San Diego Short Sale and Foreclosed Homes

 
 

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Relief appears imminent for thousands of Sacramento homeowners hit with state tax bills for mortgage debts forgiven in 2009.

State lawmakers said Monday they plan to cancel the state tax obligations with a vote Thursday.

Shannon Murphy, spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, said legislation will go before the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee today and the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, and will receive a full vote Thursday.

A similar Senate floor vote planned Thursday would send the bill immediately to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has repeatedly stated his support. The new bill is similar to one he vetoed March 25. But this time it omits a part he opposed – financial penalties for businesses that routinely seek state tax refunds. Democrats removed the section despite their contention that some firms "fish" for refunds whether or not they're owed.

Monday, Schwarzenegger spokesman Mike Naple said the governor "hopes the Legislature fully addresses the concerns raised in previous versions of this bill."

The new movement means that Californians who got unexpected tax bills of $10,000 or more in recent weeks could soon be off the hook. Most are borrowers who received loan modifications last year or lost their houses in short sales, in which banks accept prices below what they're owed. In both cases, lenders forgave some of the debts owed them, a process that exposes borrowers afterward to taxes.

"We want to get it done before the (April 15) tax deadline," said Alicia Trost, spokeswoman for Sen. President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. "We don't want to have people jump through hoops."

Many across the state have anxiously waited for the state to resolve the issue before the tax filing deadline – or have filed extensions.

Typically the state and federal governments view forgiven home loan debt as additional income and tax it. But both have backed off amid the housing crash. The federal government has suspended taxes on forgiven mortgage debt from 2007 through 2012. California suspended it for the 2007 and 2008 tax years. But disagreements over the business tax refunds stalled a bill extending it to 2009.

The bill being considered this week, Senate Bill 401, would cancel state tax obligations for forgiven mortgage debt through the 2012 tax year. The Assembly planned Monday to rewrite SB 401 from a bill regarding tax shelters to one that aligns much of California's tax law with that of the IRS. That includes canceling taxes on forgiven mortgage debt and on recipients of federal renewable energy grants.

"We haven't done a tax- conforming bill for four years, so it's important to get that done," Trost said Monday.



Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/06/2657410/california-expected-to-cancel.html#ixzz0kmKwdcjL
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The number of previously owned homes placed under sales contract surged 8.2% in February, according to data released Monday, the first sign that the government's extended tax credit for buyers may bolster sales this spring.

The National Assn. of Realtors said Monday that its pending home sales index, a forward-looking measure based on contracts signed, rose to 97.6 in February from a downwardly revised 90.2 in January. That was 17.3% above February 2009, when the index was at 83.2.

A reading of 100 is equivalent to the amount of activity hit during 2001, when home prices began their record climb and when the data were first measured.

"I don't expect a vigorous market resurgence or a sharp, new rise in home prices," said Michael D. Larson, a housing and interest rate analyst with Weiss Research.

"Foreclosure inventory will continue to be doled out into the market over the next year or two, taking some vigor out of this recovery," Larson said. "But it will be a recovery nonetheless, one warmly welcomed by battered home sellers, banks and home builders."

The Midwest notched the biggest increase, rising 21.8%. Pending sales climbed 9.2% in the South and 9% in the Northeast, but fell nearly 4.8% in the West.

Sales nationally have plummeted for three consecutive months beginning in December after surging last fall as buyers rushed to take advantage of the government's credit for first-time purchases before its initial November expiration.

Congress extended that incentive of as much as $8,000 for first-time borrowers through the end of April and expanded it to include as much as $6,500 for some current homeowners.

Contracts signed typically lead to closings in one or two months, although distressed sales such as foreclosure sales and short sales often can take longer.
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With the subprime market in ruins, affordable housing advocates are looking at new ways to promote responsible homeownership for low and moderate income families. While many policy makers would resign low and moderate income families to rental housing, a new study makes a case for keeping the door open to homeownership at all income levels.

Risky loans, not risky borrowers, are responsible for the foreclosure crisis—according to a study released Thursday by the Corporation for Enterprise Development and the Urban Institute. (Read the full study.)

Low-income home buyers who purchased homes through a program that often required them to have their mortgage loans reviewed and approved, were two to three times less likely to lose their homes to foreclosure than families with similar finances.

