Avoid These Mistakes When Trying To Sell Your Home

I hate to burst your bubble, but here’s a list of the biggest mistakes I see sellers making when trying to sell a home

1. Not approving showings, even the last minute ones. If buyers can’t see it they won’t buy it.

2. Cluttered spaces. Even though buyers know your stuff doesn’t go with the house, lots of clutter ends up being a huge distraction.

3. Unwillingness to negotiate on price, timing or other factors. Buyers need to feel like they are “winning” too and most expect a seller to negotiate some. Build a little wiggle room into your price but not too much

4. Unpleasant odors. This is a biggie! Cigarette smoke and dirty litter box top the list of offensive odors.

5. Unwillingness to make repairs. If it falls into the category of “any reasonable buyer would want this fixed” it just makes sense to fix it!

6. Pricing too high. This is probably the most important factor. A home priced too high will not sell and might even help other homes sell quicker and for more money.

No More Monkeying Around

No more monkeying around.

As the market continues to evolve the art of skill and communication becomes paramount.

In 2021 the market was pretty bananas and the pace of the market was extreme. When helping sellers price their homes we could easily pad the value by 10% - 15%. And we were successful.

Buyers were making offers at asking or above and everyone was happy. Appraisers were able to support these increasing values and because the rates were lower then buyers felt good about their purchases, even if they did pay above asking.

This market is evolving but it’s not bad news. Hear me out.

Homes are still selling but pricing is critical. I’ll say it again for for people in back - pricing is critical. No more monkeying around!

Sellers are still getting multiple offers and they are still getting above asking but only if they are priced right.

Gone are the days of padding by $50,000.

So while some sellers might be feeling a market slow down, the ones that listen to the sound advice of their real estate professionals will still be seeing showings and offers.

And for buyers, while rates have gone up please remember that 2.5% was likely a once in a lifetime event. Rates of 5-7% are normal AND historically low. Ask anyone who bought a house in the 80’s what their rate was for some perspective. I’ll say it again and again till I’m blue in the face - the interest rate on rent is 100%

I Am A Reader

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

– Mortimer J. Adler

• Oh there have been so many.

• Ones that hooked me.

• Ones that I couldn’t wait to read again.

• Ones that made me cry.

• Ones that made me laugh

• Ones I didn’t care for.

• And the ones that have migrated into my bones.

The amazing thing about books is that when you crack the cover, you have tapped into the imagination of the author. But the really cool part is, each one of us will interpret a book in our own way. What calls to me will be different for you.

There is a great quote about reading I just encountered: “I am a reader. Not because I don’t have a life, but because I want to have many.”

With gratitude.

Get A Lender Recommendation!

Okay no more horsin’ around

If you are in the market to buy a home and you haven’t met with a lender you are doing this all wrong.

Agents won’t show you homes and sellers won’t take you seriously.

Remember, you don’t have to do this alone.

Get a lender recommendation from a real estate agent you trust and make your first step towards homeownership.

Hire A Professional Photographer!

When someone sees your home it’s really a second showing for them. Say what? Yep, they have already “seen” your home online.

They have walked thru all the rooms, admired your decorating style and marveled at your gardening skills.

1. But what if your photos aren’t “show ready”?

2. What if your kids didn’t pick up their dirty laundry?

3. What if your rooms really need painted?

4. And what if your agent used their iPhone to take the photos (gasp!)?

Welcome to 2025 - if your agent is not hiring a professional photographer to take your photos then you need to start asking some questions.

But you need to do your part too - and I can help you with that.

As a service to all my sellers I offer home staging and styling for free! My stager extraordinaire will bring accessories and work with what you have. She will guide you on decluttering and cleaning.

And as a team, we will ready your home for market with your best foot forward. And don’t forget to tell the kids to pick up their dirty clothes!

Ignorance is bliss, Knowledge is pain

When the 2004 tsunami hit Indonesia, Bill and I were on a cross country road trip from Colorado to Vermont.

We listened to music the whole trip and had no idea this catastrophic, world wide event had happened.

It was surreal to pick up a copy of the Boston Globe and see photos of the destruction on the front page. Watching the footage of the disaster on TV was horrifying and it felt weird, knowing this had all unfolded and we had no clue.

Ignorance is bliss and sometimes knowledge = pain.

I felt off center and disoriented. I recognize that might sounds selfish but I have no other way to describe it.

Has anything like this ever happened to you? I would love to hear your story.

Deep Cleaning

If you are not doing THIS as a home seller, you are missing out BIG time. And this is not some secret formula or magic bullet.

It’s cleaning and decluttering.

Simple and cheap. But not very much fun. I get it - deep cleaning is not glamorous but it is sooooo important.

