price being high.  Since there are 70+ units in the complex surely your agent can pull the data on similar units that have sold recently?  This would be my first step if I were you.

I would guess your realtor does not want to do a lease to own because it results in commission issues for him/her, and certainly won't motivate him/her to push your sale over other listings.

If I were you, I'd be supplementing the realtor's advertising and doing my own craigslist ads and flyers.  Best of luck with the sale, having been through it before I sympathize with the stress you are experiencing!


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## ailin (Sep 18, 2014)

I've been house hunting for the last 5 months.  I don't think the realtor's website would be an issue.  I would only go to a specific realtor's website if I was looking for a virtual tour or more pictures of a specific house.  I check ziprealty.com or redfin.com daily.  Those are the most updated.  There is also trulia.com and zillow.com (not as updated).  It's all online now, I don't even need the realtor to send me lists anymore (he still does though).

I would check those sites and make sure that your house comes up in a search.  If it's on the MLS, it should.


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## joewillie12 (Sep 18, 2014)

If your home is listed in the Multiple Listing Service or MLS then your listing is distributed to sites like realtor.com, zillow, trulia, homes.com, etc. The problem is not your realtor's own website. Most buyers come from doing their own search on the web these days and they often land on the sites mentioned above. Buyers are able to search using their own criteria avoiding homes not in their price range or areas not desired.
 In my 20 years of selling real estate there are 2 primary items that effect a sale. Price and or location. The realtor only gets a paycheck when your home sells. I don't believe he is intentionally playing a game or not wanting to sell your home. Ask him for a CMA to confirm your priced right. Also ask him if your home is on the sites mentioned above. Many of my buyer leads come from those sites.
31 days on the market is not a long time but I would think you would've had a little more activity. Sometimes offering a bonus to the selling agent get will you a little more attention. No guarantee there. Also offering a home warranty  to the buyer at closing might entice a few more buyers to look. Best of luck! Hopefully you'll have a few showings in the coming days


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 18, 2014)

ailin said:


> I've been house hunting for the last 5 months.  I...  I check *ziprealty.com or redfin.com *daily.  Those are the most updated.  There is also* trulia.com and zillow.com *(not as updated).  It's all online now, I don't even need the realtor to send me lists anymore (he still does though).
> 
> I would check those sites and make sure that your house comes up in a search.  If it's on the MLS, it should.



Thanks for the first two sites (ziprealty or refin) -- did NOT know about them.

Did know about the Trulia and Zillow sites as I post on them for renting other homes I own in the area.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 18, 2014)

joewillie12 said:


> If your home is listed in the Multiple Listing Service or MLS then your listing is distributed to sites like realtor.com, zillow, trulia, homes.com, etc. The problem is not your realtor's own website. Most buyers come from doing their own search on the web these days and they often land on the sites mentioned above. Buyers are able to search using their own criteria avoiding homes not in their price range or areas not desired.
> In my 20 years of selling real estate there are 2 primary items that effect a sale.* Price and or location.* The realtor only gets a paycheck when your home sells. I don't believe he is intentionally playing a game or not wanting to sell your home. Ask him for a CMA to confirm your priced right. Also ask him if your home is on the sites mentioned above. Many of my buyer leads come from those sites.
> 31 days on the market is not a long time but I would think you would've had a little more activity. *Sometimes offering a bonus to the selling agent get will you a little more attention.* No guarantee there. *Also offering a home warranty  to the buyer at closing *might entice a few more buyers to look. Best of luck! Hopefully you'll have a few showings in the coming days



Joe,
The searches get difficult because each little town has its own TAX STRUCTURE. There are 3 residential towns within the same ZIP CODE and POST OFFICE name - 3 school districts - three police departments. MLS just LOVES zip codes.

As for a *BONUS*, I have only a 'team' member I am dealing with. I think the TEAM has some 'predetermined' commission split. Technically, I listed with the LEAD team member ... who I never have talked to and I believe has never been to my townhouse.

Your HOME WARRENTY suggestion is excellent .. will have my 'team' member look into it.  I just spent $3,800 to rip off the old roof for a new 30 year dimensional shingled roof plus all the windows are newer.


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## ronparise (Sep 18, 2014)

joewillie12 has it right  its price and location,,,since you cant do anything about location...its price..and by the way $149K is not giving it away...$0 is giving it away. Why not pay for an appraisal or two and get a real answer as to value



Our (real estate agents)  dirty little secret is that it doesnt matter who lists your home, The listing agent isnt the one that sells it. Its the buyers agents...give them a bonus and your deal moves to the top of their showings list.


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## joewillie12 (Sep 18, 2014)

An appraisal is a nice marketing tool Ron. The house will definately get looks if it is advertised "PRICED BELOW APPRAISED VALUE".....even if only $1 below.The object is to get eyes on the listing. Also advertising " SELLER WILL HELP WITH CLOSING COSTS" has worked in the past.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 18, 2014)

ronparise said:


> joewillie12 has it right  its price and location,,,since you cant do anything about location...its price..and by the way $149K is not giving it away...$0 is giving it away. Why not pay for an appraisal or two and get a real answer as to value
> 
> 
> 
> Our (real estate agents)  dirty little secret is that it doesnt matter who lists your home, The listing agent isnt the one that sells it. *Its the buyers agents...give them a bonus and your deal moves to the top of their showings list*.



Thanks, Ron .... 

I am NOT in this profession and my best broker friend DIED 12+ years ago and my next best contact, went to jail for 3+ years and then left town. Even my best thieving Realtor vanished more years than I can remember when he left town with 4 of the big lawyers' slush funds (you know, the cash they held in the bottom draw of their desks)... these Realtors are the ones who taught me all I know about real estate sales when I lived in NJ .... I got to watch the show(s).


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## Kel (Sep 18, 2014)

What are the comparable closed sales in the area?  Have the comparable properties been updated?  A property that has been a rental for 28 years needs to be updated.  Or, you may have to significantly lower your asking price to something realistic.  

Have your real estate agent show you a list of comparable closed sales and a list of comparable listings.  Go online and look at the properties and see how they compare to your property.  

I agree with those who said they wouldn’t worry about the location of your property on the real estate office’s website.  Most people look at redfin.com and realtor.com for properties.  With redfin.com and realtor.com you can choose to see what properties are for sale in your area and you can also choose to see what properties have recently sold for.  Zillow.com and Trulia.com are helpful sites too.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 18, 2014)

Someone I know had her home listed for months through a realtor and it never sold and had hardly any activity. The home was located in a rural area in NY where the economy isn't the greatest and the taxes are high. She was about to give up and didn't renew the realtor's contract. She decided to give it one more try on Craigs List. It sold within one day of the ad appearing. And- it was a cash deal!


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## chriskre (Sep 18, 2014)

Brown carpet, original 80's cabinets.  
Dump that puppy.


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## Patri (Sep 19, 2014)

Hard to say since you haven't had lookers, but I would think starter home buyers would like a refrigerator. They don't usually expect a W&D.


