Why hasn’t my house SOLD ??
“Why hasn’t my house sold?” is the question we may hear most often…especially if our clients aren’t listening. I can give a few different reasons but there is one big one that I’ll get to in a minute. (Hint: it starts with the letter P)
Let’s assume that you’ve prepared your home for sale. And by that I mean that you’ve obtained any recommended inspections and made the recommended repairs.
Then you’ve cleaned everything from top to bottom and inside out. You’ve painted anything that needed painting and you’ve replaced any worn and/or outdated floorcovering. You’ve also checked out all of the lightbulbs in your home to make sure they’re all operable. Double checked for cobwebs and cleaned all of the windows. (Don’t forget the elimination of pet odors and ban the smokers to the great outdoors)
Same thing applies for the exterior but you need to add sprucing up the landscaping and making sure the pool sparkles if you have one. Also add a touch of color with some seasonal plantings.
Those are the variables that you DO have control over. Now lets talk about the variables you DON’T have control over. Things like square footage. Your house is the size it is. Your neighborhood. Your house is located where it is. If you’re on a busy street or near an airport or a commercial shopping area, you can’t change that.
Now here’s the answer to the original question…Why hasn’t my house sold?
It’s PRICE !!!!!
One simple little word. I can’t make it any clearer or simpler. It’s the ONE correction that can be made to adjust for the variables you don’t have control over and also adjust for the variables you do have control over but choose not to correct/change/fix.
If your home is on the market and not getting showings…it’s PRICE.
If your home is on the market and getting showing but no offers…it’s PRICE.
For those of you who are thinking”the REALTOR just wants a lower price for a quicker sale” is sadly mistaken. If it’s not properly priced, it won’t sell. Period. And as they say: 100% of nothing is still nothing.
Happy selling
Wallace…
Pinot Noir (PEA-no NWAHR)
One cannot write a wine blog and evade discussing one of the most talked about and trendy red wine grape varieties – Pinot Noir. This grape has received much buzz over the last few years, thanks mostly in part to the wine movie, Sideways. Pinot Noir has gained some of its popularity most likely because consumers appreciate the fact that that this grape can be very difficult to grow, but even more complicated to make good, quality wine from. Once made into wine, this grape tends to reflect the terroir* of the site in which it is grown, more so than other red grape varieties.
Pinot Noir has been around for a very long time, first being planted by the ancient Romans and then being made into wine around the first century AD. These days consumers can find Pinot Noir wines from numerous countries throughout the world including France, Austria, Italy, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand just to name a few. Some of the best Pinot Noirs can be found throughout regions in California as well such as the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County, and the famed Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara.
Pinot Noir is not always my first choice of wine to drink as I definitely have an ‘American palate’ when it comes to red wines and enjoy the rich, dark, and intensely flavorful varietals that generally are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and Grenache. Pinot Noir is much different than these as it is generally a lighter to medium bodied wine with cherry, raspberry, earthy, floral, violet, and spice aromas and flavors. I usually think I know what to expect with Pinot Noir and therefore it can be very dull. However, every once in awhile, I will encounter a Pinot Noir with exceptional depth, and beautifully concentrated fruit flavors with silky, lingering tannins and my curiosity with this mischievous grape returns.
Unfortunately, as a general rule of thumb, you generally get what you pay for with Pinot Noir. So it is definitely worth it to spend a few extra dollars when purchasing this wine to avoid disappointment. Because Pinot Noir doesn’t have the same structure as its darker red counterparts, a Pinot Noir will typically reach its peak in five to eight years past the vintage date.
The following are some great examples of Californian Pinot Noirs.
2006 MacMurray Ranch Central Coast Pinot Noir, $16.99
This wine is lighter red in color and had a modest nose of red cherries, vanilla, and lollies. However, the palate is a bit more distinct with more complex flavors of cigar smoke, coffee, and red cherry. I was most impressed with how well balanced this wine is and the lasting finish. And at $16.99 a bottle, it is a great value as well.
2004 WildHorse Central Coast Pinot Noir, $19.99
This deep purple-red wine has aromas of red berries, leather, and barnyard with concentrated flavors of spice, vanilla, leather, and tar. Nothing seems out of place and it finishes stronger than most.
2005 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, $20
This wine has the most interesting nose as there are a variety of aromas of sweet cherry, strawberry, and vanilla which lead into beautifully intense flavors of spice, vanilla, and red berries. This very well balanced Pinot Noir exhibits a soft, lingering finish.
www.cambriawine.com
2006 Frei Brothers Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $27.99
The aromas and flavors of this wine are wonderfully concentrated with leather, earth, and vanilla on the nose and cherry, dark berries, tar, and a hint of sweet vanilla on the palate. This medium bodied, exceptionally well balanced wine’s plush, silky tannins lead you into a blissfully lengthy finish. You will have to pay a bit more for this one, but it won’t let you down.
www.freibrothers.com
*Terroir – The environment with which a grape variety is grown; a combination of the climate, soil, and topography to name a few factors that affect the quality and characteristics of grapes grown in a particular vineyard site.
Home Inspections
Now more than ever it is important for buyers to pay for a home inspection by a qualified home inspector, ask your REALTOR for a referral. I say qualified home inspector because home inspectors are not licensed, however some may belong to ASHI American Society of Home Inspectors, I think they have little hats. Anyway, your inspector will look for structural integrity of the home, whether the electrical is safe, check to see if the plumbing drains.
Nothing worse than the first night in your new home and the plumbing doesn’t work, except for maybe the electrical and the plumbing not working.
He/She will also look to see if there are any problems with the roof which would require further inspection from a licensed roofer, check to see if the fireplace and chimney have any obvious signs of damage and so on. Inspectors generally do not report on things that are beyond their scope such as pools and spas but they will make recommendations if there is obvious concerns. Now this inspection is so much different from a structural pest control inspection which is only looking for wood destroying organisms or conditions that could lead to said destruction.
Here is the explanation why this is so very important now in this market. With the multitude of foreclosed property on the market that are being sold as is, (except when the home has been completely demolished), it is extremely important for you the BUYER to satisfy yourself with the condition of the property and Home Warranty Companies generally do not cover pre-existing conditions. Banks are not required to fill out a Transfer Disclosure Statement so this is really the only way to find out the general health of your new home.
So jump on out there buy your new home at a much lower price than in the past and make sure to have it inspected before you close escrow and you can potentially avoid a slew of nasty little ole headaches.
Happy Hunting…
Kelly…
