Steve-

Without sellers they would be no need for "gold"- think about it.

Sellers always determine price with the direction of professionals typically they are able to to make the best choice. Sarah I liked what Ron V. had to say and others below. Wish I had a buyer- looks like it's a lovely home.

Best Wishes,
Sarah Solomon
Coldwell Banker
303.598.8738

Hi Sarah:

In reading the comments below I am reminded that sometimes even the best real estate agents (myself included) jump to conclusions before considering all the facts. Price is, of course, a big factor in selling a home. But it is not the only factor. In this case, price may have nothing to do with it. You noted that the house has had just two showings, which means you don't have enough information to determine if there are problems at the home itself.

Your parents need consumer feedback. They must attract buyers to the home to determine if price, styling, marketing, age, location or other factors are serious issues. A few open houses could provide valuable information about what is going on. Once your parents (and/or their agent) have the opportunity to quiz some buyers, they will have a better picture, and can make adjustments. There's nothing like a bit of market research to get a stalled project moving again.

Best,
Ron Rovtar
Boulder, CO
303.473.1926

"its priced under what its worth"

So you are obviously deceiving yourself and no one else.

It is worth the highest price the market of buyers is willing to pay.

Sellers never determine price nor will they ever determine price. Why?

Cause buyers are the ones with the gold. The one with the gold make the rules right?

Simple: It is too expensive for the market. Period.

You might touch base with a couple of realtors who specialize in your parents' area and get their input.

Hi Sarah,
Did you get some good help on Trulia? I hope you are getting closer to selling their home - let me know if there is anything I can do.

2 years is a long time. If your parents have lived in the house for a significant period of time, chances are they have accumulated alot of stuff and their decor may not appeal to their targeted buyer. Consider consulting a local stager to give you some objective feedback on the appearance of the house and recommend changes that could lead to more showings.

Hi Sarah:

The answer to problems like this can be fairly simple. But you must be willing to step back a bit and look at a listing the way a buyer looks at it.

Since you say the home is getting few showings, there appears to be a problem with marketing. Whether or not a real estate agent is involved, your parents probably should review all marketing materials, including MLS sheets, flyers, newspaper ads, and information provided at the home. Your parents should ask themselves if they would be attracted to the home upon seeing these materials. They also can ask acquaintances to review the materials. Sometimes a fresh look by a friend or neighbor provides good insights.

Marketing is 20 percent science and 80 percent art. As such, one must frequently review one's marketing approach, retaining what works and replacing what does not. Sometimes minor changes in wording, graphics or photos can make a huge difference. At other times, starting over is the best solution.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Good luck!

Ron Rovtar

Sarah
In order to really help them, I suggest that you meet with their Realtor (assuming they have one). If they don't have a Realtor and are trying to sell without professional representation, then ask a local Realtor to help you. Asking for help does not guarantee the Realtor the listing, but would allow them to earn your parents' business IF they decided to employ professionals to get the home sold.

1. It's best to let the facts speak for themselves. That way it is not you giving them the news. Ask a Realtor for a list homes, like your parents' house, that have sold in the two years. If it were me I'd also try to show them what is going on the home values over the past two years. See the link below. According to Trulia the average price per square foot has dropped 4.4% in the last year.

2. Have the Realtor provide an analysis of homes currently on the market, in escrow, and recently sold to help your parents determine the likely market value of their home.

3. After discussion of the above it might be a good idea to take your parents to four or five homes that are direct competitors to do a little comparison shopping. Selling a home is not a "set it and forget it" project. It is more like playing chess. You list your home, you observe your competition, and if they do something, like lower their price, then you respond by lowering yours.

Good luck. BTW, if they would like to interview a top Realtor in Boulder I'd be happy to refer you to one of the best in Boulder.

Sarah,

If it's not getting any showings then it's either not being marketed very well or it's overpriced. Even if the only marketing being done is having it in the MLS, 2 showings in 2 years...somethings wrong. Their Realtor knows more then anyone what the problem is, listen to the Realtor and get it Sold. The Realtor is in and out of dozens of homes every week, they know what the Buyer's are looking for and what they are willing to pay. Your parents house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it and then what an appraiser says it's worth. If the Realtor is saying it's the price and you don't believe it, then have it appraised. If the Realtor is saying it's very dated, then hire a Home Stager and make it appeal to more people.

I hope this helps, good luck to you,

Sandy Kinslow
The Kinslow Team
Coldwell Banker

Sarah, no doubt you and your parents are both frustrated their home hasn't sold after having it on the market for over two years. Without knowing more specifics about your parents home, it is hard to answer your question more precisely.

