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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / May 2005OTP: Bad day with open house [long]
Managed to do this pretty much okay without John but when I got home I sat across the street with two screaming cats while I waited. People were still here and I waited. The agent showing my house today had another to do at 2:15 and finally at 2:10 I finally backed into the driveway and began moving cats into the house despite these people. Got Kiki inside and unbuckled and then unbelievably someone else came inside. I went out to get Paku and he loves to walk on the leash so we dragged me around the yard to about 10 minutes. Finally after a good 5 minutes I told him I was tired and we were going inside. Got inside with him and got off the leash but he bolted up the stairs to see what all the chatter was about. I mean - who were these people in the house... I caught up with him a few minutes later and got his jacket off. Then one of these idiots who didn't know 12-2 meant 12-2 is going in and out the front door. On his second trip back in, he HOLDS OPEN THE FRONT DOOR. Both the agent and I yell but it is too late. Paku shoots out the door. I have signs all over the house to outside doors and attic doors which say do not let the cat out no matter what he tells you. So these idiots not only were rude but they can't read either. My neighbor saw what happened and help me finally catch him. We get back inside the house and these people are still there. The poor agent is now 15 minutes late getting to his next open house and the woman pops back inside to look at the kitchen again. If there was something left not packed to steal I would swear this was some sort of flim flam. He finally lured them out the door to go down the street to the other house having their open house. That was at about 2:40 The three cars that arrived after the open house was over including the last couple, come from a country where jobs have been outsourced. Use your imaginations. I was not amused. It was all I could do not to say something to that last fellow who let Paku out. Especially when he said - you mean you don't want him out? I am guessing there is a really good reason the seller is not suppose to run into the buyer. I am taking the next weekend off -- I don't care what John says. I have done this for weeks now and he has only helped with two of them. Today just wore me out and I have not been sleeping due to the cortisone they gave me last Monday. Haven't been in nearly as much pain as last week but I have had the new pain pill here to help and it does a much better job of lowering my level. Good news is that I don't need it 24/7. I think I am taking about one a day and some days not even that. Well sorry -- needed to vent again. John got an ear full when he got home and I am still angry. Guess I ought to make an effort to head to bed... Just wish I was sleepy. Maybe a bowl of cereal. Duckie whose babies are sleeping in a pile tucked nose to nose  Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) > Managed to do this pretty much okay without John but when I got home I sat > across the street with two screaming cats while I waited. People were [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Maybe a bowl of cereal. > Duckie whose babies are sleeping in a pile tucked nose to nose Me here. Up for my eleven oclock feeding. PB&J. Hope along with the ambien and benedryl on board I get to sleep soon. The contractor will be here at 8am and then the water will be off. Take a deep breath, remind yourself you are on prednisone, and try to cut yourself some slack. I know the world is full of idiots and inconsiderates. Its just when I'm on pred I think its my personal quest to let each of them know who they are. o rofl... Told John I got quiet. He knows that is the danger zone - if I am quiet be VERY careful. And angry quiet Duck is not a happy duck and can be a dangerous duck. John says he prefer I yell at him than get quiet. lol Too bad these idiots didn't know me. Duckie > Me here. Up for my eleven oclock feeding. PB&J. Hope along with the > ambien and benedryl on board I get to sleep soon. The contractor will be [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > o Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) > rofl... Told John I got quiet. He knows that is the > danger zone - if I am quiet be VERY careful. And angry > quiet Duck is not a happy duck and can be a dangerous > duck. John says he prefer I yell at him than get quiet. > lol LOL! you are a lot like me....... Mike has learned to stay clear and let me calm down, but boy did he step in it a few times early on when he kept pestering me after I got quiet! He only makes that mistake now when he's hypomanic and luckily the depakote is controlling that. LOL heeehee ahhh, the memories. SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare You're stronger than I am. I *would* have said something. Well, it's over now and I really think you should take next weekend off. And tell John that if doesn't start helping, the gimp posse is gonna come after him. DeeTee ________________________________ DeeTee and Bob Taggart http://www.marykay.com/dtaggart3 http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8fwov/ ________________________________ > Managed to do this pretty much okay without John but when I got home I sat > across the street with two screaming cats while I waited. People were [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Maybe a bowl of cereal. > Duckie whose babies are