Valerie Spaulding~Allyn~Belfair~Hood Canal & Mason County~WA~Real Estate~

Have you had your home on the market for awhile now and nothing seems to be working to get your home sold or shown for that matter? Or your agent has tried many things and it is still not being shown?

Currently in our area it is considered a "buyers market." What does that mean and how do you get the word out to those buyers?

What it means is that there is A LOT of inventory of properties and homes out there for buyers to choose from. In a buyers market - buyers tend to be "more picky" because there is a lot of inventory and choices and if your home doesn't stand out, and right now it tends to be the "price" that needs to stand out as well as condition - you might not be getting shown or are getting shown but not getting the offers. What can you do about it?

Talk to your agent! If you are not working with an agent, find a local real estate agent that you trust or is referred to you or call a few and talk with them. Don't be afraid to talk to us! Call me, there is no obligation and I love meeting and talking with people all the time. This is what we do and we love to educate people of the goings on in real estate. Do not be afraid to Strategize and find different ways to accomplish your goals. Every sellers goals and situation are different and maybe what worked for other homes will not work for yours... Maybe you can't afford to drop your price - but make sure that you are not focusing on a "need price" as opposed to a fair market price. The difference being a "need" price is something that YOU need - the buyers do not purchase homes with that theory. Truthfully and it sounds harsh - they could care less what you NEED. They are buying homes based on what the value of the home is to them in comparison with other homes -not your need. They will compare shop (just like when you compare grocery store prices). "The value of your home is what a buyer is willing to pay for it."

Ask your agent to tell you how to make your home standout. You might not like what they have to say, but you need to know the truth or you could be on the market a lot longer than if you had heard the truth and did not do anything about it. Be pro-active as a seller. You hired that agent and they are a professional in the field so you should be listening to what they are telling you and making any adjustments necessary accordingly again to reach your goals. If you can't maybe you shouldn't be on the market right now.

It could be the price range that you are in. Are you realistic with the price? Again not what YOU need, but what the market statistics are telling you it will sell for. What did the market STATISTICS show? Sold properties are a FACT of what a buyer is willing to pay for a home - those are the numbers that are going to give you a solid market value range - not the sellers need out of the home in dollars.

It could be a matter of doing something simple such as painting a room. Many many things come into play. Possiby your price range is not seeing a lot of activity in sales in your local market.

Again, keep in constant communication with your agent. They should be in constant communication with YOU. Not just saying hello either, but telling you what IS and what ISN'T going on in the market. SO many things to know and understand in selling your home.

I hope that some of these thoughts help you as a seller. First and Foremost TALK TO YOUR AGENT. MAKE SURE you are both communicating effectively to get the job done. If you aren't working with an agent, please feel free to call me if you would like to hear more or have more questions. Information is FREE and there is no obligation to talk with me! I am your local realtor and I would love to hear from you!

I just wrote a blog for my website, our local site and an ad targeted to buyers - It focuses on whether the buyers or on the "OFF-FENCE" or the "D-FENCE" of the buying strategy (here's the link:) and while doing that I thought about the agents out there and what position they see themselves playing? Just as it applies to buyers and sellers and the changing markets it applies to agents as well and could determine how productive and profitable they are.

Are you an "OFF-FENCE" or "D-FENCE" player for your clients, for your market, and for your business?

I, for one, am an "OFF-FENCE" player - always have been- always will be. Which strategy do you as an agent use and why?

Mr. Buyer - "ARE YOU PLAYING "OFF-FENCE" or "D-FENCE"?"

"OFF-FENCE or "D-FENCE" which is a better scoring strategy? Is it not better to play on a team on the "OFF-FENCE" rather than "D-FENCE"?

If you are one of the buyers sitting on "D-fence" you could be missing out on a great oportunity in real estate. For all of those buyers out there who are sitting on "D-fence;" It's time to take a good hard look at your playing strategy if you are interested in winning your goals in this market. Don't be a "D-fence" player get out there and take a good hard look, get your mind moving in an "off-fence" position. A buyers market is the best time to be on "Off-fence" and with the right realtor with you - you too can have a win.

