If Your Home Failed to Sell Once, Don't Repeat Your Mistakes


When a listing is unsuccessful, how should sellers proceed with putting their home back on the market a second time? Today I’d like to share my advice for this scenario.


What’s the key to earning top dollar for your home after your listing has expired or been canceled?

Sellers who were previously unsuccessful in moving their property off the market often approach me to ask what they should do next. As soon as their property is withdrawn from the market, agents start swooping in and offering their help. This can be overwhelming, and the entire experience tends to leave sellers feeling uncertain.

The first thing sellers should realize is that expired, canceled, and withdrawn listings are fairly uncommon at the moment. Our market has been very strong for the past six years, but this doesn’t guarantee that every listing will succeed. Buyers still want to strike a deal they can feel good about.

Our market has been very strong for the past six years, but this doesn’t guarantee that every listing will succeed.


And especially now that the market is shifting, we’re about to see a lot more homes failing to sell. If this has happened to you, and you are still motivated to put your home back on the market, there are a couple of things you must realize before relisting.

1. There has to be a dramatic change in your strategy. You can’t just put your home back on the market using the same techniques as before and expect different results. A dramatic change, whether it’s in price, in how the property is presented, or in the agent you work with, must occur.

2. Recognize that the market is shifting. Demand is down, rates are up, and buyers have more options than in the past. The best advice I can give you is to connect with two or three new agents and discuss what approach will be necessary to list successfully during this shift. You should also think about how quickly you will relist. The sooner you’re able to do so, the better. Waiting too long could cost you thousands.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or would like to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation about your real estate goals, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Buyers: Delaying Your Purchase May Not Be Your Best Option


Should you wait to purchase a home until values drop? The answer to this sounds simple, but the reality of our market is more complex than it may seem.


If you are a buyer, you have likely heard about the changes taking place in our market. Perhaps you have thought to yourself, “If a shift is coming and we’re at the market’s peak, maybe I should wait for a better price.

This all makes sense, but only if you are planning to purchase a home using cash. And this is not the case for the average buyer today. Most buyers right now are purchasing homes using a mortgage.

With that in mind, the thing you have to realize is that when you pay outright, the price of buying that home is a one-time expense. Mortgage payments, on the other hand, will hit your wallet every month. Waiting for a better price if you plan to purchase with a mortgage could actually make it more expensive to buy, since interest rates are on the rise.

If interest rates rise just 1%, then property values would have to fall 10% for you to have the same monthly payment. Given the fact that (at least) a 1%  rise in interest rates is more likely than a 10% drop in property values, waiting to buy may not equate to the savings many would hope.

The best advice I can give buyers is to meet with a lender and discuss what you can afford, and what is motivating your desire to purchase a home in the first place.


Buying a home for less but paying a higher monthly price for a mortgage does not make sense. The best advice I can give buyers is to meet with a lender and discuss what you can afford, and what is motivating your desire to purchase a home in the first place.

To put these current circumstances into context, it is important to realize that the market makes shifts every six to seven years. 2008 was one of the worst markets I, and many other people, have ever seen. Yet when the market shifted between 2012 and 2013, things improved. And we are now on schedule for another shift to occur. If historic precedent remains true, our market will likely continue on a six-year cycle of stabilizing, correcting, dipping, and then rising back up again. 

So, per this cycle, we can expect our market to remain strong for the next six to 12 months, and then we will likely see a dip. But, after that, it will come back up.

After selling real estate for 12 years, I can tell you that market conditions do not impact everyone equally. This is why it is so important for those of you who are considering buying to connect with a lender and start discussing your options.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sellers: Seize Your Chance at Listing Success While It Lasts


Many sellers are wondering where our market is headed. Today I’d like to shed some light on the shift that is taking place right now.


Where is our Orange County market headed?

If you’re a seller watching this video, this is probably a question that’s been on your mind. Buyers and sellers alike have been pretty spoiled by market conditions in the past six-and-a-half years or so. Interest rates have been at historic lows, and home prices have been going up consistently, having risen 50% in the last five years.

Yet these trends are not sustainable. For the last year or so, I’ve been hearing a lot of agents and mentors of mine talking about the market shifting, but this week was the first time I experienced what they were referencing firsthand.

I was recently working with a couple of sellers and had high expectations for their listings. We priced the properties aggressively, staged them, and did everything we needed to do to earn top dollar. Nevertheless, we didn’t see the outcome we were hoping for. In fact, two days ago I reduced the price of one of my seller’s listings. This is the first time I’ve done that in six years.

We are going to sell the property, but it will ultimately be for less than we had assumed we could earn. And that’s because the market shift is happening now.

If you are seller, now is the best time to connect with an agent and discuss your options.


This shift is actually affecting those in higher price points more than those in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. Whenever a shift occurs in the higher price points, it tends to only be a matter of months before the middle and lower price ranges begin to also see that same change.

The bottom line is this: If you are seller, now is the best time to connect with an agent and discuss your options. A lot of buyers are picky with what they’re spending money on. Prices are up, interest rates are up, and inventory is up. This gives buyers more choices, which lowers demand and breeds indecision. A broader range of homes to choose from can paralyze buyers, which contributes to more price reductions, higher days on market, and properties selling for lower-than-expected prices.

With that all said, I want to reiterate that sellers should act now before these conditions solidify.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or are curious about how I can assist you with meeting your real estate goals, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.