Short sales in Contra Costa; Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord

If you are looking for information about short selling your home in Contra Costa including Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Martinez or the surrounding areas, one question I’m asked frequently is whether or not you need to have a sign in your yard when selling your home? What about a rider on the sign that says short sale? (cringe)

I say NO to both. No you don’t need a sign in your yard when your home is for sale. Sure, its great for those lookie-loos who drive around in their favored neighborhoods and certainly it provides a visual queue for anyone (including real estate agents) coming to view your home, but do you NEED a sign in your yard when selling your home? No, the answer is no.

In almost every homebuyer profile I read, it rates yard signs down among the lower ranked sources a buyer used to find a home. For homebuyers over 40 years old, more than 90% started their search on the internet and deemed online home searches as #1 on their list of what to do when searching for a home. The under 40 crowd, the online searching SOARS to 96%! So, having your home on the internet, with quality descriptive text, quality professional photos, and virtual tours is of utmost importance. Most buyers will find your home online. Or, through their agent. Or as a combination, and online search tied to daily emails.

The list of top sources for homebuyers are as follows:

Internet: 88%
Real estate agent: 87%
Yard sign: 55%
Open house: 45%

Newspapers and print home magazines have fallen sharply and are 30% or less.

I’ve worked with many sellers in the area, who weren’t anxious to field questions from their neighbors and friends – yet. Home goes on the internet, showings over a period of a few days – and in this market we’re seeing multiple offers and a pending sale before you know it. You can then control who knows and when they know. There is not the stigma attached to short sales any longer. Almost anyone who has bought a home in the last 8-12 years is likely to be underwater, or close enough to it to require a short sale and it isn’t tied to anything you did or didn’t do. The values have dropped, period. Unless someone put a SUBSTANTIAL down payment into their home, it is likely to be upside down, and short of paying off the mortgage balance in full, simply as an effect of the market.

Call me if you wish to discuss a selective seller program of marketing for you home. Professional, confidential, effective.

Catherine Myers
Broker Associate
Prudential California Realty
DRE 01337828