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## Egret1986 (Sep 19, 2014)

*Just went through this w/a townhouse we sold (purchased as investment-yeah, right)*

We were never meant to be full-time landlords.  Mom was selling real estate at the time and we were one of her customers.  Bought before housing market crash.  That was in 2005.  First tenants were great, but it went downhill from there with tenants and HOA.  One tenant didn't pay and did major damage to TH before we could get her out.  Dumped major money repairing and fixing up ($20,000).  Put it on the market with a realtor friend of my Mom's.  Bad idea again.  She did little to try to sell it, didn't communicate or give suggestions, never knew if it was being shown, etc.  Listed for $125,000.  Got one offer and, foolishly, did not accept.  It was for $100,000.  Put back on rental market and more of the same with tenants and HOA.  A huge "monkey on our backs".  Took years off our lives, I'm sure.  Decided when we got the last tenant out in May 2013, we would spruce her up and sell her.  On the recommendation of my Mom's former broker, I went with an agent that he suggested.  She worked it, kept us informed, gave suggestions and helped to get it sold.  You do have to be proactive.  She gave us weekly updates of the activity in the neighborhood.  We were cooperative and proactive sellers.  I know we made her life easier.  It's definitely a cooperative effort.  But it all starts with the "right" agent.  We didn't stage it, but did some things that made an empty TH seem a bit more homey.  The bathrooms were not updated.  I added some nice towels, rugs, curtains and decorative items.  I put some nice drapes at the slider and some throw rugs down. It sure helped with eye appeal for not much money.  The kitchen was not updated and we had no plans to put any "big" money into it.  We did some great landscaping in the front/back yard..  Had the carpets professionally cleaned and painted it.  Eventually, bought an inexpensive washer and dryer.

The neighbor next door, we believe, impeded the sale.  Gutter hanging off the back of the house, unfinished fencing project laying all over back yard, etc.  All fencing had to be planks, but the layout allows everyone to see in your backyard.  HOA never would address the neighbor issue, which was ongoing.  The neighbor acted nice enough, but never addressed the issues.  I suggested to my husband that we offer to clean it up for him.  My husband didn't think that it was a good idea.

The TH wasn't selling.  It was priced very competitively.  All we wanted to do was sell it for enough to pay off the loan and commissions, and move on with our lives.  Decided enough was enough.  We put up a new interior fence with solid planks for complete privacy (against HOA rules-took the chance).  It eliminated the unsightly yard next door, it turned the tiny backyard and landscaping into a more appealing setting.  As you entered the TH from the front door, you could see all the way through to the backyard and it made things more inviting and attractive.

We offered a home warranty.  We paid buyer closing costs.  When we re-negotiated the listing contract this past January, naturally things had slowed down for showings, but we still had them and my realtor kept me informed weekly of neighborhood activity.  I knew she was the right realtor.  With the weekly updates, I knew I hadn't been forgotten.

We were offered two lease options during the time that it was listed.  That would not have accomplished what we were determined to do.  Get that place out of our lives. Essentially, it would have been having to deal with tenants again.  These "lease option" folks had either credit issues or financial issues that prevented them from buying right then.  It would have solved nothing for us.

As far as incentives to the selling agent, I added a "free" week of vacation to anywhere that I had inventory listed.  All prime weeks along the East Coast (close-by or travel to locations).  I never had to give up a week because got a buyer before that was added to my listing.

We were on vacation the first week of April, clear across the US.  Got a call from the realtor that we had an offer and the buyer wanted to close by the end of April.  Minor negotiations and we had a ratified contract. The burden is gone. 



Chrispee said:


> Having only one showing and nobody attending your open house, I'd say it's a pretty clear-cut case of your price being high.  Since there are 70+ units in the complex surely your agent can pull the data on similar units that have sold recently?  This would be my first step if I were you.
> 
> I would guess your realtor does not want to do a lease to own because it results in commission issues for him/her, and certainly won't motivate him/her to push your sale over other listings.
> 
> If I were you, I'd be supplementing the realtor's advertising and doing my own craigslist ads and flyers.  Best of luck with the sale, having been through it before I sympathize with the stress you are experiencing!



Good advice.  It's a cooperative thing.  I believe you will have more success if you are a proactive seller.



joewillie12 said:


> An appraisal is a nice marketing tool Ron. The house will definately get looks if it is advertised "PRICED BELOW APPRAISED VALUE".....even if only $1 below.The object is to get eyes on the listing. Also advertising " SELLER WILL HELP WITH CLOSING COSTS" has worked in the past.



My TH was targeted to first time buyers.  I believe closing costs being paid assisted with the sale.  My buyer was a single Mom that really needed that incentive in order to make it happen.



Kel said:


> What are the comparable closed sales in the area?  Have the comparable properties been updated?  A property that has been a rental for 28 years needs to be updated.  Or, you may have to significantly lower your asking price to something realistic.
> 
> Have your real estate agent show you a list of comparable closed sales and a list of comparable listings.  Go online and look at the properties and see how they compare to your property.



We had a great agent the second time around.  Each Saturday, without fail, she sent us the activity in the neighborhood, along with pictures of the listed properties.  It was very helpful for us in determining what we needed to do and how our property compared to the others for sale.  It had a newer roof, heating/AC system, windows, and carpet; but that's it.  It was built in 1975.   Some similar properties had remodeled kitchens and baths, nicely tiled foyers, etc.



chriskre said:


> Brown carpet, original 80's cabinets.
> Dump that puppy.



Essentially, it all comes down to that.  That's what I had and it was way overdue to "dump that puppy."


I read somewhere that the first offer is usually the best offer.  It was in my case.  That first offer back in 2011, would have saved us a lot of heartache and money.  We would have walked away with more cash in hand.  But it's gone!  We learned from that experience!  No more tenants; no more non-preforming HOA. 

How motivated are you to get rid of it?   Our motivation was through the roof.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 19, 2014)

Okay -- here is the NEW battle plan.

Have a $750 Selling bonus to Selling Agent at settlement -- should increase the number of buyers going thru the house or a least their agent's previewing the house. Should get me MORE feedback if I get others looking at house, too.

Lower the PRICE by $5000 --- gets it below $165,000.

*My concentration will be to put it out on the RENTAL MARKET *... I have another unit in same development, except this model draws a lower rent. I will advertise the rental on Trulia and the other FREE web rental sites. Yes, the For Sale sign will be in the FRONT YARD, but I can either take if OFF the market to rent it OR rent them the other TH. 

As for appliances, I have appliances to install if that is the only thing preventing the sale. But we ONLY move appliances when we HAVE TO. And we both have pickup trucks - mine has a lower bed. But to put them in and NOT be stainless steel, it is a waste of time and money.

Fresh paint would be wonderful - except we are busier than all get out with repairs in other units. The walls are all tan with white ceilings and gloss trim. All the replacement windows have decent white mini-blinds. If their agent can't get even simple painting over their objections, their agent should drag them thru a house totally wallpapered (including the ceilings ).

