# Needing some ideas on how to get house sold



## quietintheland (Jan 10, 2013)

Hello everyone,

To bring everyone up to date, our remodeled 2 bd, 1 ba farmhouse on five acres in SE Indiana has been up for sale since the summer of 2013. We are 7 miles from town and 20 minutes from an interstate that will put in you in downtown Cincinnati in less than an hour. The unemployment rate in this county is currently below 6%. Taxes are cheap - less than $300 per year.

The first year, we had it listed as a FSBO. After a short spell at just under $100K, we lowered the price to $89,500. We generated some interest (mainly from drive-by's and craigslist), however, everyone who contacted us only wanted to do a land contract, so we never ended up showing the house. This past fall, we decided to list it with an agent. I interviewed five different agents from different companies. Four agents offered a suggested asking price ranged from a low of $72,000 to a high of $117,000. The comparables were all over the map in terms of locations, size and acreage (some used the entire county to find similar properties, others only used dis-similar properties that were either in my zip code or within 5 miles of my current property. Some used foreclosured properties in their comparables, other agents stated that wasn't a good practice. The fifth agent refused complete the interview process because he didn't feel he had enough good comparables with which to make a pricing judgement. Most agents told me that houses are very difficult to sell in this county without a land contract. We settled on a broker who sells many properties in the area, though not on the MLS, at the price of $99,500. Since October, we have received a total of one showing.

He believes my house will be difficult to sell because it is close to the road and the land is of limited usefulness (much is steep hillside). I can't do anything about those two facets. Other agents also pointed to the clearing that has an EMF powerline over it (no poles are sunk on my property).

Property has been bank appraised three times since purchase for finance/re-finance. In 2007 it appraised at $99,000, in 2010 it appraised at $89,000, and in 2012 it appraised at $83,000. On the other hand, the assessors office, beginning in 2011, began to raise our assessment on a yearly basis.

I am set to sign another contract with another real estate brokerage (that uses MLS) here in a couple of weeks, who has suggested lowering the asking price by a couple of thousand dollars, but thought I would bounce all this off of the seasoned veterans on this site in the hopes of getting some further feedback. Any and all feedback is welcome.

Thank you,

QuietintheLand


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## gundog10 (Dec 9, 2014)

We have bought and sold alot of homes over the years. Your home has to be on the MLS so other real estate agents and individuals looking for a home can view it. Hopefully, your new real estate agent took alot of photos and should be highlighting all the positives your place has to offer. Get on ZILLO and price check other similar homes in your area. Now you need to decide what you must have for your place. FULL PRICE, fat chance. You will only get a full price offer if you are willing to cover closing costs = 3%. Otherwise, drop your price to the middle of comparable listings. The home market is tight so make sure your home and land are looking their best. If you are willing to cover closing costs let your agent know. Good luck


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I received a call from a Listing Client, who wanted to know how we could get more interest in his home. His home needs some work, so I suggested a 5% price reduction and an offer to cover 2% of the Closing Costs. What this accomplishes? Those who are looking at VA Loans, FHA, or USDA Loans, would then save some of the money they'd have to put down and use it to repair and/or make some home improvements. Your situation would warrant a similar measure. You don't have to offer Seller Financing. Ditto on everything posted by gundog10


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## billinwv (Sep 27, 2013)

Make your property shine! Look online for some suggestions. Curb appeal, removing personal items, decreasing clutter, cleaning windows etc. may sound silly but go a long way. I have made more on real estate sales(personal home) than working in the last 15 years. In addition to the last posts also offer a warranty. Will only cost you around 400.00 and is a nice perc.


