GREAT NEWS !!! Let us know how things go and congratulations !!

That's Greatttttttttttttt !!!!

Congratulations!!!
Good luck with the sale and your move..........
Best wishes
Debbie

YAY!!!! We got an offer! It's a great offer, too! If all goes well, we will be moving within the month. Soooooooooooooooo Happpyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!

good luck keep us posted on your progress....!!!!!

Good luck with the showing - let us know how it turns out!

There are some homes in here that cost $300K + to build, and most of the homes are well into the $200K range so yes, I think it's in line with other homes. We have a couple coming tomorrow for their 2nd viewing...I hope this means a sale!

Well Shabbychick, your home sounds wonderful , especially as a vacation home. Access to the dock and water certainly make it prime for swimming, water sports and fishing, althought not being able to have a motor boat might be a bit of a negative - no water skiing.

You did say one thing, though - you said there have been no resales as yet. Is your price in line with the new construction pricing? It's difficult to price a resale if nothing else has closed . I guess I keep coming back to the price issue!

Anyway, I don't know how "motivated" (we agents love that word!) you are to sell. I suppose you may just have to be patient, and hope that summer brings out a few more vacation-home buyers. I know how hard hit Michigan is especially as far as the unemployment rate goes.

Good luck to you and your family! I hope it all works out for you.
Debbie

P.S. Yes, we have a dock...the water is about 15 ft deep off the dock...our kids love to jump offf of it and it's great for fishing. The sub has a common sandy beach area, as well, which is more shallow.

We are in Northern Michigan on a private lake. It is a relatively new subdivision and no homes have ever been for sale...there are several other log homes here. There is new construction going on and the residents seem to love it here. There are a couple of homes that aren't well maintained near us. We have gravel roads, maybe that is a turn off. Those things are out of our control. I realize that the vacation home market has been hard hit, and Michigan's economy as a whole has been a nightmare.

Well, thank you all for your help...I guess all we can do now is pray for a sale!

All good answers, especially Debbie Rose's.

In what town is the house located, and on what lake??

Just how "bad" is/are the neighbors house(s) and what makes them so?

How "not so nice" is the neighboring town, and what makes it not so nice??.

SInce you said you were one of two houses on the cul-de-sac, are the "not so nice houses" what prospective buyers see first , making a lousy first impression?

As a real estate agent, your hubby must know what the most recent sales have been, but we sometimes can't see the forest for the tress when it comes to pricing our own houses. However, location and first impressions are always a major factor in the "drive by" no shows. It's not something you can change. Take a drive up the road, and look at the house thru a prospective buyers eyes.

I agree with Debbie, vacation home buying is in a bad way right now, and those who are buying MUST see the value in the house they purchase. If you aren't getting offers (or showings) then the P word is probably your only alternative to get some action.

Hi again Shabbychick

Well, I have read and reread your description of your home and neighborhood. Obviously, there is something in the neighborhood that isn't working for the buyers. I think the fact that it is (in your words) a "hodgepdoge" of homes may be a problem, too.

You mentioned the lake is small and has no motorized boats - If the appeal is for those looking for a vacation home, they might want the ability to keep a motor boat (is there a dock with the house - if so, can you keep a boat or swim off the dock?? does the house back right up to the lake?) What is the price range for the "not so nice" homes across the street? Is $195,000 considered a high range for the area, or have other similar homes sold for that amount, or less? Are log homes a common style in the community, or is yours a unique style? Lots of questions, I know, but it's difficult to get a full picture without those answers.

I don't see the trampoline or the dog as a problem. The schools not so much of a problem if this is truly a vacation home community. You said you are 6 miles from a more desirable area, the Inland Waterway, and the closest town "isn't so nice". All of this may also be playing into the problem you are having selling, and there is nothing you can do about the town, the other homes or the location.

So...sit down, as you may not like what I have to say next...............