You can never WIN in redoing major elements of a house - like the kitchen. I pick white cabinets - buyer wants wood. I pick light oak wood; buyer wants dark wood. Then with any new cabinets, then everyone wants NEW appliances. And then, since they are paying for them, their dream is Stainless steel - including a matching SS refrigerator. Yes, I have a stainless steel stove and wall oven --- a 1962 set. But I am sure, they would NOT want my antique appliances. 

Give it another 2 weeks ...


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 19, 2014)

I really want to thank everyone for the HONEST comments and new ideas. I want to sell this place - I was really tee-off about dropping the price by $12,000 after DEMANDING a realistic listing price verses the DREAM price from the get-go. February is DREAM PRICE month; August is SELL IT PRICE month.

My agent is a very positive person -- but she might now look into getting a voodoo doll of me or the house. She does NOT think the $750 BRIBE will influence an agent to drag their client to MY TH .... I think see needs to met some agents who really need MONEY. 

What I want is FEEDBACK or at least an offer ... other agents can email a brief review in less than a minute. I can counter a low offer or accept it.


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## joewillie12 (Sep 19, 2014)

Sounds like a good plan Linda. I would also suggest to your realtor to advertise the price reduction which also shows seller motivation.  I would also think about offering that home warranty. They usually run around 350-450 for a year and definately attract buyers. There is a rider that can be placed on the For Sale sign advertising that perk. Best of Luck!


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## pranas (Sep 19, 2014)

Based on my experience, your $750 bonus is on the low side.  Most listing I have seen like this offer 1% of the sales price.


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## PearlCity (Sep 19, 2014)

I'm not an agent, but my husband is and his brother is the broker.  Couple things is the price. No lookers, price was too high to begin with. The other thing my husband does is lower his commission from 3 to 2 percent and give the other agent more if the house really isn't moving (typical sales are 6 percent and buyers and sellers split) but my husband doesn't do this full time, his commissions are our travel money so he can do that. 

I also wanted to add, realtors websites are not effective. Most realtors use the multiple listing service, and usually there is a public website for that anyway that buyers go to for all listings so I wouldn't worry.  

But overall sounds like your agent didn't do his home work and did not price correctly to begin with. Wrong pricing can mean your house wont move. You shouldn't have to do any advertising yourself. Honestly if I were you I'd find a different agent.


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## am1 (Sep 19, 2014)

You may be better off trying to do it yourself.  5 or 6% to pay out is lot for poor service.


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## mpizza (Sep 19, 2014)

I recently helped a friend sell her Dad's house.  She wanted it to sell fast, "as-is" and with no contingencies, but realized it hadn't been touched in 30 years.  We asked a contractor to prepare an estimate of what it would cost to bring it up-to-date, priced it that much lower than the neighborhood comps and received 5 offers in one day.  One at listing price with the Buyers offering an escalation clause willing to pay up to 5% higher.

Goal accomplished - house sold!  

Maria


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## VegasBella (Sep 19, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Push for lease/purchase deal?
> Lower sales price to $157K?
> Stage the empty house? First Floor & master?
> Drop this realtor?


 STAGE IT.
I know the selling price doesn't seem to warrant staging but if you're not getting any traffic then you have to do something to stand out. Get it staged, take lots of quality photos, and put those photos on the web listing. 

We're selling a home right now too. In our our price range and house size there were over 80 other homes in our zipcode for sale! But ours was THE ONLY staged home. We did first floor, master, and bathrooms (left two bedrooms unstaged). We got an offer on day one and we're set to close in a week. 

Pricing it right helps obviously. But it doesn't have to be technically a great deal. It just has to come up in a web search. So for example, price at 165k instead of 166k and price at 199k instead of 100k.

It also certainly helps to have good neighbors, but there's not a ton you can do about the neighbors.


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## chriskre (Sep 20, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> What I want is FEEDBACK or at least an offer ... other agents can email a brief review in less than a minute. I can counter a low offer or accept it.



Ask your realtor to put it on "Show Assist" and have all the showings cc emailed to you.  
I do that for my customers.  That way they know when there is a showing on their vacant property.  

They can also ask for feedback in the showing instructions.  
Worth a shot and most realtors won't be shy in telling you why their buyers loved or hated the property.  

Good luck Linda.  Hopefully with your new plan it will sell soon.


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## elaine (Sep 20, 2014)

Personally, I would drop it to what you said for only 30 days, then drop it to $149K, esp. if you don't see a lot of foot traffic.  $150K is a big cut-off, so there are people who won't even pull your listing up if they are looking u p to $150K. What ever realtor you have doesn't matter so much--it's all Internet based. Assuming it's in the MLS, every realtor and person on the internet will see it. Also, you have to compensate for the "oldness" of the unit--both in its date and appearance. Maybe consider beige carpet? good luck! Elaine


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## dougp26364 (Sep 20, 2014)

Let me interject something about "internet based" house shopping.

I've been looking off and on at relocating and, while I use the internet to gauge home values, it's just window shopping. I have several co-workers who are serious about relocation after graduating with advanced degrees. Again, it's all window shopping online. The real house shopping comes when they decide on an area and then they get a realtor involved who will show them the homes. The web based shopping has been to shop values in general locations, not shopping for specific homes. Eventually it becomes a place to start but it's the realtor who's showing the houses where the sale is made and, often the homes purchased are not the homes viewed online. 

I really don't care much for the web sites. They're not always easy to navigate to find what I would like to see and, many require I register, which gets me a lot of junk e-mail and/or spam. I would put a lot of weight into online listings and would put more weight on why my realtor isn't showing a property they've listed. If it's the price, then I'd be questioning why they listed the property at that price? Was it just to hook me into a contract with them? Do they not research or know that market in my area? I don't think I'd ever consider doing business with a realtor who I did not personally sit down with and discuss my property, it's value, sales history in my neighborhood and how many homes they've listed and sold similar to mine.


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## joewillie12 (Sep 20, 2014)

elaine said:


> Personally, I would drop it to what you said for only 30 days, then drop it to $149K, esp. if you don't see a lot of foot traffic.  $150K is a big cut-off, so there are people who won't even pull your listing up if they are looking u p to $150K. What ever realtor you have doesn't matter so much--it's all Internet based. Assuming it's in the MLS, every realtor and person on the internet will see it. Also, you have to compensate for the "oldness" of the unit--both in its date and appearance. Maybe consider beige carpet? good luck! Elaine


 Very good point on the 150k price example. Most buyers look in 25k increments such as 100,125,150,175,etc.


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## Wonka (Sep 20, 2014)

*Staqing is well worth it*

First, I agree with the "staging" suggestion.  We sold two houses one day after "staging" them.  I did it myself, and purchased some new some lightly used furniture for each.  You'll be surprised how little you may have to spend to "stage" the townhouse yourself.  If the purchaser wants to buy the property, they may pay a little extra.  If not, you can sell it after it's sold.

The 2nd suggestion is a little late...I generally only give the realtor a 90-day listing to ensure they work a little harder to keep it.


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## Roger830 (Sep 20, 2014)

We sold a house in 5 days with two offers May 2009, right after the melt down started.