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## FarmChix (Mar 3, 2013)

We have had our home on and off the market since 2013 as well. We are also about an hour from Cincinnati. Our home has been 80% remodeled and is also older. What we are finding is that buyers are looking for a brand new home at a lower price because they have watched one too many episodes of HGTV. You couldn't build our house for double what we are asking. It is an awesome home with incredible views. We have asked the realtor(s) for feedback on what we could do to encourage a quicker sale. They have all said it shows well, is clean & tidy, etc., but it is not new and will take a "special" buyer. So, when the listing expired on Dec 1, we didn't renew. We gutted and remodeled the 1,000 s.f. family room. All that's left to do is put the trim down and clean up the construction dust. That leaves two of the five bathrooms left to remodel and the house will be "done". We are somewhat confident that it will sell this time around, but it is a cautious optimism.  I guess my point is to keep the faith and be patient. I am sure we both have "special" buyers out there who will appreciate what our homes have to offer. (Afterall, we have four acres in a subdivision....and at the bottom of the hill is the mall! What woman doesn't want to be able to slither over to the mall in a matter of minutes...ummm...this one! ha ha)


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2015)

if you could post some pictures, that would help people be able to make suggestions..


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Is it able to be subdivided?


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## quietintheland (Jan 10, 2013)

Thank you, everyone for your responses.

I think I will offer some type of closing cost incentive, and will run that by my potential new realtor.

Here is a link to my listing on Zillow. The "clear" pictures are the ones I took and the description is mine (which the former real estate broker kept). I will be reuploading photos and reactive the listing as FSBO this week.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/17144-Snail-Creek-Rd-Metamora-IN-47030/2124402151_zpid/

As for subdividing, another real estate agent suggested that, but given the how the land lies coupled with the creek crossing, and how slow land sells in this area, I can't see someone buliding on it or using it for recreation.

QuietintheLand


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

There's a renowned real estate columnist in the nearby city whose column prints nationwide in newspapers. She says somewhere between what you want for your house and $2 is a price someone will pay. Your description sounds like a nice-enough house with location drawbacks: the hilly land, end-of-road, and power lines. Is that high-voltage overhead stuff, the kind that hums? That would turn me away. The multi-list thing makes a lot of sense. Cleaning, painting, removing clutter, collections, extra furniture and personal items like lots of family photos, supposedly helps. Pet or smoke odors are very off-putting. I don't think it works any more to have a potpourri simmering on the stove. Too many people have heard that trick and may wonder what you are trying to cover up. Sometimes ads say, "Present all offers" or "Sellers eager", but I wonder if that sets buyers up to think you will take a really low-ball offer.


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## quietintheland (Jan 10, 2013)

Hello UseLess,

Thanks for your feedback.

We've done all the basic stuff - cleaning, decluttering, painting, new carpets, etc. Most agents who have come have told me that the house shows clean - much cleaner than other houses. That's great - except I can't even get folks in the front door to experience that!

As for the power line. I've never heard any "hum". The pole for the line is not on our property, just the lines overhead. It's not ideal, but again, not much I can do about that - or the proximity to the road, or the hillside, etc. But I think this house has a lot going for it that others don't have in the area. Namely, that it is stick built, and completely updated. There are a lot of older modular and mobiles in this area.

QuietintheLand


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Ok, I looked at the Zillow site...

In *my* opinion...

The pic of the front of the house wth he fan in the window immediately makes me think there's no AC...take the fan out of the window and get another pic!

It *appears* both bedrooms are upstairs...are they?

Where is the bathroom, upstairs or down? Was that a bathtub or a walk-in shower?

You barely mention the garden area...mention it has raised beds, and is that fenced?

You say it has a stone patio, further down says a deck...how about a picture? Save yourself 1,000 words! Let someone imagine sitting there with a cup of coffee in the morning!

That outbuilding is not mentioned at ALL! Pieces of it showing in pics could lead one to think it is the back side of the house! 

Love, love, *LOVE *the kitchen! Love the number of cabinets, the amount room, the large counter areas, that window over the sink and the sunlight in the room! A REAL country kitchen! Did I mention I really, really, like the kitchen?

I agree that the house DOES look VERY near the road. How about a short stone/brick/whatever wall behind the mailbox paralleling the road for maybe 20-30 foot?....would give *psychological* space between the road and house.

Just my thoughts, if I were looking in Indiana.

Mon


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## Skandi (Oct 21, 2014)

Looking at your listing (And having just two months ago bought a house so I have looked at a lot of pictures!) I can't see what I could use it for. It doesn't give me a plan, an idea. There's no pictures of the land, other than the power line. I know here you have said that none of the poles are on your property, but the picture really implies that they are. Also the inside of that barn, if it's in even semi decent condition, show it off, it's storage space if nothing else.