Researchers looked at home buyers who received matching federal and private dollars for every dollar they put away in an Individual Development Account or IDA. Most programs offered a two-to-one match; but some allow for a four-to-one match or greater.

But before participants can receive a matching grant, they’re required to complete financial literacy courses and their mortgage loans must sometimes be approved by counselors, who advise clients against risky loans. Often, they’re steered toward home-buyer assistance programs or certain lenders who can help them get government-insured loans.

“I think the fact that they’re saving toward a goal, they’re required to have financial education… and they’re getting counseling along the way–I think all of these things work together,” says Andrea Levere, president of the Corporation for Enterprise Development.

CFED found that IDA savers had a foreclosure rate of 3.1% as of April 2009, compared to about 7% for other home buyers with loans lower than $390,000. About 1.5% of IDA savers had loans with high interest rates, compared to nearly 20% of the broader sample of homeowners.

The study analyzed data from nearly 260,000 home sales, including 831 homebuyers who participated in IDA programs to purchase homes between 1999 and 2008. The IDA savers came from California, Indiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas and they had a median income of $25,400 a year. Nearly three quarters were women and two-thirds were racial or ethnic minorities. They were compared to home buyers with similar incomes, loan amounts and credit scores.

Several groups who offer IDAs also report low foreclosure rates among participants. Of the 100 people who purchased homes with matched savings programs through Earn, a nonprofit in San Francisco that focuses on helping low income families save, Earn says only three have gone into foreclosure. Only one of the 168 homes purchased by participants in New Hampshire’s IDA program between 2001 and 2008 went into foreclosure.

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WASHINGTON — The government launched a new effort Monday to speed up the time-consuming, often-frustrating process of selling your home if you owe more than it's worth.

The Obama administration will give $3,000 for moving expenses to homeowners who complete such a sale — known as a short sale — or agree to turn over the deed of the property to the lender. It's designed for homeowners who are in financial trouble but don't qualify for the administration's $75 billion mortgage modification program.

Owners will still lose their homes, but a short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure doesn't hurt a borrower's credit score for as much time as a foreclosure.

For lenders, a home usually fetches more money in a short sale than a foreclosure. And the bank avoids expensive legal bills, cleanup fees and maintenance costs that follow a foreclosure.

"It's very traumatic and embarrassing and frustrating to go through a foreclosure," said Laurie Maggiano, policy director of the Treasury Department's homeownership preservation office. With a short sale, she said, "your financial issues are your own problem and not neighborhood conversation."

Falling home prices and lost jobs have forced many sellers into this position. For example, in Orange County short sales made up about 26 percent of the market in March, compared with 17 percent a year earlier, according to data complied by Altera Real Estate, a local brokerage.

AdvertisementIn the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, about 12 percent of all deals since October were short sales, up from about 8 percent a year earlier, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors.

The expanded incentives will help accelerate short sales, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. He expects 350,000 homeowners nationwide to use the program through the end of 2012, more than double his earlier forecast.

A short sale appears to be the only way out for Brandee Chambers, 36, of Las Vegas. She got into trouble during the housing boom by taking out a risky loan against her home and using the money to buy two investment properties in Phoenix.

She later lost those two properties to foreclosure, and now she is trying to sell the home she lives in for $209,000, but the mortgage balance is $350,000.

Chambers, who owns two hair salons, says she would rather stay in her home, where she lives with her 14-year-old son. But she had no luck getting help with her loan. She said she's resigned to scaling back her lifestyle and renting out an apartment.

"I've had to accept a lot in the last year," she says.

For buyers, though, short sales can be a great opportunity.

Marco Cappelli, 49, a winemaker from Northern California, is planning to buy a short sale this month in the Sierra Nevada foothills. He and his wife are paying $214,000 for a property that had been listed at $270,000. The pair plan to fix it up, install a hot tub and rent it out to vacationers.

Along with the financial incentives, the new government program makes another key change. Mortgage companies will have to set their minimum bid before the house is listed for sale. If the offer is above that, the lender must accept it.

That's a big change from current practice. Lenders generally don't calculate how much money they are willing to accept on a short sale until they have an offer in hand, causing long delays before the sale is approved.

The new program "will give us a degree of efficiency that we have not had in the past," said Matt Vernon, Bank of America's executive in charge of short sales and foreclosed properties.

