As a Realtor, I don't think the pictures are all that bad. I do agree with the family room throw and the table cloth. It would make it look better. I think the rugs are fine you can see the hardwoods and rugs show the floors have been protected.

We don't have a lot of control over Realtor.com they pull the listings from our MLS. Unless you pay for an upgraded featured agent we dont have any say with them. They also only allow a certain number of pictures that they choose. Hope this helps.

The house is nice, the photos are terrible, too dark and she's got too much clutter going on in there. All that furniture in the family room and that stick back chair with the blue gingham pillow right in front of the lens is horrible.. LOL
What's that tossed over a piano? get rid of it.
The "formal" dining room get rid of that tablecloth if anything.
I look beyond those things myself... but for listing purposes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

jlpcarter - if the listing is pulled onto realtor.com from the mls, then why are the number of bedrooms correct on R.com, but wrong on the realtor's website? I'm really not worried about the number of photos on R.Com, but why is there no description if it's pulled from the MLS?

pkguy - the house is very nice, but I feel the photos don't do it justice and she needs to declutter. I think that a photo of the entry taken from the opposite direction showing the whole entryway, stairs and entries to kitchen/DR/FR would be better to show the size.

I agree about the FR pic. The eating nook is beside it and she has a huge bay window beside the kitchen table. I would have thought the realtor would capture that. I think the FR pic doesn't do anything for the listing at all, yet a big, bright bay window beside an eating area would be better.

I'm afraid to say that tossed over the baby grand piano is a rug. Yes. A rug. *sigh* LOL It's a nice rug from Romania, though! LOL

I think the blue rug in the LR with the blankets on the couch and rug on the piano (who puts a rug on a baby grand???? LOL) makes the room look very busy and schmooshed together.

I'm having touble cutting and pasting the realtor.com page, so I can't comment on that. Can you post a direct link?

I don't think the photos are that bad. I think on this site a lot of people expect magazine quality photo spreads - as would I if I were selling an expensive home and writing a commission check for 25k. But in many (most?) areas, that's just not the standard and not everyone is up to fighting city hall. So IMHO it's not bad ennough to get on your MIL's case about it. If it were your house and you were concerned I would have a different opinion.

The house looks OK, I'm guessing whoever buys it will want the location (it backs up to a preserve or something?) and the five bedrooms. The bedroom count is an issue. realtor.com's search functions stinks, but I think it works for # of bedrooms. Getting the correct bedroom count in there is imperative. I'd focus on that.

BTW - is that Century21's standard website? I'm surprised it's not more attractive.

Sparksals,

You asked for honesty...

First the house is nice & appears to be a lot of home for the price point. The site looks lovely backed to the Reserve like it is. The home was built in '67 & looks typical for it's age; but with a nicely remodeled kitchen.

Are there things to criticize...of course. On this Forum we manage to find things to criticize with every listing. I find the pictures all to be darker than preferred so I would encourage the agent to lighten them (can probably be done via computer without reshooting).

I have no problem with any of the rugs including the piano. (BTW, I've played piano since I was four years old which is now several decades ago. Placing a rug over a grand piano in just the manner your MIL has done used to be quite popular.)

Kitchen photo looks fine, IMO.

About the tablecloth...I agree that the table would show better without it. However, if the tablecloth is a favorite piece of linens for your MIL, the tablecloth is NOT going to stop her home from selling. Asking her to remove something she loves MAY cause lasting damage. So, since I know that linens can be something older women are quite attached to...I'd just say that discretion is the better part of valor & let it go at that.

The blue gingham side-chair should have been slid out of the way for the family room photo & then returned to its place. It obviously was not. I don't disagree with many of your assessments of the pictures, however...

From looking at the age of the house, the style & placement of furnishings & accessories, I'm guessing your MIL is 70+ years old? If that is the case, my first priority would be to ease transition to her new home. I didn't see anything in the pictures that would actually prevent the home from selling...certainly nothing worth upsetting MIL over. Especially asking her to "declutter" which, to her, might mean packing away things she loves. The home is not at all showing chock-full of trinkets/knick nacks that are distracting so I don't believe it's a big deal & I agree 100% with your comment of concern about "overwhelming her with criticism".

So, in summary...could the home be tweaked for better pictures? Yes, I believe it could. You stated that, "I have my issues...." & "I think the photos are crappy...".

Since the older we get the harder change becomes & I sense your MIL is not 50 years old, & is facing a large transition in her life...I'd zipper my mouth, bite my tongue, & anything else I had to do to keep my criticism to myself allowing her Realtor to make any suggestions. Telling your MIL that the photos of her home look "crappy" is not going to bode well for your future relations with her.

Your MIL's feelings & your relationship with her are far more important than a rug over the piano. If she were my MIL, I'd put my efforts into allowing her to redundantly express her feelings about leaving a long-time home filled with memories & leave any 'critique' to her Realtor. Is your FIL still alive? If so, you might try talking to him? If not, then personally I see your comments about the pictures/listing as being hot-potato issues that won't actually help sell the house & best left unsaid.

