Watch for the Red Flags of Home Selling

The good news: there’s never been a better time to buy a new home! Rates are near historically low levels, and sellers are ready to deal. The bad news: you’re a seller as well. You have to unload your current home in a buyer’s market. Hey, you can’t have it all, but you can have a better shot at selling your home quickly if you list it correctly. Here are some tips on what NOT to do.

Photos Finished
How often do we buy things sight unseen, especially when you’re talking about the biggest purchase of your life? A picture is worth a thousand words, so be sure to include pictures. Some people have a thing with privacy issues and not wanting their valuables on display, but you can work around that easily enough.  If you have no pictures, chances are very good people searching for a new home will think there’s something wrong with the property. That’s no way to start a relationship with a possible buyer. Experts recommend about a dozen photos. Be sure they match the description of the property and emphasize the features you want highlighted.

Better Than Best
If you saw an ad claiming a property is the absolute best on the market, would you believe it, or would your reaction be more of a, “Yeah, right”? Such boastful claims can hurt you in two ways. First, it could turn off potential buyers with its subjective bravado. Second, it could leave some buyers disappointed once they actually see the property. There’s no need for all the exaggeration; simply focus on adjectives that flatter.

Bargain Basement
Low prices attract the curious, but do they attract serious buyers? Listing a property at a price that sounds too good to be true could scare off potential buyers who are afraid of a bidding war as competing offers come in. Also, low prices can attract unqualified buyers who are out looking for a bargain. Is it always a bad idea to list low? No, but it’s important to understand market conditions as this is a high-risk, high-reward strategy. Be sure to talk with a professional to create your strategy.

Renovation Nation
You might think advertising a property as “recently updated” would be beneficial. The problem we see today is the popularity of “flipping” a house, or buying it, renovating it, and selling it quickly for a profit. Some experts say only one in twenty flipped homes is executed with proper permits. In addition, many times the work is not of the highest quality because it’s done by those not trained in professional construction techniques. If you’re marketing a home that has a legit renovation, be sure to underscore that fact that all permits were issued and work was done by professionals, or at least on a professional level.

Is It As Is?
The term “As Is” can create caution for would-be buyers, making them think the worst. There are times when the phrase simply means the house isn’t in the best shape, and it’s a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Rather than list a house as “As Is”, it might be better to include obvious improvement that the home may need (new carpeting, window treatments, etc.). This way you appear honest upfront.


Selling a home in today’s real estate climate is tough enough without sabotaging your efforts with a listing full of red flags. If you have any doubts, be sure to talk to a professional. And remember, while Vantage can’t help you find a house, our wholly owned subsidiary, Mortgage Solutions, LLC, offers many options related to buying a home, from a variety of mortgage loans to refinancing to applying online. The trained professionals of Mortgage Solutions are ready to help you come to a responsible decision regarding your mortgage options.

Plus, apply for a mortgage by May 31 and close by June 30, 2012, for your chance to win a $2,500 Visa gift card! To be entered, be sure to enter this code in the Notes section at the end of our online application: MORT4-2012.

_{*Mortgage Solutions, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vantage Credit Union.}