The house was move in ready and appealed to a first time buyer that received an $8000 grant.

We picked the broker based on how well his houses appeared on the internet. He prided himself on his photography skills and setup lights for the inside photos.

We made it clear that we wanted to move the house fast, so he priced it to sell.

Every day from Monday to Friday we had lookers. On Friday we  asked the two bidders to submit there high bid, then closed 3 weeks later.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 20, 2014)

I can be a PIA to any realtor.  I have had several realtors  "Release Me" from listing contracts as I WOULD not lower a price THAT they had recommended. I had one who did a meltdown when I demanded they RAISE my asking price -- it SOLD within 10 days above the prior asking price (that was when MLS just showed a "Price Change").

As for the realtor - I was at the house today - multiple lights were on, the rear garage door only had the DEAD BOLT locked and closed doors (closets) were now opened verses being closed 2 days ago. Supposedly, this unit has ONLY been official SHOWN one time. And it had lights on the last time I was in the house.

Wonka - There is a used furniture store with delivery about 10 miles from my residence ... I might head over there and see what I can get. Thanks for the USED furniture mention. I thought about that store as I have purchased furniture there 30+ years ago. I had been trying to figure out WHAT I could that down there from my personal home. Thanks for the comment .. it got that store out of the deep regions of the old brain.


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## joewillie12 (Sep 20, 2014)

Roger830 said:


> We sold a house in 5 days with two offers May 2009, right after the melt down started.
> 
> The house was move in ready and appealed to a first time buyer that received an $8000 grant.
> 
> ...


Winner winner chicken dinner! You priced it to sell and it sold


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## Clemson Fan (Sep 21, 2014)

chriskre said:


> Brown carpet, original 80's cabinets.



And being a rental unit for 28 years!  Given those significant negatives I would think you need to be priced near the lower end if not the low end of other comparable recent sales.


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## ottawasquaw (Sep 21, 2014)

Hmm..having spent the past five years selling homes in the under $100k market and a slow market at that, I feel your pain! It typically takes 2 years to sell a home in my neighborhood. I sold mine earlier this summer to the first prospects who walked through the door...because I priced it right and it was move-in ready.

People want to bring their silverware and not have to think about anything else. More than "staging," in this price point, it's important to have the walls and flooring and appliances in place. 

I'm curious how many similar TH's are on the market? Where are you priced relative to them and how does your condition compare? Buyers are scarce! In many areas, 2014 has been worse than 2013. FHA loans have been extremely tough to get. 

I get the love-hate relationship with realtors. I'm afraid a lot of agents do sellers a disservice by overpricing the home. Keep in mind that agents have the buyers, especially the buyers in this price range. As an agent myself, extra $ mean nothing. If you want to sell, make sure you have the best price and it's move-in ready. In this r.e. environment, sometimes on the only return on investment is to stop the bleeding.

Focus on your competition - what a prospective buyer has from which to choose. Keep it listed. Agents still sell more houses than owners.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 21, 2014)

Wonka said:


> First, I agree with the "staging" suggestion.  We sold two houses one day after "staging" them.  I did it myself, and purchased some new some lightly used furniture for each.  You'll be surprised how little you may have to spend to "stage" the townhouse yourself.  If the purchaser wants to buy the property, they may pay a little extra.  If not, you can sell it after it's sold.....



TODAY >>> Brought some staging furniture that with delivery and tax for $1506. Full living room - sofa ($289), recliner ($90), coffee table $35, 1 end table $25, 2 nice matching lamps (floor and table $80) plus over the sofa picture ($60) plus a high top (bar height) table with 6 chairs ($389) plus a Mission style MBR set with headboard, triple dress & mirror, chest  and 1 night table ($395) - delivery and tax included (plus the store has a buy back plan - undamaged within 6 months 45-50% not including the $45 delivery or Taxes paid). Or I give it to my nephew who graduates college in May .... Or I stage my NEXT apt for rent or house for sale. 

The matching lamps ($80) are the ONLY thing I would have brought for my house. Of course, I have spent YEARS finding my furniture for MY house - and maybe NOT much more in costs as I have brought a lot of USED furniture or I inherited it. But all of this stuff is tasteful enough I could use it in a second home. But I will write the cost off on the sale of this TH!


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## VegasBella (Sep 21, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> TODAY >>> Brought some staging furniture


Arrange it in a way to make the rooms look large. 
After it's all set up take some GOOD photos that really highlight the space. 
Get your realtor to add the photos to the listing.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 21, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> Arrange it in a way to make the rooms look large.
> After it's all set up take some GOOD photos that really highlight the space.
> Get your realtor to add the photos to the listing.



At least this house, will have NO CLUTTER!  

I am going to see how long it takes the realtor to notice I "staged it".


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## SMHarman (Sep 21, 2014)

You can rent furniture for staging.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 21, 2014)

I have to go several counties NORTH of me - to get to staging a company - 45-75 minute drive thru all the traffic congestion and via the 3 years rebuild of the BIGGEST interchange mess on the major 2 roads (N-S FREEWAY and I-295) Then they charge MUCH more in base price and transportation as the houses are an additional $100K-300+K in that area. (ie  the interstate nearest my TH is 2 lanes in each directions; the NJ Turnpike is 2 lanes in each direction; try 4 lanes and 3 lanes). The further NORTH you go - the closer you get to NYC prices and lifestyles.

How else can I afford to live on 3.5 acres of ground with a 140+ acre field (Green Acres ground) across from my house and 15-20 empty (so of wet) acres behind my house? I just don't have that much civilized features ... I enjoy by critters who wander thru my yard.


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## Wonka (Sep 22, 2014)

*Used Furniture*



vacationhopeful said:


> I can be a PIA to any realtor.  I have had several realtors  "Release Me" from listing contracts as I WOULD not lower a price THAT they had recommended. I had one who did a meltdown when I demanded they RAISE my asking price -- it SOLD within 10 days above the prior asking price (that was when MLS just showed a "Price Change").
> 
> As for the realtor - I was at the house today - multiple lights were on, the rear garage door only had the DEAD BOLT locked and closed doors (closets) were now opened verses being closed 2 days ago. Supposedly, this unit has ONLY been official SHOWN one time. And it had lights on the last time I was in the house.
> 
> Wonka - There is a used furniture store with delivery about 10 miles from my residence ... I might head over there and see what I can get. Thanks for the USED furniture mention. I thought about that store as I have purchased furniture there 30+ years ago. I had been trying to figure out WHAT I could that down there from my personal home. Thanks for the comment .. it got that store out of the deep regions of the old brain.



Linda -

Also watch Craigslist, etc. for ads where folks are selling the entire contents of their condo, etc.  Often, people are moving and the short time frame simply doesn't allow time for selling piece by piece, etc.  The prices for the whole house may be much less expensive.  You can also find quasi estate sales where the beneficiaries are distant or local, but really don't need any of the contents of the deceased home.  We were in that situation when my MIL died and just gave everything to a Women's Resource charity.  Timing is often critical for sellers of home furnishing because of a move, new furniture coming, etc.