When all is said and done.................I have to come back to that awful 5 letter word - PRICE ! Even if your father-in-law thinks it is priced well - with all due respect to him - the buyers aren't responding, and THEY have the only opinions that really matter. I always tell my sellers it doesn't matter what I think their home might be worth, or even what they think it is worth - it's the buyers who determine worth. I am sure your father-in-law (and husband) will agree with that!

Shabbychick - it's hard to give advice when one is really in the dark, and I am, but based on what you have shared....I am sorry to say, the only equalizer for the type of objections mentioned is the price............your home may be lovely and I am sure it shows beautifully, but the vacation home market is really hard hit , and the buyers may be pickier than usual. They really need to preceive value.

Hope this has helped - and I really wish you success......by the way........where are you located???
Good luck!!
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

PS
For the record, Fred - an agent not listing their home isn't "crazy nonsense" according to the attorneys for my company (you really need to come up with a more tactful way of disagreeing with people! ) - it's actually a LEGAL issue. Our E&O insurance doesn't allow it, as it can involve liablilites and disclosure issues that they don't want to cover. To my knowledge all the larger companies have a similar policy these days in NJ, and apparently in MN, too , as someone already mentioned. .......Perhaps working for a small office allows you to fly under the radar and work without these kind of checks and balances.

When I handle a listing for an agent in my office, I certainly don't make any kind of commission - only a token, fee - it's a courtesy we extend to each other, so the agent is still saving that amount.

Sorry...in the post below I should have said the LAKE is small, 15 acres, not the subdivision! The sub is huge and backs up to state land. We also have access to a very desirable river here!

Hi, Debbie. 'ShabbyChick' is my Interior Design Business name. I appreciate your advice. Yes, we have had 1 person come from 40 miles away after seeing our home online. He was very excited when he spoke with my husband on the phone and said he would come take a look around outside and then schedule a tour if he was interested. He came and looked around for maybe 5 minutes and we never heard from him again. 2 other couples drove 3 1/2 hours after falling in love with it online. They were both working with other agents. 1 of the couples said they wanted to come by to see the outside, neighborhood, etc. and would schedule to see inside later with their agent if they liked it. My husband met them when they arrived, showed them around and answered all of their questions. They said they loved it and we would hear from their agent. We never did. The other couple who drove 3 1/2 hours only drove by and told their agent they didn't have time to see inside. Then an older couple was shown our listing by another agent at the office. They told her it was "the house they wanted!" so she gave them directions to the house to have a look around and see if it was something they were interested in. They knocked on the door, asked me if they could walk around and have a look, I said of course and answered some of their questions. They walked around for about 10 minutes, left, and we never heard from them again. My father-in-law owns 2 Re/Max offices, believes our home is priced right, and he thinks our house is remarkable. People are falling in love with the pictures online, and anyone who has been to our home just loves it and can't understand it not selling. There are a couple of things that I'm wondering about on the outside.

1.) We have a trampoline
2.) We have a dog outside...he is a border collie, very friendly and quiet, but he has a kennel, it is in good shape (new)
3.) There are a couple of not so nice homes across the road, but our closest neighbor has a very pretty house. They are the only house on the cul-de-sac along with us.
4.) We live in a subdivision with mostly summer homes on a lake, but it is small...just 15 acres, no motorized boats. There are only 12 homes in this subdivision, it is wooded and the lots are large. Most people bought multiple lots for privacy. Most of the homes in here are VERY nice, but most of the ones near us are not.
5.) Our competition: we are 6 miles from the Inland Waterway, where most people want to be, but the homes on the bigger lakes and river are $500,000+ (ours is $195,000).
5.) The nearest town, 3 miles away is not nice. 6 miles up the road is a very nice town, tourist destination.

Our landscaping is very nice, we keep the yard neat. Our town doesn't have great schools, but this home is best suited for a vacation home, anyway. It is a log home and we are in a huge vacation area. Most of the lookers have been in the market for a vacation home.