The pictures all make the rooms look small, a wideangle lense or retreating as far back through the door as you can would help. Somehow the pictures make the house look a lot smaller than it is.

Perhapse decide what could be done with the property, e.g hunting etc and take pictures to back that up. You need to think why someone would want to buy that house (why did you buy it?) and then pitch the sale to that use. whether it's a quiet life, or a big garden, or hunting or something else, maybe a holiday home.

Nitpicking; remove the fan and the electric heater from the bedroom. & take the umbrella off the front porch.

PS.. I'll take the kitchen, you can have mine.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

Love it...if I could afford it (it's not you, lol, fixed income issues here), I'd completely snatch it up!


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

I'm curious about the two front doors. Some flowers around the front porch would be nice. I agree the outbuilding is very nice, more pictures would be nice.


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2015)

I'm glad that you posted photos !! I agree with what already has been said...I thought the same about the fan...instantly...

(btw, many homes built in the early 1900s had two front doors ( ours does, 1906)..one was for "company"..)

No mention or photos of the ?barn..or wide pics showing the house and the ?barn/garden, etc....I'd forget that photo of the electric thingie entirely and get some up of the creek/land/garden ...!!!!!..lastly, I'd get a solid color ( white or beige) shower curtain...

I like your place VERY much


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Ok, I lot of what I want to say is going to probably sound harsh but I hope it will be helpful. I spend a lot of time looking at other homes and thinking about what they could do to improve the appearance. Some of the things I noticed on your house have already been mentioned.

* The outside of the house is too plain. The first thing I would do is paint the front porch and railings. Probably black. I don't know why but I hate unfinished wood on the front of a house. Then perhaps add shutters to at least the front windows in the same color.

* Add some low shrubbery to the front of the house that will help to break up the flat appearance. As others have said add flowers to the planting bed.

* Dress up the porch more. Definitely take the cloth off the table. I would also take the plastic chairs and put them on the back patio. Spend a bit of money and put a rocker or a rattan chair on the porch with a small table that doesn't need a cover. Or perhaps add a plant stand with a flower or a fern. Keep the plant small enough that it doesn't overwhelm the porch.

* Put all the fans and heaters and the closet or basement. It sends the message that the house is either too hot or too cold.

* You need a pop of color in the kitchen. Right now it shows lots of counter space and storage but it is too vanilla. Put out a colored canister or a brightly colored bowl of apples on the counter.

* You need some art or something on the walls. The wall colors are great but you need something to break them up. Without anything on the walls it looks like you just moved in. 

* Take the pictures showing the power lines out of the Zillow listing esp since they show up twice. Put in pictures of the back patio and more outdoor photos. Show off the barn. 

* The bathroom is too vanilla and also needs a pop of color. It looks like the walls are light green. Perhaps put out medium green or tan towels. As said before, change the shower curtain to a solid color, just not white or cream. Match the color to the new color of your towels. There is too much pattern difference between the floor and the shower curtain.

* As said before, try to get wider photos of the rooms. To me, they don't look small. I'm just not seeing enough.

Good luck!!


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## quietintheland (Jan 10, 2013)

Thanks, everyone for the feedback - keep it coming! We'll see about getting things spruced up a bit as soon as the weather permits. 

As for the barn (since it was mentioned by multiple posters), it was suggested by multiple realtors to not feature it with pictures or text because of the condition. Multiple realtors told us not to do much more to the house or barn because we'll never get the money out of repairs or updates. To tear down and replace the barn with something 1/2 the size would be over $8000 - $12000. To complicate matters, there is a power line which runs right in front of it.

Will post updated photos soon.

QuietintheLand


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I agree, you need some pops of color, Your decluttering is great but put some things back: Brightly colored canisters, towels, flowers/pots.
Porch needs color too, my DW always puts out brightly colored pots with multiple color flowers in the spring, turns an otherwise dull looking patio into an inviting place.

I also agree about the fan and heater, put them in a closet for pics and also for showings.

