Selling a House

[Soul_Patch]

So i just put my house on the market to sell this week. My wife is pregnant, and we just need a bit more room.

House is 1572 Sqft, 4 bedroom 2 bath, 2 car garage...asking 148k.


Has anyone recently sold a house? How long did it take? Any good tips on keeping it ready for show? Thats going to be the hardest part is keeping it constantly spotless for showing. We have pets, so pet hair is a constant battle...

My brother in law is selling us their house (they want to move too) it is 2400 sqft, 2 story, 3 bedroom 2 bath...huge back yard, sprinkler systems, water softner...really nice place, and only asking 167k if they sell to us privately. It markets for 185k, so its a fairly nice deal.

anyway...just wondering what you guys' experiences have been.

[desflood]

The market is soft right now, so selling your place might take a while (hopefully not), don't get discouraged if it doesn't sell right away. Good luck!

[Soul_Patch]

when people say "a while" does that mean 1 month? 4 months? 10 months? i always wonder what is considered quick or long...


Friend of mine sold his house 2 years ago, and it sold in 1 day...lol...i dont see that happening (it cant happen now anyway) but...is 1 month a while?

My main goal is to be in a new house by feb 1st which is when our baby is due.


id hate to be going through all this while trying to bring home a newborn.

[ashbeeigh]

I think it all depends on the area and how "hot" it is. I'd check real estate websites to see how fast other houses are selling and all that stuff and to see if your house is competitively priced and what your house has that others don't (as in upgrades, landscaping, etc).

[BacktoBasics]

Just find a realator thats willing to do a little "extra" to close the deal.

[mrsmaalox]

Where is your house? Over the last couple of years I've noticed in our area (Stone Oak) homes stay on the market for a pretty long time, like a year or so. I think it's probably because everything is so over priced here. I'm sure there are better deals to be had in other areas of the city so maybe the selling periods are shorter. Ooops, I didn't even ask if you all are in SA!

[Soul_Patch]

Yea i live out on the Northwest side. Wildhorse Subdivision to be exact. Braun road and 1604.

the realtor showed me a list of houses that are for sale, and ones that have sold recently. Quite a bit have sold over the past 5 months or so...most i guess with in 45 days roughly.


hopefully thats a good sign...what i dont like is there are currently 3 other houses, the exact same floorplan as mine, in my neighborhood, for sale right now.

[BacktoBasics]

Is that going to be your first child?

[Soul_Patch]

yes first child.

We find out in about 1 week whether it is a girl or boy :)



also on the house. We have only lived here for a little under 2 years and already have about 25k in equity.

i owe 120k on the house, and expect to sell for about 145k :)

[mrsmaalox]

hopefully thats a good sign...what i dont like is there are currently 3 other houses, the exact same floorplan as mine, in my neighborhood, for sale right now.
That'll probably be the biggest stumbling block. Any chanceyou can get in to see those other homes? Or send a spy. You need to make sure your home is priced accordingly and then make sure it has that little "extra" that will make it the most appealing.

[MoSpur]

Congratulations on the new arrival. Hopefully you sell your house soon. The market is not as good as it use to be because of that prime lending thing. However, some houses are selling quick while others are lasting a bit long.

[BacktoBasics]

Congrats. Sleep now while you can.

[CuckingFunt]

My main goal is to be in a new house by feb 1st which is when our baby is due.
Is there a particular reason you can't/don't want to move into the new house sooner?

I worked in real estate for the last decade (I'm not an agent myself, but I've seen enough to know what I'm talking about) and it is about 1,000 times easier to market a single family home when it's vacant. People want to be able to imagine their stuff inside the house when they view it, and not be distracted from it's appeal by someone else's crap.

IF it's a possibility, I would suggest doing the move now, cleaning and prepping your current house, and marketing it completely ready to move in. I imagine one concern would be having to handle two mortgage payments at the same time, but you can be pretty sure that your house will sell faster this way.

