Heads in the sand make for disappointed sellers

(flickr photo by CALF Learning Future 2010)

There are no real estate booms on the horizon.

So says PJ Wade on the RealtyTimes blog regarding five strategies “sellers haven’t learned and keep paying for.”

The first is understanding that “time marches on, not backward.”  She underscores the message as follows:

Waiting for real estate prices to return to pre-recession levels before you put your home on the market means you don’t understand that time only goes forward.

Other of her points:

Five signs you may be ready for home ownership

Plunging into the purchase of residential property can cause needless anxiety.

Deciding to purchase a new home can be a process that engenders anxiety, sleeplessness and domestic discord.

But it needn’t be so stressful if you follow the advice given by Robin Wright on the RealtyTimes.com blog.

She lists considerations that can help you determine whether you’re ready to take the plunge.  They are the following:

What buyers don’t understand can hurt them

There are buyers who know what they are doing and those who only think they know how to proceed as they search for a new home.

I happen to favor those who get what works best.

You won’t be surprised to learn that their key understanding is their appreciation for the help a real estate broker can provide.

Even though buyers these days are about as good as any agent or broker in finding online properties that have been put on the market, those buyers

Dirk Zeller: All buyers have their misconceptions

Dirk Zeller

Author, speaker and all-around expert on  real estate, Dirk Zeller maintains that buyers invariably hold misconceptions about agents and the benefits of working them.

In the first of his two blog posts on the RealtyTimes site, he says that some buyers don’t think they need an agent.  Although lots of information is now available on the Internet, says Zeller, that’s not the same as receiving interpretation, analysis, counsel and protection.

Second, the writer argues against the belief in the minds of some buyers that they don’t need

Getting out of the way is essential for sellers

Sellers need to think of themselves as toreadors and buyers as bulls. (Flickr photo by Matt Juriado)

Listing agents hate it when sellers stick around during open houses or other showings.

Most owners can’t keep their mouths shut, pointing out improvement and perceived advantages of their home.  They tend to shadow prospective purchasers, who usually make the rational decision to escape swiftly.

Their presence intimidates buyers, who become reluctant to confide in each other and their agents.  They also shrink from opening closets doors, cabinets and appliances.

However many times sellers hear that they are not wanted, I keep running into those whose presence interferes with the very objective they are trying to reach.

The advice to clear out is one of several mistakes listed by RealtyTimes columnist Julie Wyss, an associate broker in Silicon Valley, and a few others are worth repeating