Have we hit the bottom yet?? ..... Can I sell my house in this market??

In a market that seems to know no bottom how can you get your home sold. Pressure from distressed properties in today’s market has sellers refining their sales strategy. It seems like today’s market is dominated by distressed properties and a quick look at the numbers bears this out with nearly 64% of Bend, Oregon area homes sold since the first of the year consisting of either “Bank Owned” properties or owners “Short Selling” who are their homes.


So what will it take for you to sell your home in this environment?

First realize that the prices fetched in the 2005 -2008 market will not be returning anytime soon. Take realistic look at what homes have sold for in your neighborhood recently. In most cases price is a primary motivator in the purchase of a home, having the correct price when you first appear on the market is critical to selling in a timely manner.

Appearance matters before you go to market make sure your home is at its best. Take the buyers view of your home; is it attractive from the street? When you walk in to the home is clean and uncluttered? Does the aroma from your pets dominate the olfactory senses when you walk through the door? Light and bright, clean and uncluttered is best, fresh flowers and scents are a plus when showing your home. Complete any minor repairs or other projects that have not yet been tackled. Do not forget your yard!! Curb appeal draws people in, if your driveway is cluttered people will expect the same for the interior.

Other influences will affect the sale of your home such as location, amenities, size and layout of the home. In most cases you as the seller have little control over these factors, so it is best not to stress about what you cannot change. Better to focus on what you can influence.

Now that the home is ready it’s time to get the word out!! The first month of your home being on the market is the most critical. Your marketing strategy should have a strong presentation with both words and photos highlighting the attributes that set your home apart from other homes on the market. The most powerful tool will be exposure to real estate brokers, listing your home on the multiple listing service (MLS) provides this huge benefit by exposing your property to hundreds of brokers not to mention buyers who search the MLS on the internet. Other internet tools such as Craigslist, Facebook, Trulia, Zillow, Listhub, REALTOR.com® are just a small part of the internet arsenal available to your broker to market your home.

While the market remains daunting for those who wish to move on and get their home sold, there are buyers out there for your home. Plenty of buyers prefer not deal with the headaches and heartbreaks associated with the distressed sales. So prepare well, spring is here, interest rates are still low, buyers sense that this is a great opportunity to buy that will not last forever. We will get your home sold.