1650 E. River Road
Selling in Tucson’s current marketplace
Selling a home in Tucson’s current marketplace can be difficult without the right action plan. First and foremost, the property must be priced right and when I say priced right thats not to say within $10,000 of the other homes so that there’s some “negotiation room.” I’m talking priced right on, if not a couple thousand less, to really bring in the buyers since Tucson’s marketplace has been in decline for over 18 months. Each month homes sell for less — not more. I run into people selling their own home all the time and they say, “The home is priced right — 2 years ago my home would have sold for this price in a day.” What they are saying is true, but it’s also not 2 years ago. It’s hard to be precise, but in most areas the Tucson real estate market is down at least 5%-10% from 2005 levels. Now, there is no doubt in my mind that home prices are headed up and this past 18 months will only seem like a small bump in the road, but the fact is that prices are well off their highs of two years ago. To get properties sold in today’s market, you need a right-on price and a marketing plan that shoots your home out in front of the other 9000 homes currently on the market. The latter is a very difficult feat for the power real estate agent, and much more difficult for an average or even “FSBO” owner. I see “motivated seller” and “below appraised value” on just about every listing. It’s more the norm than the exception it used to be.
As a seller, you have to keep in mind that every buyer is looking for faults in your home and that you need to go the extra mile in today’s current Tucson real estate marketplace to get the most money for your home. Repainting, landscaping, new flooring, redoing problem areas, buyer incentives, and other options should all be examined when thinking about putting your property on the market. After you have decided which of those your home needs, then make sure they are completed before the home is placed on the market. I would also consider a maid service for a professional cleaning a day or two before the property actually hits the marketplace. A professional cleaning can do wonders for making your home appear in pristine condition.
I would highly recommend the use of a real estate professional to assist in deciding which items will help move your home fastest and which will not be worth the time and money to complete. There is always a high degree of guess work that goes on when deciding which repairs/ upgrades/ incentives to complete before selling a home, but at least with an experienced real estate professional, you can dramatically enhance your chances of making the correct choices. In addition, a real estate professional may (should) know which features make your home stand out over other homes in the neighborhood. Emphasizing this feature would give your home a slight advantage and also should make it sell faster and for more money.
When your home is on the market, it is of the utmost importance that you keep the home is mint condition. Vacuum and dust daily, change out air fresheners weekly, and take the trash out daily as well. Keep only the minimum furniture in the home to make the spaces feel more open. Make sure your real estate agent is getting the word out about your home through the internet and other marketing means. In addition, I always follow up with agents that have shown the property to get valuable feedback about what the buyers are saying about the property. I highly recommend that your agent do the same. Also, if you find the feedback is much of the same, make a quick decision to find a solution to the problem before more buyers come through and decide on another home because of the issue.
If you follow these recommendations you should be at least on the way to properly getting your home sold. Tucson’s current market place is very overloaded with listings, but the smart, motivated sellers and their agents should always be able to get a property sold fast and for a very fair price.