Remember...you DID ask for honesty.

Tricia

Does she have someone that could help her move some things for the photos? Maybe if your hubby told her that he looked at the pics and wondered why they didn't shoot from the doorway, or move chairs; she may not get upset. After all, she does want to sell, right? I don't understand why some realtors leave light chairs in the way when they are easily moved :(

I'm actually from the area, got out of there 14 years ago. I don't miss it. The house will probably sell, looks nice on the inside & out. She has a 2 car garage & basement. The location is desirable, I know a few nurses from Robert Wood that live around there.

I agree with Tricia about the table cloth. Perhaps you can send her a gift card to Linen & Things to get place mats, napkins & rings to dress it up a little? I don't see much more then what everyone else does. One thing I do notice is the potty in the entry, and the chair on the right with stuff on it. I would rather the pic be taken standing at the door.

The Century 21 site is horrible. I can see the pics better using my agents Remax site. I wonder if they had to shoot from the angles they did due to the sun coming in. I was having that problem the other day. In order to get pics of everything we want to put on our listing, the realtor would have to be here all day.

I think what is more important to me is that the pictures show the rooms and allow me to give an idea of the layout. The one of the entry with a nice view of the "toity" does nothing for me.

The floors can be seen, the rugs don't bother me, the clutter don't bother me, however it seems like nowadays those listing that get a lot of interest first are those with photos that look like out of a magazine even if they don't show the layout etc. of the house.

Since the house won't have different furniture etc. when people go to look at it I don't see the photos having to look magazine like either. I think the photos should highlight the size of the house and features such as the bay window you mentioned. Maybe a better one of the kitchen and just be very very clean. A clean house in every corner matters so much more for my impression of things and makes a difference in how I view it no matter what type of furniture or paint color it has.

Sparkels, I read all of the comments before I looked at the sites. I expected alot worse than I saw. I don't think the pictures are bad, they show rooms sizes, nice hardwood floors, an updated kitchen, a nice entry. Most people don't anaylze pictures like the posters on this site, since I guess this is what this site is all about.

As far as showing pictures of the masterbedroom, personally, I try to show the best pictures of any house. The object is to get people in there. If you say its dated and they rule it out before they even make the appointment, I can't sell the house. IF they come, see nice hardwoods, a nice yard, and updated kitchen, and then a dated masterbedroom, it doesnt seem like such a big deal.

Realtor.com is fed from MLS so the # of bedrooms should be the same on there as MLS. Also, agents don't get to write the realtor.com description. Realtor.com simply takes bits and pieces of information from the listing.

I agree with Tricia 100%, your MILs relationship is much more important than bringing up issues about her listing when you seem to be overreacting a bit about what is actually there. Maybe because you know the house so well, others don't. (You wanted total honesty).

I would say, leave it be, the pictures are not that bad, they certainly arent going to stop anyone from looking at the house.

Who took these photos? Did the photographer have some pressing appointment and only have ten minutes to do the job? This is a sloppy presentation, starting with the most important exterior shot of the front of the house. I'm glad there is a nice mature tree in the front yard, but this angle distracts from the house and makes the unshaded grass look dead. NEVER photograph a house with a car in the driveway. (Well, maybe a mansion with a pair of Jags.)

That's a lovely entry. It's nice to have a powder room there, but this isn't the view we need to see. Is there something wrong with the opposite view -- taken from the doorway to the stairs? TURN THE LIGHTS ON and remove all the daily living "stuff" before you shoot. (This goes for all the shots.)

LR -- Strip it. Remove the piano drape and whatever is over the back of the sofa. Take out the oversized coffee table (and the foot stool under it). De-clutter.

FR -- Strip it. Remove the chair and lamp sitting in the doorway entry path. Is there a window in this room? Show it. TV? Don't show it.

KIT -- Photographer too lazy to push in the chairs around the table? (gee whiz!) Take out the paper ornament on the ceiling fixture and everything on the countertop except a decorative bowl or pitcher. Hide the countertop microwave.

DR -- Clear off the top and shelf of the buffet. Table cloth is too small. Better none or mats.

Backyard -- Rather see master BR (from doorway, looking towards windows, not a bed photo).

This is a nice, clean, live-able house -- but we don't want it to look like someone came in off the street in the niddle of someone's life there and "took a few snaps". A house has to be "presented" to appeal to as many viewers as possible. The owner doesn't have to LIVE with these changes, they are just for the photos. (Although I think the house will show better with fewer pieces of furniture.) If it is too disturbing for her to see changes, take her out for the afternoon until the photographer is finished and someone has moved things back.

Why is it listed so low, compared to the neighboring home? Maybe the listing agent doesn't NEED to make it look good because at this price it's a sure thing?