Typically, real estate is about supply and demand and beyond that it's about location, and price relative to the market, condition, etc.

You've already indicated their home is in a great location and is priced under what it is worth. However, homes are not selling at the higher prices our market enjoyed just a couple of years ago. Pricing a home correctly in this challenging market is vital to selling in a reasonable time. If they have had only two showings in a two year period, my first assumption would be that the home is still priced above market value.

Is your parents home being marketed by a professional realtor who is aggressively marketing it both electronically on the Internet as well as through print media? Gone is the day when just a sign in the front yard was sufficient to selling a home. Today's market requires that a home be aggressively marketed on numerous web sites, featuring multiple professional photos (and for higher end properties, a video tour), email campaigns, professionally prepared marketing brochures, print advertising, continual open houses, etc.

The photos need to reveal a well maintained home with great curb appeal (well manicured lawn, trimmed bushes and trees, and exterior finishes that are in good shape), a spotless interior with updated finishes/touches and furnishings that have been property staged and coordinated. Unique and key features need to be identified and highlighted.

There is enough supply on the market for serious buyers to consider, that a home needs to be "parade ready" and "stand out" as "something really special" for the price.

1) Once the marketing pulls a buyer into the home to take a closer look you should also consider:

2) Making sure the home is spotless. If the carpets are spotted, having them steam cleaned, if they are worn having them replaced.

3) Painting interior walls the are drabby or too dark.

4) Having their home staged by a professional stager so it appeals to a more diverse pool of buyers. A good stager will un clutter a home and de-personalize it so it looks warm and inviting without having a "lived in" look. She'll also minimize furnishings (particularly in key areas such as the kitchen, family room, and master bedroom) to make the home feel more open and spacious, so the buyers can "picture their own furnishings in the home."

5) Making small updates to a home (if appropriate) to make it feel less dated. Small updates like replacing out-of-date light fixtures, kitchen and bathroom hardware make a big difference.

6) Having the home inspected by a certified home inspector to alleviate any concerns a prospective buyer may have?

7) If the home is older, including a seller's warranty. It's a small expense to incur when you consider the difference it makes to a potential buyer.

Hope this information was in some way helpful to you.

Best of luck to you and to your parents.

With the caveat that I don't know Boulder, I nevertheless would strong suspect that if they've only had two showings in two years, then the property is greatly overpriced.

If it's listed with a Realtor, your parents should ask for a current CMA (competitive market analysis).

The other responses are certainly correct: It should be marketed properly, and it should be staged (or at least presented properly, with good curb appeal). Those are both critically important. Still--bluntly--a properly priced fixer-upper marketed just on Craigslist should produce way more than two showings in two years.

Again: It's the price.

Hope that helps.

It only takes 3 things to sell a home in Boulder: Price, Promotion, and Staging.

If it's listed by a broker, then it's on the MLS, and therefore, 87.3% of buyers who are looking for a home with similar criteria to yours will see it.

I always offer a free staging consult to my sellers, because I believe very strongly that Price and Promotion get the people in the door, but staging makes them stay and makes them want to live there. Buyers are just generally unimaginative.

If it's staged well, and it's listed on the MLS with lots of other marketing by a good broker, then I'm fairly certain it all comes down to price.

Well, my friend, I don't know what price range you're in, but if you aren't getting 2-5 showings a week, it very well may be overpriced. There are two ways we know if something is not priced to market: (1) if you aren't getting enough showings, and (2) if you're getting lots of showings, but no offers.

Selling homes isn't hard, but it does require a formula. Let me know how I can be of assistance.

Best,

Stu.

Hi Sarah,

It is admirable that you are concerned with your parents well being and helping them sell their home. It is very important that everyone is involved with the sale of such an important asset.

Regarding the sale of their home there are several reasons that their home may not be getting any showings. The answer could be as simple as no picture is listed online to something as complicated as pricing or location.

If you would like a free analysis of your marketing system give me a call or send me an e-mail. I specialize in selling homes that haven't sold in the first six months - most of the time I can sell these homes in just a few weeks. I have even consulted many homes that are for sale buy owner and assisted them with their sale. If you would like to give me 20 minutes of your time I could point you in the right direction and answer some of the questions that you and your parents have.

Why wait another 6 months to get serious about selling - contact me today.

Dave Janis
Dave@DaveJanis.com
303-442-5001

Dear Sarah,

Are they selling on their own? Are they advertising and if so where?

Linda