Frankly, not much, but there are definitely buyers making decisions now.  Plenty of homes are going to Sale Pending status, so if you are not getting inquiries, you need to adjust your price.

I remember several years ago when marketing a beautiful 6000 square foot home, the market analysis was very clear:  $ 1,250,000  The only problem was no one seemed interested in buying it.  I tried everything I knew before finally going to the owner of our company for guidance.  After listening for about two minutes he interrupted me with the question, ‘Would it sell for $300,000′.  ‘Well, of course!’, I replied in exasperation.  “Then it’s price’ he responded, and stopped me instantly.

If there are buyers in the market, and your property isn’t selling, the bottom issue is price…and there are definitely buyers in our market.  If you want some free assistance, send me an email; can’t hurt, might help…

Did you know that most potential buyers won’t even bother stopping by a home if it doesn’t have an information sheet (or flyer) detailing what the home includes, selling price and pictures of the home? To have these flyers be most productive, be sure you have them printed in color with good resolution pictures on a good stock of paper. Be sure to provide as much information as possible such as square footage, number of rooms (with dimensions, if possible), age, price, school district, special features, lot size, location, taxes and a well written description. Then make at least 50-100 copies to place outside your home in a weather-protected box for passers-by to take with them. And keep a supply on-hand to replace when empty. Stop by www.OregonFSBOCoach.com for more suggestions for what you can do to get the buyer’s foot inside your door.

Let’s face it. Selling a home outside the traditional method using an agent is hard work, especially in this market. Heck, right now selling a home using a real estate agent is hard work. The vast number of buyers are working with agents, and there are so many homes available within the Multiple Listing Service that agents tend to look at, or even be aware of FSBO properties last.

What can you do? Make sure your home stands out to anyone who sees it! Start with the 1st impression…how does your home look from the street. There isn’t a lot you can do on a short term for the neighborhood, but you can ensure your home’s exterior is neat, tidy and inviting. Next, what happens when the prospect comes through the door; place yourself in a buyer’s shoes and critically analyze what you see. Does it make sense, and think staging as you evaluate. Usually dramatic changes can be made to a visitor’s impression just by getting rid of things within view. Some ’stuff’ we may really like handy may actually be seen by a buyer as a negative, so if necessary, rent a storage unit and thin out what is presently in the rooms of your home.

Check the Internet. There are plenty of websites available with helps. Even try mine: www.OregonFSBOCoach.com There are lots of resource tools and links and there is no obligation. I don’t even know who uses it unless the visitor decides to register for advanced information, such as a weekly review of comparable properties (Actives, Sale Pendings, and Solds), or automatic updates of the competition. To send those I need an email address…

Are you a For Sale By Owner that is not in a short sale situation? If so, you have a unique opportunity to ‘jump to the head of the line’ past the bulk of sellers and agents. Here’s the current situation: the controlling faction of the real estate market is currently the 1st mortgage holder, but that faction is completely overwhelmed and not well organized to deal with what they face, explosive numbers of property owners facing foreclosure.

Here is what currently happens when a buyer wants to purchase the short sale. They submit an offer to a seller who will either accept the offer or maybe just submit it directly to his lender, because the lender has to be willing to take less money than is owed. The seller can’t make that decision unless he has deep pockets , and most don’t.

However, the lender isn’t prepared for a fast decision; it typically takes two months or more to get an acceptance (or counteroffer) and that means buyers who should be considering other homes are now on the sidelines. That impacts sales in a big way, and I promise you it frustrates the qualified buyers who wonder if they are just being led on by sellers, lenders and agents.

Here is your opportunity. If you are not in the same short sale situation as most other sellers seem to be, SHOUT the fact you have the authority to make the seller decision. It will be a true breath of fresh air to the buyer, and a special reason for them to consider making an offer on your property!