THE LONG SUFFERING SELLER SYNDROME

It has happened again; I watched a very nice single family home sit on the market for 8 months, from early April of this year, during the prime selling season of Spring and Summer. It was not my listing, but I had visited the property since it was very close to my own home. I thought it was overpriced from the first day. A home is worth what the market is willing to pay for it; that's just the way it is. I don't know if that original list price came from the seller or the listing agent, but the end of the story was predictable. That seller carried the cost of ownership for 10 long months, watched the neighboring homes sell over the summer, and went through the stress of multiple price reductions in an effort to attract a buyer. So this listing closed this week, for 17.3% under the original list price. Factor in the real estate taxes the seller had to pay, insurance, etc., it makes me sad, literally sad, for the seller. This was not a short sale, not a distressed sale in any way. Please make certain your list price is the RIGHT price, the price at which it will sell. There is no such thing as "let's give it some room for negotiation" option in this market, readers. There is far too much on the market for the buyers to pick from, to make them want to negotiate with a seller whose price is so far off the mark. Want to sell your home? Pick the Realtor to help you who will present you with a realistic market value of your home, and take that agent's advice.