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JuliaD · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 4

We've had our home near Clearwater/St Pete FL on the market for almost a month. It's a terrific family house that's close to the beach (but no flood, no evac) with 4 bdrms and 2,140 sqft and TONS of upgrades/updates. We had professional packers/stagers come in to get the place show-ready. It's priced to move and my real estate agent is rumored to be the best in the area. Our neighborhood is supposedly a very desireable neighborhood, close to terrific schools and etc.So, that all being said, we've had ONE potential buyer/looker since the house listed. Since then, NOTHING. The house has a sign out front and it's listed in MLS, but so far, that's it. I think there's an open house scheduled for sometime in the next few weeks, but do open houses really sell houses? I hear stories about open houses that have ZERO attendance. Does anyone have any idea of HOW to get people to come look? I think that if people actually came in to see the place, it might sell. Helps!

nana1160 · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 5

IN TODAYS MARKET good luck

nattibadboy · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 7

From what I hear you should offer free gifts to those that come through (Like car dealerships) or offer a vacation, car, gift certificate, ect.. to someone who buys the house. It stinks to have to do that but in this market you need all the help you can get.

BeverlyC · Joined: 16 Oct 2003 Posts: 4

after putting our house on the market we had the same problem. we had an open house and bang we began to get offers left and right. It really is up to your real estate agent to get people to come look. Good Luck!!

deserontoshamrock · Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 6

ask your friends what it looks like from the street, if its not attractive, buyers won't get past the first impression.trim up the shrubs, plant fresh flowers, always have the grass mowed. is your siding a strange color, maybe the garage door needs painting.also, remove all un-necessary items in your home, putthem instorage, clean your carpets, remove pets to your inlaws.make sure your house is clean and fresh smelling.again ask your friends for their honest opinion.keep in touch with your agent, ask them why its not selling.

Jakek · Joined: 22 Oct 2003 Posts: 4

If the open houses are advertised you should get some people through there. it is important you have as many open houses as you can as long as they are advertised. you wont sell the home very easy with a sign alone. It is a buyers market there are alot of beautiful homes that anyone can buy for penny's to the $. so make sure the open houses are being advertised and they have as many as possible.

KimberleeAnn · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 8

It is the market dear, maybe you can rent if you need to get moving elsewhere. If not hang tight for a few more years and enjoy your newfound space.... since you have laready cleaned it up.

rlloydevans · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 3

The first thing you should do is go out and look at your competition - the other homes on the market. How do you match up? You may have been well-priced for the market of 12-months ago- but how about now? You may be surprised. Many places in Florida especially are swamped with properties for sale with few buyers. Partly this is because of the tightening of the mortgage market means lots of people who could get financing before can't now - or are afraid they can't so they don't try.There might be 6 buyers for 10 houses. You have to be an excellent value - either by far the nicest house of all of the others at your price range - or the clear cheapest for the ones similar to yours. You can't be "one of the best". This is a buyer's market - so the things people were doing in 2001 are what works.Here are some ways to bring more interest:1) Raise the price but raise the agent commission. If given the choice of a property selling at a 6% commission - and one selling at 8% - the agents will MUCH prefer to show the 8%. You might try this for a short period - such as raise the price 10% (you cancel the previous listing and list a new one) with a 10% commission if you get a full priced, qualified offer in 20 days. Then the commission and price decreases after that.2) Cut the price - You may think it is priced well, but one showing in one month tells me that there are others on the market at BETTER prices.3) Offer selling financing, check with your mortgage lender if they would take a buyer to assume the mortgage (many are now, even with "No Assumption" loans) - then you and the real estate agent can advertise it as "Financing Available" or "Owner Financing". This should get more activity.4) Offer other incentives to get people's attention - Pay for a moving crew to move the buyer's stuff (local move only) - or 6 month's groceries (Prepaid certificates of $600 good at a local super market) for a lower-end property - or 6-month's supply of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries (delivered once a month through a catering business) for a higher end property. Get creative.5) Don't only depend on the agent. Make sure you get the word out to everybody you know. Make up a flyer and get it passed out to your neighborhood,l church, club, work, everywhere. Consider offering a $500 finder's fee to someone who sends you your buyer.Good luck.