Under the new process, buyers who submit an offer to purchase a home in a short sale should get a response within two weeks, as opposed to months. If that happens as planned, it would be a big improvement. Real estate agents across the country have complained that lenders are often difficult to reach, sometimes only communicating by e-mail and infrequently at that.

"You're one of 400 properties on a screen," said Dave Bauer, a real estate agent in Danville.

Some real estate agents who specialize in short sales are optimistic. "It could be the first government program that actually helps Las Vegas," said Steve Hawks, a real estate agent there who specializes in short sales. Most borrowers in Las Vegas, he said, owe so much more on their mortgages than their properties are worth they can't qualify for a loan modification.

The Treasury Department outlined the plan in November, but doubled the original $1,500 in relocation money after realizing that many homeowners need more cash to move out. That's because landlords usually want large deposits from people whose credit records have gone sour after missing mortgage payments.

However, there are plenty of restrictions. To qualify, the home needs to be a borrower's primary residence. Homeowners either have to be behind on their mortgages or on the verge of becoming delinquent.

Currently, the program is not available for mortgages owned or guaranteed by mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, though the two government-controlled companies will soon follow suit, said the Treasury's Maggiano.

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Reporting from WashingtonHome buyers tend to want it all, especially in this age of affordability, when prices and mortgage rates are low.

But this also is the age of frugality, a time of economic uncertainty when many people are not as concerned about their next pay raise as they are about the next round of layoffs. So today's buyers are far more willing to do without "extras."

The question is what to give up: Do you really need a formal living room? A fifth bedroom would be nice, but is it a necessity? And what about that view of a golf course? 

Many builders rely on surveys that quiz would-be buyers about their preferences to help answer these and numerous other questions so they know how to outfit their latest designs. But buyer wannabes have yet to make any of the hard decisions. 

A recent study of more than 22,000 owners who bought their homes within the last nine years sheds light on where buyers were willing to put their money and may provide important clues for builders, architects and current buyers. After all, if your predecessors didn't opt for an outsize backyard patio equipped with a five-burner grill, maybe it's not as necessary as you think.

The survey by Avid Ratings of Madison, Wis., found that current homeowners planned to be "more practical" the next time around.

For example, a community clubhouse is "not a big deal anymore," Avid Chief Executive Paul Cardis said at the recent International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, where he detailed his findings on a panel with design experts. Health clubs that people end up using "maybe five times a year" can be eliminated, as can dog parks and golf courses -- even 24-hour security.

"No one said a swimming pool is a must, either," said Cardis, who has worked with more than 400 builders in the U.S. and Canada.

A children's playground, however, is essential, as are walking paths.

Inside, large kitchens are still a must-have, but formal dining rooms are not. Upstairs laundry rooms and home theaters aren't necessities either.

Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill., said a major take-away from Avid's findings was that builders and buyers should "focus more on spaces, not rooms."

For builders, McCune said, the key is construction efficiency, with simpler rooflines and simpler foundations. For buyers, the key is to "rethink space." For example, buyers should look for kitchen cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling for added space and efficiency. And they should pass on expensive "focal point" stairways, opting instead for steps that are tucked away and out of sight.

Along those same lines, Carol Lavender, president of Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, said builders and buyers should be on the lookout for dead space. And she suggested that if the dining room or media room is eliminated, at least some of that square footage should be put into secondary bedrooms.

"People are willing to live in less square footage, but it has to be livable," Lavender said. "They won't accept a 10-by-10 bedroom anymore."

Avid's survey also found that there has been a "huge transition" toward such "green" features as high-efficiency appliances, insulation and windows that are not large expanses of glass. "Homeowners are getting it," Cardis said. "If they want efficient windows, they need less glass."

Recycled materials, though, have not made it onto many people's radar screens. They just don't pay attention yet to the recycled content of the building products that go into their homes.

Large kitchens are still essential, according to the Avid research. But if you are thinking about nixing the kitchen island, think again, Cardis said. "Islands remain super-strong."

Home offices or studies are a must among first-time buyers, vacation-home buyers, custom-home buyers and even empty nesters, the survey found.

Main-floor master bedrooms are a big deal to practically every segment of the market. Even first-timers find them desirable. 