Hi Shabbychick (cute name)

I am not in MN - I am right here in NJ, and my company doesn't allow us to list our own homes, either. I think it's a good policy.

I don't think it's a question of not trusting the agent (ie - your hubby). I do think that it's uncomfortable to tell the owner/agent what the buyer REALLY thought of the home if it's not a favorable response. So, it's easier for them to compliment it, rather than share true issues.
It's kind of like operating on your own child - you are too personally involved, and it's hard to be objective. Perhaps you need an objective opinion from another agent in your husband's office, and you might be better off with someone else handling it.

I have handled a number of listings for agents in my office, and at times they were worse to work with than laymen! It's too personal to treat it just like any other business transaction. I had the same conversations with them that I have had with "normal" sellers - price, location, competition, etc. Just because they were realtors, didn't make it easier.

I have some concerns that you said the buyers drove a long distance, and then didn't come inside to look! That makes no sense. Take a walk around your home, and try to be the buyer - see what they saw.
Pricing is the great equalizer - if there's a problem with the surrounding area or homes - reduce the price as a way of overcoming those objections. it isn't pretty to give that advice , but it works.

Best wishes, and I hope you get a sale soon!
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

Why is it that an agent/owner is the worst case for selling a property? Are buyers more reluctant to trust the agent when he/she is the owner?

S
I would submit to you that the worst listing agent is the owner. I would strongly suggest that your husband refer the sale to another Realtor. I am sure that he has relationships with other agents with his experience.

So, aside from the legalities in Minnesota, do you see my husband being the listing agent as a hindrance? I wondered if buyers weren't being honest with him when viewing our home/didn't want to offend? They all told him that they loved it, but then we never received an offer. Of course, when other agents have shown it we never got much feedback, either.

At our real estate company in Minnesota (largest in the state), agents are prohibited from selling their own homes and must engage another agent to sell the property. The other agent is not compensated in the normal fashion (flat fee) but it provides some distance in the transaction.

Hi Shabbychick,

You might want to try to get your husband the listing agent to give up his commission on the sale and give the entire commission to the buyers realtor. This might encourage other realtors to show the home and get it sold faster. I have a realtor friend who did this which saved him a short sale and got him out of a home he wasn't able to afford anymore. Good luck!

Priced too high? power lines? Best house on the street? Cemetary? Ugly neighbors? THere must be something chasing them off.. especially since you state that they look around outside and leave... hhmm..
Is there something that does not bother you, that could be scaring everyone else off?

I went on a listing appointment. the house was directly under power lines (well as directly under as you could be) and the woman said, oh, they don't bother anyone.. just look at the yard!

What also is happening, is that we are getting a lot of people window shopping right now, then figure they will come back in 3 weeks and offer 100k under asking price.

Could be a number of things, make a list and eliminate each.

Shabbychick: Have a Broker openhouse and ask area agents what they feel. If people are driving up and not coming in its an exterior problem. Rember though, everything will sell, its always a matter of price. Is it possible that your too attached to your home and it really is overpriced for the neighborhood? Good Luck

Camille
Follow me on Twitter @itsjersey2me

On the assumption that your home shows as nicely as you say, my guess is that it is the surrounding area and or neighbors. The Fords area is actually a great location in Central Jersey in terms of convenience to major highways and rail/bus transportation routes. But like every town their are areas that appeal to many people and others that have limited appeal. I do not think that the fact that your husband is the listing agent should be causing a problem. As a real estate broker for 12 years I am sure that he must have a good idea as to what the problem is. The other possibility is that it is overpriced; however, as a broker with 12 years experience I would assume that you husband has it listed at market value. If you want, please send me the ML # via e-mail and I will give you my opinion.

Gil Lopez
REALTOR Assoc
Prudential New Jersey Properties
3 Amboy Av
Metuchen NJ 08840
Gil.lopez@prudentialnewjersey.com e-mail