sleeping in a pile tucked nose to nose I'm thinking that at the point Paku went out the door I wouldn't much care if I sold the house or not, and would have given the rude people a piece of my mind. It's your house until the money is in your hand, and they're just visiting. Taking a weekend off from having to remove yourself, and two very busy pets, from the property for hours at a time sounds like a great idea to me. I'd also have a chat with the realtor about being more firm about the ground rules for their prospective buyers. Hugs sweetie, Kelly C. > I'm thinking that at the point Paku went out the door I wouldn't much care > if I sold the house or not, and would have given the rude people a piece [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Hugs sweetie, > Kelly C. Hear, hear. Also before talking to the realtor, remind yourself just how much money he/she will make off this sale. Jo I have to agree with Kelly. That is just plain rude on the part of the realtor and the prospective buyers. You just don't go into someone else's home and disrespect their ways like that..it just isn't proper. and to let your inside only cat outside is awful and to say " you mean > you don't want him out?" is not his call to make. I would def talk to the realtor to set some boundaries. 12-2 means 12-2 and you will not budge on that. When we bought our house last year we ended up having a good relationship with the sellers..lol.. I know that's funny we still see them in town and talk with them. I will not have them for dinner, but it ended up a good thing, but that was because we had mutual respect and the realtor set boundaries between the both of us until the deal was done. I even let the seller come in and remove a chandelier that was sentimental to her(even though it wasn't in the contract). No problem I was changing it out cause it was UGLY! Anyways I am getting off the point here. stand your ground and remind the realtor that she works for you and has loyalties to you first! Take care dear and please try to rest you had a LONG weekend. ((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))) RhondaM > I'm thinking that at the point Paku went out the door I wouldn't much care > if I sold the house or not, and would have given the rude people a piece [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Hugs sweetie, > Kelly C. It wasn't my agent but someone filling in for her this weekend. And it really wasn't his fault. Just as we thought the house was cleared, in would pop someone else and when they popped they would fly up or down stairs -- sometimes one went one way and one went another. I am telling you flim flam is the only thing that comes to mind. He was looking as harried as I was right there toward the end. What a mess. Maybe if John wants an open house, I will go to see a movie and he can manage them all by himself. bwhaaaaaa Duckie > I'm thinking that at the point Paku went out the door I wouldn't much care > if I sold the house or not, and would have given the rude people a piece of [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Hugs sweetie, > Kelly C. Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) {{{{{{{{{{{{{{DUCKIE}}}}}}}}}}}}}} You poor thing! I know what you are going through as we went through it when my Mom and I sold the house after my dad died. We never had an open house, but we did have a realtor who paraded people through the house at all times of the day. I think you should have told your realtor off. I told mine off once and let them know that they were working for me, not vice versa. And, as someone else, pointed out, remember how much money they will get when the house is sold. Personally, I do not like open houses as I think you get a lot of people who just come to look and have no intention of buying. So let John take the next few or tell the realtor no more open houses, just realistic prospective buyers. Carole We'll have an open house on the 4th and the 11th (if needed). Around here, one open house usually nets 20+ offers. We're not holding out for the highest we can possibly get. We just want a reasonable offer that the bank will okay and then we're heading to Ohio! DeeTee ________________________________ DeeTee and Bob Taggart http://www.marykay.com/dtaggart3 http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8fwov/ ________________________________ > {{{{{{{{{{{{{{DUCKIE}}}}}}}}}}}}}} You poor thing! I know what you are > going through as we went through it when my Mom and I sold the house after [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Carole I just wish there was such a thing as realistic prospective buyers. It is a buyers market and nothing over 450K is selling in town. We would have to drop the price nearly 80K to fit that price point. So I don't know what we are going to do. They are trying to get us to drop the price but i am still fighting it as we have seen other smaller houses still priced more that need new roof, new furnace, new kitchen, new bathrooms. I keep thinking that the agent is all about selling at any price to get her commission. I am about being able to buy something on the other end. Finally told John he was to do the interference with them as I am just too tired. Duckie > {{{{{{{{{{{{{{DUCKIE}}}}}}}}}}}}}} You poor thing! I know what you are > going through as we went through it when my Mom and I sold the house [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Carole Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) > I just wish there was such a thing as realistic prospective buyers. It > is a buyers