[ducks]

depends if that is a low price or a top price

the house has to be appraised so you can close anyhow (usually that is good atleast 90 days ) if you get it appraised now you know if you are asking to much or not

usually 90 days. if someone here nows a realtor where they live why not ask them and then post it here for the fellow spur poster

if the house is empty it looks bigger but it is harder to picture how much room the person moving in will have
I prefer looking at a vacant house. it is easier to show also because you do not have to make appointments.

[Shelly]

Is there a particular reason you can't/don't want to move into the new house sooner?

I worked in real estate for the last decade (I'm not an agent myself, but I've seen enough to know what I'm talking about) and it is about 1,000 times easier to market a single family home when it's vacant. People want to be able to imagine their stuff inside the house when they view it, and not be distracted from it's appeal by someone else's crap.

IF it's a possibility, I would suggest doing the move now, cleaning and prepping your current house, and marketing it completely ready to move in. I imagine one concern would be having to handle two mortgage payments at the same time, but you can be pretty sure that your house will sell faster this way.

See, I've always heard the opposite. That it's harder to sell an empty house. I just googled "is it easier to sell an empty house" and all the hits are saying no.

It's not easier to sell a cluttered house, hence the staging. I watch a lot of house selling shows and flipping shows and they always suggest staging.

Soul Patch, I'm just down the road from you on Braun. Nothing is selling like it was a few months ago. My 'hood' sells pretty quickly and there's quite a few houses that have been on the market for a while. My friend who lived in my hood was able to sell in a day, but I think she just got lucky. The house next to hers as well as one as a few doors down has been sitting for a few months.

[Soul_Patch]

i cant afford two mortgages...

[CuckingFunt]

See, I've always heard the opposite. That it's harder to sell an empty house. I just googled "is it easier to sell an empty house" and all the hits are saying no.

It's not easier to sell a cluttered house, hence the staging. I watch a lot of house selling shows and flipping shows and they always suggest staging.

Without anything but my own personal experience as a source, I think that vacancy is the key. A perfectly staged vacant house may sell faster than an empty vacant house, but they'd probably both sell faster than an occupied house.

[ObiwanGinobili]

can you rent your place and buy the new one?

(unless you need hte equity for the new DP..)

[Soul_Patch]

Im sure it'd take just as long to find a renter as it would a buyer. Im really not in a huge hurry, i just want to get it done before next year.

The house im buying still has my sister and brother in law in it...They aren't ready to move out either.

[Shelly]

Without anything but my own personal experience as a source, I think that vacancy is the key. A perfectly staged vacant house may sell faster than an empty vacant house, but they'd probably both sell faster than an occupied house.

I don't know, but not many people can carry two mortgages, so there are very few empty houses that are for sale to begin with.

People can't go into a house and visualize. My house was empty when we bought and it needed updating as it had horrendous wallpaper. But I knew that I could change that with paint. I also know that when I go to sell, I will have to tone down some of the colors because I know some people are lame. And I know I'll have to put some stuff in storage.

Making your house clutter free and clean is the key, imho.

[BacktoBasics]

I'll sell you an RV you can live in for very cheap while your home sells.

[SpursWoman]

See, I've always heard the opposite. That it's harder to sell an empty house. I just googled "is it easier to sell an empty house" and all the hits are saying no.

It's not easier to sell a cluttered house, hence the staging. I watch a lot of house selling shows and flipping shows and they always suggest staging.

Soul Patch, I'm just down the road from you on Braun. Nothing is selling like it was a few months ago. My 'hood' sells pretty quickly and there's quite a few houses that have been on the market for a while. My friend who lived in my hood was able to sell in a day, but I think she just got lucky. The house next to hers as well as one as a few doors down has been sitting for a few months.

