The other day I got a call from an appraiser....she wanted to know why I would price a"perfectly good" property that had closed recently for a little OVER ASKING as I did.....all the other homes in the area had been $20,000 or more than our listing had been listed for...for what appeared to be fewer updates, worse condition, etc. I asked her to look at the days on market....."Oh....your listing sold MUCH faster !" No...it wasn't a short sale...or a foreclosure...it was a home in good condition...that we staged, had freshly painted, had "all dressed up and ready to sell....including the price !" "We price to sell...not to sit !" I told her.....the phone got quiet...."I guess you're right," she mumbled quietly....and why wouldnt you....? The longer a home sits....the less the price...so why not try and get it right the first time !
During the market boom, I often got calls from appraisers wanting to know about the condition of the property. They would not even visit the property if they could find enough other people to do their work for them!
When I did a HELOC on a home back in 2003, I saw someone down at the bottom of the driveway taking pictures from the driver's seat of his car. Turned out it was the appraiser. That's as close as he got to determining whether my property was really there and was what it was.
There are reasons why the economy is in the shape it's in.
Gee, a little common sense goes a long way, now doesn't it? But you obviously already know that. It sounds like you know exactly how to sell a house.