Gray Maine Houses for sale , How not to sell a home?

What to do if the buyer and seller cannot or will not agree on the price? How far apart is too far to bring the two together? Is $5000 too much? What about $10,000? How about $30,000? It obviously depends some on the value of a home, but in this example lets say the price is $430,000. The buyers offer $370,000 and the seller drops to $400,000. The buyers hold firm. Is the deal dead in the water? Perhaps in most instances, but is that the case because the realtors don't work hard enough or get creative enough to keep working and find a way to bring the parties together?

Here is one way to start getting creative? Is there other properties being sold and purchased, the buyer selling a house and the seller buying a new house? There are ways to tie some of the money from those deals into this deal that may or may not help bring the two into agreement. If working with the seller who is stuck at $400,000, and they are buying a home with part of the proceeds, take a good look at the home or homes they are looking at. Can they expect to get a good reduction in price in the area they are going? For instance, if buying in some areas in Florida where the market is taking a bigger hit than homes for sale in Maine, you should be able to show your client a savings on the next transaction of $5000 to $10,000 that they did not expect. So maybe they can accept a little less knowing they can get the new home for less as well.

If I am working the buyer who is holding firm at $370,000, and they have a home to sell (although they don't have to sell in order to buy the new home) then there are a couple of options. Perhaps they rent there old home for a couple years until the market comes back and then sell and get more for their home, or the realtor could offer to sell their home for a big reduction in commission, netting them more on their home and allowing them to pay a little more on the new home.

By using these ideas and some more which I will blog about later, I was able to bring the parties together, at least for a little while (read the next blog to find out what else happens and what lengths a realtor will go for their clients).

Everyone has to remember what the parties goals are, and try to keep a positive attitude about things. The realtor(s) needs to be looking ahead for issues and try to find solutions and have answers incase problems do arise.

Houses for sale Gray Maine, selling a home in Gray ME

The most important decision you will make in the sale of your home is the REALTOR® you choose. Be sure to find someone you feel comfortable with. If you don't feel you can ask questions or go to your REALTOR®, you have the wrong person. Your REALTOR® should show you research to back up any recommendations. This includes information about recent sales, current listings, and recently expired listings in your neighborhood.

Watch out for agents who try to "buy" your listing. This is when a realtor will tell you your home is worth a lot more than it is likely to sell for. The key to catching this is being involved in the Market Analysis and making sure the comparable homes the realtor is using are sold homes and that the adjustments they make to the sold prices are reasonable and realistic. Get at least two opinions and compare the two closely, and even get a third opinion or more. You need to feel comfortable knowing what you will realistically get for you home. You can list a little higher, but you want to have realistic expectations in case you have to reduce the price.

Choose a local REALTOR®. He or she will know your area better than an outsider, will be seen as a source for people looking to relocate in your neighborhood, and will get better co-operation from other agents. It is likely that any amount you might save by having a friend or relative from outside the area serve as your REALTOR® will be lost in their lack of knowledge about your specific local market. Experience counts, and with the tightening market a lot of realtors have quit the business (full-time), and switched to a different career. Make sure your realtor is only working as an agent so they are available to talk with prospective buyers and show your home 7 days a week and not limited because they are at their other job and missed the email asking about your home.

Don't forget to ask for their references. He or she should be willing to give you names of previous clients, and you should try to contact a few. Ask the realtor to show you what will be done to market your home. Are they "Internet savy" and do they have the ability to market your home. Consider the experience they have in real estate as well as the initiative and professionalism shown by the individual.

Look for a REALTOR® who tells you what he or she knows from experience in the market, and not what they think you want to hear. Flattery may sometimes get the listing, but it doesn't sell the home!

Sellers, Sins you don't want to make when selling your home.

When selling a home in Maine or anywhere else, either on your own or with a Realtor, you should read about the 10 Sins of a Seller where Clint Miller puts a humerous spin on the deadly sins.

Clint, like many buyers, found several disturbing things about potential homes he was looking into buying. It is a great read.

Enjoy and thank Clint Miller if you have time.

Current Real Estate for Sale Gray, ME: Where is the market heading?

There are new homes coming on the market everyday and some are priced correctly. We have seen a slight increase in the listing price of homes in the last 30 days. Homes priced under $200 seem to be the most active. Some of those homes are short sale properties which can be very difficult for all parties involved. Currently I have two short sale properties with offers waiting for replies from Bank of America. This process has been more than lengthy and frustrating.

Home values in Gray Maine can vary from those values of homes for sale in New Gloucester mostly because of the commuting distance to Portland or sometimes even Windham Maine. The new Hannaford's Shop N Save in Gray, Maine will certainly improve home values by providing easy access to those who commute along Route 26.

Overall the average market sales price for single family homes in the northeast have declined between 11.2% and 13.8% according to the National Association of Realtors. However, in April and May of 2009 there was a slight increase. I believe we have seen or are at the bottom for housing market. Take a look at

current homes for sale in Gray and throughout Maine and if you have any question you can email me at Matt@FiveStarRealtyMaine.com