Selling house so hard?

Why does it have to be so hard?
Any tips on how to advertise it better? I've done fliers, Craigslist, Newspaper, For Sale by Owner and now were with a Realtor.

P.s Its been on the market for over a year! And were in Ohio if that matters

There is a housing and mortgage crisis going on . . . see news. P.S. Ohio is nationally recognized as the absolute crappiest market . . . sharing the honors with Florida and California. It's not you it's the market.

There are many factors involved. first of all, the market for homes has declined sharply due to many foreclosures of sub price mortgages. The market is depressed, many houses are available compared to the number of buyers.

Other factors include the location, whether or not the community is growing, the price you set, and how the house is prepared for sale. Some people simply do not know how to show a house to its best advantage. There are many tricks to making a house look appealing to buyers.

Compare the price of your house with similar homes in the same area. Your asking price may be too high. Have an expert evaluate your house to improve its saleability. Removing furniture makes a house look bigger and more spacious. Taking down pictures of family members makes it more appealing to buyers. A bit of landscaping and some paint can do wonders. Good luck. There are thousands of other people in the same situation.

The reason houses are very hard to sell now a days is because they are too expensive. I sold during the boom, but it was still on the market for 6 months...why? Because i was asking way too much. The appraiser said it was worth 388k (i paid 148k 4 years earlier) so i listed it at that. No bites. Then i lowered to 350k (1 or 2 lookie loos then) Then i dropped it again to 329. (a few more lookie loos) Then after 6 months i dropped it to 299k. Then the offers flew in. I got 3 offers inside a week. Two of them for 275k and one for 290k. The truth is, it doesnt matter what other houses sold for in the past or what an appraiser says its worth. Your house is only worth what a buyer will pay for it.

Also remember that 50% of all the buyers out there cant afford more than 200k for a house. The higher the price of the house, the less buyers available.

A Realtor has multiple listing and a great source of customers...you might find results now.

This is my take - you are asking more for your home than the marketplace is willing to spend on it. If you have been on the market for more than a year and have had no reasonable offers, one or more things are happening.

1. Your marketplace became grossly overvalued during the boom and you overpaid for your home, so sow that the market is correcting itself you are stuck with an overpriced home no one is willing to buy.

2. You have defects in the home or it lacks amenities that homes in your pricerange are expected to have.

If it ain't the one, it's probably the other.

How frustrating - it sounds like you are trying to do everything right, and still - no results.

What I would suggest is taking a good look at PRICE and CONDITION.

In every neighborhood, in every market, homes ARE selling. So, it's not like NOTHING is selling. But you need every advantage in a glut of inventory, so PRICE and CONDITION are critical.

Make sure your house has great curb appeal and is fresh, clean, uncluttered, with neutral colors indoors. Finish all repairs and fix all problem areas. Essentially, buyers are looking for "move in ready" homes that look and feel clean and new.

But, ultimately, it's all about the price. Flyers and Craigs List and so forth will not sell even the most beautiful home if the price is wrong.

If your house is priced like others in your neighborhood, and most of you are sitting for months without a sale - guess what? It's the wrong price - for ALL of you.

Every neighborhood has a story where the owner "gave away" his house for a crazy low sales price. Well, that's our market today. Your house is only worth what a buyer will pay - crazy price, and all.

If you really need and want to sell your house, consider a much much MUCH more aggressive price.

Or, you'll keep sitting with the other neighbors, waiting for a buyer for another year.

Do the math. What will it cost you in mortgage payments, real estate taxes, insurance, etc., to hold the house for another year vs. a dramatic price cut today?

I'd like to see you sell your house. Talk to your Realtor about what it would take to do so in today's difficult market.

Good luck and best wishes.

Well, the more places you advertise it, the more people that will find it. Having a Realtor should definitely help. You have to keep in mind that this is a buyers market, especially in Ohio with all of the foreclosures, so PRICE could be keeping you from selling your house.

You need to find out what other homes in your area are selling for, and go SEE those houses.

You can also advertise the property on my site FREE (or have your Realtor post it for FREE on my site) since it is in Ohio:

http://www.brokershawna.com/Open-Realty