At the end of last month we had 3,959 active listings (houses for sale) in our area.  What I find interesting is of those 3,959, a lot of it is junk!  Today I was showing houses to a couple of buyers, and it was surprising how much of the homes were less than wonderful. We saw homes backing to busy streets, homes with old floors, old cabinetry, old fixtures, old appliances, strange odors.  The really nice stuff, the ones where you walk in the door and say "Wow," are few and far between.  Those are the houses which sell in record time.  Those are the ones with multiple offers, which often bring in top dollar prices. 

I think today's buyer has an expectation that homes should look really good. They want the granite counters, the high grade carpet, the pretty paint, the expensive landscaping.   They want the cool light fixtures and new appliances.  They want ambiance, style, the WOW factor! It doesn't matter if they are buying an 1,100 square foot bungalow or a 4,000 square foot sprawling rancher.  They want cool, classy, done right!  I know it exists.  I've seen it before.  I've sold it before. 

To sellers I say: Spend a little, make it pretty.  That will make it sell.  To buyers I say: You may have to open more doors these days in order to find your treasure.  But it does exist!