Hello, Tammy,

The internet is the number one tool that people use when they start to consider both buying and selling a house. The great thing is there are lots of internet sites that feed off of eachother. The more places you post it the better. You want to get the most exposure possible. The statesman has a feature online already that pulls information from the MLS. Print media and open houses are only a small percent of how people find your house - again, the internet is number one - even above what their realtor shows them.

You want to make sure that your house is priced extremely competively compared to other houses. This needs to be considered from a perspective of someone doing a simple search. Just from the basics, similar in size number of bedrooms/bathrooms/garage, general location and price. How many houses are priced better than yours? This will tell you if your house is too high in price. If it is already one of the lower priced homes, start looking more specific at the features, material upgrades, etc.

The next thing you need to consider is what price range your house falls in. There are a lot more people that can afford a starter home 200,000 or less than there are that can afford a house that is worth more than 500,000. So it will take a more expensive house longer to sell than a less expensive house even if it is priced well.

I also use a 24 hour info line for the sign, which is a great way for your agent to capture all of those curious people that wanted more information about your home.

The last thing is to just make it stand out as much as possible. Any incentive that you can to jump out there - home warranty - closing costs paid - and any thing you can do to keep your listing fresh on the MLS. Certain changes put your listing on the MLS 'hot list' which emails everyone when their are new listings or those changes. If your property would fit into their saved search they will get an email everytime it goes back on the 'hot list'. I am sure your can help you find ideas to utilize this.

Unfortunately, right now there are some beautiful homes for fantastic prices that aren't selling. It is really a matter of the right person seeing it. Make the best use of the internet as possible, and make sure your agent is fluent on all the trendy and popular sites that people are likely to find it on.

I hope that these ideas help you. Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi Tammy,
Please ask your agent is she/he receiving "feedback" from the showing agents and buyers that have seen your home. Tell your agent that you need specifics to find out what IS like and what is NOT liked.
If you decide to change whatever the "dislikes" are, then have your agent contact these buyer agents agn and let them know that changes, deductions in price, incentives, etc are now being offered.

Also, are you including any incentives for the buyers to pick your home over another one that is 100% compatible with yours? I recommend my buyers to include a 1 yr home warranty, 2nd choice would be to offer some monetary value towards closing costs for the buyer and lastly, a Selling Agent Bonus where allowed by the Broker in Charge. All 3 of these things will entice buyers to take a look at your home more closely as their 1st choice.

One last suggestion is this.... Go ahead and pay for a home inspection and or a bonafide "appraisal" out of your own pocket. This will alleviate any fears the buyer may have and will also help save the buyer money in the long run.

Hope these suggestions help. The market has picked up speed in the Carolinas, so I hope that you will find a suitable, approved buyer for your home.

If ever in SC please stop by our office and say Hi.

Kimberly Gaffney
Allen Tate Realty
Rock Hill, SC
803-324-1185

Tammy,

Susan is right, even though you lowered the price you may still be outside the market. When was the last time your agent pulled the comps? I'm talking recent ones no more than 3 months old. You should be looking at those every 30 days. In 4 months you should have been advised of the comps 4 times. Once before you listed and once a month there after.

There's a real possibility that you missed the mark on where the home should have been priced up front. If you started high hoping to have room to negotiate or missed the mark due to inaccurate comps even with a reduction to where the home should have been priced initially you're still behind the market. The Treasure Valley is moving backward right now. You will save more money by finding the true market value and getting below it ASAP.

When you are behind the market you're going to lose more money the longer you keep holding out. It is true in this market that the one to make the biggest price reduction first will make keep more of their hard earned equity. You really need to look at good comps, I can't stress that enough. Know where the market value for your home is and how long it is really taking to sell those homes. If you're at or below market value and you have not exceeded the average days on market then it is just a lack of buyers and you just need to give it a little more time.

And a little hint about days on market. There are a few agents in the valley who try to be clever and cover it up. Make sure you agent is pulling accurate data. Not even the cumlative DOM (days on market) always work. Once you have good comps you often end up having to comb the MLS to make sure the agent didn't try to hide anyting.

You lowered the price - but did you make it the lowest priced home in its comparables group? How long ago did you lower it? What has SOLD in your area lately? How long does it take for similar well-priced homes to sell? Your Realtor can answer these questions. best of luck!