Top 10 Ways Sellers Can Guarantee Their Home Won't Sell

1. Be casual, not serious, about selling.
A sage once quipped, "Money is only important when you don't want something enough." Real estate expert R.L. Brown said that if half of the 58,000 sellers in Maricopa County removed their for-sale signs we'd be at normal inventory levels. Actions speak louder than words in this market. Discretionary sellers should wait for a less competitive environment.

2. Price it wrong.
A home properly priced is half sold. No amount of full-color ads, glossy fliers, multiple photos, virtual tours, agent luncheons, Goodyear blimps or pom-pom girls will compensate for a wrong, timid retail price.

3. Ignore your agent.
Attorneys believe if you represent yourself, you have a fool for a client. Doctors don't self-diagnose. Professionals use professionals. Even though many people believe they're experts on raising kids and real estate, full-time, career pros usually know what's best. Listen to them very carefully.

4. Micromanage the marketing.
If you sold cookware in college, carts in California, or carpeting in Cranston, it does not qualify you to second-guess your agent. If you had a real estate license years ago, save your stories about the "good old days" for your children. You can share your concerns and timelines, but leave the details to the listing pro.

5. Reject staging suggestions.
Someday shag multi-colored, sculptured carpeting will come back. Whitewashed cabinets, Navajo white walls, linoleum flooring, lots of personal photos, and Elvis paintings on black velvet need to go. Now.

6. Let Fido loose.
I recently entered a house and had two frisky, friendly black Labs run up to sniff me. Unfortunately, I had light-gray dress slacks on that day. Both wet stains lasted for hours. Until that day I didn't realize dogs enjoyed chewing the tassels on expensive loafers.

7. Talk to the buyers.
Life gets lonely at times. Why not ask the buyers where they grew up? Or how much they qualify for. Tell them about the vacant rental next door. Maybe they could babysit next weekend! Why not share war stories, horror movies or meatloaf recipes?

8. Sell personal items.
Wow, maybe the buyers want to buy the patio furniture or rotary lawnmower. You have only four more boxes of Girl Scout cookies to sell. Why not ask for a donation for the March of Dimes, the Humane Society, the local PBS station? Remember the saying, "loose lips sink ships."

9. Discount that smell.
My house doesn't smell of pets, baby diapers, curry powder, garlic, fried fish, coconut incense, cigars, manure, mulch, dairy farms or low tide. The buyer must be confusing my castle with a tract home.

10. Dismiss feedback.
What do buyers know anyway? They can't possibly mind my barbed wire fence, heavy-duty rebar, backyard bomb shelter, airport runway views, lights from the power plant, hum from the high-voltage lines, railroad tremors, scorpion skeletons, termite mud tubes and pet snakes. What are they thinking?

Why Now is a Smart Time to Buy
The financial gurus at the Wall Street Journal are talking up homeownership and offering tips to buyers about jumping in.
Read More

Mortgage Rates Continue to Climb
Despite the upward trend in mortgage rates over the past month, housing analysts say borrowing costs are still favorably low and should give a boost to the residential property market.
Read More

NAR: Home Sales to Hold Steady
A gradual recovery is expected in the second half of the year for the housing market. Read more of NAR's latest forecast.
Read More

Mortgage Rates Drop This Week
Freddie Mac's chief economist attributes the fall in rates to reports of weakness in the job market, manufacturing sector, and consumer confidence.
Read More

Tax Benefits of Owning a Home
Do you have buyers on the fence? Share with them these details on why it's smart to buy.
Read More

30-Year Rates to Hit 5.5 Percent?
Freddie Mac predicts the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will slip to 5.5 percent his year, which would mark a 45-year low. Could it happen?
Read More

Housing Market Facts
Over the past 30 years, home values have risen more than 6 percent annually.
Read More

30-Year Mortgage Rates Fall to 4-Year Low
Housing industry observers are hopeful that the recent decline in mortgage rates will lead to a recovery in the market.
Read More

5 Simple Ways to Increase a Home's Value
Good home maintenance is key to creating and preserving a home’s value. Not to mention, it also impresses potential buyers.
Read More

Homes Features That Are Big Buyer Turnoffs
Old homes can be quaint, but there’s a difference between old and outdated. Unless home owners periodically invest in upgrades, their homes will fall so far below the standards of current buyers that they become obsolete and hard to sell.
Read More

Remodeling OnLine
Remodeling Costs vs. Value
Read More