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## Wonka (Sep 22, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> TODAY >>> Brought some staging furniture that with delivery and tax for $1506. Full living room - sofa ($289), recliner ($90), coffee table $35, 1 end table $25, 2 nice matching lamps (floor and table $80) plus over the sofa picture ($60) plus a high top (bar height) table with 6 chairs ($389) plus a Mission style MBR set with headboard, triple dress & mirror, chest  and 1 night table ($395) - delivery and tax included (plus the store has a buy back plan - undamaged within 6 months 45-50% not including the $45 delivery or Taxes paid). Or I give it to my nephew who graduates college in May .... Or I stage my NEXT apt for rent or house for sale.
> 
> The matching lamps ($80) are the ONLY thing I would have brought for my house. Of course, I have spent YEARS finding my furniture for MY house - and maybe NOT much more in costs as I have brought a lot of USED furniture or I inherited it. But all of this stuff is tasteful enough I could use it in a second home. But I will write the cost off on the sale of this TH!



Best of luck!  I sure hope it works, or I'll feel responsible for adding to your costs.   Make sure your realtor notes the furniture is "available" during showings also I should mention I did a little more....it was very inexpensive.  I set the dining room table up with dishes, candles, centerpiece and stemware and folded the napkins fancy and setup knickknacks throughout the home.  In the bath I had towels on the racks and by the bathtub glasses with candles and a bottle of champagne by the tub.  All these little "touches" helped and cost so little.  Goodwill or discount stores is a good place for such things.


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## ottawasquaw (Sep 22, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> I am going to see how long it takes the realtor to notice I "staged it".



Hello? Are you and your agent on the same team or do you just enjoy having passive-aggressive relationships? Communication is the key to any good relationship.

Might want to call, request new photos...and then see how long it takes for your team to respond.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 22, 2014)

ottawasquaw said:


> Hello? Are you and your agent on the same team or do you just enjoy having passive-aggressive relationships? Communication is the key to any good relationship.
> 
> Might want to call, request new photos...and then see how long it takes for your team to respond.



I start my days at 5:30AM ... realtors don't start til a bit latter. I try to relax on most Sundays and HOPE realtors are working like dogs on FRI, SAT and SUN. I just started returning calls now at 9:30AM Monday ... My "wait to see when the realtor notices" is not important or to schedule new photos* til after the FURNITURE get delivered sometime on TUES *and I add some "homey touches".

No offense taken ... I try to keep all players in my team informed, but I rather NOT give a person a reason to NOT show the house (Oh, I will wait til I see it staged before I take someone over to see the "empty" house; we have other places for them too look at.)


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## ottawasquaw (Sep 23, 2014)

OK, so you have found another reason to not update your agent...other than the one posted. 

I'll agree that there are plenty of agents who began their career in the gravy days which are now gone, but please don't assume that you get up earlier and work harder. Keep in mind, you are the one who picked this group to represent you.

Anyway, good luck to you! Hope this staging helps you sell.


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## Patri (Sep 23, 2014)

Just read an article that staging historically does not make a property sell at a higher price, but it does help it sell faster. Good luck.


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## VegasBella (Sep 23, 2014)

Patri said:


> Just read an article that staging historically does not make a property sell at a higher price, but it does help it sell faster. Good luck.



A link or reference of some sort would be nice.

If there are carrying costs then faster = more money unless the market is rapidly changing (bubble).


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## A.Win (Sep 23, 2014)

This is only slightly related to your thread but here is what I have learned from living in the DC area.

This area is the very best for used furniture and thrift shops. There is a large community of transient people. Lots of military folks moving in and out every year or two. Large community of diplomats that move all the time. Diplomats and other short term international workers are generally upper class and do not have roots here, so they have nothing to do with their excess furniture. Selling or giving can be cheaper than moving furniture to their home country. So during the summer time, it is a great place for yard sales, craigslist searching, and thrift shops. You can find good stuff in like new condition sometimes. When visiting other thrift shops in the country, I only find very old/worthless things.


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## Chrispee (Sep 23, 2014)

I hate to bring a negative view to the table, but I don't believe that staging is likely to help you sell your place.  This simple fact is that your realtor has had no success in generating clients to view your townhouse, which points to only two potential problems in my opinion:

1. Lack of marketing/exposure
2. Priced too high for the market

You're not going to go wrong buying $1500 worth of furniture that can be resold or reused, but I doubt it will be the difference-maker.  I hope I'm wrong, and that the right buyer materializes for you!


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 23, 2014)

I got the furniture into the house this afternoon. One thing I noticed immediately was there is NOW 2 places to sit -- in the LR on a decent sofa & the recliner AND in the eat in kitchen area at the hi-top table with 6 chairs. The hi-top table fully opened is 5 square feet - does it ever belong and NOW is the eye catcher for the country kitchen. 

The master bedroom now shows that a KING would not be TOO much for that room. The large dresser has a BIG LARGE mirror which acts like an anchor. It is easy for people to see this is not a small box TH. I left the BDR "chess on chess" as a cabinet item in the eat-in kitchen area. As for the formal DR, the 3 tier crystal lighting fixture shows nicely in the open floor space. With all the rooms empty .. there was no reason to look ... you were just walking thru a shell of a house.

I want a person looking at the house to linger and be able to picture themselves living there. I am used to showing EMPTY rental units --- it is easy to see the difference a buyer sees between an EMPTY and a "live in" place.

And the walls and brown rug don't look as bad either --- my eye has other things to see. I still have to hang my SOFA PICTURE -- but that will really draw your eye UP off the floor.


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## elaine (Sep 23, 2014)

good luck--let us know how it goes. I would still consider dropping to $150K if foot traffic does not dramatically improve in the next 30 days--we priced too high and learned the hard way in the past.


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## Kel (Sep 23, 2014)

What's the address of the property?  I'd like to see what you are talking about.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 23, 2014)

Sent address with PM -- did not want this thread to show up on goooggle land searches.


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## Glynda (Sep 23, 2014)

*Bottom line*

IMO, you are just spinning your wheels.  Marketing and staging aren't likely to overcome an overpriced and very dated town home in a less than desirable location.


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## Patri (Sep 23, 2014)

Link on staging

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/does-staging-raise-home-price.aspx
(I LIKE the purple. I also didn't necessarily see the furniture as ugly, just eclectic).


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## LLW (Sep 23, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> I really want to thank everyone for the HONEST comments and new ideas. I want to sell this place - I was really tee-off about dropping the price by $12,000 after DEMANDING a realistic listing price verses the DREAM price from the get-go. February is DREAM PRICE month; August is SELL IT PRICE month.
> 
> My agent is a very positive person -- but she might now look into getting a voodoo doll of me or the house. She does NOT think the $750 BRIBE will influence an agent to drag their client to MY TH .... I think see needs to met some agents who really need MONEY.
> 
> What I want is FEEDBACK or at least an offer ... other agents can email a brief review in less than a minute. I can counter a low offer or accept it.