Thank you all for your feedback:

Solie - R.com link below

Tricae - Yep, MIL is 70 YO and widowed 1.5 years ago. She's a pretty strong lady, so I don't believe she's caught up in the sadness of selling the family home and she doesn't have alot of sentimental attachment to her things. In fact, she's given alot away (Anyone want to buy a baby grand?? She's selling it) and offered alot of stuff to the kids.

She has already bought a condo in DC and is excited to move. Perhaps when the house is empty or when it sells, she will get a bit misty, but right now, she seems perfectly fine. I will take your suggestions to heart and if I do say anything, limit the comments so as not to upset her.

I think the main issue with the photos is that I feel it is the realtor's job to tell her to move those items out of the way to take a better photo and most of them are taken from bad angles, especially the FR and entry. I agree that taking it from the opposite side to show the stairs and the entries to kitchen/DR/FR would be better.

LOL - I wouldn't tell MIL the photos are crappy!! LOL I do have a bit of decorum! She knows I frequent RE sites and keep up to date trends. She asks my advice frequently, so I think she would take my comments as they are intended.

Thanks for the honesty - I do appreciate it!

Roselvr - I have no doubt the house will sell if the one up the street is any indication. I'm actually surprised that one sold so quickly as it has a pool which takes up the entire backyard is a hit or miss kind of thing for buyers. She has a gorgeous, private back yard.

Never thought of the sun angle when taking the photos. That could be it, although the entry pic would not be affected if it was taken from the opposite direction. The only one that would be affected if the photo was taken, was of the bay window in the eating area.

I agree that the Century21 website is horrible!

Weird! I just went to remax and saw the listing. THERE it is listed as 5 bedroom, but at the LA's website, C21, it only shows as 4 bedrooms.

lyfia - I think you're right that we're a bit more critical and expect magazine calibre photos for listings. I don't think MIL's are all *that* bad, but since I've been in the house, I know what would better showcase it in terms of its positive features.

Linda - that's a very good point that the better photos need to be taken to get people inside. Thanks for your honesty. I do appreciate it.

chisue - That is exactly what I thought when I saw the photos initially - that there was no thought that went into them and that the realtor rushed through it since she didn't take the time to have MIL move a few things to make them look better placed - aka the chair in the FR.

Yes, there is a huge bay window in the eating area that is beside the FR. She's got some lovely plants on there, but it also shows the neighbour's house, although it's not super close. That could be why the bay window photo was not taken.

I didn't even notice the paper ornament in the kitchen! lol

It is definitely priced to sell. I was surprised that she listed so low when she has a solid comp down the street. Same floorplan, no updated kitchen, no h/w, no back addition with woodstove.

Here is a link that might be useful: Realtor.com Link

I pretty much concur with all of the comments that a bit of decluttering can't hurt...and the photos don't help...
However..if she has 6 showing in a week that is a good amount of traffic all things considered...

Has there been any meaningful feedback that may provide a better clue as to why the people who were interested enough to acutally see the home in person did not make an offer?

Especially since a smaller home with an older kitchen sold for quite a bit more...it seems that the area itself would not be an issue...

I'm not surprised at the showings. It's new on the market and IMO it's underpriced! ('Course I don't live there, but if a comp with less space sold for more just recently...)

Here's hoping for the best, and that your MIL will enjoy the big change to condo living! Tell her to start as fresh as she wants --why not get new everyday dishes and towels or whatever for the new place?

logic - I will have to call to ask if there's been any feedback. I forgot to ask her that.

I did call her today and told her about the number of bedrooms error in the realtor's listing. She was really appreciative and said she'd call the realtor right away.

I didn't mention the photos, but if it gets to the point there's no offers or showings dwindle, then I will make the suggestion.

chisue -she's looking forward to the move, especially for the reduction in taxes! NJ is highway robbery when it comes to that!

Her area is really nice. It's very private, with lots of mature trees. If I was looking for a house, I'd love to live on a street like she does.

There is some updating that needs to be done, but I think her price reflects that. But at least the major ones - the kitchen and hardwood are already there. The rest would be paint and some carpet removal.

This house is a five level split. It's got lots of space for a family. I know it will sell and I was hoping her realtor woudl have been a bit better with the photo taking.

The first two words of the house description are LOCATION, LOCATION, so maybe the agent isn't terribly worried about needing good photos to get people into the house.

But, yes, you are right, the photos are dark and taken from poor angles. If this were my house, I would want the photos taken over in brighter light. And I would remove a lot of things from the rooms and re-arrange the furniture temporarily while the photos are being retaken so that the eye is not distracted.

What I would want to communicate to your MIL is that the photos of the house don't do it justice. The eye sees a photograph quite differently than it does the actual thing. What looks warm and inviting in real life looks cluttered in a photo, making the rooms look smaller than they are. For example, point out in the photo of the family room how the eye is drawn to the blue cushion on the chair and then bounces over to the two lampshades. Yet if you stand where the photographer did, you wouldn't notice the blue cushion or the lampshades.