When you clean and declutter buyers can literally start to envision themselves in your home.

When your stuff is junking up a space they shut down. I even have buyers that refuse to see homes that seem dirty or cluttered just from the photos!!

In a market like this, with limited inventory, that is a huge statement about the importance of a clean-show ready home.

Know The Facts

Myth vs Fact

1. I need 20% down to buy a house. - NOPE! Some loans are NO money down such as USDA and VA.

2. I don’t have a good enough credit score. - NEWS FLASH, some loans will accept credit scores under 600.

3. Getting approved for a loan is HARD! - Did you know that around 75% of loan applications received are approved?!

   Know the facts before you decide home ownership is out of reach. I’m here to help with any questions you might have.

It's About Your Shoes

It’s all in the footwear.

Remember when you were a kid and you got a new pair of shoes and adults would say, “I bet you can run extra fast in those new shoes!”

And depending on your age, you did run faster (or at least you thought you did).

Funny thing, this still applies as an adult.

When we stay home and I have lots to do, the footwear I choose for the day dictates how much I am going to get done.

On the days that I go with the sneaks, I get tons done. The days I go with the slippers…. not so much!

Self-love

I recently saw a picture of myself and something strange happened.

I felt love for the woman I saw in the photo, like I would for a close friend.

In fact when I saw the photo I said, “gosh I love her”. And I don’t know that I have ever felt that way when thinking about myself.

This post is not intended to be some ego trip.

Its been a journey to get to a place where I could look in the mirror and be happy with who and what I see.

Self-love is something that gets beaten out of us from an early age.

You’re ugly.

You didn’t do well on that math test.

If only you were like so and so.

Your legs are too hairy, your eyes are squinty and you’re too tall.

We all have a negative narrative in our heads and for some of us its been on repeat for years.

I don’t know the time or place when the soundtrack stopped but it was probably subtle and gradual.

And somewhere along the way I started to sing a new song. Slowly at first - “You’ve got this. You can handle hard things. You are a good mom, wife and friend. You care. Not everything is your fault.”

Until the moment when I saw myself, separate from me, and felt real love for the person looking back. And I saw a glimpse of what our Creator sees in all of us. That He loves us so much and He delights in us. That we are His treasure, each one of us. And I remind myself that it is a gift to see with His eyes. So much beauty and love.

Life is a journey, we don’t always get to choose the path. But in moments like this I know its all going to be okay.

With gratitude.

Being a Local Real Estate Agent

Being a “local” has become a somewhat territorial statement.

“I’m a local so I know better, have priority or get to complain about all the non-locals”.

This is kinda BS in my opinion, after all we are all “locals” of planet earth At least I think so.

But there is a situation where being a local is super important.

Your real estate agent.

I often have clients ask me to help them buy or sell in other areas such as Denver or Grand Junction. And while my real estate license is good for the entire state of Colorado, I don’t feel I am providing the best service possible by helping buyers and sellers in areas I don’t know.

If you are not a local you might not know about the large employer that’s about to relocate, or the proposed airport expansion or areas notorious for bad water or shifting soils.

It is so flattering that my clients want to “take me with them” to their new area. And while I cannot be their boots on the ground agent, I’m more than happy to interview agents in other areas and find a great fit - a local who knows their community and can look out for your best interests.

My network of excellent agents is literally worldwideSo if you need any agent in another area, please let me know. It would be my pleasure to assist you.

A Punch To The Gut!

Don’t get caught!

Did you know that some homeowners’ insurance policies only cover damages to your home within 30 days of you moving out?

I found this out the hard way.

We had moved out of our house and I was checking on it every other day, BUT on the one day I wasn’t there the dishwasher decided to go kaput!

What ensued was the basement filling up with water and doing tons of damage.

I called my insurance company to make a claim and received the bad news; all repairs would be out of pocket!

Sucker punch to the gut!

So what can you do?

If you move out of your primary residence make sure you check with your insurance company to find out what will be covered.

In most cases you can get “vacant home” insurance which is more money than a standard policy but much, much cheaper than dealing with a flooded basement.

Please, please, please learn from my mistake and don’t make the same one yourself.

BTW - second homes have different insurance policies that typically fall under different guidelines.

Please reach out if you have questions.

Dealing With Our Own "Junk"

“Mama told me there’d be days like this!”

Have you ever felt like this?

Days you wanted to put a trash can on your head and shut out the noise?

Well for this little gal, raking leaves makes her want to escape.

There are days my job is really tough. Days that I want to go back to slingin’ lattes at Big Shooters Coffee, where I had a job that didn’t keep me up at night.

However, every challenge teaches me more about the business and more about human nature.

