Ok, thought I'd start a new thread for new beginnings.

Our listing realtor will be showing this house on Friday and will be having an open house this Sunday. She said that she already has received a call from a person who looked at the house prior to our purchasing it and this person will be coming to the open house.

So, I will spend the rest of the week getting ready for the showing and open house.

At least we're having some interest. Hope the selling dust (is that what we're calling it?)has made its way here by Friday!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charcoalsmom,

WOOHOO, yep, the tide is TURNING!!

I think FLBoy's Fairy Dust is working, but I ALSO think that the sellers on this board have gotten PROACTIVE, and the COMBINATION is doing the trick!

Yes, I agree.

After we move the kids and cats back to the other house in August, I am going to clean and update the staging here to the best of my ability. This area is like a large village all by itself (part of the appeal of living here) and has maybe 3 or 4 realty companies, so I am going to make some cookies or something and bring the flyers and the cookies to the realty companies here.

I just received an email from the realtor who said that she thought the house would sell by Sept. and "let's see what happens with my clients this week."

I am definitely going to buy more chocolate before Friday.

Thanks, Everyone, for listening to me.

Charcoal-
Great News for You!!! I really will be thinking of you and hoping flboy's or Peri's Fairy Dust reaches out to that buyer!!
Keep us posted and get to cleaning!!

Hope Idaho can come help me clean. :-)

"Charcoalsmom," LOL Wish I was close enough to help but at least you have my list!

For those who didn't see it, I posted that cleaning was the best staging tool in the thread entitled "Best Staging Advice" with a DETAILED list of how to do it. The thread is now closed but you can still view it (for the time being anyway)!

quote:

Originally posted by 2stayor2go:
I really will be thinking of you and hoping flboy's or Peri's Fairy Dust reaches out to that buyer!!
!!

It's FLBoy's Fairy Dust, I'm just watching it while he's gone on vacation.

(Shouldn't he be back by now?? I thought it was awfully nervy for him to leave in the first place!)

Well, I up was until after 2:00 AM last night cleaning, getting the house ready for its 11:00 AM showing today. It was the listing realtor who was bringing an older woman with 3 large dogs, relocating from Arizona. This buyer's main concern was for her dogs and she wanted a large yard and a view.

I asked my dh to get the kids out of here by 9:30 AM.

The house looked as perfect as it can get. Kitchen, baths: sparkling. No clutter anywhere. Staged to perfection, I thought, with an opened Family Circle magazine and throw on the chaise in the living room, formal dining room all set with place settings, one square red plate with one candle surrounded by potpourri as the center piece for the kitchen table, a platter of fruit in the corner of the kitchen counter, a small plate of "eat me" fruit and a bowl of granola bars and chocolate bars on the table in the sunroom with an ice water pitcher and paper cups, a tray of fresh "eat me" fruit, one coffee cup, and fresh roses adorned the impeccably made bed (little did they know that the cat knocked over the vase that had the roses in it and that there was water all under the tray on my bed...fortunately I saw that and uprighted the vase before they got here), lights on everywhere, ceiling fans going, AC on.

They stayed maybe 12 minutes. I don't think that's a good sign. This house was the first one on the list, though, so maybe they just were looking quickly???

AARRGH!

flboy, I KNOW Peri sent the fairy dust my way but I can't find the post. Can you sprinkle it my way, just to make sure it's here?

Thank you so much.

Don't count out the buyers relocating from Arizona. Whenever we were relocating, we'd take the first two days and look quickly at every house on our list or that the realtor dug up. We'd then take the third day to take a second look at homes that we put on our short list. When you're looking at 30-40 homes in a three day weekend, sometimes you just can't spend very much time in one for the first walk through.

Good luck.

Charcoalsmom-
I hope the Open House goes better for you! 12Minutes isn't much time at ALL!! Terrible for all the work you did!! Good Luck this weekend we'll be thinking of you!

Charcoal, here's some fairy dust to hold you over till Flboy gets back here: *****************.

It sounds like the house looked SMASHING! Good for you...now, take a well deserved break & rest a while. You should be mostly in shape for Sunday, just concentrate on keeping it as neat as possible so you won't have to do so many things all over again. Get the DH & the kids to cooperate, you might have to hand out some rewards, lol.

When will you get some feedback from your Realtor? I would think you'd hear from her today, since she is your listing agent. If she doesn't call you, call or email HER...