I guess it just depends on your situation. I had a buyer for my house so never even had to list it, but we had to move relatively quickly ... so I needed a house that was empty. And the only ones we could find that we liked that were empty or could be empty in 30-45 days either sold before we could offer or we found something wrong with the house. Which is another reason we bought a brand new one.

[duncan228]

Babies bring luck!
Congrats and I hope it all works out well for you.

I've only sold houses I've been living in, and Shelly is right IMO.
You've got to keep it clean and as clutter free as possible. It's a pain but it will help.

[CuckingFunt]

Making your house clutter free and clean is the key, imho.
Certainly the first/most important step.

And I'm not at all suggesting that it's impossible to sell a house that's occupied. It's not. But a house that's empty (vacant) and move-in ready has a lot of appeal over one that isn't.

And if a prospective buyer has a choice between two similar houses, one occupied and one vacant, there's not a doubt in my mind that the vacant one will move to the top of the list. They're easier to show, more comfortable to view and don't come with the potential closing/moving date slow downs.

[Soul_Patch]

I'll sell you an RV you can live in for very cheap while your home sells.


haha i bet...too bad most RV's cost more than most houses.

[Soul_Patch]

Yea clutter free is what i hear a lot. We have taken a lot of things and stored them away already.


I think one really good thing we have going for us is 4 bedrooms and relatively cheap. 148k is a great starter house price, and 4 bedrooms is great for those cusp income families who need the room for their kids.

Ive never really realized this, but so many houses only have 3 bedrooms...

[Shelly]

I guess it just depends on your situation. I had a buyer for my house so never even had to list it, but we had to move relatively quickly ... so I needed a house that was empty. And the only ones we could find that we liked that were empty or could be empty in 30-45 days either sold before we could offer or we found something wrong with the house. Which is another reason we bought a brand new one.

Yeah, but I think your situation was unique.

Everyone I've know that sold their house ended up renting back to the buyer because the house sold faster than they thought and weren't ready to move. My friend listed her house in March and had to rent back until the end of May when school was out.

[Soul_Patch]

Yeah, but I think your situation was unique.

Everyone I've know that sold their house ended up renting back to the buyer because the house sold faster than they thought and weren't ready to move. My friend listed her house in March and had to rent back until the end of May when school was out.


That'd be fantastic if that could happen.

[CuckingFunt]

Yeah, but I think your situation was unique.

Everyone I've know that sold their house ended up renting back to the buyer because the house sold faster than they thought and weren't ready to move. My friend listed her house in March and had to rent back until the end of May when school was out.Which is one of those things that makes purchasing an occupied home potentially unattractive. Total pain in the ass for all involved 99% of the time. Buyers don't want to do it, agents don't want to organize it.

[Shelly]

Certainly the first/most important step.

And I'm not at all suggesting that it's impossible to sell a house that's occupied. It's not. But a house that's empty (vacant) and move-in ready has a lot of appeal over one that isn't.

And if a prospective buyer has a choice between two similar houses, one occupied and one vacant, there's not a doubt in my mind that the vacant one will move to the top of the list. They're easier to show, more comfortable to view and don't come with the potential closing/moving date slow downs.

I don't disagree, I just think there are few older homes that are empty. You can probably find them more in CA since people have to move out because they got in way over their head :lol

I think what it comes down to is that people have a hard time visualizing (like my example with paint colors). They just can't look at a house and think, "I can change that ".

[Soul_Patch]

There is a house down the street from me, same floorplan, that has been on the market 79 days and hasnt sold. it is unoccupied, but according to our realator, it is in very bad shape...as in, very un taken care of...

i hope that is why it hasnt sold...that worries me a bit.

[Shelly]

Which is one of those things that makes purchasing an occupied home potentially unattractive. Total pain in the ass for all involved 99% of the time. Buyers don't want to do it, agents don't want to organize it.

Well, from what I've seen here, it's pretty much the norm. Especially, with the military families.

Anyway. Good luck, Soul Patch, and congrats on the baby!

