Market trends for year end 2011

OMG – You had a license?

OMG – You had a license?

Is it only me that finds that sellers that had real estate licenses are difficult to deal with? Do ex-bus drivers ask to help drive the bus they are riding in? Do ex-waiters help bus tables when they go out to dinner?

Recently, I viewed a property that had expired after being on the market for 444 days. The local days-on-market was about 3 months. The seller spoke with me because I had shown the property to some buyer clients a few weeks earlier.

During our conversation, she mentioned she had a real estate license “back in the 70’s”. She was clueless why her property remained unsold, or why she hadn’t received any offers. She was also adamant that price or staging had nothing to do with her dilemma.

When I arrived at her home I was greeted by three large greyhounds that gave me a reason to take my slacks to the dry cleaners. They seemed to enjoy sniffing certain parts of my anatomy more than others. The owner said they were “friendly”.

My first impression was how her property could cause a stager to faint. Her small den had a large organ, and enough books to excite a librarian. Each room had an “accent wall” with colors that were popular during the Civil War. Powder blue, light purple, and a shade of pink that resembled monkey vomit.

Her home had a premium price but few, if any, upgrades. Of course, she knew the comps before I took them out of my manila folder. Of course, her home was comparable, even though they sold and hers was rejected by the market. She had a real estate license back in the 70’s!

As I left her property, I said a little prayer. Dear Lord, help me realize that professionals use professionals. Give me the wisdom to realize that you gave me two ears and one mouth. Let me use them in that proportion.