Seattle:  When Your House Won't Sell -

I showed a house that has literally been sitting on the market for almost a year.  It annoyed me initially that it is a vacant house and the listing agent put on there that it was occupied with the phone to show of course being her number, but what is really annoying is that she won't return my call.

Deep breath because Sunday is the day of rest, right?  NO!  Not for me!  I had a rainy Open House  that still managed to get some traffic and appointments to show all afternoon and into the evening.  I have been calling this agent since YESTERDAY.  A few more hours and I have the right to call her seller directly.

So I decide to do a little investigating...  She has one listing and it has been on the market for almost a year PLUS she is out of area AND  there aren't any attached docs on the MLS (We upload our legal description, seller disclosures, etc. here). 

So you tell me: Why has this house not sold in almost a year?  Anyone, anyone?

Sellers, please take note:  There are some better ways to sell your house!  Your house does not have to be on the market for this long!!! 

Are you interested in Seattle real estate?  realestate@cooperjacobs.com

edited to take out a picture which wasn't THE house, but I would hate to target an innocent random house which is what the picture was of:)

Seattle Real Estate on a Shoestring:  Selling Your House

Seattle real estate:  I have been through a lot of houses in the last few days!  I have been through so many houses around Seattle, that when the listing agents call me for feedback, I literally feel put on the spot to try and remember which house they are possibly talking about! 

Going through twenty houses in the same price range can make it glaringly obvious when one stands out as being a winner in its field.

 Here are some cheap things that make a huge difference if you find that you are trying to sell on a shoestring:

2. New carpet - or at least have it cleaned, but carpet is also really cheap - especially if you shop around.

3.Appliances - Include them!  Even though these are small investments relative to the cost of the house, I can tell you form my experience that not including appliances in the sale is a road block to many new buyers.  They are far too stressed out thinking about the new payments and big investment, and if you sprinkle no appliances on that heap, they glaze over.  I have seen it!

All of these items are inexpensive and the carpet and paint will go a long way in eliminating any pet smells you might have, but also in getting you the best return in a shorter time.  Put yourself in a new buyer's shoes and do the inexpensive broad strokes items.

Are you interested in Seattle real estate?  Seattle suburbs real estate? realestate@cooperjacobs.com

Moving stinks!

Having your house on the market is stressful - I won't sugar coat it.  It is a pain to have to keep it clean to the point that you can leave whenever a real estate agent calls you to make an appointment.  It is hard to be able to live life normally when your house is for sale!  That is a fact.

Been there, done that...

I sympathize with you while you are relocating to a new house because it is one of the most emotional and difficult times even with an extremely smooth transaction.  I remember because I did it again about four years ago.  Even as a real estate agent who understands the process completely, it was a crazy time in my life.  My favorite escrow officer thought I was a crazy woman. 

If you are already going to the trouble....

OK, so - if you are already going to go to the trouble of putting your house on the market, then why not do just a few things to help it sell. I have lots of tips - some you have heard, some not.  Here they are:

Seattle Seller Tips

These are all wonderful and work well, but I have to tell you that the biggest road block I am running into lately as far as selling houses to buyers is some of the sellers themselves.  I am finding that about 40% of the appointments I am trying to make are not only non appreciative of my enthusiasm for their house, but they are just too busy to let a buyer come see their home.  Seriously?

I have only in the last week or so run into this phenomenon, so I have to think it is the 80 plus degree weather we are having in Seattle.  Warm weather is like having a day off around here for many, but if you already have it on the market, you might as well let buyers come see it, right?

The bottom line?

They can't buy it if they can't see it.  I know, it isn't rocket science...

Do you need help moving?  realestate@cooperjacobs.com

Seller Financing?  

There are still sellers out there that have the ability to move their houses faster than they think if they were to only offer some help on the financing.  If it is at all possible to help a buyer get into that house, it might be a good option for moving the house in Seattle's current rela estate market.  Just make sure to get as copy of their credit report and have easy options in case of default.

My story..................

I recently sold a house which was an extreme case of seller financing, but it worked out for all parties involved.  The house was priced right, but still just not moving.  My clients were looking for a long term lease, but then this property jumped out at us.  My clients had just purchased one other property so they would be pushing it with a conventional lender as to whether or not they qualified even though they had a lot of cash.  The property was set up perfectly for their commercial needs, but being marketed as residential and not really a very conventional residential.  It was absolutely designed for my buyers and I could not see a lot of other uses for it so it was perfect!

The seller financed 90% of the purchase price for a low interest rate over thirty years.  The transaction closed in a week and a half and was one of my easiest ever paperwork wise.  I paid extra attention to every step to make sure it was absolutely perfect and have come to the conclusion that seller financing can be a good thing for both buyer and seller. 

The seller had purchased the property way back when the price was extremely low, so he was getting a nice chunk of change every month to support his living in retirement.  The buyer got a better rate than they could have found on the open market. It worked out well.

The Reality of the Situation.....

Carrying 90% of the loan is a bit much for most Seattle area sellers, but if you do find someone who owns a property outright and doesn't have an immediate need for the lump sum of cash, it could be a nice way to be extremely competitive in today's market.

The contract is key in these cases - make absolute sure to have a credit report for review and also an easy method of taking action if payments become irregular. 

Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County - Experienced and with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them!