market and nothing over 450K is selling in town. We would [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > as I am just too tired. > Duckie Well, I can't say for all realtors, but the one I had fit the description you just stated. We sold our house back in 1985 and the realtor assured us we'd get at least $155,000. We had someone (not from the realtor and before we contracted with them) who offered us $125,000, but since the realtor said that they could get us $155,000 we went with them as the money we got from the house had to support my Mom for the rest of her life. The woman who showed our house turned out to be the bitch from hell, and we never even got an offer close to $155,000. We ended up with $132,000 and by the time we paid the realtor their $7,000 we would have been better off taking the $125,000 from the other person and not going through all that aggravation. I said never again....next time I'd sell it on my own and just get a good real estate lawyer. That's what my friend in Seattle did. He cleared enough to pay off his mortgage, buy another house, and had money left over to renovate the house he bought with extra money left over. Stick to your price, Duckie. Once you get to CA, houses are mega expensive. Of course, you could come up here to WA with us :-)))) Hugsies, Carole :) It doesn't matter what houses are listed for. The only thing that matters is what they are selling for. Did your realtor give you a list of similar properties that had sold in the last 6 months? That should be your guide as to a proper price. Value = what buyers are willing to pay within a reasonable period of time (1 to 2 months is the industry standard, double that for executive properties). Other options for getting the house sold, besides a lower price, include offering incentives to the selling agent and/or to the buyer. These could include cash (in addition to the listing fee), prepaid vacations, items for the home, closing costs, etc. The incentives should be time sensitive - that is, they get more for a quicker sale. This approach will actually move the house faster than a lower price. You might also ask your realtor about listing the home in national relocation databases and directly to high-end buyers. Relying on buyers to find your home doesn't always work. Your realtor needs to be much more aggressive than just doing open house after open house. Another strategy, though one that can be emotionally devastating, is to ask the people who come to your next open house to do written evaluations of the house. That way you might discover that there is one aspect of the house that is discouraging buyers and then be able to fix the problem. It may mean getting rid of a feature you love, but your goal is to sell the house and leave, so sometimes you just have to swallow hard and do it. Paint and wallpaper are common areas of concern, as are carpet, indoor plants, and window coverings. But number one on the list is clutter. I recommend you box up and store anything you and John won't absolutely need between now and when you move. "Sparse" is much better for selling a home than cluttered. Remember that listings get stale very quickly and a house that hasn't sold within 4 to 6 weeks is unlikely to sell unless something is done to freshen the listing. If you are not in a time crunch, it might be a good idea to pull the listing for a month, freshen the house, then relist with a more aggressive agent. And there are services that will come and do the work. You don't have to do it yourself. Walt >I just wish there was such a thing as realistic prospective buyers. It is a >buyers market and nothing over 450K is selling in town. We would have to [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >was to do the interference with them as I am just too tired. > Duckie > I just wish there was such a thing as realistic > prospective buyers. It is a buyers market and nothing [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > was to do the interference with them as I am just too > tired. Knowing what prices run in that part of the country, you should hold out for what you want. Heck, 450K is chump change in the metro Boston housing market. SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare >> I just wish there was such a thing as realistic >> prospective buyers. It is a buyers market and nothing [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > what you want. Heck, 450K is chump change in the metro Boston housing > market. The market is just starting to turn here. The economic recovery isn't hitting us as we are heavily invested in Information Technology, the sector that isn't bouncing back as well. Condos are going well. But houses aren't going quite as well as even three months ago. Add to that a Spring glut of all the houses coming onto the market at the same time. Well priced starter homes, and the McMansions seem to be selling better than the already improved mid range places. My sister is having the same trouble Duckie is (different realtor, even). But hers is a clearly less desirable lot. Adelle > Add to that a Spring glut of all the houses coming onto the market at the > same time. Well priced starter homes, and the McMansions seem to be selling > better than the already improved mid range places. that's a real shame. I think those McMansions are so boring! I am already so tired of seeing basically the same facade in different sizes, by different builders all over the place trying to look fancy, but just becoming the current version of "Little Boxes". Give me a house with real character, says the woman who's been busily starting perennial gardens around the front deck............ SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare >> Add to that a Spring glut of all the houses coming onto the market at the >> same time. Well priced starter homes, and the McMansions seem to be [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > the woman who's been busily starting perennial gardens around the front > deck............ I love naturalizing with perennials. What are you putting in? Adelle >> says >> the woman who's been busily starting perennial gardens around the front >> deck............ > > I love naturalizing with perennials. What are you putting in? Oh, so far, daylilies, false spirea, columbine, coreopsis, rudbeckia, echinacea, lamb's ear, coral bells, hosta (have one really shady area) and cold hardy azaleas. Starting more echinacea from seed as well as butterfly weeed, mint, dianthus, more coreopsis and poppies. (doing some from seed as my budget is straining at the seams! most of the flower gardening costs are coming from my entertainment budget as it is my hobby.) Thinking about ordering a couple more plants this summer - need more height in one corner and some aruncus dioicus in the Bluestone catalog would look great there, nestled behind the hostas. It sounds like a lot, but the front of this house has lots of corners to it. (house photos at http://community.webshots.com/album/257125803XdgXXj) I figure the front border comes to about 300 square feet. Have it all dug up, all the grass out and compost mixed in, about 1/3 has pine bark mulch down and is all planted. Need to get the rest done this weekend so I can plnat veggies in the back yard next week. Won't take as much care with them though, they are short term and I'll just spray Miracle-Gro on them all summer! LOL They'll get full sun all day and should grow beautifully there. I've been paying for all this work. Still, Mike says I'm always smiling when I'm out there playing in the dirt and plants. It's been 5 yeas since I've had anywhere to do gardening and I'm just so happy to have a yard to plant up again! SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare Nann - I LOVE that front porch. Give us a pic once all the flowers are in bloom. WOW! DeeTee ________________________________ DeeTee and Bob Taggart http://www.marykay.com/dtaggart3 http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8fwov/ ________________________________ >>> says >>> the woman who's been busily starting perennial gardens around the front [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > up > again! > Nann - I LOVE that front porch. Give us a pic once all the flowers are in > bloom. WOW! yeah, we love the front deck. Our predecessor had it put on, paying her own money for it, as she really wanted it. Oddly enough, when we got here it appeared that the wood had never been sealed so I did that pronto. I got all the plants in over the weekend, though of course some are quite small for now. Mixed some annuals in among the perennials for this summer. Hopefully, it'll look good enough for more photos soon. SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare I am back to not being able to garden much but I just love the smell of dirt. How weird is that? I am smiling thinking about you smiling. Duckie > Oh, so far, daylilies, false spirea, columbine, coreopsis, rudbeckia, > echinacea, lamb's ear, coral bells, hosta (have one really shady area) and [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > had anywhere to do gardening and I'm just so happy to have a yard to plant up > again! Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) >I am back to not being able to garden much but I just love the smell of >dirt. How weird is that? I am smiling thinking about you smiling. > Duckie Not wierd at all. Still can see my grandpa picking of a handful of soil and sniffing it. Then would rub it between his fingers and sniff his hand. I'm thinking he would have called it earth or soil rather than dirt. Or maybe loam. He could tell what needed to be added and what would likely grow well. This would be the Grandpa that planted by the moon and by the almanac. Jo >> Oh, so far, daylilies, false spirea, columbine, coreopsis, rudbeckia, >> echinacea, lamb's ear, coral bells, hosta (have one really shady area) [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> since I've had anywhere to do gardening and I'm just so happy to have a >> yard to plant up again! Oh Duckie, I don't think you would want to be smelling our dirt. Or if you do maybe you don't have allergies like I do. ;-) I wish I could garden. I love to garden. This year Jim planted again. But I want to be doing it myself. Nann, please get pics when you get blooming. It sounds so wonderful. SignatureLove and hugs to all Good thoughts coming your way too. Squirrely Jo >I am back to not being able to garden much but I just love the smell of >dirt. How weird is that? I am smiling thinking about you smiling. > Duckie > I am back to not being able to garden much but I just > love the smell of dirt. How weird is that? I am smiling > thinking about you smiling. > Duckie LOL I understand. Heck, in our apartment last year I had so many potted plants..... I even pruned the complexes shrubs outside our place as they looked so unhappy! But I'll tell ya, I couldn't do this kind of work too often, though I'm doing fairly well overall these days. It's been one day of work, two days off. I'm thinking about "offering" Mike the opportunity to get some exercise spading up