[CuckingFunt]

I think what it comes down to is that people have a hard time visualizing (like my example with paint colors). They just can't look at a house and think, "I can change that ".

That's an absolute fact. Home buyers are nitpicky morons, for the most part. Even reasonably intelligent people, for whatever reason, look at a blue wall in a prospective property and forget that it is possible for it to no longer be blue.

Which is why my house, which is currently for sale, is vacant, clean, empty and painted in neutral colors.

And, given that it's a very rare type of home -- large one bedroom early 20's craftsman bungalow with unpainted woodwork and built-ins -- and will only fit the needs of specific people, I'm expecting it will probably be on the market for several months.

[Shelly]

There is a house down the street from me, same floorplan, that has been on the market 79 days and hasnt sold. it is unoccupied, but according to our realator, it is in very bad shape...as in, very un taken care of...

i hope that is why it hasnt sold...that worries me a bit.


There's two houses in my hood that have been for sale for over a year. Granted, they're on Tezel, which is a drawback. There was a murder a few years ago (it was always a rental). Some 20somethings lived there, had a party, things got out of hand. The other one had an outrageous listing price and has since dropped at least 40k. And from the pictures I've seen of the inside, they needed to declutter badly. And I'm sure having foil in one of the windows wasn't helping. Buy a cheap curtain!

[to21]

So i just put my house on the market to sell this week. My wife is pregnant, and we just need a bit more room.

House is 1572 Sqft, 4 bedroom 2 bath, 2 car garage...asking 148k.


Has anyone recently sold a house? How long did it take? Any good tips on keeping it ready for show? Thats going to be the hardest part is keeping it constantly spotless for showing. We have pets, so pet hair is a constant battle...

My brother in law is selling us their house (they want to move too) it is 2400 sqft, 2 story, 3 bedroom 2 bath...huge back yard, sprinkler systems, water softner...really nice place, and only asking 167k if they sell to us privately. It markets for 185k, so its a fairly nice deal.

anyway...just wondering what you guys' experiences have been.

Send them to Mike Vick's.

Seriously, think about renting an apt. while it's on the market. Or else keep that shit clean.

We had to get rid of our cat because no one wanted to see that fucking litter box laying around.

[Shelly]

That's an absolute fact. Home buyers are nitpicky morons, for the most part. Even reasonably intelligent people, for whatever reason, look at a blue wall in a prospective property and forget that it is possible for it to no longer be blue.

Which is why my house, which is currently for sale, is vacant, clean, empty and painted in neutral colors.

And, given that it's a very rare type of home -- large one bedroom early 20's craftsman bungalow with unpainted woodwork and built-ins -- and will only fit the needs of specific people, I'm expecting it will probably be on the market for several months.

I think the craftsman houses are awesome! Does it have a lot of the original stuff in it? I hate when flipping shows totally modernize these types of houses. I think it takes away from the house's character.

Good luck!

[ploto]

I would much rather see an empty house but that is probably just me. I think you can actually see what the house really looks like better- for example the quality of the carpet, the wall paint, the baseboards... when the house is completely empty. I like to visualize so I like the blank canvas. Plus, I think almost everyone's house is too cluttered and a lot of people have not so great taste, so I won't like what I see no matter how cleaned up the seller thinks it is. Also, an empty house has usually been made much more ready for move in and so you know these things have already been done that other people will promise to do after they get out.

[Soul_Patch]

I wish i could get 400k or whatever my house would sell for in Socal.

i know when we were calling about our insurance the lady on the phone was just insanely amazed that we have close to 1600 sqft for so cheap...lol..

[ploto]

I would never buy a house that has a pet living in it when I looked at it. Or that has a smoker living there-- and yes, I will be able to smell both no matter what you do.

[Shelly]

I have a friend that lives in St. Petersburg. Her house is a smaller, older home (I think built in the 50s), and is very well taken care of. I think they are asking $350k for it, which is the norm there. The market down there is terrible. The listed it back in January and she's had maybe 5 people look at it.

