Janet
How many homes, like yours, have sold since mid-February?
That will answer your question.

Market time hurts your price. I would take it off the market, re-vamp - new photos, paint the front door and trim on the house, plant some nice flowers, re-stage, re-price, send out 200 postcards to neighbors, have a hotdog bbq and get the home sold.

In this market, here in Butler, you need an honest Realtor who will show you comps of what like homes have sold in your area. You may think your home is well priced, but I know agents in this area who have no idea what they are doing and will not do a good Market Analysis to show you just what your home is really worth. I have been working with short sales with banks, and would be very happy to work with you if that is your problem. The homes here in the Butler area are selling if they are well priced.
Kate Wentworth, AGNES R. NICKLAS, REALTOR & ASSOC.

where is your home located?

Janice,
I am assuming that you have a good relationship with your listing agent, in which case, have you discussed your concerns and do you feel as if your home is getting the marketing that you feel is necessary to sell your home? Are you getting ads for your home featured in all the home buyers' guides?

You said that the inside of your home is totally renovated, but what about the exterior? If you are not getting calls for showings, perhaps the place to start is the outside of your home. While one should not "judge a book by its cover", you can be assured that if your home looks unappealing from the outside, people will not be calling the agents to see your house. We had a listing that was a foreclosure, and the inside of the place was really bad, but the agent had posted such a great picture of the house from the outside, and the setting was so nice, we got calls constantly on this property. Curb appeal is extremely important because that is the picture that people will see in the ad. Now that the weather is better, get some flowers and add some charming features to the outside and have the agent take a new outside picture.

Others have mentioned price, and of course that is a big factor. No matter how nicely the house shows, the price is what gets the phone ringing. Everyone loves a good buy, and while our area has not seen the drop in housing prices as some other areas, you still are competing with foreclosures and others who may need to take a hit on the sale price just to sell the house. You said that you think that your house is priced reasonably, but what does your Realtor think? One of the biggest mistakes (full disclosure - I just watched this on HGTV last night) that sellers make is to price a house too high in the beginning. We all want to think that we have great homes for sale, and that we have something to offer that others do not, but your Realtor is the expert as to market conditions, and so listening to your agent's advice is the best suggestion.

Location is as important as all the other things as well. No matter how nice your house is, if others in the neighborhood are shabby or if you are in an otherwise undesirable area, your list price needs to be adjusted accordingly. Just about anywhere, the schools that children will attend can also effect the desirability.

Try not to be discouraged. I have seen many houses beginning to move that have been on the market for quite some time now. Make sure that you are a marketer of your home as well. Tell everyone you know that you are trying to sell your house. With all the good advice from all the Trulia folks, I think that you should be on the right track to getting the right buyer.

Lower the price is the obvious solution to get any house to sell, but is your agent marketing it right? Does the agent have many photos, and upgraded ads, on the MLS and Realtor.com showing all the nice things you've done to your home? Many buyers come from the internet.

I am trying to sell also and just lowered my price and hired an agent who does extensive marketing. Putting on the MLS isn't enough.

I guess a lot depends on how bad you want or need to sell it. Some homes have been on the market a lot longer than that. Is renting your home an option? If not, you may want to lower the price if you are in a hurry to sell. I keep saying Spring is coming and hoping the market will turn around. It all depends what you are comfortable doing. The best of luck to you. If there is any way I can help, I would be glad to.
Michael
Michael D Delp
Mortgage Pro
4802 Old Bethlehem Pike,
Telford Pa. 18969
Ph- 215-453-1025
Fax- 215-453-1012
Cell- 610-762-0318
michaelddelp@aol.com
michaelddelp@verizon.net http://www.mortgagepro.instantlender.com

I too had a home for sale in Butler and I bet I know what the suggestion will be if not already mentioned--lower your price---since that time 5 more houses have hit the market in the same area and not one of them is anything close to what I had to offer in way of brand new and updated, but yet they are all listed within a few thousand of each other--the only advantage is that when your offer does come in that it will be for full asking or above because of the renovations that you have done. Good Luck--I feel your pain.