Staging and photographing a room takes time, patience and good lighting. You could offer to stage the rooms and re-photograph them.

graywings - She definitely has location on her side. She is 5 minutes to the train and bus stations and shopping is very nearby.

You are definitely right about how the photos make a room appear compared to what it looks like in person.

Unfortunately, I'm in AZ. But I am planning a trip out there in July. If it hasn't sold by then, I will suggest re-takes and help her de-clutter.

My concern is people will see the clutter and skip over it as I'm one of the people who can't get past over the top decorating. Hers isn't OTT and all bias aside, I would probably want to see the house if it's in my price range. If anything, I'd probably be pleasantly surprised by the interior since the photos don't do it justice.

sparksals,

I've read your comments several times that you "can't get past over the top decorating". It makes me scratch my head a bit. Out of nothing more than curiousity, what do you mean by "over the top"?

For instance, hypothetically, if I had a plaid chair in my living room & you don't like plaid...would you pass on the entire house? If I used a blue/yellow floral quilt on the master bed would that turn you off to the entire room? If my china hutch was full of sterling & you prefer pottery...would that blow out the dining room?

Or, in actuality, since I have a large collection of antique china...if it were visible & you didn't like the color/pattern are you saying you couldn't look at the house because you didn't like my china? I just can't wrap my mind around that.

I don't mean to be dense; I don't understand what somebody's decorating has to do with a house other than, maybe, I have to repaint or change flooring materials.

I saw "things" in your MIL's home but I didn't see "clutter". Clutter, to me, is 3 weeks worth of newspapers strewn around the family room floor, discarded junk mail littering the kitchen countertops, a trail of clothes running from the front door down the hallway & into a bedroom ending on the floor in front of the closet, or a couple dozen kid's toys on the furniture or floor. I must be a bit of a snoop 'cause I enjoy seeing people's different decorating styles & I always look for "collections" to get a feel of who they are. I'm so opposite, if I were to walk into a house stripped of personal items I'd be likely to turn to DH & say, "Gee honey, I don't think this house feels like home. The place just feels cold. Let's keep looking." I'm a real people person & always immediately look for ways to "relate" to anyone I encounter. It's very interesting to me reading about people's differences.

Tricia

Tricia - I can get past people's decorating in terms of the personal items you described (well, except for that Victorian house we debated about a week ago - THAT was OTT!).

What I have trouble with are things that are difficult to change such as horrendous wallpaper, old carpet and mishmash paint colours. When I see homes like that, I see alot of work and alot of money to expend to get it the way we want.

Some people view changing flooring as an inexpensive proposition. Depending on the size of the home, I don't view flooring as an easy or inexpensive fix. But, hey, dh and I are young, so what is expensive to us now may not seem to be 10 years from now when we are more financially established.

MIL's house is not like this at all. As was stated upthread, most buyers don't have the eye for the photos like we do as we want them to be magazine quality. But let's face it, the photos give the buyer a first impression that may also be the last prompting them to skip over the home altogether.

I do have a problem with the photos in that the realtor just seemed to snap them without any thought on how they would appear. I would think a good realtor would have suggested to remove the chair with the blue/white pillow and place the chairs neatly around the kitchen table.

Having said that, no, MIL's house is not horribly cluttered, although I do think the LR looks the most cluttered because of the conflicting carpets and the rug on the BG piano. But, most people can see past that and so could I.

The only updating work is the masterbed, the baths and the addition on the back of the house that has old carpet.

I do see what you're saying about getting a feel for the people by their decorating style. How many wonderful photos do we see where the house is furnished, but stripped of all personality and homey feeling? Tonnes! However, I have a much easier time envisioning when the room is a clean slate and more bare than one that is filled with clutter.

Amazing the difference, eh?

Fun & interesting...thanks, sparksals.

I'm a "collector"...well, if you want to call dust bunnies & three dead flies on my kitchen windowsill a collection?! lol Not in the sense that I collect 100 of the same type item; but I do haunt auctions for "perfect" antique picture frames. I think it would be hard for somebody to paint a mental picture of me by walking through our home 'cause I'm so ecclectic.

I hope your MIL's home sells easily for her. She's got a great location & the home has lots to offer.

Tricia

She definitely has location on her side. She is 5 minutes to the train and bus stations and shopping is very nearby.

She also has a few hospitals: Robert Wood, Cancer Institute, Raritan Bay Medical Center & Muhlenberg isn't that far either. She's fairly close to the Woodbridge mall & can get to route 22 & the parkway pretty easily.

What I have trouble with are things that are difficult to change such as horrendous wallpaper, old carpet and mishmash paint colours. When I see homes like that, I see alot of work and alot of money to expend to get it the way we want.

Our dining room / hallway carpet could use to be replaced but it isn't as bad as some houses I've seen selling for $100,000 more than mine. I haven't steam cleaned it yet (hopefully tomorrow); but I'm hoping that someone will see past the carpet. The house is in move in condition. A bit used but move in ready.

