[5-DayForum] completed the process

[eric huang]

Scott,
I sold my San Francisco condo last year using the 5-day method. It was fast,
it worked, and everything went smoothly. I'm not good of a "story" teller,
but I'll tell you what worked and what didn't:

What worked:
1. Website created by George Cappony's service. Included listing in
craigslist.org, updated every 3 days. Also included traffic-tracking
software.
2. Closing agent - I used Help-U-Sell, they charge $3000 to handle the
transaction. They also let me borrow A-frame signs
3. A-Frame signs to advertise our open-house on the day-of. Decorate the
signs with helium balloons.
4. Walkie-talkies to handle communication between me and my helpers - got
lots of compliments on this ("You are so organized!)
5. Info-signs in each room (lets people do self-guided tour) about size,
carpeting, blinds, etc
6. Cleaning out all of the clutter. Think "minimalism" as your
home-decorating theme. (got lots of compliments about this). Minimize the
number of pieces of furniture in each room, get rid of knick-knacks, etc.
7. Minimum reserve price made me more confident about putting on the sale,
but wasn't really necessary.
8. Sending info about your sale to every mailing list I belonged to
9. Making the reserve so low, people said, "are you crazy?"
10. Pre-inspection report

What didn't work:
1. putting up signs around the neighborhood before the day of the
open-house. Takes a lot of time/energy, but nobody looks for a house by
reading signs on telephone poles.
2. newspaper ads - it did generate some interest, but I think readership for
newspapers is way down. If you are going to do this, buy Sunday to Sunday (8
days)

What I wish I had done:
1. advertise with flat-fee MLS - there is no reason to fear/dislike buyers
agents. Just say in your materials that people who have a buyers' agent will
get a 3% fee tacked on to the final bid price. That way everyone is happy.

By the way, with the website, you don't have to stay home to answer the
phone before the open house. I just went to work as usual and answered
people who left message on my answering machine. I got maybe 10 calls by
Friday, but almost 1000 unique IPs on my website by the end of open house
(about 600 by Friday night).

If you want to know any other details, just ask.

Eric


>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Scott Clawson <scott at scopeitout.us>
> To: <5-dayforum at mailman.howtosellyourhomein5days.com>
> Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 07:43:30 -0700
> Subject: [5-DayForum] I would like to hear from the people that completed
> the process
> Hi,
> My partner and I are going to conduct this 5-day process in the next 3
> weeks. Unfortunately it has to be on the upcoming holiday weekend but I am
> praying that turns out to be a positive and not a negative. No choice if
> we
> want to have it in May. We live in Seattle, Wa.  I read all these
> questions
> about the people who are going to do the 5-day process but what about
> those
> who have completed it recently. I would like to hear from you that have
> been
> through the process and how it went. Did it go like you thought? Did you
> get
> the price that you thought? Recently, One person posted that they were in
> the bidding stage and was going to get back but I never did see how it
> went.
> I would really like to hear the start to finish stories. Are there any out
> there who are reading these? Thanks.
>
> Scott/Todd
>
>
>
>
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