# Our farm has been on the market 6 months now...



## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

...and it’s nowhere near sold. . https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/408-S-Main-St_New-Douglas_IL_62074_M75460-94975

We’ve done a lot of work on this place but it’s a farm and there’s always something that needs to be done. We’ve put about $10k into new carpet, cabinets, etc but since it’s not like something out of HGTV and doesn’t have an open floor plan no one wants it. 

Meanwhile we’ve moved and we’ve chewed through our savings. I’m having to get a job to make ends meet. I wouldn’t have to at all if this place would sell. Part of it is we went with a realtor that was sure she could sell the snot out of the place. She even told us to set the price $50k higher than we did. As it is, we’ve come down $24k and the price right now is just $5k more than what we bought it for 9 years ago. Our contract with her is up Jan. 1st and we can’t wait to get a new realtor. 

Anyone else having luck selling a hobby farm?


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

It looks like a nice enough place. Do you have any real comparables in the area that would tell you what other similar homes have sold for? Has your realtor or any of the lookers given you an idea of the things they don't like, other than it's not an open floor plan? 

There aren't a lot of options. You can get another realtor. But I would suspect that most of the people in the area that have an interest have either already seen it or they've dismissed it just by looking at the pictures and deciding it's not right for them. You could lower the price to what a willing buyer were willing to pay. I don't know what that would be. True comparables would be helpful in knowing. Or, you can work on the negatives that you're learning about and try to fix or negate them. 

Finding a new realtor could be an answer if the current one is really just not as competent as she had seemed to be. A good realtor might be able to work with an interested party to put together a deal where the current one couldn't. 

Lowering the price can be disheartening, especially knowing all that you've put into the place. A buyer really doesn't see anything except what is now, though. And either they like it or they don't like it, they think it's worth it or they don't think it's worth it. 

And fixing can be difficult to figure out whether the end justifies the means. Would it be better to spend $35k to fix the negatives and sell for what you're asking, or would it be better to lower the price by $35k? (I just picked that number out of the air, by the way, just for sake of illustration.) 

The map shows the place being in town, not something a lot of wannabe farmers are thrilled about, especially with restrictions. It is kinda dated looking in some of the pictures, no shame in that, but people watching HGTV are probably expecting a different look. 

Not meaning to be critical, not at all. But I feel for ya. Hoping someone else will have even better ideas. Best of luck!


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

4.75 acres isn't real big for a farm....But I think your price is OK...
Just need to right buyer.


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

Comparables are right where they should be. We have had three realtors interview for the job and we’re priced a little below the average.

Pouring more money into it doesn’t really make sense as the feedback we’re getting is the guys like the place and they get all ready to buy but the woman wants the HGTV Home. Feedback has been things like “wanted an open floor plan” and “wanted finished basement”. Those things are hard to fix. 

As for being in town...we knew that was a deal breaker. On the plus side it’s a small town and you can feel like you’re in a community and it’s on the sewer system. We also have two wells with good water. On the bad side the town can limit animals but I’ve gone to plenty town meetings and the only time horses on under 10 acres. He also had a bad fence and the horses kept getting out. I’ve never had a problem with them and I had goats who thought a fence was a joke! (Granted they went to the school next door and ate down the poison ivy-they we’re actually asked to come back and for a while I would shepherd them over and they cleared some of the poison ivy free of charge!) 

One of the pluses is the old feed store. The dock in back would be a great wood shop or mechanics dream. But you have to have a specific purpose in mind for it. 

We just need the right buyer to come along...soon.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

It may be that another realtor would have more people connections and thus be better able to find "just the right buyer". I know that is the case in the area we are in. We looked for years not finding what we wanted, going through a half dozen+ realtors. And then we found a good one. And the place we bought, we initially said, "NO!" She didn't give up. She wasn't obnoxious and she did continue to show us places we wanted to see afterward. But she didn't give up on us after hearing us say no. Plenty of other realtors did. We ended up coming back to this one because we saw potential for the place to be better than it is, whether that's for our use, or as a place to build equity and move up later. It's not exactly what we wanted, but it's a place to start. 

Interestingly, the realtor that we worked with to buy our place is doing over 10% of the business of the mortgage company branch that my wife is working at. She's a go-getter and she's good at what she does. Wish I had a good way of telling you how to find people like that. They are definitely worth their commissions. 

Maybe that special person you're looking for will be along shortly. Hoping for you. And wishing you the best! Who knows, maybe someone will have the cash to give Momma a new home for Christmas!


