Signs of seller flexibility?
Sellers have been dangerously oblivious to the market downturn, no more so in the Boston area, where every home is just so special that no ordinary price will do.
"The market may be down, but not my house" has been the refrain of more than one seller confronted with the reality of a less than stellar market.
But a new Coldwell Banker survey of nearly 700 agents across the country points to signs that sellers may be finally getting with the program.
The vast majority of sellers are are now ready to get rid of clutter, slap on some fresh point and spiff up their house before putting it on the market, Coldwell Banker finds. (Of course the remaining six percent who won't lift a finger all live in the Boston area.)
Meanwhile, 78 percent say they are willing to "depersonalize" their home while nearly 60 percent are ready to bring in furniture and decorations to help woo buyers.
And what are buyers looking for?
Well at the moment it's not a fancy media center or attached athletic complex, but more basic items, Coldwell Banker finds.
Just 1 percent say an entertainment room or finished basement is the most important feature when looking at a house.
Instead, 33 percent put a new or updated kitchen at the top of their wish list, 14 percent cite an open floor plan, while 12 percent say a decent bathroom is a must.