A couple of pointers/opinions
1. The listing agent and selling agent are usually different people. But the "Face of the Team" could be the same. The selling agent has to share the bonus with her boss - usually 50/50 for your level of TH. $375 is not enough incentive to work a lot harder, although it is to work a little harder. 

The incentive needs to be higher for the selling agent. 

2. Then you need to meet the leader of the team to have her  encourage somebody on the team to sell it, so that the leader would get commission from both ends. (Some states may disallow that - check on it.) She usually has a lot of influence.


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## laurac260 (Sep 24, 2014)

Good luck to you!  We bought a TH in 2001 that was brand new, for 125k.  We sold it in 2004 for 98k.  This after it sat on the market for 6 months.  It was well maintained, we added some upgrades, etc.  None of that mattered.  I happened to notice it listed again 2 years ago, for 98k.  

We knew going in that town homes were tough to sell, unless you have beach front or some other really HOT location.  (Ours was in average suburbia).  I won't buy another one again unless it meets that "hot location" criteria.


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## VegasBella (Sep 24, 2014)

Patri said:


> Link on staging
> 
> http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/does-staging-raise-home-price.aspx
> (I LIKE the purple. I also didn't necessarily see the furniture as ugly, just eclectic).



Thank you for that.

It was only one study and although it had a large sample size no one should draw conclusions from a single study. Additionally, the study had flaws, chiefly it surveyed people who weren't actually making offers on the property. It asked them how much they thought the home was worth, which is a very different question. Moreover, it asked them to rate PHOTOS of a staged home rather than to actually walk through it. 

Other studies have had different results. 

One of the points of staging is to get people to tour the property. They're not going to make offers if they don't tour (at least not normally). If they aren't touring it when it's vacant then maybe they'll tour it when it's furnished. Many people really can't visualize how nice a home can be unless it's staged. Nice web photos that show the home staged may draw in more people to tour it.

The other point of staging is to hopefully make someone who tours "fall in love" with the home. It feels like home, which it can really only do when it's furnished neutrally, and because they really love it they offer list price.

This almost even worked on us for the house we're selling...
We painted the walls a neutral color, re-painted the front door, had the carpets and tiles deep cleaned, freshened up the landscaping, and hired a home staging professional to add furniture and accessories. When we saw the result we said to ourselves, "Wow. If we had just done this earlier we might never have wanted to sell." It looked great. 

I'm not saying it made me want to move back or anything (the location and layout don't suit us as well as our new home). But it reminded me of how nice the home was.


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## laurac260 (Sep 24, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> Thank you for that.
> 
> It was only one study and although it had a large sample size no one should draw conclusions from a single study. Additionally, the study had flaws, chiefly it surveyed people who weren't actually making offers on the property. It asked them how much they thought the home was worth, which is a very different question. Moreover, it asked them to rate PHOTOS of a staged home rather than to actually walk through it.
> 
> ...



A nicely furnished home sells much better than an empty one.  Conversely, a poorly furnished home (mismatched furniture, in disarray, etc) makes it tough for the buyer to look past what is there, and what CAN be.  Of course, style is in the eye of the beholder too.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 25, 2014)

So, I had called the listing agent 5 times since I lowered the price last Friday; my contact agent did NOT answer her cell phone or return either the calls or a voice messages left. So, I called her TEAM LEADER after lunch today. Identified myself and property she had listed under her team name. She knew who I was and asked what she could do. Told her I would like to met with her at MY house; she tried to tell me the meeting would be MUCH better in her office (at least 3 times inside a 3 minute phone call) as she had access to her computer, etc.... 

I reminded her my goal had been to sell this house - I had been very clear in saying I did not want a listing price for my ego. BUT then to have the house listed for 31 days at their recommended price ($169,900) and be asked to LOWER it to $157,000, those 31 days had been a total WASTE of time. I wanted to KNOW what I needed to do to get this house SOLD. And that did not need me looking at some computer screen in her office; I wanted her in MY house.

I did NOT mention I had placed furniture in the house; Or I wanted new pictures. I did say the one web site had the WORST picture for the entire house (the kitchen & cabinets as the center) as it descriptive/title picture.  I figured unless SHE saw the house, now with some furniture, and either suggested a REAL PRICE and hear her action plan or be told WHAT she wanted me to do ... I was either going to have a faceless person (her) calling the advertising budget or encouraging my contact person in saying "LOWER the price" as the ONLY action plan. 

If she wants to be honest and say, this is NOT her turf or price range to sell in AND suggest WHO would be the best agent  ... I would have respect for a real estate agent who knows there is value in NOT giving very POOR service to a customer. 

Plus, she needs to know, "I am a repeat player". If she truly is SMART, she will already KNOW what I own in the area.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 26, 2014)

The team leader STOOD ME UP! 

A NO SHOW. And no call to my cell phone. But she called my office number (in a town 25 minutes away, 5 minutes after she thought I would have been there waiting for her). She had 2:30PM in her notes (the time she would have had to leave her office) as our meeting time (my notes had 3PM clearly). She called my office at 2:36PM.

Her message was, she would prefer to meet in her office another day & time as she had to pickup one of her staff members whose car had been towed & impounded for failure to have insurance (and staff person was upset). She wanted to show me computer stuff which could only be done in HER office. Gee, I thought someone invented hot spots and WIFI years ago ... like even on a cell phone.

Time for a new realtor and office ...   

PS ... this morning that realtor's office (different team) listed another house within 200 feet of my house. For $185,000. Zillow's estimate is $149,000/1380 sq. ft. Built 1988 Lot is 3,049 sq. ft. lot. It is definitely a smaller house - I had been in it many times when a friend owned it (he went to jail).
My Zillow estimate is $154,000/1579 sq. ft. and the current listing is $164,900. Built 1982. Lot is 3,484 sq. ft. lot.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 26, 2014)

There are a lot of flaky realtors out there. I hate dealing with them. When we had to sell my deceased parent's home a few years ago I interviewed several of them first. Thankfully, I made the right choice.


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## rlblack (Sep 26, 2014)

I suggest at this point- that you inform, in writing, email is great-- the "team leader, and all the members of the team" and the "broker" of the firm that the "team" works at that due to your unhappiness with their service that you wish to terminate the contract. Remember- you do have a legally binding listing contract.  I would itemize your complaints and give a time frame- 48 hours- or 72hours for a response for their release of the contract.  

