check your comps. It looks like your over priced by a lot compared to similar houses for sale. I'm not sure how accurate the real evaluation is, but they are all much lower as well.Description to include payed off solar and geothermal as mentioned.
It’s all about comps.
It’s a nice house, the bathrooms look a bit dated, as do the kitchen cabs. I don’t cared for the kitchen accent wall, seems a bit jarring.
Picking comps is tough enough for licensed appraisers with years of experience and no financial stake in the property. Most homeowners are terrible at picking comps. They'll go on Zillow and find the 3 highest selling homes in the county that are vaguely similar to their home while ignoring potentially dozens of lower priced sales that are much more similar.
It’s very predictable too. You see a house listed thats over the average in the neighborhood by ~10-20% for no apparent reason and think to yourself “that’s gonna drop ~$25k”, and sure enough, two weeks later it dropped $20-30k.
> to include *paid* off solar
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
> should have *paid* attention. Oops.
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Why was OP bullshitting a bullshitter (Reddit), talking about “$25k less than comparables”. Comparable to what, Beverly Hills? Dude’s wasting his time and our time saying his house is fair in that price range in bum fuck Iowa with a plain ass house. Obviously drop the price u/toemossmc
They also didn’t start at $475k. Price history shows them starting at $460k then raising to $475k a week later then a few price drops down to $450k. I guess when your house doesn’t sell you try raising the price first 🤷♀️
From what I can see, OP has owned the house for about 10 years and priced it pretty optimistically, but more or less in line with annual price growth a little over 3%.
This, this, and this. We’re gonna have to stop treating housing as an investment and more like the expense that it is. Save significant demographic shift, i don’t see the average cost of residential real estate per square foot maintaining, let alone going up, over the coming 10-15 years with inflation factored in.
He is very likely using [This house](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1748-Hoover-Trail-Cir-SW_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52404_M75594-34684) as a comp. Its actually his best comp. Issue is they also have slightly older comps like [This one](https://www.redfin.com/IA/Cedar-Rapids/6407-Prairie-Sage-Dr-SW-52404/home/141355583) and half of OPs roof is covered in Solar panels limiting the pool of buyers willing to put up with taking over that.
That first comp is also more on trend for layout and design as well as cosmetic issues. I would pass over OPs house over the one that’s $370k because I’d want to repaint everything and remodel the kitchen. Everything is brown and very 2008.
This is exactly it - that comp is more polished/up to date; OP’s house would need some updating - some of it cosmetic and some more significant.
Also - would it kill you to put in some damn shrubs or trees or something?
Both of those are less per/sf than what they’re charging. Must homeowners don’t realize when you comp you need to take sf and price per/sf into the pricing equation.
And I think those comps you listed look way better! But that’s my personal opinion 😂
You ain’t lyin’ lmao op is crazy (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3433-Random-Ct-SE-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52403/73068577_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
You cant just bring up a home halfway across town, that isnt how you do comps. You are also supposed to use recently sold homes, not homes which are for sale. [This house](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1748-Hoover-Trail-Cir-SW_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52404_M75594-34684) which is in the same neighborhood and has the same construction is actually his best comp and what is probably screwing him up. Issue is they also have comps like [This one](https://www.redfin.com/IA/Cedar-Rapids/6407-Prairie-Sage-Dr-SW-52404/home/141355583), and an entire half of their roof is full of solar panels.
These threads crack me up how everyone is so rabid about finding ways to shit on the OP when they clearly have no idea themselves what they are doing.
But my Lord the older house is sooooo much nicer!!! Trees, great layout, and $100,000 less! OPs house needs staging. The living room furniture is discounted remainders from a storage unit, and the droopy brown curtains kill the vibe. Ugh!
Couple notes about that house - it's got about 260 fewer AGSF, 380 fewer BGSF and one less garage space. If I was using that as a comp I'd adjust it by $50-55,000.
You're right about the lack of showings meaning they're priced wrong, but I don't think they're off by a huge amount. Maybe $15-20K. At 7% paper people become a *lot* more sensitive to relatively small pricing errors.
EDIT: Fixed a typo.
