Even in a down market, real estate experts say that price and condition are the two most important factors in selling a home.
SO, the first step is to lower the price. Also, go through the house and see if there are cosmetic defects that you missed and can be repaired.
Secondly, home sellers should make sure that the home is getting the exposure it deserves through open houses, broker open houses, advertising, good signage and a listing on the multiple listing service (MLS).
Another option is to pull the home off the market and wait for overall housing conditions to improve.
Finally, frustrated sellers who have no equity and are forced to sell because of a divorce or financial considerations could discuss a short sale or a deed in lieu of a foreclosure with the mortgage lender.
A short sale is when the seller finds a buyer for a price that is below the mortgage amount and negotiates the difference with the lender.
In a deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure situation, the lender agrees to take the house back without instituting foreclosure proceedings. But these would be considered more radical options than lowering the price.