I disagree with your agent about the barn, it may not be in good shape, but it does need to be painted IMO, get yourself some barn red paint and make it look like its not abandoned.

I understand your garden is a veggie garden but plant a couple of flowers in it for color (and to attract pollinators). I always have some geraniums in my veggie garden. And if your place doesn't sell by the time you are harvesting veggies be sure to get some pics with veggies on the vine - plump tomatoes, peppers, cukes, whatever you grow.

I would leave 1 pic of the power lines in (but not a very predominant one - show something else that happens to have a power line shown in it.), it will weed out showing for people who absolutely will not buy anything near or under a power line - I like the looks of your place but that alone would stop me from buying - so why bother with a showing ?


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

A few things I noticed with the pictures. Take another picture of the front of the house without the road or driveway showing. Remove the dog house as well as the For Sale sign. Add some color to the front of the house - even artificial flowers.) (As has been said before, fans and heaters need OUT of the pictures.) 

The porch looks very small with the table and 2 chairs - especially the one chair in front of the one door. Take another picture - possibly on a ladder outside the railing so the porch looks bigger. At the very least, have one of the chairs disappear.

Kitchen is very nice - but bare. As has been said, add a few things to the counters - a bowl of fruit and add something to the high shelves that are different heights. Put dishes and utensils at each end of the table - like you are getting ready to eat - but use small plates so it looks like there is lots of room at the table.

Add a few pictures to the walls of the living room. Close the curtains.

Bedrooms needs some things on the walls. Close the curtains. 

Get rid of the powerline picture. No one wants to see it.

Bathroom looks small. Take a picture from either the doorway or from outside the window (if it's not on the 2nd floor!)

Is the barn able to be fixed - or does it need to be torn down? Is it dry inside or does the roof leak? If it's able to be fixed - or is dry - take a picture of it as well. If it can provide storage - it is an asset.

When people come to view the house - have something baking in the oven. Lightly spritz the bathrooms and bedrooms shortly before the people come in with something similar to Freezebreeze. You don't want a heavy overpowering scent - just a light scent that reminds people of fresh and clean.

You want to bring up all the good points of the house and property and gloss over the bad.

Good luck. If you don't get some nibbles shortly after hiring the new realtor, you might just need to lower the price - take the loss and move on.


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## FarmerKat (Jul 3, 2014)

I think you already got a lot of good feedback. For me the biggie would be removing the pictures of the power lines.

We were advertising a house for rent last year and the one photo that most people told me drew them to the house was a view from the front porch. It had a little bit of the porch in it but mostly what you would see if you were sitting on the porch. It motivated people to take a look at the house more than any other pics of the house or interior.


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

I too had a home to sell with a bad location. Blind hill and close to the road. I watched the prices of homes in my area. Kept close eye on their prices. I went through dozens of terrible realtors. Tested them with bogus " I'm interested" emails and many didn't even respond to them. In the end I dropped my price by 1/7th and offered a 1000$ cash bonus to the realtor who sells it in 1 month. This bonus offer shows up on them mls realtors site. They all jumped on it and the house sold in that 30 days after sitting on the market for years. I got to move on with my life! 

So first you can't fix your location and your competing with other homes in the area, so you must cut price right down. Second don't trust realtors. You do need their advertising and exposure but test them and get on them! You can break those 6 month contracts easy. Get rid of bad realtors. I actually put up a hidden camera and caught several of them using my lower priced home as a comparison to get the looker to see a better home with more commission for the realtor. Crooks!! I caught them saying bad stuff about my home. Which wasn't even true.


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## moonspinner (Jul 2, 2002)

FarmGal, some great tips!
Just from my home searching and home selling experience the reason for no bites is either an unattractive property, too much competition or the biggest reason - cost! In my former home area there is an attractive lot for sale in a primo location. It has not sold in five years - seems the owners are being stubborn on price. 
You may just have to bite the bullet so to speak and drop the price, particularly if you have some elements on your property that are negative. Adding incentives like Farmgal mentioned might just do the trick. Please let us know how you make out.


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## Dion McDonough (Mar 17, 2017)

Hi there, you can look online for more suggestions and send your house pictures and details to your friends and tell them to distribute.


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