Comments on: “I can’t sell my home…”

By: mao_simpleappeal

mao_simpleappeal — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:50:16 +0000

home staging = properties sold… yes it is also a good idea that you just rent your home and wait for a potential buyer to arrive… patience is a virtue.. hahaha…

By: Kaye Thomas

Kaye Thomas — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:57:50 +0000

Seems to me as if Samantha is representative of buyers everywhere.. this is the same thing I hear in Manhattan Beach CA.. buyers are willing to buy if the property has “value”. Our sellers are getting smarter and realizing that the days of “throw it on the market and sort through tons of offers” is over..

By: Maureen Francis

Maureen Francis — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 01:16:59 +0000

Mike, that would be a wonderful help! I would love it.

By: Mike Mueller

Mike Mueller — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:52:31 +0000

Hi Maureen – great words, especially for those falling behind in the mortgage.

Step One: Contact your Lender.
The problem is that many people have big companies for lenders.
There is one department that they will want to talk to and that is usually called the “Loss Mitigation Department”. By calling the 800 number on the mortgage statement they can be on hold and shuffled around forever.

I have a list of the major lenders and the direct lines and emails to those departments. I can forward that to you if you like.

Great Blog!

By: Maureen Francis

Maureen Francis — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 20:08:04 +0000

Samantha,

Congratulations!

Buyers have it tough in SE Michigan right now too. There is a lot to look at in most price ranges. You make good points about condition and price. It is hard for a seller to see that from a buyer’s perspective.

Yes, most people can see through staging. The times I have seen it work most successfully is in non-traditionally conformed rooms. I also have to tell you that people tend to like the builder’s model home better than the vacant home with the same floor plan, next door. So staging does work to some extent.

By: Samantha Cronin

Samantha Cronin — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:30:30 +0000

I have just bought a home in Troy, which I am delighted with. I put in my offer the day it came on the market. It was the only house I saw worth buying; neutral paint throughout, smart kitchen, new roof, windows, furnace and a/c, beautiful yard and deck.
After having looked at 40 houses I was despondent. I am not sold on home-staging. I can see past a couch, window treatments and the smell of cookies. Almost all the houses I saw were dated and poorly maintained, and the asking prices did not reflect the cost of having to replace a kitchen, bathrooms, windows, a roof and furnace etc. At the moment the housing market is still uncertain, and potential buyers do not want to run the risk of updating a property which may still further fall in value, or at best not appreciate.
If you cannot afford to update your home before you sell then adjust the price accordingly. However, ask yourself if the cost of a few upgrades, removing wallpaper and cleaning your carpets will be more than the amount you will have to reduce your price to sell.