ElDiabloinMexifornia · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 4

The problem is no one can get a loan. Why look when you cant get a loan? The mortgage companies have tightened requirements so much you need almost an 800 credit score to get a loan. Besides, it a guaranteed loss to buy right now. Home prices are going down. Why buy one if it's guaranteed to go down in value over the next two years?http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_on_bi_ge/wall___main;_ylt=ApCIX9w8rmpRBgJC7_BWYx.s0NUE

SophieTucker5403 · Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 5

In this market, it's all about the price. If you've been on the market for a month and only had one showing, then the market is talking to you and telling you're overpriced. Reduce the price until you get an offer.

LITTLEBIT · Joined: 05 Nov 2003 Posts: 8

Good luck to you, I live in south florida and my house have been on the market for 4 months, (No offers yet). I am thinking of renting it out for a couple of years and them trying to sell. Hopefully the market will improve at this time. I am listed the lowest in my neighbourhood. ($20,000 less that what I paid for it a couple of years ago)

realestatebirddog4 · Joined: 08 Nov 2003 Posts: 5

Hey Julia,Well, there are currently around 19,000 listings in Pinellas County so making your house stand out is going to take some doing. Here are some ideas:Since you have a contract with an agent, I suggest you re-do your MLS listing to hit your target market -- other real estate agents. Offer a bonus on top of the commission. In this market, $1,000 bonus will catch their attention. Also, have your agent hold a brokers’ open house and serve up wine and hors douvres. Agents like free food. This, along with the bonus will get agents into your house and it will make your house more memorable when they have someone coming in looking for a house in that size and price range. It also subliminally makes them feel obligated -- you have given them food and wine, i.e., they have (metaphorically) broken bread with you. Most important, selling in this market, you have to have THE BEST LOOKING HOUSE in the neighborhood for THE BEST PRICE. Agents tend to put too high a price on a house, figuring that the offers will be lower than that. If you need a truly fast sale, be realistic in your pricing. No agent is going to bother showing a house that is over-priced. You can’t sell below-market priced houses right now; selling an over-priced house will take more skill than most agents have. Best of luck to you,Barbarawww.therealestatebirddog.com

MeLyndaR · Joined: 11 Nov 2003 Posts: 4

Unfortunately the market is tough right now. I am a Realtor in Lakeland, FL and many homes out here are taking 12 months and longer to sell.As for Open Houses, only 1% of homes sell through an Open House.Ask your Realtor to do a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) of your home based on sales in your area in the last six months, Actives in the last six months, and Withdrawns in the last six months. You should be priced just above the most recent sold (take into consideration your square footage, please), AND just below the other homes on the market. If your price is in the Withdrawn level, you are priced too high.Other hints and tips include upping your commission to a higher percentage to induce Realtors to show your home or offering a Realtor Bonus of $500-$2000.Price is the cure for everything in this market. Drop your price even $100 a week in the MLS and it will force the listing to show up as a reduction and come back to the attention of all the buyers in the market that are set up on automatic pilot for listings that fit their criteria to be sent to them via e-mail on a daily basis. Also consider offering Buyer bonuses; seller paid closing costs, cosmetic upgrade allowance, or even a savings bond in whatever amount to be paid at closing.Make sure that you have home for sale signs with arrows from major roads to your home. This will help alot if you are tucked back in a neighborhood. Make sure however that you do not place the signs in the right of ways as the garbage men will usually take them to the dump.One last hint..."Yellow flowers sell houses." Yellow is cheerful and adds color to the outside of your home. Don't ask me why it works...but it does.When all else fails, if you are in dire need, consider asking your Realtor to do a short sale which is negotiating with the bank to sell the home for less than you owe. You walk away with no money, but you don't have the dragon on your back either.MeLynda RinkerKeller Williams Realty of Lakeland

macmogul · Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 3

Well I'm a real estate investor, and if you would like to know a couple of methods i use to get rid of my properties I would be happy to share. just email me!

PaulD · Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Posts: 3

Sounds to me that it is over priced for the current market. Things are still moving when priced right, and you should definately get activity through mls if it looks like there is value.