“Whether
you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right”
Attitude breeds attitude, and if you are negative, the other person will be
negative. Positive thoughts lead to positive language, and this is the language
that sells. And that goes for your house.
Can you
maintain a positive attitude in a negative market? First, what is your
definition of a negative market?
Did you know…
NEW
RESIDENTIAL SALES IN AUGUST 2010
Sales of new single-family houses in August 2010 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 288,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is unchanged (±16.7%)* from the revised July rate of 288,000 and is 28.9 percent (±11.0%) below the August 2009 estimate of 405,000.
The median sales price of new houses sold in August 2010 was $204,700; the average sales price was $248,800. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of August was 206,000. This represents a supply of 8.6 months at the current sales rate.
Not great numbers, but obviously people
are still buying, and we want them to buy your house.
First I have
to share with you a story about Focus on Mexico co-worker Kristina Morgan in
her own words about the power of positive thinking in selling her house.
After
my husband and I decided in October of 2001 that we wanted to move to Lake
Chapala, the next step was selling our house. There was only one small problem
with that. September 11, 2001, had changed everything in the U.S., and the real
estate market was frozen.
Our realtor told us that the house probably wouldn't sell for a while. I told
him that if he, as our realtor, didn't believe it would sell then maybe we
should get another agent! He quickly back-peddled and then I threw him another
condition.
"I
want the contract to say that we will have the house on the market until
December 31st. If it hasn't closed by then we'll take it off the market."
That only gave our house 2.5
months to sell! Our agent glanced at Joel with the classic look of pity and
comradeship that says, 'Man, your wife is nuts. I feel for you!' But I didn't
back down. That just felt right to me (plus I really didn't want to spend
another entire winter in Colorado!)
So what do you think happened? We closed on December 31st in a frozen market
and got very near our asking price! I often wonder what would have happened if
I had said I wanted the house to close by November 30th!
I just never lost my focus and belief that we were meant to be in Mexico and we
have never looked back!
By not concentrating on "What If,"
one begins concentrating on "When."
Of course, we all have learned from
experience that a positive attitude does not work 100% of the time, but we also
know that negative thinking and a negative attitude never works! So the only
choice you have in this market is to approach selling a home with a positive
attitude.
First thing a seller should always keep
in mind is that their priority should be in showing their home as often as
possible and not necessarily doing it perfectly. If a house is listed, then the
goal is to sell it, so try not putting off a ready and willing buyer for the
sake of showing it in perfect shape. Often times a buyer will not reschedule
for a later date. The key is to have a flexible and open attitude regarding
showing a home.
Secondly, try not to let the media get
you down! When the real estate market is in turmoil, the media loves to run
negative headlines to keep reminding people how bad things are. When
buyers hear the bad news, it affects demand because the negative news drives
fear, which makes buyers worry about whether the time is right to buy a home.
It feeds upon itself and becomes a never-ending cycle.
“Is the media simply reporting the
news or does the media actually affect the news in this regard? The
answer is obviously both. The media reporting negative news alone can’t
shape a real estate market. However, since perception is often reality,
when buyers are spooked, they may shy away from buying. This affects
lenders, builders, real estate agents and other professionals who rely on the
real estate business for their income. It becomes almost a
self-fulfilling prophecy because things get worse and the media again reminds
us how bad things are.
“But, are things really as bad as the
media reports? Despite the doom and gloom, there’s always a buyer for a
well-kept home offered at the right price and terms.”
The only thing that really keeps a
home from selling is price.
Every
property will sell if the price is right. For many home sellers, however, a low
price is just not acceptable. As a result, if you are selling a home, you will
either have to wait for the right price to come along, or give in to the best
price you can get from a willing buyer. Real estate agents know this, but often
will try to attract seller listings by telling sellers they can get more for
their home than the market will actually pay. Therefore, if you are selling a
home, ask your real estate agent to show you comparable listings in the area with
prices for recent sales on homes that are similar to yours.