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## BostonLesley (Nov 14, 2017)

IMHO, adding photos of the kitchen and dining room and living room would help


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

KnowOneSpecial said:


> ...............
> 
> Pouring more money into it doesn’t really make sense as the feedback we’re getting is the guys like the place and they get all ready to buy but the woman wants the HGTV Home. Feedback has been things like “wanted an open floor plan” and “wanted finished basement”. Those things are hard to fix.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry... but HGTV and DIY channels have screwed up the housing market....
"Oh, I saw it on TV ....So this is what I want to have.".....Anything can be done in an hour....construction quotes are always very low....BIL pricing......AND you have to deal with it.,

I think you may want to widen your market...lose the "Farm" angle ....your realtor is bring in "farmers", then have buyers find out that animals are limited as well and being in the city...with restrictions

People buy acres and house square footage...any thing else is window dressing....

Quick story
Two houses for sale on our block side by side...each was on an identical lot...both built by the same contractor in 1972...floor plans the same.... about 1500 sq ft.....

One belonged to a friend...he and his wife spent 35K on new windows, contractor told them they would save energy( in about 150 years to pay for it)... and they could recoup the expense (true to a point as they did get tax credits)...
Than another 25K for the kitchen.....people that bought the house didn't like it.... and redid everything

House next door.....original everything and run down from 1972....friend's house was priced to take into account the money spent...
Both ended up selling for about the same price...friend did a little better... but spent a lot more.....and got out from under it.

The only time big ticket items pay for themselves is when they both are the same price...and are may tip the scales for a faster sale.

If you want out...drop the price.....IMO


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I learned a long long time ago two things sell a house-location and price. Everything else is a peripheral and I'm speaking as someone who has purchased a lot of them for personal and business.
I agree with hunter63 and will add that many times a buyer will take the lesser priced home in order to have the money to "make it their own" or add their own touch.
Now with Illinois, the property taxes are the highest in the nation, the schools can be hit or miss, the state economy is a mess, well, you already know all of this. Folks, a lot of folks, are leaving Illinois for free states.
My advice would be to go with a big name realtor like ReMax and use their top dog. Someone who is proven. Do not fool around with the locals that sell a dozen homes a year or work at it part time. If they can't do more than take pictures, place and ad and wait for the phone to ring then they aren't doing any more than you could; they just have a license. Which brings up my final thought-you may have a couple options; either be willing to cut the price deeply now or live thru a thousand cuts. *The best offer you will get will be the first offer you get.*
The other option is to handle it yourself and list it locally, on line, craigslist, etc. If you are getting close to going under with it, sell it at Auction with a high end reputable company.
Godspeed. It may all seem daunting, but the good news is that it will only take one buyer.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Take it off the market for the holidays. You can legally do this. Do not relist with your current agent. Make sure the current listing contract does not have any "if the house sells within X # of days I get a commission or I get a commission if I've showed the house to the buyer..." Give it a rest as it's a tired listing. 
When you interview for a new realtor, ask for proof of how many "hobby farm" listings they have sold, if you want to list it that way. Ask how else they can market the property. I think that maybe the way to go, rather than hobby farm. Acreage means privacy, peace, quiet to many. Hobby farm means work to others. Leave it open - let the prospective buyers decide what they want to do with the property. Someone who refers 10% to a mortgage company may be selling tract homes and not your type of agent. A seasoned agent works off referrals and old contacts, not just new contacts.


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

Market prices are different all over the country. In many areas, including here , prices are not back UP to what they were 9 - 10 years go, & you would be selling at a LOSS .


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## LittleFarmrJohn (May 27, 2015)

If that was near me I'd buy it, unfortunately if it were near me it'd be half a million bucks. How I long for retirement so I can relocate.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Have you considered renting it out for money? It could get you through the hump. Even if you live far away you could get a property manager and they would charge 10% of rents. Might get 1000-1200 a month or more out of that depending on your area.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Six months is not all that long for a rural place to be on the market. A year or more is not unheard of.
If you are not getting showings, I'd terminate your realtor at the end of their contract and relist with another.


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## TWG1572 (Nov 10, 2015)

Like someone else said, that place would be $500K around here. Location, location, location...

The only feedback I'd give on the ad is that I'm confused what the bluish green building is. I'm assuming that might be the old feed store? If so, it makes sense for me for that to be at the back of the listing with some of the better pictures up front. I know when I look at listings, it's the first 3-4 pictures that either hook me or cause me to close it. I don't know as you want the feed store pictures featured that prominently in the listing. Just my uneducated 2 cents.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Out in the sticks, it can take a while to sell (as others have noted). I've been in that situation...sucks. 
I suppose as I look at listing, it looks like a farm op stripped of it's land. Large accessory buildings, layout, etc., remind me of our old farm (not a hobby farm - 2200 acres). Kind of caught between trying to sell a 'hobby farm' and a 'full meal deal' (except no land). 
I saw no pictures of a hobby garden. 
Not sure what to suggest...find out who buys these types of setups, and focus on that. 
Of all the pics I see, I like the front house pic...really idyllic looking. The interior does nothing for me. I would consider pics without furniture...lets prospective buyer imagine their own taste. Find the best angle view for each accessory building, and take just one shot. Obviously, the idea is to get folks to see it...you have to set the hook. 
Maybe sell it as a country home with business opportunities.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

