Open Houses – is this is a good tactic to sell?

Oh Linkat! It's beautiful...I can't believe you haven't sold it yet.

I don't remember how many came to the open house, but the first one there was some one who had seen it previously and came to view again.

The second open house some stayed for quite awhile and annoyed our realtor with lots of innane questions and then said the kitchen was outdated.

Yeah the housing market is low now - that is why we put the place so low. Other co-workers have sold their places, one other did not and as a result is not relocating now. I need my job, so I need to sell. We also bought at a good time so we have a good amount of equity in our place.

I'm not marketing the realtor is as my company is paying for it. He has sold lots in our complex so he is experienced. Other realtors that have come say it is just a matter of time, but we don't have much more time.

We do have one private showing this weekend so far. And last week we had one. They were said they were interested, but we never heard any more.

Aren't you in Boston, Linkat? Slappy is always interested in real estate -
you should make him aware of this thread.

Nice house - you're doing fine. In this market it could take you a while but, you just keep at it.

As a buyer I did NOT want anyone associated with the home there while I was there. I didn't want to be sold a home. I wanted to walk in and just know it was for me. I didn't want the seller to be there because, well that's kind of awkward.

I think lock boxes are the best thing to ever happen to realty. It allows buyers to go and see a home at their convenience.

Linkat, during our search for a home we didn't go to one open house.

I don't think it's beneficial.

I think your realtor needs to get with her other realtor friends and get some buyers over to see your house.

Beautiful house, Linkat, and beautifully presented. I really hope you sell it before you leave. Maybe you should go on one of those Buy Me shows

You're in Boston - interested?

I'm desperate - my house being built is almost finished - about a month and half early. We are not answering our emails with the builder at this point.

OMG, I'D buy your house. I can't believe it hasn't sold!!!

Is there a basement? Back yard? Garage?

These are all things we had to have in a home.

It is a condo - a very large condo so no basement, no garage - which isn't that uncommon in Boston the no garage. We do have a private yard area (at least it looks private as it is common area). It is really pretty especially this time of year. And a bonus - the bunny family that lives out there has a new little baby bunny that comes out to munch on the grass every early evening.

I can't afford this market. Besides - I rent a house now - it's nice and affordable. But you know - could be looking for a bigger place sometime soon - if you get really really desperate and want a renter

Ah ok different market, different needs.

Is there an option to lease/rent? Perhaps you should explore that option in case you don't sell, at least you'll have someone paying your mortgage on it.

I'd love too - we are trying to hold off the builders as long as possible.

Thanks all you renters - not really an option as we cannot buy the house we are building if we rent this out. No way I could chance having two mortgages and I doubt we would qualify for our mortgage either - we are only qualifying on my salary as they need proof that your company is relocating you under the more strict lending policies.

It's a condo?

Nice Condo. You'll be fine.

Trying to remember. I've sold three houses. The first was sold to the people who leased it. This is a sore subject, as I found out I later I didn't have to sell it to pay for my mother's nursing home and neither my high priced attorney/who handled the conservatorship nor my realtor told me (I was joint tenant and ignorant fool).

The second was the house my husband and I had lived in and we loved. Killed me to leave. Anyway, I had a good agent and she put the asking price very high over neighborhood and it sold in three days to an architect. That was obviously in a price rising time, but not anywhere near what it has risen to since. Cough. That house was in good shape, though would undergo remodels under that and other owners and it is now very much mine only in memory.

With the third, my last house, the realtor arranged a caravan. I was there but barely remember it. Zoom, Zoom. It was both a dump in some cosmetic ways and a gem in that a lot of the major expense had been spent by me, and it still had strong architectural integrity. There was vast interest and several near immediate offers. This was at the cusp, to me, of the market, which I was afraid then was already on it's sail downhill. Anyway, with that house, I didn't need the aroma of freshly baked bread, etc. The wood was enough.

However, when I first landed in north north, with a new business partnership but not a place to live, my realtor suggested I rent month to month from one of her other clients, whose house had not sold for three years. It was only $1750. a month, though she might be able to work out less. (Well, I was from LA, I guess she thought I slept on rubies.)

I said no, I wanted a one bedroom apartment or even a single, where I could just stuff some of my stuff and maybe get a storage unit if I had to, while I was looking for a house to buy.
After some consultation with the owner of this three year no sell house, they said I could have it for, I think, 550/month. OK. So then I moved in to this four bedroom tract house (my first) with a jacuzzi tub, a big deck, and a redwood grove in the back yard. Deer in the yard next door first time I saw it. Anyway, my role was to keep the house warm through the winter.

Well, I saw why it hadn't sold. Living room was zip. Cathedral ceilings with no defined room below it. Designed by confused robots.

So, I unpacked a bit. Put my four poster in one the the bedrooms upstairs, some of my paintings on the walls, and my cookbooks in the pantry along with other pantry goods.

I was sort of an emotional goon around that time, and I had music on a lot. Tended toward the operatic, or hearing cellos... I did bake, that is what I sometimes do for comfort.

The realtor called, they wanted to show the house. I'd been in it three weeks. The couple loved it. (paintings, bread, music) I was f/ked.

Things turned out all right, but that was a time of upheaval. Anyway, atmosphere mattered that time.

Sorry, it took me so long to type my tome that I missed the photos et al.

Your place is beautiful, Linkat.

I don't have any bright ideas, except maybe some magazines on a table, but I suppose even magazines can create hostility in some. Even cookbooks on the counter could rile the wrong cooks. Hmm, cookie jar? I didn't look that close to see if you have one. Nice tea kettle on stove? Again, I didn't look that close. I'll have to look again, I also missed if there are plants. I'm not your major indoor plant person, since I've usually had gardens, but a lot of people are comforted by plants in a home. Maybe on a stand where the drips might not ever get to the floor.

I not thinking absence of those things is a problem, it's the market that's the problem. Just trying to think of something to charm besides a place that already looks gorgeous.

Wow, beautiful home linkat.

That looks huge for a condo. How many square feet is it?

I looked at it again, still looks big and gorgeous.

Actually we have a cook book on the counter in a cook book holder thingy. The Stager doesn't want you to put too much out to clutter the counter tops - just a couple of things to add to the atmosphere. We have some flowers and some plants set up strategically.

Our condo is over 1700 square feet; 2 bedrooms; 2 ½ baths. We have lots of closets. Master bedroom suite - where you walk into the suite area there is a door and the a large bathroom with double sinks (just an over sized shower) and a linen closet; then you walk down a hallway and there is a huge walk in closet (my closet) to the left that has been custom made with built in drawers and shelves/hangers and places for lots and lots of shoes; at the end of the hallway is a very large master bedroom with another large closet (hubby's as it isn't near as large).

The second bedroom is the kids and both girls share - it is large enough to easily accommodate both - they also have a large walk in closets that is custom made with hangers and drawers and shelves - large enough to also accommodate their toy box. We have a very large laundry room that we had installed custom made cabinets above the washer and dryer and next to that a place to hang things and also installed two other floor to ceiling cabinets.

We bought stainless steel appliances - all new, but the fridge as typically you do not leave the fridge behind. We have a separate formal dining room and a kitchen nook with a kitchen table and chairs. So yes, for a condo it is pretty large.

The association is very well maintained - all 100 condo owners are paid on time (I had to get this info for the relocation company) and repairs and landscaping are regularly maintained. We have a clubhouse with work out room and function room with full kitchen that can be used for a small fee for parties and stuff.