I do have a problem with the photos in that the realtor just seemed to snap them without any thought on how they would appear. I would think a good realtor would have suggested to remove the chair with the blue/white pillow and place the chairs neatly around the kitchen table.

I have to say I do too. I can't believe they put photos up that are that dark. How much trouble is it to lighten them a little?

I also can't believe they were too lazy to move a few things, they had to see that chair when looking through the camera.

Rose - I think you've got a very nice house. It looks absolutely spotless! I can see why you have the roselvr nick!

Have you posted your listing yet?

What I love most about MIL's house is the property. Her lot is huge and surrounded by trees in the back. When dh was a kid, he would immerse himself in the forest behind them, play cops and robbers and go down to the creek. He took me for a walk through the area the first time I was there and it would be an amazing place to grow up. Unfortunately, times have changed that kids can't run free like they did when we were kids.

I have sat on MIL's deck and seen deer through the trees and she gets many different types of birds.

Tricia - well at least we have one thing in common! I have the dead flies too! lol

Hmm...I think we may have discovered the stumbling block...

The house is described on the MLS as a "colonial"....however, you state above that it is a five level split. This is something that can't be determined by the pictures.

IMO...this could be why none of those six who looked made an offer...as they are looking for a colonial, which most people correctly assume is generally two main living levels...and not five.

Unfortunately...not everyone likes splits...too many stairs...harder to keep an eye on the kids, etc...actually there was a whole thread on here a few years back on this very topic.

I've linked to it below, in case there is nay helpful info in there for you to utilize.

That said...the MLS listing is attracting colonial buyers...not split level buyers, and therefore it is targeting the wrong market.

The MLS should be changed to reflect the type of house that it is...in order to attract those buyers who want a split level home...

That way, at least those who express interest will be more apt to make an offer...as it is the type of house that they want buy...

The home is really very, very nice...so I would not be surprised if this is indeed why there have been no offers.

Logic - good point. Never thought of that. Although, it's not one of the "traditional" split levels with the entry that you have to immediately go up or downstairs or go down to the family room.

The majority of the living space - DR/Kitchen/FR/Den (with woodstove)- are all on the main floor and same floor as the front entrance. Had the realtor took the photo of the entry from the opposite direction, people would see that going up half the stairs is the LR and then the stairs turn to go up to the bedrooms.

From the FR is stairs going down to one bedroom and then another flight to the full basement. So, only two rooms are split.

What is the def'n of colonial?

A "colonial" home is generally a very traditional style home, based upon those that were built by the early settlers.

A true colonialor, colonial revival home as understood by most is a two story home...center hall (with L/R on one side and D/R on the other...or side hall (with L/R and D/R all on one side)...with certain characteristic featurescolumns, porches, symmetry on either side of the door, porticos, pediments, etc

Many of the more recently built colonials are actually "neo-colonials" as they combine the features of many of the different types of colonials into one (Farmhouse, Dutch, Nantucket, Georgian, Cape Cod, etc)

The split level design came about in the 70's and was VERY popular for a very long time...and still is with many peoplejust not allwhich is why someone who really wants a colonial will most likely not be interested in a split.

In addition, a potential buyer could be very well be turned off when they arrive for a showing and see that the house was misrepresented...which may lead them to wonder if anything else is being misrepresented as well.....NOT exactly the place where any seller wants a buyer's mind to wander...

In addition, those who ARE looking for a split level will ignore the MLS listing because it states that it is a colonial

Below is a link that explains the different types of split level homes..advantagesdisadvantages, etc...

HTH :-)

Check out these listings in Piscataway...you will see they are not listed as colonials..but bi-levels..

MLS# 716808, MLS# 2399186

Thanks for the link describing the different styles of split levels. I wonder if the realtor made a judgment call because it doesn't fall into any of the explanations you provided.

The only area that is split is halfway up the stairs to the LR or den, then the upstairs where the bedrooms are, cover the entire lower level of the house.

The downstairs bedroom is at bi-level basement area with the windows that look out to ground level, then the full basement underneath the rest of the house.

From the description, I grew up in a Colonial, or perhaps neo-colonial house and I've always thought that MIL's house was similar style despite the two rooms separated.

I will get her to ask the realtor why she classified it as colonial vs. split.

From all the splits I've seen, this is very unusual and that the upstairs den, would probably equate to a Great or Bonus room in todays housing lingo.

What are homes referred to today, the newer type that has the great room halfway up the stairs towards the bedrooms?

What you have described is just one of the many variations of the split lay-out...as the main living areas are spread out on two different levels (Kit, D/R F/R/Den on one...L/R on another) and bedrooms on two different levels..(up and down....)

That is 4 levels of living space...as opposed to the colonial two...

That said, the type of colonial you describe..with the two story great room, is a neo-colonial...as the main living space (it is based upon the location of the room itself...not the height of the room)is still divided among only two levels.