Two-car garages are still a must "across the board," and three-car garages are desirable.

In the master bath, whirlpool tubs are giving way to soaker tubs. But both are secondary to oversize showers with overhead shower heads and seating. Master bedrooms can be shrunk, McCune observed.
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A new study by First American CoreLogic finds that it could take until late 2015 or early 2016 for the typical underwater borrower to have positive home equity, and that homeowners in some of the nation’s hardest hit markets, such as Detroit, could be underwater until as late as 2020.

First American CoreLogicClick to enlargeSo-called “underwater” homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth could be holding their breath for much of the next decade.

Of the 10 markets examined in the report, Atlanta, Dallas and Washington, D.C., are the first markets to return underwater homeowners back to positive equity in 2015, followed by Boston and California’s Inland Empire one year later. Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Fort Myers, Fla., and Lancaster, Pa., aren’t projected to return to positive equity until 2019.

The study notes that even markets where fewer borrowers have negative equity could take a long time to recover “because the few borrowers that are upside down are deeply in negative equity and these are typically not high appreciation markets.”

The research, of course, makes certain assumptions about long-term home prices and how quickly borrowers will pay off their loans. As a baseline, the research uses market-specific forecasts for short-term growth, an annual 3% increase in long-term prices, and average loan balances that decrease through amortization at an annual rate of 3.3%.

Under best-case and worst-case scenarios, which use annual home-price appreciation of 5% and 1.5%, respectively, positive equity begins to return in 2013 and 2017.

The findings show just how paralyzing the negative equity problem could become for the economy over the next few years, as more homeowners are trapped in homes that they can’t sell or refinance. Certainly, delinquencies should slow down once jobs begin to return, and once home prices stabilize, fewer borrowers will be incented to walk away from homes when they can still afford to pay. But the long after-effects of negative equity is one reason that some housing analysts are worried about housing markets taking many years to return to normal.

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The very mention of a home listing being a SHORT SALE is enough to send many real estate agents running away screaming.  Many agents advise their buyers to NOT buy a short sale listing or sometimes they say they will not even work with someone if they insist on offering on a short sale. 

First, as a listing agent that takes a lot of short sale properties, sometimes the buyer's agent isn't in totally unfounded territory.  MANY agents that take short sale listings are NOT short sale agents!  I saw an agent that had over 20 short sale listings and yet a quick survey of that agent's closings over the last 3 years showed that he had not CLOSED even one short sale!  That's one that even I would tell a buyer to stay away from as it has virtually ZERO chance of ever closing!   However,  if the agent knows what they are doing, a short sale can and DOES close  (I've closed a lot of short sales and have failed to get a short sale listing closed only once in the last 5 years!)

That's really not where I wanted to go with this post though.  I got to thinking about short sales, foreclosures and how it is percieved by the agents showing the houses!

1.  Because of the slow processing time of most banks for sellers requesting short sales, showings are often limited...This limited amount of showing exposure leads to less competitive offers or fewer people wanting the home while it is a short sale. 

2. A short sale buyer will often pay MORE for a short sale than they will for a FORECLOSURE.  WHY? Because most buyer's and buyer's agents are aware that there is a home seller involved in the short sale process.  For instance, the short sale that I was unable to get bank approval on was listed at $130,000.  We had an offer for $125,000 and the bank rejected the offer over $2400.  The property was forclosed and listed for $119,000.   So the bank rejected an offer and have it LISTED for sale $3600 less than they would have gotten by accepting the short sale offer.  In addition, the bank has to pay holding costs for an additional 5 months, totalling just over $2500 (that's additional taxes and HOA dues that won't go away).  They also had to pay for the cost of going through the foreclosure process...with attorney fees et al, that's usually in the $15,000 range.  So, because the offer was $2400 short of what the bank wanted, they will sell the house at approximately $18,000 less than the short sale offer.

3.  When the bank forecloses on the property, the house has been marketed already for 3-6 months as a short sale.  When ANY home sits for 3-6 months on the market, what do most buyers assume about the house?  "THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT HOUSE OR IT WOULD HAVE SOLD".  Yeah, we talk to sellers all the time about how overpricing can lead to lengthy times on the market and "STIGMA" that goes with just sitting.  It may not be a REAL stigma but it is certainly perceived!