Funt and I just demonstrated how one can disagree respectfully without resorting to name calling. It's quite refreshing! :tu

[Soul_Patch]

I would never buy a house that has a pet living in it when I looked at it. Or that has a smoker living there-- and yes, I will be able to smell both no matter what you do.


Id venture to guess you have just cut down your target market by about 85%

i have 2 dogs and 1 cat, all of which are very sanitary.

The only thing we have to constantly maintain is pet hair, but nothing a dyson cant fix.

[CuckingFunt]

I think the craftsman houses are awesome! Does it have a lot of the original stuff in it? I hate when flipping shows totally modernize these types of houses. I think it takes away from the house's character.

Good luck!It's almost completely untouched.

There was lovely chartreuse shag carpeting when my mom bought it (my ex and I moved in when she got a job out of state, and I was added to the title later) that had been there since the 60's, so the wood floors were in great shape. And a couple of the light fixtures were replaced, also in the 60's, are don't necessarily fit the character of the house, but are pretty fucking cool.

Other than that, the only modifications were done out of necessity, by me, and keeping in the style of the home.

I love that house. And a big part of me would like to hold onto it, but... just don't see myself returning to the area, and have been in property management long enough to know that I DON'T want to have a tenant fuck it up. That would break my heart.

[CuckingFunt]

I wish i could get 400k or whatever my house would sell for in Socal.

i know when we were calling about our insurance the lady on the phone was just insanely amazed that we have close to 1600 sqft for so cheap...lol..The market here in California is so inflated it's ridiculous.

My one bedroom is currently listed for more than your four bedroom. It's right at the top of the market though and, I think, too high. I'd have listed it lower for a quick sale, but I'm not the only owner.

[MoSpur]

My parents are selling their home on five acres just outside of Natalia. They were selling it as is last summer and were asking $205000. They got a lot of lookers, but not takers and only like two offers. They accepted one, but the couple who made that offer had to sell their house and they never did.

I pulled it off the market for them and remodeled it. Put new flooring, paint inside and out. New lighting fixtures and countertops. It was valued around $240k. They are selling it for $235K. We've had a lot of looks, but no offers. However, its harder to sell because of the location. Its 30 minutes South of South San Antonio. The good thing is that out there isn't much competition. There are like only two other houses in their area on the market and they aren't similiar to my parents home. Its been on the market for like three months.

[Shelly]

It's almost completely untouched.

There was lovely chartreuse shag carpeting when my mom bought it (my ex and I moved in when she got a job out of state, and I was added to the title later) that had been there since the 60's, so the wood floors were in great shape. And a couple of the light fixtures were replaced, also in the 60's, are don't necessarily fit the character of the house, but are pretty fucking cool.

Other than that, the only modifications were done out of necessity, by me, and keeping in the style of the home.

I love that house. And a big part of me would like to hold onto it, but... just don't see myself returning to the area, and have been in property management long enough to know that I DON'T want to have a tenant fuck it up. That would break my heart.

Yeah, my dad had a rental house once. Dude would fix his motorcycle in the living room.

I know some things have to be upgraded, but I hate when people totally gut it and make it look like a new house you would see in today's market. Takes a way all the charm.

[CuckingFunt]

Funt and I just demonstrated how one can disagree respectfully without resorting to name calling. It's quite refreshing! :tu

Indeed.

It actually felt kind of weird.

Maybe you should call me a slut, or a man, or a man slut. Ya know, just to get things back to an even keel.

[Soul_Patch]

lol...i like you Funt...fuck the haters imho ;)

[CuckingFunt]

I know some things have to be upgraded, but I hate when people totally gut it and make it look like a new house you would see in today's market. Takes a way all the charm.

When I first started working in the office, my aunt and I would go around and look at all the cute houses that were for sale just for fun. Eventually we stopped because the number of charming houses that had been completely fucked up just got too depressing.

