Chasing The Real Estate Market Downward  - Why your house is not selling

Often times homeowners fall into a common rut while trying to sell their homes — they overlook market trends, which can sabotage results. Two closings this past week
illustrate what not to do.

A property in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills, 14 Charla Dr, closed Feb. 14. This 1,760-
square-foot ranch with three bedrooms and one bath on .60 acre with room for a pool
was listed on the market for 889 days.

First listed Sept. 10, 2008 on StreetEasy.com for $775,000, the price was reduced six times by increments of 10 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent, 4 percent, 5 percent and then
12 percent on September 22, 2010 to $525,000. After the final ......

Contributed by Shell Brodnax, CEO Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)

The concept of real estate agents asking homeowners to tidy up when they sell their home is not new.  The days of agents asking sellers to clean up, bake some cookies and set out some candles are a thing of the past. What started out as common sense practices when selling a home has turned into what we now call real estate staging.

When staging first started, it consisted of simple de-cluttering, removing personal items and photos and moving around your furniture in occupied homes. A vacant property was staged by using just enough furniture to give the appearance the rooms were large and spacious.

The concept of appealing to the masses rather ......

Lucked out: Ramlia Saeed, 29, and Saeed Uzzaman, 31, stand in front of their new home in Novi last month. The couple got the four-bedroom, two-bath house for $231,000 -- but they had to wait nearly five months to seal the deal. / JARRAD HENDERSON/Detroit Free Press

Brian Pannebecker, 52, of Shelby Township lived through the head-scratching experience of a short sale.

He made an offer on a 1,550-square-foot home a mile from his that he wanted as a rental. He waited for months while the seller and bank negotiated only to have his offer refused. The home went into foreclosure and the bank sold it last fall for exactly what he offered.

"I was begging them for six months to take $130,000, and they were so worried about...