Keep on keepin’ on…

From yesterday's Jack’s Winning Words Blog come these words of advice - “If you’re walking down the right path, and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you will make progress.” (Barack Obama).

Our office manager (you remember Little Mary Sunshine) uses a similar line with me every time I march Mr. Grumpy into her office for a visit. She says, “You’re doing all of the right things. Just keep at it and things will start to happen for you.” I am want to ask her when the good things will happen, but that’s just Mr. Grumpy talking again.

In this market it’s sometimes hard to see what the right things are. Because of the dramatic shift in the market towards foreclosed homes, it’s hard to figure out what the right thing to do is to get a non-foreclosed home sold. Certainly adjusting the price to the market is critical, but one can’t really expect a normal seller to compete directly with foreclosed houses on price.

My advice has consistently been that they must win on the 3-C’s of real estate – Condition, Clutter and Cleanliness. They must represent the no hassle, move-in ready choice that is a little higher in price; but, oh, so much easier to imagine living in without major work. Everybody out looking is taking a look at foreclosed houses; however, not everybody out looking ends up buying one.

Most buyers discover how much damage may have occurred in a foreclosed house, either through neglect or some overt act of vandalism or theft. Some buyers are willing to take on the challenges of major remodeling or repair projects to get that super deal; but, more and more are ending up saying, ”You know, I just don’t have the time, the money and the skills to take on such a large project.” I suspect that they are the smart ones. Too many foreclosed homes are boomeranging back onto the foreclosure market with half-done reclamation projects by exhausted (financially and physically) would be foreclosure home rescuers.

So, I continue to walk down the path of trying to help regular homeowners sell their homes and helping regular buyers find just the right new home. I’ll keep doing my Web sites and my newsletter and keep mailing my postcards. The main thing that I’ve committed to do differently this year is to make those phone calls that I have avoided in the past to follow up better with prospects and clients alike.

I’m hopeful and optimistic that the path that we are starting to take with President Obama will get us to a better place. It certainly has to be a better path than we were on under Bush. The end point for our journey is not yet in sight and won’t be for a while (many might say there never will be an end point); but with the goals of peace and prosperity, health and happiness, and understanding and compassion in mind we set out on this journey with President Obama together. Let’s be patient and persistent (sounds a lot like real estate these days) and confident in our belief that we will make progress if we just keep moving. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got calls to make.