If you are a private individual seller anywhere in the 95835 (Natomas) area, my heart goes out to you. I’ve been working with a client looking for homes in the area and in spite of having gone out to look at homes over three times this month, all we’ve seen are bank foreclosures and new home builders. There was a total of one home that fit the client’s criteria which was being sold by a private party, that is, not a bank or a home builder. It was not, however, on the client’s short list.

It’s not that I cherry-picked the bank-owned homes, it’s just that the prices are so much more competitive. These are well-maintained, upgraded homes with granite counters, hardwood floors and wonderful landscaping – 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and two stories priced at around $300,000. They don’t discount the fees of the co-operating broker and are easy to show because they are vacant. The buyer can look at the home without feeling like he is invading someone’s space. Compare that with the private sellers’ homes where you almost always have to call and make an appointment, the seller’s things are lying around, personal tastes get in the way of a buying experience and to add to that, the homes are priced higher than the bank-owned homes.

So if you’re a seller, keep in mind the stiff competition. Do everything you can to make sure the home is easy to show and looks fabulous at all times. This might include staging the home, lighting candles to make sure it smells divine (candles that smell like cookies are best!) and, of course, PRICE IT RIGHT. You have competition from banks and builders, so make sure your Realtor shows you those prices as well. A premium fee to the co-operating broker also does not hurt.

If your competition is doing it, you should try and overreach to get your home sold.

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