Patty, it's been five weeks today and one serious buyer and five just curious to see the basement because they loved the pictures and wanted to get ideas. The one serious buyer was ready to make an offer however his 16 year old daughter was calling the shots; she said the home was too big; no way. Home is immaculate, unmarked floors, carpet and walls, exceptionally clean and is supported by the feedback received (even from tire-kickers); it's just two of us living here, no pets or kids with us. Sure this home is priced higher than COMPS but comes with significant upgrades. I understand I won't recover value of upgrades but at least 30-40%; then what do I know. Dropped the price, new price showing on MLS since yeaterday, all sites are still not updated and now waiting for a reaction. The feedback below was before the price drop; absolutely everyone had the same comments about the property condition. If I were not moving coast to coast, I'd be tempted to just lock up, move, be closer to our daughter and commence building the new home; one can't leave a home unattended with no one but cameras to take care. 1. How was the curb appeal of this home? **Excellent** Good Fair Poor 2. What was the appearance of the interior of the home? **Clean and well-kept** Average Improvement Needed 3. Are there any features of the home that need improvement or updating? **No Improvements** Exterior Interior Carpet Appliances 4. How is this property priced in comparison to similar properties in the area? About Right **Somewhat overpriced** Substantially overpriced 5. What other items stood out about this property? The basement is fabulous! The home shows very well.

So..... I want to update everyone especially because your comments and suggestions have been so appreciated. It touches my heart the way total strangers freely give thoughtful advice on Gardenweb. And the outcome of this story should give all house shoppers everywhere hope and maybe a few chills. We did not get Peggy's house. The why and the various problems with the deal and the communication between our crappy realtor and the listing agent do not matter. We didn't get the house. I cried. I threw tantrums. I gave my husband the silent treatment for a week. I threw my arms up and said 'ok, that's it. I guess we can't move. We've run out of time.'--- I am on a strict timeline because plants have to be dug up and moved before cold weather sets in. I was so bummed. We ditched the realtor. Then... Thursday... a house appeared on mls... on my absolute favorite street in the new city in the very best of neighborhoods... recently renovated at a very high end level with great finishes almost all of which I would have chosen myself. We called the listing agent directly and saw the house Saturday. First people to see it. Met the owner- a wonderful elderly lady who loves the home so much she was in tears about selling it. Her husband (who was a professor at the same University where my husband teaches) passed away and she has health and mobility issues and no family in this town and needs to move near her children. Gardens are glorious... need work but like Peggy's house the structure is there. Very private lot. Floorplan is a dream for how we actually live and use a house. Yard already fenced for our dogs. Truly I could not have imagined a more perfect house. We made an almost full price offer right then and there. (Because we thought the price was fair and we can afford it.) Accepted. Closing set. All of this happened I believe because we were able to meet the owner and tell her about us and assure her that we would care for the home and gardens. I know this is not the norm in real estate transactions but I really think the human dimension matters. I am still shaking. I can't believe this all happened so quickly. I am pinching myself. It doesn't feel real!

No, $415 has not sold. But there was another house at just about that price that sold recently, and it was similar in condition and upgrade status to $415, but had air conditioning. (Which is why I think both $415 and $380 are overpriced) But I think the main thing with $380 is the negativity of the feedback overall. She knew the owners of the sold house and knows somehow that the feedback on $415 have not been as consistently negative. In other words it seems that, although they got/get a certain amount of "not interested" in the final analysis, they at least are getting some positive feedback on pricing and how it shows. I know the bottom line is getting the house sold and getting people to check the box that says "yes, interested" (and following though). But it was very helpful to me as a seller (who got a year +'s worth of "not interested" ) --to get feedback that said shows:"excellent" and priced: "just right" consistently enough to know that there were other factors involved. I think she is having trouble dealing with how bad a lot of house hunters apparently think this property is. She said to me that "they can *see what it looks like in the pictures and they can *read the listing, if they think it is so terrible why are they wasting their time?" I think this is a good question, and I think that what they are doing is looking at every house like this in the neighborhood and comparing them all. They may not be paying that much attention to those listing pictures. For example, my listing clearly stated that it was 2BR and 1 Bath and that there was an elevator in the building but you had to look for it. It also explicitly explained the condo fees. There was a LOT of feedback that it would be perfect but they wanted a powder room or another room like a den, that there was No Elevator, and that the condo fees were too high. --So why were they looking? Why were they missing the elevator (we put signs up eventually), and why were they missing the condo fees? I think because they were looking at Everything that met a general criteria rather than specific properties.

I add my condolences to the others here... It's good to simply say (or type) the words. Then they aren't just inside you, alone...(perhaps that makes sense). Should you choose to share more, I'm glad to listen...I know many here would be also... Here's hoping things will only improve for you from now on.