IMO...the agent either made an error...or purposely listed it incorrectly hoping to get the colonial crowd to buy a split.

Ok, I'm still a bit confused. The LR/great room is not on the main living level. Are you saying to be a *true* colonial, the LR/greatroom should be on the same level as all the other living areas? And is it the bedrooms that determine split vs. colonial when there is only one room on the splits? Gee, I would've never thought a 5 level split as a negative, since most are either bi-levels or 4 level splits.

There are 4 bedrooms upstairs, with the 5th, on the way down to the basement. It is a huge bedroom. Would MIL be better served to set up that bedroom as her office and stage the office upstairs as a bedroom?

She doesn't seem too concerned. She did get some feedback from the showings:
1. HOuse was too big. Ok, I don't view that as a negative.
2. Someone didn't like the kitchen sink. WTF? A house priced well below comps, with h/w throughout and excellent kitchen, someone is complaining about the sink? Petty much?
3. Basement smells musty. This could be an issue. It's humid. No water problems. She has put the de-humidifier as well as an air purifier down there, so hopefully that will help.

There was an open house this weekend. Only two people showed up. Realtor marketed, put an ad in the paper, did up a nice booklet/info package for the house. I should have asked her if an infotube is on the sign outside.

It sounds like she's adequately marketing it, but the 4 vs. 5 bedrooms on her website still has not been fixed. MIL said she would call her again tomorrow as she already called her last week about that issue.

sparksals: "The LR/great room is not on the main living level. Are you saying to be a *true* colonial, the LR/greatroom should be on the same level as all the other living areas?"

Yes. The LR/great room on another level than the D/R, Kit & F/R Den is one of the main hallmarks of a split-level.

sparksals:"And is it the bedrooms that determine split vs. colonial when there is only one room on the splits?"

Only if there is also a main living space room on its own level (as is the case with the LR/great room of your MIL's house) and with another room...in this case a B/R, on another level...that is not actually the basement.because there is yet another level that really IS the basement.

Bottom line, with your MIL's home...one has to go up and down three different sets of stairs to access all of the living areas of the home.

Some folks will find that to be a PITA in terms of vacuuming, cleaning etc...and if not for their own use.for that of elderly relatives who frequently visit...or, for keeping a close watch on kids. Also...the more stairs a home has...the more stairs that need to be baby gated from toddlers...puppies, etc.

In a colonial, one has to go up and down only one set of stairs to access all of the living areas of the home....which stands true even in those colonials with front and back staircases...as both start and stop on the same levels...so, if one chooses to use only one staircase...they can still access all living areas by one set of stairs...not three.

This is one of the reasons why colonials tend to be more popular.and easier to sell.which is why one rarely sees split levels being built as new construction.

IMOit appears that when one boils it down, the number of levels that the living space is spread out upon is the issue not how those levels are designated.

The home in which I was raised was termed "Georgian Colonial". However...The ground floor (over a full basement) comprised Vestibule, Foyer, LR, DR, Kitchen, screened porch. Two steps up from the Foyer was a powder room. Ten steps above that was a BR and bath over the 2-car garage. Another three steps took you to the "second floor" with three BRs and a bath. The house was built in the late 1930s. I doubt anyone would call it a "split level" even today. Is the difference having all the "public rooms" on the first level?

A Colonial means main living spaces (L/R, D/R, Kit, F/R, Den) on the first floor..bedrooms on the second.

The house you describe may have had a Georgian Colonial elevation...but inside..it was indeed a split...as one had to use four different sets of stairs to access all of the living space.

Some split levels were built as early as the 30's...but gained huge popularity in the 60's and 70's...

Here is a definition of Georgian Colonial:

"...The defining characteristics of Georgian architecture are its square, symmetrical shape, central door, and straight lines of windows on the first and second floor. There is usually a decorative crown above the door and flattened columns to either side of it. The door leads to an entryway with stairway and hall aligned along the center of the house. All rooms branch off of these. Georgian buildings, in the English manner were ideally in brick, with wood trim, wooden columns and entablatures painted white. In the US, one found both brick buildings as well as those in wood with clapboards. They were usually painted white, though sometimes a pale yellow. This differentiated them from most other structures that were usually not painted.

A Colonial-style house usually has a formally-defined living room, dining room and family room. The bedrooms are typically on the second floor. They also have one or two chimneys that can be very large...."

From the link below:

"Split Level:

Two or three sets of short stairs, three or four levels. Entry on a middle floor between two floors. The front door opens directly into what is usually the formal living area. This mid-level floor houses LR, DR, K, and has a short flight of stairs leading up to bedrooms, and another short flight of stairs leading down to informal living areas and garage. All true splits have at least three levels; many have a fourth level or cellar below the formal living room/entry level...."

Thanks for clarifying, logic. It's certainly iffy since the split level defn above doesn't fit MIL's house, yet technically, it is a split solely because of the LR and Bedroom on split floors.