Charcoal...why hasn't your Realtor changed out your pictures yet?? She needs to get with it!

Thanks, Peri. I will email her and HOPE that she emals me back.

Do you know about ceiling fans, ie, is it better to have them on or off during showings?

Which pictures, Peri?

Got my fingers and toes crossed for you too.

quote:

Originally posted by Charcoalsmom:
Which pictures, Peri?

LOL, YOURS!

Remember back on your first thread where we were all talking about the view of your house, etc.? She's still got that picture up that focuses on your garage.
And I "think" you made some changes to the interior, didn't you?

eta: And your flowers, you need pics that show the flowers!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PeriParker,

quote:

Originally posted by Charcoalsmom:


Do you know about ceiling fans, ie, is it better to have them on or off during showings?

If she doesn't email you back (soon), call her. If she doesn't call back, call her again.
Whatever it takes, she needs to learn to RESPOND to you when you contact her. If she is slow to respond, maybe that's cause she has gotten away with it in the past, let her know it is a whole new ballgame now! (In a nice way, of course, cause you catch more flies w/ honey than vinegar BUT...she works for YOU. Don't forget that.)

"Charcoalsmom," I agree that 12 minutes isn't very long BUT "cordovamom" may be right about doing a very quick look-see to decide which houses to put on a short list especially when they are from out-of-state and have limited time to preview a long list of homes.

Sounds like you did a great job getting the house ready so don't feel disappointed about the showing this morning; look at it as a warm-up for Sunday's Open House.

One question, since I haven't seen your photographs in a while (BTW, could you re-post your link in this thread so we can see the up-dated ones), since the Arizona people were particularly looking for a house suitable for three large dogs, does your house fit the bill? If not, then it is not that your house didn't look great, it is just that they need a different set-up for large dogs and not everyone will be looking for a dog set-up!

To answer your question about ceiling fans, I definately feel they should be OFF. The movement can be distracting to potential Buyers. You want them looking AROUND the house, not up!

Thanks, Peri. Yes, the front of the house looks a little different now because of the greenery and flowers (did you read my post on another thread about the gorgeous hanging baskets from Lowes?). I will ask the realtor to come photogragh the front again.

Idaho, thanks for the ceiling fan advice. I'll turn them off from now on.

Ok, everyone, here is the response I just received from the realtor about today's showing:

----
The house looked amazing and she liked it. However, she thinks Escondido may be too far from her
daughter in Oceanside.

The client on Sunday may be the one. I may need to have Kevin hold this open house because my home
on Vesper, I need to meet with the clients on a price reduction.
---

Somebody give me a drink...

charcoalsmom, Here is a double dose of fairy dust. I feel very strongly that your home is going to be the next one to sell here. I was so glad to see how many good things have happened while I was away. I have a really good feeling that all of you will find the right buyers for your homes.I know of at least 3 people who are talking about buying some of the homes that are for sale because of all of the wonderful buys available right now. Good luck!

Ok, I emailed the realtor and asked her if she would come take new photos of the front of the house and then electronically switch that one as well as some of the other existing ones. (Remove the second photc of that one bedroom and replace it with a photo of a different part of the house; exchange the existing master bed photo with a different one from a different angle.)

In the meantime, here is the MLS link:

http://tempo5.sandicor.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=790246814&s=SND&t=SND

I think you can get to the VT and any other links from the MLS. ?

Who is Kevin?

And why can her other client only discuss a price reduction during the hours of your Open House?

Charcoal, do you have a digital cam? Or even a good regular cam?

With your attention to detail, I bet you would take better photos than she would.

flboy, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by PeriParker:
Who is Kevin?

And why can her other client only discuss a price reduction during the hours of your Open House?

Kevin is another realtor. He ran an open house here once before. She usually has 3 open houses each Sunday so she has to have help running them. She probably scheduled Kevin here for this time to begin with but didn't tell me and she probably scheduled herself at the other address. I've had her twice now, Kevin once.

She is the most delightful, charming person. I'm not sure she is a "sales" person but her charm and enthusiasm is so appealing (that's not the right word but I cannot think of the word I am trying to think of...).

Here's her site:

http://www.californiamoves.com/default.aspx?abrand=16568

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charcoalsmom,

Charcoalsmom,
I am glad that Peri and flboy are sending all that lucky fairy dust.

I am sending good wishes.

All of your hard work will make the sale.