Monday, April 17, 2006

Beware Angry Sellers

In addition to the expected increase in sob stories about people who are finding themselves underwater on their exotic loans (it's only going to get a lot worse folks), we are now starting to see angry pro-seller articles like this one -- sellers are angry because it is, or becoming, more of a buyer's market; sellers are having to jump through all sorts of hoops and make all sorts of concessions to sell a house.

Although this article doesn't focus on Marin, it still just so resonated with me given what I've seen of the Marin real estate market where it is now hard to walk into an open house that hasn't been staged, doesn't contain granite counter tops, industrial strength kitchen appliances (stainless steel of course), fake Tuscan wall paintings, cherry wood cabinets, designer faucets, tiles that come all the way from some exotic sounding Italian village, bags of French herbs, etc., etc.

Some choice quotes:
The housing market used to be so hot that buyers began writing offers before real estate agents even entered a new listing. And then agents advised buyers to improve their bids by writing personal letters to the seller, explaining where they planned to put the nursery and gushing over the owner's wonderful taste in decor.

Now with last month's real estate listings up by 23 percent since the same time last year, Twin Cities sellers might want to try writing a personalized letter of their own:

"Dear Buyer: Make us an offer. Puh-leese."

The long-predicted real estate bubble hasn't proved out, but you can tell by the number of "For Sale" signs on your block that the tide has definitely turned. Cable television channels, once overcrowded with programs showing how to sponge paint your walls to resemble a Tuscan villa, now are teeming with programs like "Designed to Sell," "Sell This House" and the ever more desperate "Buy Me."

In all of these programs, sellers are advised to paint over their sponged Tuscan walls with something inoffensive that buyers will like. Not that anyone really knows what buyers want, there being more than 26,000 homes for them to choose from in the Twin Cities — a record high.

Similarly frustrating to sellers is the current trend for "staging" a home, creating a kind of still life of single-family living with none of the books or personal knick-knacks but a constant supply of fresh flowers, scented candles and other gimcrack no real family could stand for five minutes. Buyers have become so accustomed to these faux tableaux — the angled couch, the arranged tea service with cozy, cashmere throw — they seem not to notice the actual architecture surrounding it.

13 comments:

Athena said...

a very good read ;-)

You know, I never will understand that whole "staged" thing... with the no books especially.

for me... I want to see books. lots and lots of books... and I assure you there will be one major requirement of the house I buy.... either it must already have a library, or a room that will be able to be turned into an awesome library.


Going into a house with no books makes me think of people who aren't very smart and the last thing I want to do is give people like that money.

marine_explorer said...

I'd much rather see empty rooms and white paint than staged to look like a Basso catalog page; I can do a far better visualization myslef. Who else has seen these BR/LRs painted in burgundy, "eggplant", Tuscan ochre, etc? What were they thinking...selling for conversion as a B&B?

"This does not mean buyers are required to pay the asking price. But they should pay some respect...

The second rule of real estate is less well known: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'"


In terms of respect, a third rule of real estate could be: "respect is given to those with the upper hand". Ergo: buyers don't kiss ass in a down market.

Anonymous said...

But they should pay some respect...

Yeah. Right. Sure. Where was the respect for the buyers over the last few years? Ain't payback a bitch.

Athena said...

I think the sellers and real estate agents should probably pay some respect to math and economic fundamentals.

I am personally sick and tired of people who don't have the aptitude for basic principles of economics and math talking out their butts about real estate never goes down... can't lose... (insert puke icon)

Athena said...

eek... in a bad mood. Maybe shouldn't be posting. :-/

Anonymous said...

"The New Road to Serfdom" By Michael Hudson
Harpers, May 2006

Marinite said...

Empty rooms are deceptive, almost any room can seem spacious without furniture.

And peddling "an idealized lifestyle" isn't deceptive? LOL! Just pick up your crap and maybe vacuum the floors before the open house starts to give people an idea of what it's like to live there.

Athena said...

oh the idealized lifestyle is the biggest lie... but that is what it is all about. people wanting to LOOK like they are living the life- hence why they are financed up to their eyeballs.

moonvalley said...

Athena,
for me... I want to see books. lots and lots of books...
You want to see books???? Come look in our two car garage, we're parking in the driveway . We have over 5000 books.Of course we just moved in and are surrounded by boxes...but still.
The buyers still want to get their asses smooched is all. They miss it. Tough luck. What goes around..etc. I'll be damned if I'd be wiling to write an essay explaining why I wanted to give someone a pile of money.

marine_explorer said...

Empty rooms are deceptive, almost any room can seem spacious without furniture.

I know it's not everyone's style. Since my taste is on the minimalist end, the empty space actually defines the room, versus what is put in it. It also helps me to see whether the space flows well. Granted, most people need to see something,so I understand the commercial need for staging.

Anonymous said...

"Do onto others..." Now that's rich! No pun intended. As many experts are saying, the sellers are behind the curve ball on the turn in the market.

I spoke to a realtor recently and he had the nerve to ask me if I had a problem with a home that needed updating. Yes, I do. For half a million dollars, I shouldn't have to do a thing.

Prices in the exclusive area where I rent (2 years now) are dropping an average of 20% That is still way overpriced.

Marinite said...

For half a million dollars, I shouldn't have to do a thing.

AMEN to that!

Anonymous said...

Like this one?