the vegetable plot. LOL SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare That sounds terrible. I'm so very sorry. Yes, these people were being a bit inconsiderate and pushy (My sister - lives in the same town as our dear Duckie - had a somewhat similar experience about three weeks ago with a realtor just walked in claiming she had an appt, when she did not have one at all). But just to be a devil's advocate - a friend of mine who is Portugese reminds me that some culturals have a somewhat 'more tenuous relationship with time' than others. And many cultures do not think of cats as being strictly indoor pets. An ex BIL (an Aussie) used to say that only overindulged kitties had litter boxes, that cats should be let outside. Yes you had all the signs up. But I will confess that when I'm in new places, I get sensory overload and even if I do see a sign, it's meaning doesn't always sink in. SO yes, it was 'thoughtless,' as in lacking specific thinking on the matter. But perhaps not intentionally so That said, reminding your realtor that you have chronic health issues and you are not able to stay out of the house for extended periods of time is important. Set your boundaries and stick to them. Adelle I know you're frustrated Duckie. But as someone with many too many years experience in real estate, can I make a suggestion or two? First, for the seller, "12 to 2" does not really mean 12 to 2. It means 11:30 to 2:30 or 3:00. Think about it. If a realtor has a serious buyer, do you really want him or her to rush them out to another house? From now on, plan on being away for at least 1/2 hour before the appointment and 1 hour after. And tell John to get off his butt and help. Second, I am not a cat person, nor are the majority of people. I have never seen a cat that did anything more than lie around and stare, so worrying about one running out on the street would be the last thing on my mind. The solution is to either stay away until everyone has left, or keep the cats in their carrier until it is safe to let them out. And I hope you are removing the litter box before you go. It should be put in the garage or on the back porch. They are a huge turn-off for non-cat people. Finally, an open house every weekend is overkill. If you don't have an offer by now, I would be looking at other ways to market the property, like sales incentives. One open house for realtor's when you list and one for potential buyers is all I've ever done, no matter the market conditions. Listings can be over exposed, and weekly open houses are a lazy realtor's marketing tool. Remember, realistic expectations are the best tool against frustration. Good luck! Walt > Managed to do this pretty much okay without John but when I got home I sat > across the street with two screaming cats while I waited. People were [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Maybe a bowl of cereal. > Duckie whose babies are sleeping in a pile tucked nose to nose Walt -- this whole town is up for sale at the moment. 90 houses went on the market the same week ours did. and there were 30 there before and I am guessing more now. The week of the realtor's open house was school vacation week and NO one came. So since they haven't seen inside, and they have plenty of their own to show to customers -- there is no as in NONE action in the other realtor's even wanting to show this house. The way it is done here is to show every weekend for a month and then only if the home owner requests it. I didn't really want it but John did and it was week 5. And here does mean 12-2 as but that is why the agent didn't toss them out on their butts. He was scheduled to show the next house at 2:15. It was only down the street but he didn't make it until after 2:40. Not fair to the next guy. So things are different here. And they are a mess for the seller unless you have a tiny cape or tiny ranch. Those are selling. This 9 room house is just sitting like all the rest of the big houses in town. I have told my agent that she needs to do another realtor's open house which she is doing next week. With luck someone will actually show up. Duckie > I know you're frustrated Duckie. But as someone with many too many years > experience in real estate, can I make a suggestion or two? [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] >>Maybe a bowl of cereal. >>Duckie whose babies are sleeping in a pile tucked nose to nose Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) > Walt -- this whole town is up for sale at the moment. 90 houses went on > the market the same week ours did. and there were 30 there before and I am [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > The way it is done here is to show every weekend for a month and then only > if the home owner requests it. There's the key Duckie! You don't get noticed doing the same thing everyone else is doing! See my previous post for other ideas. I've sold or financed real estate in nine states Duckie, ranging from Arizona to Maryland, and things aren't really all that different from place to place. Lazy realtors rely on open houses. Good realtors go find buyers and bring them in. Hang in there! Walt http://idx.mlspin.com/details.asp?mls=70174813&aid=B0444563 Click on the virtual tour and tell me if you think this is cluttered. lol I started working on that just after the first of the year. Wish you could have seen it earlier. Bunch of the gimpfest guys did. And it was cluttered. rofl We are almost packed totally. Even drawers are empty. Only wallpaper left in the house is in the kitchen. And the