In other words, ask your agent to back
up the pricing they are giving you on your home. If you price your home
realistically, it helps to sell the home faster.
You can do research on zillow.com to help you see
what’s happening in your area. Zillow has the costs of the houses in the neighborhood
whether they’re being sold or not. As the above-mentioned web site goes on to say, “if your real
estate agent is blinding you with an amount far and above what the market is
bearing, get yourself another agent. Beware of real estate agents that inflate list prices to get listings.
Overpricing your house can be harmful to the sale of your house. They’re
just telling you what you want to hear and not what you need
to hear. Do your homework first…be an informed seller. The first month of the
listing is usually when the house receives the most attention. If your
house is priced too high initially, then it will not receive the attention that
it could receive if it were priced right. Waiting a month to drop the
price to a more reasonable price is too late.”
One article
on the web also talks about changing your attitude toward your home to help it
sell quickly. It is hard to maintain an
objective attitude toward your home, but you must to avoid the challenges that
an emotional connection can bring with it.
Therefore,
not only does decluttering your house present it in an advantageous light to buyers, but as you start to
pack, you also start to divorce yourself from some of the memories associated
with your house (not a home any longer remember!). It’s a great start to
disassociating yourself.
So, let’s get back
to your attitude:
Many athletes improve their performance by
imagining their perfect game. They visualize every shot as perfect and the
feeling of success. So...while it is necessary to evaluate the minuses in your
house to improve them, dwelling on them will not help anyone. This habit will
create a feeling of negativity that will send you into a downward loop.
Visualize yourself successfully selling your house,
which leads you to be proactive and establish goals and define ways to achieve
those goals.
Don't
let negativity get you down. The Power of Affirmations!
Call it the
power of positive thinking, the law of attraction, magic, or whatever
you want – your attitude and your beliefs may make a big difference in how successful
you are. Sometimes you just need a few positive affirmations to pave the way.
When Cathy Brennan, a
professional coach, speaker, and author wanted to sell her house, she used the
affirmation technique, because she had “two strong beliefs” she needed to get
over. “The first was that I would have a steady stream of people coming through
my house disrupting my life and the second was that buyers only offered 80% of
the asking price and lots of negotiating, and time was needed. Here are the
affirmations I used. Each one I used for about a week until the resistance was
gone, then the final one I used for about 3 months, before I even found a real
estate agent, until the house closed.
- “Wouldn’t it be nice to show my house
minimally, and sell it for 95% of the asking price.”
- “It’s
possible to show my house minimally, have an offer within 30 days of listing
and sell it for 95% of the asking price.”
- “I
am selling my house within 30 days of listing, closing 60 days after listing,
showing it minimally, for 95% of the asking price.”
Cathy goes on to say, “I did
sell my house to the first and only person who looked at it for 99% of the
asking price, within 30 days of listing and we closed one week after the 60-day
mark. By gradually adjusting my affirmation I was able to move through the
resistance I had and really claim and feel the final affirmation.”
Now it’s your turn, start
with something simple and try it on for size.
Make sure your
affirmations are positive, present tense and personal. (I have… I receive…
I am…)
- Include
words that convey positive, energetic feelings. ("It's fantastic that... I am delighted to.......I am so happy and excited
that...'
- Believe
that you deserve what you’re asking for. Too often, people carry feelings of "not
deserving" because that's what they were taught in childhood. Make peace
with your past so it won't screw up the present. Remember…It's never too late
to have a happy childhood, but the second one is up to you and no one else
- Feel
gratitude. Gratitude
sends out a powerful positive energy with your affirmations. It's a heart-based
feeling and also helps you feel trust and faith in the results of your
affirmations. See our
article Gratitude The Magic Key (http://www.focusonmexico.com/article.aspx?id=5968&terms)
The idea is to devise an
affirmation to cover the desired situation, in this case to sell your house.