Is there such thing as a colonial-split? LOL

Interestingly enough, on the Realtor.com listing (which does list it as a 5 bedroom), your MIL's house is called a "customized colonial"...and, they itemized the floor plan as follows:

Den on first level, Dining room on first level, Family room on first level, Foyer on first level, Kitchen on first level, Living room on first level, Powder room on first level,

Master bathroom, Shower stall, Stall and Tub, 1 bedroom on second level,

4 bedrooms on third level, Main bathroom on third level, third bathroom on third level..

IMO, the term "customized colonial" was created to disguise the "split" factor...but the above description belies the title...

One more point...I noticed on Realtor.com that the home is in the River Road subdivision...River Road is super busy and conjested.....especially with all of the construction going on with Rt. 18 as it approaches 287...
There is nothing that can be done about this for now...but I think that this may factor in to the equation...

logic - I noticed those descriptions too. They didn't seem too accurate because the LR is not on the first level, but on the "split" halfway up to the bedroom floor.

It seems she has the levels mixed up. With the main floor being the first level, the bedrooms would be on the third and the one bedroom would be on the first lower level above the basement and the LR on the 2nd. Is that enough to be misleading?

As for River Road - coming from Brunswick, (sorry, I don't know directions) you turn right on her street. Her turnoff is directly across the street from a large park on River Road and further up the street is a major freeway that was under construction two years ago when we were there. Sorry, I don't know the Rt. numbers you're talking about. Is it Hyland Park?

Her little subdivision is very private and quiet, with her house bordering on Rutgers forest land.

Are you talking about congestion further up River Road in the opposite direction of Brunswick? Whenever I drove down River to go to Brunswick and to the train station, there wasn't alot of traffic, but there was on River further up beyond the freeway that had the construction.

The number of bedrooms has finally been fixed. However, in the realtor's ammenities on her website, she has the flooring as w/w carpet when the ONLY carpeted room is the den and lower level bedroom. The rest of the house, including bedrooms is hardwood. She has hardwood in the description, but to me, it sounds like conflicting information.

I have picked and chosen what to tell MIL per the advice here. I told her about the mistake in number of bedrooms, which definitely is important. I haven't said anything about the pics. Are any of these issues important enough to tell MIL to have the realtor fix? Aka split vs. colonial, the mistakes in the room levels and especially the mistake in flooring under ammenities?

One more point...I noticed on Realtor.com that the home is in the River Road subdivision...River Road is super busy and conjested.....especially with all of the construction going on with Rt. 18 as it approaches 287...
There is nothing that can be done about this for now...but I think that this may factor in to the equation...

What part of North Jersey isn't congested? It's why I moved down here. Construction & congestion is a way of life in a lot of those main towns. When my dad had cancer & we were driving to New Brunswick to Robert Wood 3 days a week, I didn't miss all of that Rt 18 traffic. I didn't think it was any worst a year ago then when I moved.

Rose - I think you've got a very nice house. It looks absolutely spotless! I can see why you have the roselvr nick!

Have you posted your listing yet?

There used to be close to 160 roses in those gardens :)

I posted here the other day. I haven't posted the MLS link yet.

I would absolutely clarify that the home is NOT a traditional colonial. It's a split-level home & I agree that people could easily feel mislead when they tour the home. Better to call it what it is...5-level split. Then, your MIL will get potential buyers who are willing to deal with the stairs.

I would also get the hardwood versus wall-to-wall carpeting issue corrected 'cause that's important to quite a few buyers today. The number of bedrooms seems to have been corrected, as per your post above.

I'll leave any decluttering suggestions or picture re-shoots to your discretion. I don't think they are nearly as bad as your original post sounded.

Tricia

I agree with Tricia....and, the fact that the photos have been taken in such a way that any evidence of the "levels" is omitted may only further mislead a potential buyer regarding the layout.

In addition, although much of NJ is congested...some parts are worse than others....

I'm not exactly clear on where this development is along the stretch of River Road...but a good part of that area continues to be adversely affected by the Rt. 18/287 off ramp construction...

Just a thought.

I just mapquested it and it's across from Johnson park off of River btwn rts 18 and 27 (Rariton).

Yes..that is teh area that I am referring to in terms of construction congestion.

We were on that section of River Road a few weeks back on a Sunday....it is the route that everyone takes to get to and from 287 (highway) to Rt. 18...there was non-stop traffic......and it is only two lanes...I commented to DH at the time that I would not want to have to enter the road from any the side roads...especially weekdays...and during rush hour...when the workers are in action.

That's interesting. Whenever I've driven up River around from Brunswick, I never had a problem with traffic. However, I've only been there twice for three week periods.

When I talk to MIL next, I'm going to ask her why she thinks the realtor listed it as a colonial instead of a split level.

logic -- Thanks for the discussion of Georgian Colonial and splits. I think our old home looked more colonial than "split" though. The stairs were "all of a piece": Foyer, two steps north, landing, ten steps east, landing, three steps south, gallery hallway to BRs. When I picture split levels I picture bits of stairs scattered around the house.