4.  Banks get a reputation for being "difficult to deal with".   One doesn't need to talk to many short sale agents to hear that Bank of America is at the bottom of the list of banks we want to deal with.  Wells Fargo isn't far behind.  In Bank of America's defense, they are trying to improve that by going through the EQUATOR system to manage shortsale turn around times.  I've got my first short sale with BoA in Equator now, so only time will tell if they are able to correct the horrendous turn around times, but in the meantime, many agents see that terrible turn around time extend even to foreclosure properties making that many more potential buyers hesitant to put offers in.

5.  Decreased showings as a short sale OR as a foreclosure HURT the bank trying to sell the home.  It costs them at the bottom line because less competition HURTS their market.  The more people that see a house, the more that MAY potentially want the house...the opposite is true as well.

I know many agents that will not take a short sale listing.  Me? I'm ok with them but know that each one is going to be a battle.  It doesn't have to be that way if the bank would look at the process as something that can actually BENEFIT them rather than the way many of the negotiators I have talked with look at it, as if they are doing the seller or buyer a favor.  If it's all about "the bottom line" as many negotiators have told,  they would be wise to not only look at the bottom line but the "big picture" as well!

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This may seem a bit harsh but it is just plain speaking honest commentary regarding my experience as a buyer's agent.  The statements below are taken directly from the comments and behaviors of buyers viewing homes for sale.  It not meant to be negative but rather is meant to give sellers a bit of a look into the buyer's head.  A chance to see things from the buyer's perspective without the candy coating we agents typically put on things.

10) Leave your "friendly" dog roaming free inside the house when you know we are coming to see it.

Not all buyers are dog people.
Many whether they are dog people or not will actually be scared of your dog.
I have had clients refuse to go into homes because the dog was out.  Or they go in but don't stay long because the dog is either scared of them or overly friendly.  It's hard to pay attention to a home when your nether regions are being inspected by Fido. 
If the buyers are true dog people they are going to focus on the dog not on the house.
Trust me I have seen it happen.  
One way or the other your pet has effectively distracted the buyer from looking at your home.

9) Leave something aromatic cooking in the crock pot for your dinner that night

Not all buyers are going to be fans of your food choices.  In fact if it is particularly aromatic and something the buyer's don't care for, they are likely to ask me if I think the smell will come out or leave quickly because they don't like the smell.  
They were so focused on your food choice they didn't look at your house.

8) Keep photos of your family up throughout the house

Guess what, buyers are going to look at your family photos to try to figure out who you are, do they know you, how many kids do you have?

Guess what they are not doing?  Looking at your house.

7) Keep all your nick knacks out

I know they are precious to you but honestly they are distracting to the buyer.  Instead of looking at the fabulous mantle the buyer will be looking at all the items on the mantel.  As with family photos, buyers will often comment on these items trying to form opinions on who you, the sellers, are rather than focusing on the home.

Pack them up in boxes so you have one less thing to do later on moving day.

6) Make it difficult for me to show your house

I know selling your home is a pain, that you have a life and the appointment time I'm suggesting might not fit into your schedule.   
But, hey I have a buyer that wants to look at your house.  
You want to sell your house right?  
Know what happens when you can't make that appointment time work?  The buyer goes and looks at other houses that are available to see at that time.  Do buyers reschedule to see your house at a later date?  Often times not.  Many buyers find another home that they like or are just not interested in going back to see one they couldn't see right away.  I am not saying that you have to turn your life completely upside down and backwards.  I am just saying that if our appointment time does not work for you don't be surprised when we don't reschedule.  The buyer is likely to have moved on.

5) To continue on the pet theme, leave your cat roaming free throughout the house with a note by the front door stating "Please do not let the cat out".

You are setting up a stressful rather than relaxing situation for the potential buyer and for me the buyers agent.  Buyers are forced to dash in and out of doors rather than wander freely throughout the home and property.  They miss out on the opportunity to call back into the house to their spouse or partner that "they have got to come see this garden, bbq area, hot tub etc" because they had to shut the door so the cat didn't get out.  If they do get wrapped up in looking at the house and forget to shut doors I have to remind them instead of pointing out the features and benefits of your property.  You just made me the nagging hall monitor instead of the helpful agent.  When your pet does manage a jail break, as I swear 99% of them do, I am forced to give chase to Houdini the Wonder Kitty.  Meanwhile my buyers are cooling their heals either irritated that we are off schedule or more likely worried that you are going to be mad if we don't catch your pet and get them back inside your home.