DO you get more and reap more in the end when you are playing a good game of offense? Get off the fence and and play "OFF-FENCIVELY". Offense means going after the goal or the plan-not waiting for someone to bring it to you. Run to it. Find it and go for it.

A good game strategy is important in any circumstance and the main part of that a winning strategy is being pro-active and moving forward with your plan. In the real estate market, don't wait for the market to come to you - be an "OFF-FENCE" player. Find yourself a good "Off-fence-ive" team player in real estate - YOUR TRUSTED AND LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT!

It is a GREAT TIME TO BUY! There are a lot of good properties out there to chose from. But you need to attack and go after them -meaning you need to be using "off-fence"stategy rather than "D-fence" to make it work. Don't miss what could be your winning play in real estate by not implementing and taking an "OFF-FENCE" position.

Give me a call and join the team that can help you with your "off-fence" plays. Don't be stuck in a "D-FENCE" position through this buyers market .

JOIN MY TEAM TO PUT YOUR "OFF-FENCE" Plays into ACTION! Call now before the other team starts taking an "off-fence" position and puts you back into a "D- fence" play - don't wait for that sellers market to come back. A buyers market is the time to use all those "off-fence" tools.

SEARCH MY WEBSITE or drop me a line TO START YOUR "OFF-FENCE" STRATEGY TODAY

~~~~VALERIE~~~~~~

Associate Broker

Windermere Peninsula Properties

vlsallyn@windermere.com

http://Valspaulding.mywindermere.com

360-710-5622

1-800-228-9523

Are agents keeping sellers in the dark and if so WHY?

Do they not want to know? Do agents in this different market NOT want feedback on their listings? Are they not keeping in contact with their sellers and communicating feedback to them? I would find that to be a very big NO NO in this time -well anytime for that matter!

Recently my partner and I showed 7 homes in our area with a buyer that was from out of town. It has been one week since we were in these homes and not ONE - NOT ONE listing agent called either one of us to find out what we were doing there and or what our feedback of the home was! I am flabbergasted. That was a total of 5 different listing agents. 3 of them were out of area agents.

I find it EXTREMELY important that our sellers have feedback- good or bad. It helps us educate them, keep us in constant communication with them, and shows that we are doing our job. Looking at how many people have looked at the property as well can give us an indication also as to our pricing (you know 30 showings and no offers - hey what's the problem do you think?) When my partners and I list a property we work hand in hand with the seller as a team and as a team if we do not stay on top of what is happening with the listing and the showings, we are not giving the seller our best.

In this day and age of all the technology out I find it hard to believe that there are agents have not figured out how to "READ" a keybox to see who has been in their listing. Especially the out of area agents who will probably not be out to check the house every week for agent business cards. The technology nowadays makes it so simple - you don't even have to leave your home as long as you have a computer! It still amazes me that noone has checked with us as to why we were there.

Is there some new fangled reasoning behind why they are keeping the sellers in the dark that I don't know about or haven't heard about? I check our keyboxes at least every other day and immediately email or call the agent who showed the home to get feedback. Email is so simple and quick! I for one will not keep my sellers in the dark, feedback is a very important tool in my business as well communication with the seller - is it not in yours?

It has been a while now since the "Distressed Homeowner Law" was passed in WA state and I would like to know from realtors in the state if this law has had a huge impact on themselves or their companies decision to represent clients that could possibly fall into that situation or were into that situation; Both in regards to buyers and sellers.

Do you think it turned you away from a signiicant amount of potential clients?

Do you think it impacted our MARKET enough to keep our numbers down as well? (not representing or reaching out to the sellers, therefore fewer short sale listings and buyer representation efforts to move towards a short sale etc).

How much impact do you think it had on your business?

I know that when it was first passed there were some agents stating that their brokers were not going to allow the agents to deal with short sales or foreclosures or any seller who could possibly be in the "distressed" situation-

How many stuck with that procedure or did they refer them to other agents or agencies?

Were there any that did represent sellers or buyers that ran into any huge problems regarding this?

I have not heard much of it in about a month and with the increase in properties in foreclosure was curious as to how the agencies and agents are handling it to date.

I did read that they are working hard on it trying to get it changed and I for one am definetely looking forward to it being changed!