I would suggest, after you have the release, have 2-3 Realtors interview, do an inspection of the property, (at that time you ask for suggestions for improvement), have them do a CMA for you. What you are looking for is experience in the area, straight talk re the  property and current market, marketing plan, and positive reputation with buyers, sellers and other Realtors (since buyers and sellers come and go- good Realtors work with other honest good Realtors) -  Then, choose the one that is the most upfront- an honest with you.   And - take their advice even though you might not like it- 

good luck


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## Egret1986 (Sep 27, 2014)

*Location, pricing, staging, etc.; all factor in, but....*

...bottom line is having a good agent that is motivated, experienced in sales in your location, and that communicates well to let you know what's going on at the property and in the neighborhood on a regular basis.  It is key to getting that property sold.  It requires a cooperative effort on both your parts. 



dougp26364 said:


> Let me interject something about "internet based" house shopping.
> 
> Eventually it becomes a place to start but it's the realtor who's showing the houses where the sale is made and, often the homes purchased are not the homes viewed online.
> 
> I would NOT put a lot of weight into online listings and would put more weight on why my realtor isn't showing a property they've listed. If it's the price, then I'd be questioning why they listed the property at that price? Was it just to hook me into a contract with them? Do they not research or know that market in my area? I don't think I'd ever consider doing business with a realtor who I did not personally sit down with and discuss my property, it's value, sales history in my neighborhood and how many homes they've listed and sold similar to mine.



To me, all this is very important!



vacationhopeful said:


> So, I had called the listing agent 5 times since I lowered the price last Friday; my contact agent did NOT answer her cell phone or return either the calls or a voice messages left. So, I called her TEAM LEADER after lunch today. Identified myself and property she had listed under her team name. She knew who I was and asked what she could do. Told her I would like to met with her at MY house; she tried to tell me the meeting would be MUCH better in her office (at least 3 times inside a 3 minute phone call) as she had access to her computer, etc....
> 
> I reminded her my goal had been to sell this house - I had been very clear in saying I did not want a listing price for my ego. BUT then to have the house listed for 31 days at their recommended price ($169,900) and be asked to LOWER it to $157,000, those 31 days had been a total WASTE of time. I wanted to KNOW what I needed to do to get this house SOLD. And that did not need me looking at some computer screen in her office; I wanted her in MY house.
> 
> ...



Wow, bad sign that this "team" isn't very committed to the sale of this property or to you as a client.




vacationhopeful said:


> The team leader STOOD ME UP!
> 
> A NO SHOW. And no call to my cell phone. But she called my office number (in a town 25 minutes away, 5 minutes after she thought I would have been there waiting for her). She had 2:30PM in her notes (the time she would have had to leave her office) as our meeting time (my notes had 3PM clearly). She called my office at 2:36PM.
> 
> ...



You said it, "Time for a new realtor and office...."  You're wasting precious time and energy with these folks.



mpumilia said:


> There are a lot of flaky realtors out there. I hate dealing with them. When we had to sell my deceased parent's home a few years ago I interviewed several of them first. Thankfully, I made the right choice.



Congratulations on making the right choice.  When selling my townhouse, I chose an agent that was a friend of my Mom's.  She was a terrible choice and we lost money and precious time with that one.



rlblack said:


> I suggest at this point- that you inform, in writing, email is great-- the "team leader, and all the members of the team" and the "broker" of the firm that the "team" works at that due to your unhappiness with their service that you wish to terminate the contract.
> 
> What you are looking for is experience in the area, straight talk re the  property and current market, marketing plan, and positive reputation with buyers, sellers and other Realtors (since buyers and sellers come and go- good Realtors work with other honest good Realtors) -  Then, choose the one that is the most upfront- an honest with you.   And - take their advice even though you might not like it- good luck



Listen to this advice.  It's spot-on.



Egret1986 said:


> On the recommendation of my Mom's former broker, I went with an agent that he suggested.  She worked it, kept us informed, gave suggestions and helped to get it sold.  You do have to be proactive.  She gave us weekly updates of the activity in the neighborhood.  We were cooperative and proactive sellers.  I know we made her life easier.  It's definitely a cooperative effort.  But it all starts with the "right" agent.  [/COLOR]



Good luck!  With this team, that's all you'll have going for you.


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## VacationForever (Sep 28, 2014)

You need to figure out how to get out of contract with this current realtor.  Staging should make a difference in getting interests.  

I had a house that I tried to sell in late 2008 after I bought my current residence and could not sell because the real estate market came tumbling down then.  After listing for 2 months, I went ahead and rented it.  This year in May when the price is still at least 20% off its peak from 2008 I really needed to sell it as I just bought another home elsewhere.  I have an excellent realtor who was also my property manager for the 5 years that I rented out the home.  He gave me comp for the home and I told him that I would list it for 1K below comp (comp was 550K to 650K, upgraded homes at the higher end).  My home has been upgraded through the years, nothing was original but it does not have the fancy granite counter tops.  I just wanted to get rid of the home.  He spent a lot of his time preparing for the house to be listed, getting handyman to fix many items and he even trimmed the bushes himself because I had a pretty useless gardener.   He negotiated with my neighbor to share the cost of the fence as that was the only side that I had not put in new fence in 2007.  He got quotes for new fence (just one side), roof certification etc. He advised me to stage the home with his and my furniture but I told him it is too much of a hassle and to just hire a professional stager. For $1.5K it was a decent job.  MLS went up with pictures on Tuesday and within 24 hours, a written offer came in for the full asking price which I gladly accepted.  Staging the home really helped.

Good luck.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 28, 2014)

Done almost NOTHING in the past 36+ hours. After my last post, I received a call that my 89 yo aunt was found on the floor of her apartment and was on the way to the emergency room. She had fallen - had a broken hip. As her closest relative, my attention has been totally on getting her calmed down and preparing her emotionally for surgery and rehab. Surgery was Sat AM, went very well for her age and she is resting comfortably ...  I keep telling her, you feel fine because you are getting some really good pain meds. She required a partial replacement (socket was good; the break was below the ball).

Surprise the Realtor (not the listing agent) called me on the cell sometime Saturday - as I was waiting for her to be moved back to her room. I cut her right off with "I can't talked to you; my 89 yo aunt had emergency hip replacement & is being moved out of recovery!" I think THAT took her breathe away and she was stumbling over words as I said "BYE" and hung up.

Mind you, my aunt is very alert and with it - Friday was my older brother's b-day and is my aunt's most favorite. But she sees him about once a year as he has been living in NE and now, AZ. A few minutes after 10PM while in the ER (waiting for a bed in the hospital), I suggested we call him and wish him Happy Birthday. I asked, if we should tell him that she had fallen and she said NO!. He is difficult to reach all the time. But he answered and I had my speaker on ... he was very pleased that I was with our aunt... and gushed to tell us, that he had just 1.5 hours early brought 2 plane tickets for him and wife to fly into PHL for the following Friday. Boy, was that GREAT NEWS and totally lifted her mood WAY UP.  I know when the news of her accident gets around to him - and it will - he will NOT change his plans. 

As for the realtor ... I will see when my sister comes in this morning and if, I will be free, for the Sunday 11:30 AM - "key back - sign gone - release given" appointment. Otherwise, I will be at the hospital.


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## chriskre (Sep 28, 2014)

Sorry to hear about Auntie but glad she is doing good considering the circumstances.  
She is so lucky to have you.  

As for the release of contract.  Have you read the contract thoroughly?
Did they note that you can cancel without any penalties on the contract?
I know some brokers here especially the franchise companies, will not release you so easily.  
The broker may assign you another realtor to work with as opposed to letting you out of the contract scott free.  

