Questions About Today’s Real Estate?

Ask Phyllis! Handling An Out of State Sale

Dear Phyllis,
  I am a regular reader of real estate questions and think I have a new dilemma.
My husband and I got divorced more than a decade ago and it has been extremely difficult for me to maintain my house.  It seems that most everything is rundown and out of date.  I have been offered a promotion but need to relocate.  I have lived in the house for 20 years and know all of my neighbors and most of the community.  I am really embarrassed to have people (especially people I know) see my house.  I don’t even have the money for a coat of paint. Is it possible to sell without having everyone see it?   FD

Dear FD,
Many homes have deferred maintenance and that is nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You should be proud to be a single homeowner which is an accomplishment.  I would encourage you to just give it a good cleaning and decluttering.  Showing and exposing your home to the greatest number of people is how you will sell for the highest possible price.  If this is not your priority then you could list your home and have it shown by appointment only (appointment with your Realtor®).  You could instruct your agent that you don’t want any open houses to the public.

You may or may not want a broker’s caravan.  On Tuesday of each week, most new listings in La Canada, La Crescenta and Montrose are open for Realtors® to preview.  Many of the agents previewing your home will not have a potential buyer, but are simply looking to keep apprised of real estate market conditions.  Sometimes neighbors and buyers will look during this time as well. If you do opt for the broker’s open house, you can instruct your Realtor® that only buyers accompanied by their agent will be allowed.

Another option which would further reduce showings and unfortunately your final selling price is to sell the home requiring an accepted offer prior to the buyer viewing.  This is more common with income property which is tenant occupied.

One more avenue to consider is to contact several real estate agents and let them know you want to sell your home but don’t want it listed in the multiple listing service (MLS) and that if they have a buyer to contact you with the buyer’s name and if you are interested you would allow the showing.

Whichever route you go remember as the seller you can direct your agent to do whatever you feel works best for you.

  Phyllis Harb