[to21]

lol...i like you Funt...fuck the haters imho ;)

Yeah, I've never had a problem with him.

I keed!

[SpursWoman]

The guy who bought my house flipped it, and I cry everytime I go by there. He did everything I had planned on doing to the house and then some, but it still blends well with the other houses on the street. The inside is no longer 50's looking, which actually is a good thing. I don't know how many times I wanted to take a sledgehammer to that Pepto Bismal pink tile in the front bathroom that was so popular back then, apparently. :lol

I also cry when I see how much he has it listed for. :cry :wow

[CuckingFunt]

The inside is no longer 50's looking, which actually is a good thing. I don't know how many times I wanted to take a sledgehammer to that Pepto Bismal pink tile in the front bathroom that was so popular back then, apparently. :lol:dramaquee

I LOVE the 50's bathrooms, including the pepto tiles.

[T Park]

Not to get off topic, but I've never seen Cucking ever say anything to warrant getting name called.

Nothing but cool IMO... Pretty refreshing for a person from Sacramento.

[Soul_Patch]

Yea i think its most of the angsty teens that cant imagine an actual woman would be using the internet...they also hate the fact that she wont show her picture...lol...i woudlnt either...ESPECIALLY if i was a woman.


my wife works around violent sexual offenders for her job...those guys are good at picking shit like that out of innane stuff like spurs messageboards.

[CuckingFunt]

Pretty refreshing for a person from Sacramento.
I can't stand Sacramento, I just like the Kings.

Lived just about an hour away for the last ten years, but was born, raised and spent most of my life back and forth between southern CA and the bay area. Just for the record.

[mrsmaalox]

And if a prospective buyer has a choice between two similar houses, one occupied and one vacant, there's not a doubt in my mind that the vacant one will move to the top of the list. They're easier to show, more comfortable to view and don't come with the potential closing/moving date slow downs.
I agree. I think a vacant house automatically looks cleaner and more spacious. When I have looked for homes (being military, that was happening about every 3 years for the first 15!) I personally am distracted by the occupants' taste in decor. I either think that the place is really ugly or that I could never get it to look as nice with the things I own.

[SpursWoman]

:dramaquee

I LOVE the 50's bathrooms, including the pepto tiles.


:lol

That bathroom was the ugliest room in my house. The previous owners hadn't maintained it very well and it was just hideous all the way around. It probably would have been a lot prettier if everything else, like the cabinets, the commode, the wallpaper/paint, the fixtures, the flooring, etc., weren't in the worst condition imaginable. It's all pretty now, though. :fro

[Soul_Patch]

I think if you go very minimal with your furniture and what not, it is not so bad. For instance i always LOVE how the model houses look in new neighborhoods, and can never get my stuff to look as good as they do.

[CuckingFunt]

:lol

That bathroom was the ugliest room in my house. The previous owners hadn't maintained it very well and it was just hideous all the way around. It probably would have been a lot prettier if everything else, like the cabinets, the commode, the wallpaper/paint, the fixtures, the flooring, etc., weren't in the worst condition imaginable. It's all pretty now, though. :froI'm just a retro nut.

The city I moved out of had a TON of building in the late 40's-early 50's, so I'd show a lot of houses that still had gorgeous post-war details -- the pink/turquoise bathrooms, built-ins, even a few places with the Kitchen-Aid steel kitchen cabinets (a thing of beauty) -- and I'd have to keep quiet when overhearing people talk about their planned destruction of said details.

But a piece of me died inside, every time.

[Shelly]

Indeed.

It actually felt kind of weird.

Maybe you should call me a slut, or a man, or a man slut. Ya know, just to get things back to an even keel.


Funt, you ignorant.... :lol

Nah.