I came across this in a novel and am unsure what it means:
The windows were pedimented and consoled. I know "pediments" but had the windows suffered a loss? LOL

LOL! I think they were probably referring to the decorative brackets that one sometimes sees supporting the pediments....as they are called "consoles"..

That said, IMO, the Georgian Colonial...I think it still classifies as a split...as far as I can see, its the number of levels that count...not where they are placed...

Glad you enjoyed the discussion...as did I...architectural styles is one of my interests. :-)

sparksals, how is your MIL's sale going? Did the market stop up there too?

Rose - she called me on the weekend to say she has an offer coming in after less than a month on the market. Not too shabby. Her realtor was away for the 4th. I wondered why the realtor didn't arrange for another realtor to present it to MIL because she had to wait 5 days to see it!

She got verbal info though - Asking is $519K, offered $485 with contingency to sell their house. OUCH. MIL called for my advice as she really doesn't want to do that since it essentially takes her house off the market or at least would significantly reduce showings.

This is what I suggested.

1. Before she accepts selling contingency, first get her realtor to pull comps in the buyer's area to ensure they are priced realistically.

2. Go view their house to see if it is sellable.

3. Put a time limit of 30 days (or whatever is common in the area) to sell the house.

4. Kickout clause of 72 hours - or whatever is normal for the area

5. Commitment letter from lender

6. In exchange for selling contingency, house is AS IS. They can have an inspection, but she won't fix anything.

7. 500K firm and final if she accepts selling contingency to prevent back and forth countering.

I explained to her that this is the prime selling season in NJ and she will lose ALOT of showings because the house is under contract. Her realtor says she will still have open houses, but she would be losing alot of her exposure by accepting it.

I will have to call her today to find out what she did.

Wow. I think I would have rather hear that it stopped up there too instead of reading that! That hurts! She should have listed for more according to what else sold at $537, but she listed at $519,9 which sounded priced to move quickly. To think she'd have to accept close to $35,000 lower really bites!

I know I would not want to pull my house off of the market right now when things "should" start picking up in the next few weeks. IMO, the people that have to relocate won't be able to wait much longer for those price drops and will need to start purchasing some of the inventory. I'm hoping this will level things off so that people don't have to have such a big loss. $35,000 on a home like mine would hurt.

3. Put a time limit of 30 days (or whatever is common in the area) to sell the house.

I would see if it can go less than that. 30 days is a long time

Rose,

The plot thickens. She received a counter back from them. Keep in mind, with the selling contingency, she said $500K is firm as she didn't want to counter back and forth.

They came back with this counter:

1. $495K
2. SIXTY days to sell their home
3. Not As is.

In the meantime, she drove by their house and saw that there's at least 8 houses on the street for sale. Her realtor pulled the comps and they are priced at $359K, which she thought was high for the lower/middle class neighbourhood.

MIL countered back with her previous counter. Firm and final. She was ticked because she made it clear in her first counter that the price was not negotiable with the selling contingency and then they came back wanting two months to sell their house? Heck no!

I can understand this is a buyer's market, but considering her home IS priced to sell, it has a completely updated kitchen and hardwood throughout, she is not willing to go below $500K with a seller's contingency. Without it, then she may move on price, but there is no way she will keep the house tied up in a contract for 2 months during the height of the selling season. She will lose too many viewings. She's not concerned about the price as she is financially secure and this will be gravy for her. But like you, we would need as much money out of the house as possible, and we would push the solid comp from a month ago in terms of her listing price.

She hasn't heard back from them, but given the neighbourhood their house is in, her house is quite a step up for these people and she's concerned that if they can't lift the contingency or get financing, she has wasted alot of time.

In the meantime, a few weeks ago, there was a couple who looked at her home and wanted to put in an offer. They had a contract on their condo and just before the wrote it up, their contract fell through. They now have another contract on their home and they are coming on Sunday for a third visit. Looks promising.

One of their comments from condo couple was the house needs updating, so MIL thinks they may lowball. I told MIL that she has a completely updated kitchen and hardwood throughout. The only thing that needs updating is the upstairs bathroom and if they wanted to paint. Considering the kitchen is done and with the hardwood, those are the updates that would cost a buyer the most to do. In a 3500 sq. ft. home, that would be a huge expense and she is of the mind her home is priced to sell. The updates that need to be done can be done so inexpensively.

So, we'll see what they come up with and then take it from there. At least there won't be a selling contingency. Given she's been on the market about one month and is expecting her second offer, that tells me that her pricing is in a good ballpark.

Oh and the 30 days selling contingency - I told her to consult with her realtor on the timeframe for that. I presume the realtor thought that was fair in this type of market.

Anyone? What do you think of a 30 day selling contingency that she originally countered? Too long? Not long enough?