I live just up the track from you. 
On the up side you seem to be just at the edge of the st. Louis, Scott Air Force Base and possibly Springfield commuting areas.
Are you advertising there?
Now I happen to be outside of those commuting areas and from my viewpoint you appear to have $30,000 worth of ground , $30,000 house, a $5000 shed, and another building that I have no idea what it’s worth.
So $65,000 with a property here. I have no idea what the commuting area adds to your value. But I noticed in the listing it gave the median value of other houses in the area has about 50,000 if you take that and had about 30,000 Land it’s still in brings you up to about 80,000.


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## Reifer (Mar 2, 2018)

Just offering my 2 cents worth. I'm new here but have been actively looking in south OH for about 8 months. I do have a few suggestions. Your pictures are kind of disjointed (kitchen, living rm, kitchen, etc) try and put all kitchen pics together, all outside blgs together, etc. As a man I'm always interested in what the basement looks like. No basement pics then the first thing in my head is what's wrong with it. As others have stated you might want to accent the small town feel but private vs the hobby farm. The fact that on zillow it shows all the downward price adjustments is not good. Shows a desperate seller imho. Just my opinions, I don't mean to be critical, just trying to help. As others have noted sometimes rural property takes a while to sell. Best of luck.


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## dyrne (Feb 22, 2015)

I've been suck with property before and it can sometimes be an opportunity in disguise. You might contact a property manager in the area and consider renting it. A good tenant will often stay around for years and years. You finance it on a 15yr loan or less -something that will begin accruing principal immediately and at the end of it you'd have made enough that redoing the walls and floor to something shiny and appealing wouldn't be a big deal. The key of course is finding a "good" tenant... Be very picky about security deposit and references and don't get excited and convince yourself to rent to someone just to get someone in the house. -just noticed the date on the original thread... Anyway hope it works out.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Personally for me, I will never buy a house with wood paneling in it. Just not my style or preference but I do know some people are ok with that.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

But would you buy a house with solid wood board walls?


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

Well, the house is still on the market. 

We had an offer on New Years Eve that we accepted. It was for $177k and we pay closing costs. They were going through the VA and they were willing to do the work to make it VA acceptable (bannister in the stairway being the main one-small stuff) 
Then their assessor did a lead paint test on the big barn and a trace of lead was found. (Why a lead test in a barn? No clue.). So they waits until the day of closing to tell us we needed to totally paint the barn within 10 days to get funding. We also needed to take down a shed and a corn crib. We agreed to take the shed down as it is a bit unusable but the corn crib (which the assesor never got within 50 yards of) is structurally sound. Just needed paint. But it was mid February and we weren’t keen on painting in mid February. After a few weeks the deal with the VA fell through. Then the buyers wanted a contract for deed, but our mortgage lender said no. They wanted to rent, do the work and then buy it but their idea was just to wrap the barn in Tyvek and that didn’t sit well with us. We were also nervous about the reason they went CA was because they had too much debt to get a conventional loan. After we turned them down we had another month before the contract was up so not much was done there. Then the realtor changed agencies. She planned an open house but it rained almost 10inches in 4 days and the basement flooded the morning of the open house. We’re getting additional sump pumps in and really over solving the problem (it’s flooded one other time in our 9 years there and that was when there was 9inches of rain in a week and an extended power outage where the sump pump couldn’t work.) Now it’s been 10 months and nothing. 

I will admit I’m very down about this place. Just last night I had to have a friend get his pistol and go down there because the older ladies who live across the street told me the barn doors were wide open and all of the barn lights were on. Word has been pu out it’s being watched by people with pistols. 

No one ever tells you the damage a long term listing does to your psyche. I feel my house which I was proud of is nothing but a dump. Hubby and I have had to have some serious talks about just walking away or do we keep living extremely tight forever? I’ll be honest. It’s starting to shake my faith a little. It’s not helping my minor depression stay minor. I keep hopes in this happening for a reason and we never know what tomorrow will bring.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

KnowOneSpecial said:


> Well, the house is still on the market.
> 
> We had an offer on New Years Eve that we accepted. It was for $177k and we pay closing costs. They were going through the VA and they were willing to do the work to make it VA acceptable (bannister in the stairway being the main one-small stuff)
> Then their assessor did a lead paint test on the big barn and a trace of lead was found. (Why a lead test in a barn? No clue.). So they waits until the day of closing to tell us we needed to totally paint the barn within 10 days to get funding. We also needed to take down a shed and a corn crib. We agreed to take the shed down as it is a bit unusable but the corn crib (which the assesor never got within 50 yards of) is structurally sound. Just needed paint. But it was mid February and we weren’t keen on painting in mid February. After a few weeks the deal with the VA fell through. Then the buyers wanted a contract for deed, but our mortgage lender said no. They wanted to rent, do the work and then buy it but their idea was just to wrap the barn in Tyvek and that didn’t sit well with us. We were also nervous about the reason they went CA was because they had too much debt to get a conventional loan. After we turned them down we had another month before the contract was up so not much was done there. Then the realtor changed agencies. She planned an open house but it rained almost 10inches in 4 days and the basement flooded the morning of the open house. We’re getting additional sump pumps in and really over solving the problem (it’s flooded one other time in our 9 years there and that was when there was 9inches of rain in a week and an extended power outage where the sump pump couldn’t work.) Now it’s been 10 months and nothing.
> ...


What are your owner finance laws in that state? Maybe you could go to that buyer and offer your own financing. It is usually doable even in strict states. 

That house isn't a dump. Looks like a very nice homestead that needs someone to care for it like you did.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It's cute. A nice little house. BUT, you should have good pictures of the front with a neat yard. Leaves raked and removed. The way it's shown it looks neglected. Basement pictures are essential, even if it's not finished. Maybe take out the pictures of the unmowed hayfield(?). If you have a garden or orchard site those would be nice pictures, especially if you have any of a neat garden with crops in it.

Have you considered a rent to own situation? That might be a good way to go. 

Around here it would be priced at $250,000 and sell pretty fast. Houses here on 1/4 acre lots go for $100,000 and up.


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

Danaus29 said:


> It's cute. A nice little house. BUT, you should have good pictures of the front with a neat yard. Leaves raked and removed. The way it's shown it looks neglected. Basement pictures are essential, even if it's not finished. Maybe take out the pictures of the unmowed hayfield(?). If you have a garden or orchard site those would be nice pictures, especially if you have any of a neat garden with crops in it.
> 
> Have you considered a rent to own situation? That might be a good way to go.
> 
> Around here it would be priced at $250,000 and sell pretty fast. Houses here on 1/4 acre lots go for $100,000 and up.


These are all things I have suggested to the realtor but she claims she can’t/won’t change it. I have someone who takes are of the yard and he sent me a picture of it after he raked it and got it ready for the open house. She wouldn’t use them or go and take fresh pictures. I won’t be using her once this contract is up.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Boy y'all have had terrible luck. Wish you the best!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Wow, what an uncooperative and unprofessional realtor! As the listing agent she is the one in charge of and responsible for the pictures in the posting. I truly hope your house sells soon. And I would let the national board of realtors know about her refusing to show the house in it's best light.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

How long of a contract do you have with her? Around here 3 months is normal. I certainly would never go any longer than that. Frankly I'd tell her to get some good pics up or you will cancel the contract for non-performance (check the contract you signed). If she's a Realtor (and not all real estate agents are) every county has its own board of Realtors - file a complaint with them. If she is not also the broker, complain to the broker, he or she is the boss and is losing money also (from not having a sale - they get up to 50% of the commission).

I would drastically drop the price before I'd walk away. Look at how much you owe on it and price it at that or somewhere between that and what you're now asking.


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## Reifer (Mar 2, 2018)

I just took a look at your new pictures. Much better organized then previous set. I agree with a previous poster about getting the outside fixed up (maybe by a landscaping company?). Mulch the flower beds etc, and have them mow the hay field (as has been stated previously). Then take another set of pictures. Also spring is here and things will start blooming which will help paint a happier landscape.
Another idea is you may want to pay someone to "stage" the house. They bring in tables, chairs and beds and set it up so the buyers can better picture the space. As to the lead paint, any house built before 1977 (I think) has been painted with lead paint. Might not be the top layer but it's in there none the less. Unless it's been striped down to bare wood which is not probable. I know it all costs money but so does the house sitting there. These two suggestions may cost a few thousand but they may get the house sold. 
I wish you the best. Remember, spring is buying time!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It took me a year to sell 40 acres and a house in very southern Missouri, just outside of Thayer. I had owned it two years, but when the renters didn't work out, I put it on the market. It sold for just about exactly what I paid for it.

You need a nation wide real estate agent. I used United Country.


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## farmerbrown (Mar 31, 2008)

Beautiful home. ️


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## wonderwmn (Feb 2, 2018)

I feel your pain,truly. We have a small 10 acre and 3 bedroom house in Texas we have had on the market for nearly a year now. One offer fell thru,second offer fell thru. Now that same second buyer has come in with another offer and hopefully it will go thru. We have to worry about someone may vandelize( and it is in a great,safe,country area). Also you have to consider mowing ect. Perhaps yours will sell soon and perhaps ours will go all the way thru this time.


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