I always remind myself that each one of us is dealing with our own “junk” and extending kindness and grace to each other goes a long way.

With gratitude.

Gazillion Dollars

But Zillow says my house is worth a gazillion dollars!

Okay, I’m exaggerating, kind of.

Zillow uses sales data to come up with your “Zestimate” but what they can’t factor in are things like the view, traffic noise, intimate community knowledge, changes in the local work force like a company leaving town or coming to town.

In other words the “Zestimate” is a 50,000 foot view of your homes value.

Having your local agent help you price your home is like looking under a microscope at the value of your home.

Don’t leave these things to chance. Now is not the time to be inaccurate about pricing. Correct pricing is going to dictate whether your home sits on the market or gets multiple-over asking offers.

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

Biting off more than you can chew!

Just because you are approved for a loan for $500,000 (or any other amount) doesn’t mean that you should spend that much.

Let’s walk through this together.

You’ve finally got the home of your dreams, but you had to max out your budget to get it. What might you have to give up to have that home?

vacations

savings

college funds

retirement

fun family experiences

These all might be on the chopping block... and before you know it you might find yourself in financial bondage.

This house, the one you are in, or the one you are buying is likely NOT your forever home.

Homeownership is a process of stepping stones, each time you get more of what you desire. So hold off on maxing out your home budget and remember all the other financial goals you have.

What's an Encyclopedia?

Who’s interested in a used encyclopedia set?

This girl!

We got these from a friend and when I told Elizabeth they were going to be ours she was intrigued and excited.

What’s an encyclopedia she wondered.

I tried to explain the World Book collection I had as a kid. Remember those?

My favorite book was H for human body. Our set had clear sheets that showed individual body systems. One for circulatory, one for the nervous system, one for respiration, etc. I loved flipping through these clear pages and studying the amazing human body.

I explained to her that before the internet, if you wanted to know about something, you had to look them up in the encyclopedia.

I’m not sure if she believes me.

Anyway, the big day arrived and she spent a good 3 hours pouring over her new books.

Gosh, I love this kid.

Practice Makes Perfect

There’s something so wonderfully endearing in these words penned by my child.

I love the irony, innocence and determination of this sweet message she wrote to herself.

I love that she has the know-how and desire to encourage herself.

I hope that’s something I might’ve taught her along the way.

Interview Your Real Estate Agent

Agent reputation. Does it matter?

I think it does and let me tell you why.

If your agent is unprofessional it could hurt YOU in the long run.

Does your agent have a reputation of honest and transparent dealings?

Are their buyers prequalified and ready to buy?

Are their sellers serious and straightforward?

Has your agent set proper expectations with YOU, their client, so everyone is set up to succeed?

Is your agent easy to work with?

Does your agent return phone calls, text messages, and emails?

All of this can effect YOU when the rubber meets the road because in multiple offer situations, who you work with might make or break the deal.

So how do you know if you are working with a professional? Read reviews online (Zillow is a great resource), ask your friends and neighbors but most of all, interview your agent!

What did you say? Yes, interview your agent!

Any time someone allows us to help them with buying and selling we have in some way or another “got the job”.

It’s okay to talk to multiple agents and then decide who you feel most comfortable working with. True professionals welcome the chance to shine and earn your trust and business.

Family

This morning my youngest climbed in to bed with me for a quick snuggle before school. As I marveled at this perfect human being, I realized how divinely we have been created.

The folded arm of a parent is a perfect pillow for a snuggling child.

The distance between a mother’s shoulder and elbow is perfect for cradling a nursing infant.

The distance between a child’s hip, knee, and ankle is perfect for riding on a father's shoulders.

And a child fits perfectly into the shape of a sleeping parent for the best cuddles.

God made us to need each other. He made us to be together. He made our bodies and minds perfectly paired so that we could coexist with love, support and compassion. Not by chance, but by perfect design.

I am so grateful for my family - they are what matters most.

Magic Number

Hunting for unicorns.

I’m having lots of conversations with both buyers and sellers about pricing these days.

The market is feeling strange right now and I think the level of uncertainty has some of my clients feeling a little off kilter.

But there is no reason for confusion.

Even in a crazy market like this there’s still the “magic number”.

What’s the magic number you might ask? Its the price that yields a number at or above market value in the shortest amount of time.

Sometimes sellers will tell me that they want to price higher because someone out there might “just have to own their home” and will pay over market value.

Buyers will tell me that just maybe there’s a seller out there who would be willing to take a 50% discount off their asking price.

Sounds like hunting for unicorns if you ask me!

Here’s the truth.

The MARKET will determine the value and homes that are priced right will sell very quickly to buyers who are thrilled to be purchasing.

Sounds like a win-win for everyone.