scary thing is that nothing is selling above 450K. We did get an agent with a customer today. Yippee!!! I will pump Linda tomorrow to see what they think. I get the same thing over and over - beautiful home but we are just looking. Or beautiful home but we wanted one that was newer. Or wife loves it and husband doesn't want to move. Or this weekend, stunning home just as the guy walked out the door. We have an agent tour scheduled for tomorrow. The few agents that have seen it -- all say the same thing. This house is HUGE. I have been told that it is much bigger inside than it is outside. Was also told that the brown house paint makes it look smaller. We are not changing that. ;) I will let you know how the agent showing goes. Really need some kind of feedback. This house is the size of a colonial but is an altered split entry. There is nothing to compare it with. So we are 50K above most big splits and 100K below the cheapest colonial. Another big split is priced the same but has the original kitchen and baths, needs a roof and a furnace. I am not lowering until I see what is up with that house. Maybe things will look up. Duckie > There's the key Duckie! You don't get noticed doing the same thing everyone > else is doing! See my previous post for other ideas. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Walt Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) > http://idx.mlspin.com/details.asp?mls=70174813&aid=B0444563 > Click on the virtual tour and tell me if you think this is cluttered. lol > I started working on that just after the first of the year. No, you've done an excellent job in preparing the house for sale. I would suggest you talk to Linda today about offering an incentive at tomorrow's open house. Give the realtors a reason to show your home over the others in the market. A trip to Hawaii, which would cost you just a couple thousand dollars, would really get their attention. Also, I am sure she has told you about having fresh flowers at the entrance and cookies or bread baking in the kitchen, right? Boiling some cinnamon sticks is also a good way to spread a nice scent throughout the house. Sounds silly I know, but you have about 5 seconds to give a strong first impression and scent is the most powerful way to do that. Has Linda produced some nice full-color brochures for the house? What about direct mailings to the personnel directors of all major employers? Have you worked out any special financing for a buyer? These are all ways to raise your house above the others in the market. Good luck! Walt > And the scary thing is that nothing is >selling above 450K. I can't begin to imagine paying that for a house. Incredible. --- Joan > On Wed, 25 May 2005 23:23:00 -0400, Duckie <maroldcXXnospam@comcast.net> > wrote [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > --- > Joan Everything's relative. In my neighborhood that house would be on a 10,000 sq. ft. land leased lot, still sell for 450K, and Duckie would have had 3 offers the day it was listed. The east coast housing market is insane. Walt Walt wrote: The east coast housing market is insane. It sure is! We're just about ready to list Mom's house. I had my realtor friend (he was my boss when I was 16...pushed me to get my own license when I was 18...I sold real estate until I was 25...he's been in the business a long time and really knows that area) over last weekend. Mom's house is a small cape, approx 1500 square feet, no garage, no family room, no central air, original furnace, windows and roof. Really rough shape as she wasn't able to take care of it the past 6 years. We're selling it 'as is.' Cleaning out her stuff, but, not cleaning or repairing anything else. She paid $15000 in 1959. We're listing at $325000 and expect to get full price within days. Matter of fact, I haven't signed the papers yet and Dennis already has a full price offer. I should know by day's end if this deal will close. This is amazing to me! I've never seen a market like this! OTOH, I live an hour south of there. My home is much newer (1985), much larger (2800 sq.ft.), way more land (1 acre), along with central air, new siding, windows, roof, furnace and landscaping. We have one more bedroom, plus a family room and dining room. We could sell for $425,000. We have triple more/better things going for this house than Mom's. But, her area is a prime commuting area...minutes from all mass transit and a 5 minute drive to all the major highways. Her desirable area makes her kinda dumpy house much more marketable than ours. It's been interesting. The market was not like this when I was in the business! -- Patty Hoping your hills are never too steep. > We're >listing at $325000 and expect to get full price within days. Matter of >fact, I haven't signed the papers yet and Dennis already has a full >price offer. I should know by day's end if this deal will close. This >is amazing to me! I've never seen a market like this! Some of those CA markets are crazier. A friend moved to the Santa Barbara area and she was looking at 2 bdrm starter condo at $500,000. These need work, and had 20 year old appliances. A house with a lot started at $650,000 or so. I think the Bay area is even higher. Keep those east and west coast buyers outa here. Midwest is really a great bargain by E and W coast markets. Visit my website: http://www.mzuschlag.com >> We're >>listing at $325000 and expect to get full price within days. Matter of [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > those east and west coast buyers outa here. Midwest is really a > great