Compose the affirmation and …
a) …repeat
it at least 15-20 times a day, or
b) …write
it out on paper and place it strategically around the house, where you'll
frequently see it. The message should be in front of you for the entire period
of time that it takes to sell your house.
Let’s Create!
Points to remember:
1.
Always in the first person: "I"
2. Always in the present: I am, I have, it is
3. Always positive: DO NOT use words like... don't, can't, will have
Some
Sell-Your-House Affirmations to get you started
- I deserve to sell my house quickly
and easily.
- I
deserve to sell my house quickly and easily, and it will so sell regardless of
the market conditions that will serve only to assist the sale
- I am going to sell my current home to the right buyers for the
right price bringing perfect satisfaction to all.
…Or
being positive enough to create an affirmation which reflects that the house
has already sold
- *My
house, address xxx, deservedly sold at an acceptable price. The transaction
went smoothly and quickly. We, as the Sellers and they, as the Purchasers are
very happy with the transaction
Conversely: The Creative Power of Worry
Consider this quote for a
moment.
"Worry
is a prayer for what we don't want" - Unknown
Powerful, isn't it? Knowing
that words and thoughts create our lives, why would someone choose to worry?
Having and maintaining a
positive attitude is vital for success in life. Zig Ziglar gets it right when
he says, "It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your
altitude." Sure you need skills, but you can learn
skills - in fact a positive attitude will make it much more likely that you
will learn the skills necessary to succeed. If you take two people with an
equal skill set, the person with the better attitude will win.
Unfortunately it is not always easy to stay positive and keep a good attitude. One
of the keys to maintaining a positive attitude is to understand that things
will go wrong. If you expect things to go wrong, you won't be fazed when they
do. So have a plan, but understand that things won't necessarily follow the
plan. The plan allows you to adapt to what went wrong and move back towards
what is important.
So keep on with your daily
affirmations, surround yourself with positive people, show thanks and
gratitude. The very act of focusing on what you are thankful for will help you
maintain your positive attitude.
Good luck!
Sources:
ezinearticles.com/?Selling-Your-House-Fast-in-a-Slow-Market&id=4365756
real-estate-blog.org/attitudes-every-real-estate-agent-should-foster/
realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108455
lifespy.com/2008/how-to-choose-an-real-estate-agent-to-sell-your-house
finance.getuniquearticles.com/tips-for-selling-real-estate-property/
rontdoor.com/Buy/Buyers-Remorse-Dos-And-Donts-For-Adjusting-Your-Attitude/55374
appraisals.com/featured/articles/positive-attitude/
upstartagent.com/2008/10/wiccan-house-selling-spell/
blog.agentharvest.com
achieveyourdreamsteachers.com/affirmations.htm
mgappraisals.com/featured/articles/positive-attitude/
articlesnatch.com/Article/Positive-Attitude-In-Sales
exclusivelybarrington.com/article.php?i=21&a=73
dumblittleman.com/2009/08/top-10-tips-for-maintaining-positive.html
ContentCrooner.com
buzzle.com/articles/do-affirmations-work.html
Karen McConnaughey: Operations Manager for
FocusOnMexico.
Focus On Mexico
offers 8-Day Educational Programs to Ajijic and Lake Chapala, Mexico
(2nd Best Climate in the World). Join us on a Focus program and learn why
thousands of Americans and Canadians chose to retire in Lake Chapala.
Our programs offer the perfect balance; a wonderful vacation and an
insightful, educational experience. Our expert speakers cover all topics:
Health Care, Real Estate, Legal System, Immigration, Bringing Pets, Cost of
Living, US Taxes for Americans, Non-Residency for Canadians, Living on the
Lakeside, Investing in Mexico, Mexican Economy and much more...
You’ll get everything you need to help you decide if Lake Chapala, Mexico is the place for
you, plus have a lot of fun doing it. Retiring in Mexico couldn't be better.