[mrsmaalox]

My husband and I bought a rental property a few months ago (I am thinking of foregoing my medical career to become a slum lord) but we looked for a LONG time. The one we got is from the 50's, someone had tried to "flip it" but ran out of money. It already had new roof, new central air, new windows, new bathroom, and new kitchen. We bought for $15,000 under appraisal so I think I can bring it back real nice for cheap. We'll see how it goes!!

[BigBeezie]

My friend had his rental house on the market for 4 months and it didn't sell. The market is not what it was a few years ago.

For the square footage, your price doesn't seem too bad.

My house is 1,600 sq feet and I would probably sell for 165,000 to 170,000. My neighbor had a similar house that sold for 170,000 in two weeks.

I am going to wait to sell my house and hope that the value goes up. I live in Sonoma Ranch off of 1604...so there are $1,000,000 houses in my area. I'm hoping that brings my home value up.

[T Park]

I can't stand Sacramento, I just like the Kings.

Lived just about an hour away for the last ten years, but was born, raised and spent most of my life back and forth between southern CA and the bay area. Just for the record.



makes sense.

Im not a big northern california fan, I dunno, its just weird up here.

I love socal.

If I had the money I would definately move to the Del Mar, or Newport Beach area.

Absolutely perfect.

[ploto]

Id venture to guess you have just cut down your target market by about 85%

i have 2 dogs and 1 cat, all of which are very sanitary.

The only thing we have to constantly maintain is pet hair, but nothing a dyson cant fix.
People have pet allergies- no matter how sanitary you are.

I built new.

[SequSpur]

Stage that motha fucka and it'll sell in a couple of weeks... tops...

the problem is most of you couldn't stage shit.

[SequSpur]

makes sense.

Im not a big northern california fan, I dunno, its just weird up here.

I love socal.

If I had the money I would definately move to the Del Mar, or Newport Beach area.

Absolutely perfect.

what are the tickets different?

[Mark in Austin]

A couple suggestions:

Have a friend who doesn't own pets come by and give the place a "smell" test. Sometimes when you live with pets, you get used to the smell. It's best to get an unbiased nose in there just in case.

Get as much info as you can on the other houses with the same floorplan. Then try to differentiate your house. When people are buying homes, it is incredible how much an emotional response often trumps logic. Good staging, better paint colors, an inviting front porch and planting area (curb appeal) are all relatively inexpensive ways to get people to choose yours over the others.

If you're stuck trying to come up with ideas, take a look at other houses in your area that sold fast. Don't be afraid to spend a couple hundred dollars to have a staging expert or designer come out and give you an evaluation / suggestions for some low-cost things to do that will make the house more desireable.

Good luck and congrats on the baby!

[Mark in Austin]

I can't stand Sacramento, I just like the Kings.

Lived just about an hour away for the last ten years, but was born, raised and spent most of my life back and forth between southern CA and the bay area. Just for the record.

I was in SoCal, the Bay Area, and Seattle about two weeks ago. I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable trips I taken in the past couple years.

Aside from a taxi to and from the airport to the hotel, I walked everywhere in San Francisco - two solid days of walking. During the 5 minute walk from the terminal to my car back to Austin I sweat more than in those two days.

SoCal was great too. San Diego, Carlsbad, some time in the desert... stayed out of LA aside from lunch in El Segundo just before going to LAX to head north to Seattle.

I love Austin, but if I had to move I could see myself in the Bay Area or SoCal.

[CubanMustGo]

All it takes is money. The sub $200K house/lot we have in Dallas would cost in excess of $1 mill in either SoCal or the Bay.

[2Blonde]

Be positive and make sure the realtor you picked is one that is very good at communicating to you exactly what needs to be done up front. You don't want someone to blow smoke up your ass and tell you how great your house is. You already know it's great. You need someone who can be honest about what needs to be done so that your house will kick the other comparison houses in the A$$.