bargain by E and W coast markets. We used to have very reasonable prices here just north of Sacramento. But lately things have gone absolutely insane. Nearly doubling in the last five years. I pity anyone paying these prices and then paying for gas to commute. Jo > The east coast housing market is insane. how true. Even in Gainesville, where housing prices have always risen slowly, has seen a big burst lately. Our little 2-1 there has almost doubled in value in the last couple of years. Before that, it took 15 years to double in value the first time. Go figure. We just hope interest rates stay fairly low for another year as Mike doesn't want to sell it until he's fully ordained. The stories we hear from Mike's kin in the LA area though, just boggle the mind. I don't see how anyone affords living in some of these areas. I have old friends from high school who live in the Bay area, but they've had their house for about 15 years, thankfully. Where they having to buy today, it'd leave a lot less money for raising their sons! SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare >So things are different here. And they are a mess for >the seller unless you have a tiny cape or tiny ranch. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >realtor's open house which she is doing next week. With >luck someone will actually show up. Interesting I guess this is what they mean when they talk about housing markets being overheated. Not sure how big your house is but in the 2500 sq ft category here in the Willamette Valley they would be running about $270,000 to 300,000 and they would not be on the market long. Here it is a sellers market, and for Oregon we are considered expensive. You may have to sit tight and wait it out, because you need a good price to get into those ridiculous California priced houses. We are trying to stop the CA folks at the border so they don't ruin our prices. House looks great! I guess you could call Designed to Sell and see what they recommend. Definitely not cluttered! Visit my website: http://www.mzuschlag.com Here, when a townhouse goes on the market, there is a feeding frenzy of buyers. It seems a standard to get anywhere from 10K to 50K above asking price. Ours hits the market next Friday, so I'm anxious to see how much we end up with. DeeTee (apologizing for ending that sentence with a preposition :-D) ________________________________ DeeTee and Bob Taggart http://www.marykay.com/dtaggart3 http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8fwov/ ________________________________ >>So things are different here. And they are a mess for >>the seller unless you have a tiny cape or tiny ranch. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Visit my website: > http://www.mzuschlag.com > Here, when a townhouse goes on the market, there is a feeding frenzy of > buyers. It seems a standard to get anywhere from 10K to 50K above asking > price. Ours hits the market next Friday, so I'm anxious to see how much > we end up with. > > DeeTee (apologizing for ending that sentence with a preposition :-D) Using bad grammar she is. Make amends she must. Margaritas make she must. For everyone. ;-) Adelle > Here, when a townhouse goes on the market, there is a feeding frenzy of > buyers. It seems a standard to get anywhere from 10K to 50K above asking > price. Ours hits the market next Friday, so I'm anxious to see how much we > end up with. heh. reminds me of my cousin in Silver Spring. When her husband bought their house, before they met, it was in an "undiscovered" area even though it's within a mile of the Metro. It's been discovered in the past decade. For the past few years, they've been one of those couples who have people knocking on their door asking if they'll sell. Just recently added on when the third (and unplanned) child was on the way. Now they just about have to put up a fence to keep the buying vultures away. (no, they are NOT selling at this time! LOL) SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare HUGS. You're a better woman than I. My John knows if he didn't do the majority of things like that, it wouldn't get done. I can sympathize w/the customers coming at the last minute. We were like that when we bought our house 5 yrs ago. John didn't have a schedule for his job and he would get a phone call every day and told which of 3 shifts he'd be working. It was hard. When we were looking for houses, we did a lot of last minute looking because of the job situation.... fortunately, we found a house quickly and became friends w/the previous owners. Good luck. I don't look forward to the day we sale..... I know we'll have to move out first... there's just no way to keep everything cleaned (I can't do it now) plus the cat, the dogs, the turtle and the tortoises... take care Nicole {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Duckie}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Gwen > Managed to do this pretty much okay without John but > when I got home I sat across the street with two [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > Duckie whose babies are sleeping in a pile tucked nose > to nose > Well sorry -- needed to vent again. John got an ear > full when he got home and I am still angry. (((((((((((((Duckie))))))))))))))) take next weekend off and treat yourself to something special somewhere, somehow. And go out of town for the next open house, it's John's turn to one alone! you spend the day at a spa somewhere. SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare |
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