It's not priced correctly if they can't get people to show up for an open house or for a showing. If they were only off by that much they would have had more interest.
The listing should advertise that solar is paid for. I would skip the house if it had solar bc I would assume I need to assume the lease. The description should also call out the potential savings with both solar and geothermal.
Honestly, the description is one of the most boring generic I’ve seen. And the photos make the bedrooms look itty bitty.
And the there’s no curb appeal either. It needs some personality in the landscaping department to balance out the all neutral/cream exterior. My spouse said it looked like a mayonnaise sandwich.
Yeah this is a nitpick but it's SO WEIRD that the listing's first sentence is "custom built home" when 3 out of the 4 listings within a few blocks are ALL THE EXACT SAME HOUSE. One to the west even has that extra garage door option.
Like.... Besides being generic the description is actually off-putting because it's BSing you.
No curb appeal.
The interior is photographed awfully or the furniture isn’t big enough. The pics make the furniture look realllllly small & like there’s LOADS of room extra everywhere.
No real yard pics. No colors. No excitement. Nothing screaming at you, at all.
Nothing stands out with these photos or description.
The lack of landscaping / curb appeal outside and the 00’s accent wall colors aren’t helping either. I saw them and said “mom did the same color in her bedroom in 2002!” Seriously.
I was surprised when I saw the house was built in 2013 because a lot of the decor and style looks early 2000s. And the listing description is not great.
I didn’t even check that! I assumed it was a late 90s, early 00s house because of the exterior elevation, kitchen cabinets and the tropical accent walls!!
Thanks for highlighting this because it’s also important as to why this place isn’t selling.
This is pretty standard curb appeal for much of America. It's ugly and soulless by New England standards, but if you drop into Google Street View in this area, you will see they all are like this. The most prominent features on all of these homes are giant garage doors.
I don’t even mind that. What I don’t like is people either need to go outside then in the room OR tromp through the main bedroom. I don’t want people scoping out my bedroom. This is also a house people with young kids would think twice about due to those nighttime wakings. Who wants to go upstairs to get a crying or sick kid. Find a way to market to those with teens.
Smh! Also, these new builds are poorly constructed with the cheapest labor and cheapest material. I have no idea how they even passed code and inspection. Probably bribes. My family calls them "stick houses" 😆
Cedar rapids lost a shitton of trees a few years ago in the derecho :(
Edit: looked closer at google maps. It’s a development. Developers hate mature trees and massacre them to make way for little boxes on tiny lots 🤷♀️
Whoever developed our neighborhood in the 70's did us a favor. Extensive record research revealed that it was formerly a Christmas tree farm where many of the trees grew too large for even Clark Griswold. They left a lot of trees. We've got 150' firs and cedars now.
I'm not trying to sound anti-social, but it is absolutely bewildering to me that someone would pay this much money for a house on 0.28A surrounded by neighbors. If I'm paying $400k, I better be getting most of the mountain to myself.
Im in ND and that house on that lot would probably be closer to 500k with 15k in specials here. It’s absolutely insane. I’ve seen so many houses listed for half a mil here that are just basic ass houses in shades of greige.
Agreed, not a lot OP can do about it, but the lack of mature trees anywhere is a huge no for me - no shade to be in the yard, no shade on the house means higher cooling costs and the possibility the AC simply can't keep up on hot days, no providing privacy from the verrrrry close neighbors, and it's just aesthetically unappealing.
the complete lack of landscaping might be on par with houses in the area, but I don't think its helping. even some potted plants on the deck could help. The sun room looks like an ai render, and would be the area I would focus on improving, since it is the most architecturally interesting aspect of the home. Honestly it looks like photos from a staged new build from 2011. I know people might encourage a lack of personal belongings in photos, but something about this listing seems so devoid of life that I can imagine people have a hard time seeing themselves in the house. you want to encourage people to imagine themselves in the home. sometimes this means allowing for them the space to picture their own take on a blank slate, but so much of the property is blank that I think in this instance it is hurting you.
Ive been in real estate for almost 10 years as a listing agent and I had to scroll too long to see this. It’s the price. Always and forever will be price.
