Pinetop White Mountain Blog

Good Afternoon Everyone,

If you are trying to sell in today’s market, by now you are undoubtedly getting very frustrated. 2009 was a terrible year for conventional sellers because there were so many REO’s in the market. They drove down values and changed the mind set of the buying public. If you are still trying to sell and you don’t know what to do, here are some ideas.

Today’s buyers are focused on one thing, PRICE! This must be your focus too. If you want or need to sell, you must price competitively. If you know in your heart that your home is not going to sell for the asking price, drop the price! There is no two ways about it, if you want to sell in 2010 you must be priced right because buyers are looking for a good buy and you need to be the home that they see as meeting that criteria.

Now we focus on the home itself. Are there deferred maintenance issues that really should be addressed? Does the home need a paint job? Is the carpet dirty? Could the cabinets use a little uplift and some cleaning out? Your objective now is to make the home desirable to a buyer. De-clutter, remove those family pictures, clean out the closets, and in general clear your personal items out and try to see the home as a buyer would. You live in the home and if you are honest with yourself you know there are issues that should be addressed. Bottom line, you have put them off long enough; if you want to sell now is the time to get them done.

Some other suggestions follow:

1. Get estimates from a reliable repair person on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

3. Get a pre-sale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.

4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

5. Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.

6. Get your utility bills together and put together a print out that your agent can pass on to buyers. This is almost always one of the first questions a buyer will have when they are getting serious about a home. A twelve month basis is always a good basis to help them make that decision.

There you have it, my recommendations for selling your home in a difficult market. Call me if I can help you evaluate your home and your pricing. As always, I am at your service.

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

Sandra Paulow, Associate Broker, GRI

Your High Country REALTORÒ (928) 242-0300