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Your Listing Expired And Your Home Did Not Sell . . . NOW WHAT?

Did your listing expire without selling? Is everybody else's home selling but yours? If you're serious about selling, then you're probably pretty frustrated. It's time to take a fresh approach.

There are reasons your home has not sold that are unique to your situation. Here are the 8 most common reasons a house remains unsold as well as actions you can take to get it sold.

1. THE PRICE IS WRONG. If your house isn't selling, then it is not priced properly for the current market. There are plenty of buyers that are looking for homes of all sizes, amenities and condition. Your home needs to be priced where a ready, willing and able buyer will see the value. Pricing your home at or near the actual market value is the best strategy for getting your home sold at the best price within a reasonable time frame.

Can You Qualify For A No-Money Down USDA Loan?

Do you have the income and reserves to buy a home, but not the down payment? If you live in many of our local areas, a USDA loan could be a perfect option for you.

USDA loans (also referred to as Rural Development loans) are guaranteed or insured by the Department of Agriculture to support affordable housing in less developed areas.  Its many benefits include:

  • No Down Payment:  Although not limited to first-time homebuyers, this can be particularly attractive for younger buyers who have a steady job, but not much in savings.
  • Low Guarantee Fees:  Guarantee fees are much lower than the similar fees on loans backed by the FHA. With a USDA loan, there’s a 1% guarantee fee compared to a 1.75% mortgage insurance premium (MIP) for FHA loans. In both cases, buyers can finance the upfront fee in their loan.  USDA loans carry a 0.35% guarantee fee on the unpaid principal balance each fiscal year. For FHA loans, buyers pay an annual 0.85% MIP fee if they made a minimum 3.5 percent down payment on their home purchase.

How To Get An Accurate Determination Of What Your Home Is Worth

There are really only two reliable ways to find out what your home is worth today.

If you're reading news publications and consuming social media posts, then you have no doubt been hearing how home prices are increasing by healthy percentages around the U.S.  What does this really mean to you?  If you saw a report that said home prices increased by 5% since this time last year, does that mean that the value of your home increased by 5%?

Well, what it means is that the average or median price of homes that sold increased by 5%. Your home may have not increased in value at all, or it may have increased by more than 5%.  It depends on where your home is located.  It also depends on the condition and appeal of your home as it relates to average homes in your neighborhood.

Don't be mislead by the websites that display the market value of your home based on a computer model . . . they are often grossly inaccurate.  There are only two ways to get an accurate determination of the market value of your home today.

When Should a Seller Update/Revise The Property Disclosure Form?

The Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form is required by Ohio Revised Code 5302.30 for all residential real property transfers by sale, land installment contract, lease with option to purchase, exchange, or lease.  The purpose of the form is for the seller to disclose to a potential buyer information about the condition of their home.  The information should be as accurate as possible and based on the seller's actual knowledge.  There are some exclusions to this requirement, that you can read about here:  http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/5302.30

So when should a seller revise the Residential Property Disclosure form?