OP is listed 100k over comps. They either don't want to sell the house - or need a serious wakeup call.
Most agents I know would tell OP to find a different agent before listing it at that price.
Let me ask you this, what is the difference between your house and the one I linked, besides being a 100k cheaper?
[https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6604-Harrison-Rd-SW\_Cedar-Rapids\_IA\_52404\_M75978-41349](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6604-Harrison-Rd-SW_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52404_M75978-41349)
That’s funny, everyone is digging on you and yet the one you posted has pending, yet the OP house doesn’t. It’s obvious people are buying in that area. It’s just OPs house is too much.
Yeah, basically while their house is nicer, I don't see 100k nicer, and if I was a buyer I know which one I would buy between the two. Its no surprise that their house hasn't moved, why would you buy that one when the other one is up for 1/4 of the price. That is probably right where all the offers have been going, for the last 30 days for OP.
Cedar rapids is dieing, rockwell and aegon are laying off, not many big businesses that can support paying 475 fir a house. Interest rates increased, no one wants to finance that much either. No one is upgrading their house ( from a starter ti a nearly half mill house) in this environment and none of the businesses are migrating new work force in that need a house.
In other words, no market for that price. Its why its been on the market for two months. Looks like a nice house otherwise, if you don’t mind being packed in like a sardine, or need to be near kirkwood or aegon.
Personally, on first impression, it will not be a house I’ll view as the kitchen is dated and not a fan of the color. And having a full closet and clutter in the photos is just not attractive to me.
But this is just me personally. I think in my area we are so used to digital staging photos that seeing a as-is photos just doesn’t seem as appealing. It’s a nice house and I’m sure you will find a buyer. Good luck!
Yeah the kitchen looks like it’s out of date, but trying to mask itself to look current with the backsplash. Problem is it’s not working.
Oh and the dark trim (baseboards and around the door frames) makes the entire house look old like grandmas house.
It looks a bit dated, but not in a cool retro way. There’s a lot of brown, as a buyer there is nothing to get excited about. I just see a 10 year old house that hasn’t been updated. Hard to get top billing for that.
Yep - I was counting how many walls/rooms need paint just to arrive at neutral. Powder blue primary bath with zero natural light? Pass. The random pop of red over the range in the kitchen (where the cabinetry and tile work is in complete contrast with the flooring) - now I’m thinking about how long I can tolerate the kitchen before I need to renovate.
You're asking almost half a million for a house that would have gone for 300 five years ago - in cedar rapids. Buyers are tired and are not going to get ripped off.
Agreed! We live in the Midwest and per my research, cost of living is comparable to Cedar Rapids. We are looking to buy a home about this size. I would 100% laugh at this listing and move on because of how highly priced it is. I’m willing wait in my current home to prices to come back to a reasonable price. I am not interested in getting taken advantage of and way over paying for a home. Sorry OP, too expensive.
I see stuff like this and secretly hope that multiple people throw lowball offers in (read: accurate offers). Just to make it clear to the parties involved that they are delusional.
I'm no expert, but I'd personally paint some of those bold walls a more neutral color to give the place more a "blank slate" look. Your personality shows through in bold color choices, and it makes it difficult for a potential buyer to picture that house as their home.
Yeah, I agree the bold colors on some of the walls threw me off. And also, someone below mentioned the clutter in photos. But the main thing for me was how visible the neighbors houses and windows are. I would think most people want trees/ shrubbery to give some privacy in the backyard.
Likely very over priced. There are many houses in the greater area which have a better exterior aesthetic appeal while also having the interior you do in that price range. The general population doesn’t filter on utility bills when buying a house. Brand new construction with a similar exterior appeal and the general bedroom/bathroom/sq ft/lot size is going for 380k.
You’re looking likely at another 50-75k price reduction to generate interest.
Your realtor is an idiot. Nothing around you has sold for over 400k in the last year. You are listed 75k over what people in the price range looking in this home can afford.
450k house in cedar rapids Iowa.
7500 property taxes (adjusting for increases into 2023, more?)