When we sold our home in Late February/early March, I think, we had it on the market for 10-12 days. I wasn't terribly patient and started getting worried at about day 8 or 9. We got everything we wanted. We lived in the Stone Oak Area. I saw someone else on here saying homes were sitting on the market for a long time in my area. From what I saw, there were a couple, but those were definitely in the minority. The main issue i saw with those homes was that they usually backed up to one of the main streets, like Wilderness Oak or Stone Oak. People don;t like having their home and backyard on display for everyone who drives by to see.

Best of luck to you. :spin

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

On a tangent, but how is this: even after currency difference, the houses you are talking about cost in the low 200ks in Australian dollars. Similar sized houses in the outer suburbs of Canberra where I live are 400k+. Housing is comparatively HALF THE PRICE in SA that it is in Canberra!?

http://allhomes.com.au/c/ah?a=buysr&i=1000&t=r

The Australian housing market has been booming since 2000, my small 2 bedroom (but well situated) apartment has gone from 100k to 260k in seven years, but I didn't realise how internationally overpriced our housing is (or is it that American housing costs are lower than other developed countries?).

Interesting! I could buy a 4-bedroom mansion in SA... ;)

[Soul_Patch]

Well ive driven by the other houses like ours for sale and our's looks about 100% better. Most of the others for sale have grass growing all over their flower beds, weeds in the front yard, etc...

We have nice paint througout the house...ive been told by numerous people its really good colors...matches well with the carpet..etc...We also have vaulted cielings, which none of the others have. The other houses are also plain white and very bland looking inside.

i think we have a little leg up, i hope.

[mrsmaalox]

Sounds like you've got a good start. Good luck!

[ploto]

Well ive driven by the other houses like ours for sale and our's looks about 100% better. Most of the others for sale have grass growing all over their flower beds, weeds in the front yard, etc...

We have nice paint througout the house...ive been told by numerous people its really good colors...matches well with the carpet..etc...We also have vaulted cielings, which none of the others have. The other houses are also plain white and very bland looking inside.

i think we have a little leg up, i hope.
Sounds good-- the one thing you might watch out for is some people can not handle color.

[CubanMustGo]

On a tangent, but how is this: even after currency difference, the houses you are talking about cost in the low 200ks in Australian dollars. Similar sized houses in the outer suburbs of Canberra where I live are 400k+. Housing is comparatively HALF THE PRICE in SA that it is in Canberra!?

http://allhomes.com.au/c/ah?a=buysr&i=1000&t=r

The Australian housing market has been booming since 2000, my small 2 bedroom (but well situated) apartment has gone from 100k to 260k in seven years, but I didn't realise how internationally overpriced our housing is (or is it that American housing costs are lower than other developed countries?).

Interesting! I could buy a 4-bedroom mansion in SA... ;)

Texas historically has some of the lowest housing prices in the nation. Why? because developers will just keep building cheap houses as long as there is demand. Most of the land surrounding the major metros is flat (notable exception: north and northwest of SA) so the developers just go buy some good ol' boy's farm and jam as many houses onto the land as allowed by local code. And many Texans don't seem to mind living an hour or more from where they work.

Housing is typically 2-3x more in most major metros around the US, sometimes more where supply is constrained (e.g. in the Bay area they're not building any more houses because the bay itself is pretty built out).

San Antonio until recently was one of the weakest markets in Texas but the times they are a changin'.

Don't forget also that until recently the USD was a lot stronger against the A$. When my wife and I visited 6 years ago it was US$1:A$1.75, now it's like US$1:A$1.20 so that makes our housing look that much cheaper.

[Soul_Patch]

Have my first customer this morning. Luckily im working from home today so was able to clean up really fast...

Realtor said weekly showings are rare, but when you show during the week it is usually someone who is serious about buying...so its a promising start!

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Call The Montelongo's!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Das Texan]

Call The Montelongo's!!!!!!!!!!!!!



they can jump in an acid filled vat.

though the email i got from whatever they are peddling these days was slightly comical.