Again the focus has been shifted away from your home.

4) Don't replace burned out light bulbs or use low wattage bulbs.

Yes I know it's only the laundry room, a closet or the spare bedroom you never use but guess what? The buyer wants to see these spaces and when the buyer can't see it they can't form an opinion.  Use a good high watt bulb that appropriatley lights the space.  While the lower wattage bulb will save on your electric bill it will also make for a dark space.  Dark spaces do not impress buyers.  I will typically bring a flash light to help out when a bulb is out but it is still not the same as having a working bulb with the appropriate wattage to light the room to the best benefit.  Buyers will focus on the burned out bulb instead of the space.  Is it just the bulb?  Is there something wrong with the fixture?  If the bulb is dim buyers will focus on how dark the space is instead of how useful it might be.

Don't give them a chance to wonder and worry just replace the bulb and show off the assests of your home in the "best light".

3) Close all the curtains and turn off all the lights

When we walk into the house instead of immediately noticing the great things about the house we are going to be fumbling around looking for light switches.  It is likely that either I or one of the buyers may stub a toe on a hall table trying to find the switch.  Buyers are hesitant to enter dark areas.  In a home that is dark the buyers tend to follow me around as I turn lights on instead of lingering in various rooms to focus on what they might like about a room.  They feel more like they are intruding and less like they are welcome.  Instead of paying attention to the homes benefits they worry about whether they remembered to turn a light off as they left a room.   They also don't get as much of my attention because instead of being able to answer their questions about whether or not the fridge is included or what the square footage of the lot is I am running around opening and shutting drapes and turning light switches on and off.

I know it may not be practical to leave all the drapes open and all the lights on all the time.  At least leave the drapes open on the windows with the best views and leave a few lights on so we can find our way around the house.  If it was on when we got there I will leave it on when we depart.  If it was off I will turn it off.  Please at least leave the porch light on.  I do carry a flashlight but it is just not the same as pulling up to a home with a welcoming porch light on.

2) Turn the heat down

I know especially if you have already moved out that you would like to save on that energy bill but if it is colder in your house than it is outside buyers don't want to linger.  They don't get a warm cozy feeling from your home.  They just feel cold and that feeling transfers to an emotional opinion of your home.  If you can't keep the heat all the way up at least keep it at 55 so we are comfortable in our coats and for heaven sake if you are going to turn the heat down don't expect us to take our shoes off, leave some shoe covers.

One of the quickest ways to drive a potential buyer out of your house is to make them view a cold house in stocking feet.  It is hard to admire the spacious kitchen when your feet are being flash frozen by the cold tile floors.

1) Stay in your home while we are showing it

This is the BEST most SURE FIRE way to make a large majority of buyers uncomfortable.  Buyers don't even come close to paying attention to the features and benefits of a home if you are there.  They are so nervous about offending you and so uncomfortable looking at your home while you sit in your living room or worse follow them around that they rush through. They will tell you thanks for letting them look and dash out. Upon leaving they can't begin to tell me if they noticed what colors the wall were, if there was carpet in the living room or if they liked the kitchen or not. 

What they do tell me is "That was uncomfortable", "I don't like looking at homes when the seller is there" and "Can you make sure the seller will be gone at the next one, if they are there I don't want to see it"

Leave, even if you go sit in your car, take a walk around the block or dash over to your neighbors, just leave.  The buyer will stay longer and pay more attention to your home then if you are there.  If they are interested in your home and have questions I will call your agent and ask.  Think about it.  Would you feel comfortable wandering through someone's master bedroom and checking out the closet space while they were sitting in the living room?

If the buyers fall in love with you home and decide to make an offer there will likely come a time where they will want to meet you and discuss your home at length and in detail with you. Typically buyer's and seller's agents are more than happy to set up this meeting.  It is just not the first time the buyers are viewing your home.

Again, Please keep in mind these statements are meant to be helpful to sellers and give them a chance to look at things from the buyer's perspective.  These are just some of the things that may not typically be thought of as a big deal but do in fact distract buyers focus. 

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