But they might not be entirely comparable, said Ann Whelan, an associate broker with ReMax100 in Ellicott City. The comparable figures don't distinguish between the house in a cul de sac and the one by the traffic light; the sold price doesn't indicate what assistance, such as $20,000 in closing costs or new energy-saving appliances, the seller provided. Agents have access to seller subsidy data.
SOLUTION: Drop the price to capture a new set of potential buyers, Witman said. Some 80 percent of buyers search online, where most tools automatically divvy up the market in $25,000 or $50,000 increments (though you can change the parameters). The house should drop into a lower price range.
Re-evaluate how much money you're willing to provide in assistance to a buyer. Offering your car or other goods unrelated to the house is more of a distraction than help.
2. Location is a turnoff
Location is key but it can mean more than whether your house is in the city or the country. A double-yellow line on the street in front, a train track behind, a shopping center parking lot nearby - they're buyer turnoffs. Less obvious is the neighbor's unkempt backyard and a dearth of parking.
SOLUTION: There's no moving the house, but there are some things a seller can do.
Hide the neighbor's yard with a fence or shrubs, said La Verne Gucker of Coldwell Banker in Annapolis. Draw attention to conveniences.
On a busy street? Landscape with a berm and shrubs.
Dealing with a parking issue now, Nelson said in an e-mail that she is having a seller draw up plans for a carport and obtain preliminary government approval, then obtaining three contractor bids to use as a selling point. "We'll offer to credit the amount of the middle contractor's bid to any buyer who offers the full selling price (obviously increasing our asking price to account for the credit)," she wrote.
Also, she asked the sellers to ensure generous indoor and outdoor storage space.
3. House has no visual pizazz
A generation of cable-TV watchers knows this: A house is supposed to be nicely landscaped, have a crisp interior and appear inviting. Would-be buyers may skip a house that falls short in looks.
Carol Schmidt, president of Chase Fitzgerald & Co., said many buyers lack the imagination to envision what a so-so house could look like spruced up.
"You've got to make your listing stand out," she said. "If a shutter is missing, or a flower bed isn't mulched, you think, 'What else are they missing?' "