I am not sure how it works where you live, but here in FL, the contract is technically with the Brokerage not with the agent who signed you on.  
Most of the no name brokers will release you just to get rid of you but the bigger ones have lawyers to chase that commission.  
Especially with high ticket listings.  Probably wouldn't be the case with this cheaper townhouse but you never know.


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 23, 2015)

Old thread ... new activity.

I rented the townhouse and got the paperwork for a Certificate of Occupancy for the family. They LOVE the house and moved in as the Sales Listing expired. Never hear anything more from the realtor or their office until the original gal (the run & fetch gal for the "BOSS lady") was sent to get their sign and the lock box off the front door. The lock box and the door knob was moved to the rear garage outside entrance door and the front door lock was replace with new door lockset.

The door was answered by the children who let the Gal-Friday in; who stood there gushing how great the house looked. Renters had, on their time and expense, repainted the entire inside of the house in NEW colors -- had boxes and stuff on floor as their new furniture had not arrived. The tenant show the agent where the look was & she removed in & left.

The "listing" agent (not the team leader/broker) called to tell me she got the lockbox and was just STUNNED how nice the house looked. Suggested she need to find a better boss.

So that place is rented and money is coming in ... maybe, they will decide to buy the house or stay there for several years.


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## bogey21 (Apr 23, 2015)

am1 said:


> You may be better off trying to do it yourself.  5 or 6% to pay out is lot for poor service.



I like it.  I have owned 5 homes in my life.  One I gave my half to one of my ex-wives.  The other 4 I sold myself without the help of a Realtor.  The extra 5%/6%  give you a lot to play with.

George


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 23, 2015)

Updated the last townhouse story to make sure all my TUG advisors knew that outcome.

So, I got another townhouse which I finally removed that tenant with the court's officer's help ... plus went thru the 30 days "HOLD IN PLACE" all their junk. Once empty, I arrange for a total paint job and cleaning. 

And I decide, since the other one did NOT SELL, *I would sell THIS ONE*. Same area but separate community. Personally, not as nice of a neighborhood, but this is the BEST street in this townhouse development. We had done a lot of work on this house a couple of years ago ... new kitchen cabinets and tiled the entire 1st floor with 12x12 inch tiles. This unit has a heat pump (ugh) while the original unit in this thread had GAS HEAT.

Went to see a Real Estate lady who had listed rentals several years for me - she looked thru the TH and *suggested $160,000 price*. Told her I was planning to move some "staging furniture"  I already owned over to the house (yee, my FALL staging furniture) and got a $160 area rug for the living room and a $65 area rug for the dining room. Decide I was NOT going to move ANY of my bedroom staging furniture as my helper HATES move heavy stuff up steps ... did inflate the blow up mattress with a comforter cover. She LIKED the furniture and took several sets of photos; laughed about the blowup mattress (I reminded her it MADE the bedroom LOOK SUPER BIG!).

Yesterday, 8 days on market get an offer of $150,000 and realtor tells me she would have another offer, if I fill out the Disclosure Form. So I drive down to her office immediately that morning and filled the 10 page disclosure form out. Realtor calls me back this morning and has a second OFFER! $5,000 MORE @$159,500 with $4,500 towards settlement. We work thru WHAT TO DO ... following HER lead, she recommends we ask for "Best and Final" as a "blind" offer of both parties. 

This late this afternoon ... she gets back to me: the $150,000 offer had moved up to $155,000 (the first offer person) and the other people, now offered, $162,000 AND removed the $4,500 money towards settlement costs. 

Get this - OVER asking price and no money towards settlement! And in less than 2 weeks! And settlement in 6 weeks from both offers! 

Happy Dance!


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## Passepartout (Apr 23, 2015)

Well, it's been 7 months, but now you can breathe a sigh of relief and see some light at the end of he tunnel.

Congratulations!

We started about that time looking for a downtown 'pied 'a' terre' for our own enjoyment. We found a short sale. Let me tell you that short sales are not for the faint of heart. The bank that owned he paper on it kept asking for more this and that. All within the hour or two, yet they would drag their heels for a month or more without a word. Passing the buck up and down the chain of command.

Bottom line, we closed in January. It's easy walking distance from bars, restaurants, hockey/basketball arena, art galleries, theatres, performing arts center, University, Stadium, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, a 20+ mile green belt along the river for walking/biking. At closing, we were told that the original owner had paid over $100,000 more than we did.

More happy dance!

Jim


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## LisaH (Apr 23, 2015)

Congrats Linda! So glad this one seems to be sold easily. Has the real estate market improved significantly in the past 6 months?


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 23, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> Well, it's been 7 months, but now you can breathe a sigh of relief and see some light at the end of he tunnel.
> 
> Congratulations!
> 
> <snip>   Jim



Jim, 
This is a different townhouse ... I own more than 1. The original one has had a tenant in it for the past several months. Same area; just a couple of blocks separate these 2 developments. The first one in this thread did not sell - was several years younger in a slightly higher price neighborhood.

But I READLY accept your congratulations!!!


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 23, 2015)

LisaH said:


> Congrats Linda! So glad this one seems to be sold easily. Has the real estate market improved significantly in the past 6 months?



It is Spring, for one! 

She used the first week or two for the BEST price verses the PRICE to GET the LISTING AGREEMENT SIGNED by the owner. And she emailed agents who regularly SOLD in this area ... better contact knowledge verses letting customers cull the internet search engines. Realtor push to other real estate persons active in the area.

The other realtor wanted SLICK glossy pictures - she played to have internet pictures draw clients to HER. Might work in the $400,000 plus price range; not in the under $200,000 working people's house.


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## ronparise (Apr 23, 2015)

So you figured it out...Listing agents dont sell houses, buyers agents do. 

The most successful listing agents market to buyers agents


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 24, 2015)

Ron, I agree with your assessment but in many agencies here, the self-employed licensed real estate agents band together in TEAMS. 

(deleted a long paragraph which I ranted on unhappiness with 1st broker)

This new brokerage is family run - with several offices - the yellow jackets national chain. The broker/owner is the brother of my agent; about 1/3 of the staff is related by marriage or blood (blood controls all the records & money). I was told very recently, all the agents are paid on a performance scale established EACH YEAR ... highest revenue agents get a bigger percentage cut of the commission. My agent is NOT the highest sales agent ... but she is connected and very well respected in the sales territory.

And she puts up with me .... but very attentive to "the listing". I told her, "I did this" and she would come out and look and update the listing site photos. She was luke warm on the idea of moving over furniture -- but called to say, the furniture really LOOKS good (used furniture usually looks dated and crummy) and the set table in DR was classy (despite the plastic silverware - fake chrome silverware and the "FALLish" color scheme). I hung my STUPID big picture --- but she LIKED how it filled the wall and was neutral & not offensive.

She is a POSITIVE person and pleasant ... deals well with people and has NO INTEREST in running the business, being a manager but in reality, has MORE credence (street presence) with everyone in the office. She knows many people who she can influence or reach out to.


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