Ask Betsy
Look for my column "ASK BETSY" published weekely in the the Gainesville Sun.
Q. I'm trying to sell my home and am wondering if I need to do a price reduction. At what point do you typically do one?
A. It depends on how quickly you want to sell your home, how much traffic you have had, what the comparable and new sales are priced at and what the feedback has been. If you have had numerous showings and the feedback has been fairly consistent (for example, the house is dated), either address the issue or do a price reduction that takes into account the issue and the inconvenience of the buyer having to deal with the issue after closing. If your price is in line with comparables, do a price reduction to stay ahead of the market. If you have had zero showings and your house has been marketed, do a big price reduction. This is usually an indication that your home is significantly overpriced and buyers don't want to waste time looking at a home they don't think they will be able to get at a reasonable price.
Q. I want to sell my house but don't need to be out until summer. When should I put my house on the market?
A. TODAY! The spring selling season is upon us. Residents are about to match at Shands and will bring an influx of interest into the housing market. In addition, interest rates are predicted to go up and inventories are still low, but climbing, from the holidays. Many families plan their moves for summer while the kids are out of school and look in spring. We are seeing offers now come in for June closings. If you don't have any major items to address before listing your house, I recommend getting it listed by the
weekend and fine-tune the house over the next few weeks.