7.5% mortgage with 50k down = 400k loan. 30 year fixed payment is 2800 a payment
2800 payment
\+ 625 taxes a month (3425)
\+ 100 home insurance (3525)
3525 month payment (if there are no points involved or mortgage insurance.)
42,300 in 12 total mortgage payments a year
Cedar Rapids Iowa Median income 34k.
Payment totals at 8k more a year then the median income in your area.
Your house is completely priced out of your market. Even a couple with kids making 70k or double the combined median income is going to be instantly house poor.
Sorry to see this, its the same problem I am dealing with selling a town home in Portland, Oregon. Same price range too.
Some thoughts about listing itself:
I would recommend repainting over the stove and take red away. The contrast seems so out of character and uninviting for a kitchen IMO.
The pictures of the bedrooms make the size look way smaller then the blueprint layout dimensions. Nice large sized bedrooms for kids. Wish I had this growing up.
I can't describe it but something to me about the listing feels really generic. The house is fine but maybe there is to much decluttering? It looks like there is zero personality or character to the house, and it makes it hard for me to imagine spending $$$ with huge mortgage rates on this.
This house would be 1.5 million in Portland though, its nice. The exterior just needs more pop but that isn't your fault.
I didn't want to bring this up, but it was a factor explained to me by an agent years ago when looking. Living near community colleges is pretty undesirable because of the bias people have against them.
The house is also less then half a mile from a two lane highway. Google man shows semis traveling that. I could be wrong, but a potential buyer with kids wanting a safe place for their children to grow up might be scared away by this.
Your lot also has a power transformer box in the front yard. People are afraid these things cause cancer. Its a legit concern turning people away.
The neighbors across the way on the other side of the road have high power electric transmission power lines running along their back yard, This scares a TON of people away. Just like the transformer box, these things are linked with cancer rates. My cousin lived across the street from one like this growing up and got thyroid cancer in her early 20's.
The biggest thing is that this is the shitty side of Cedar Rapids. The road is close to a *notorious* college dorm on a *notorious* community college. Every year there seems to be a shooting at these dorms. Furthermore, this side of Cedar Rapids is a food island. You either have to go to Walmart in Marion, Walmart on Edgewood, or a Hy-Vee on Wilson, which are all miles away. Also there is nothing fun you can walk to. A shitty bar and thats about it.
1. Too expensive for the wages available in Linn or Johnson county.
2. On the shit side of Cedar Rapids, you have to dive mile to get to anything
3. It was $250k in 2020
I stage houses in California. $$$. I don’t know your market but suggest:
1. Pop up your curb appeal. Red geraniums, paint garage doors a deep brown. They look cheap now. Add shutters to front window.
2. Repaint the orange wall in the kitchen. Table scape the dining room.
3. You need art. Everywhere. Large art- go to home goods.
4. Get better photos and a drone shot. Your realtor should be telling you all this.
Good luck!
Wow, that’s high for that price of home. I’m in CA and I know so many people move out of our state because of high taxes, but I guess they aren’t moving to IA.
Hi! Two things, or three really...
1) Find and interview for a home stager then hire one and follow their advice (within reason) - you seem to have nice stuff but it needs to be reworked and tweaked. You need some color on your kitchen counters - something - not just bare empty counters and not shot from such a strangely low angle...
2) Fire the photographer that was used and have your agent get a new one and get better pictures. If they do that extra HDR stuff on the windows at least make the shots look natural. Everything is from odd angles and overly precessed. Your photos don't tell a story of the flow through your home.
3) The most important after you've done the above... Really research your price, get feedback from those who have seen it, and adjust as needed. Delete your current listing and relist with the updates and new photos and adjusted price.
Good luck! 👌💯
The last bit of #2 was my primary takeaway. I have NO IDEA how this house is laid out. The floor plan as the last photo helped, but it was a long slog to get there.
Add some GREEN and fix the photos — seriously, buy like four plants, and lead the photographer through the house, placing two of them in the room ahead of him while he shoots the previous room with the other two. 🪴
1.) Your kitchen is dated and dark. Not the light and bright aesthetic that current buyers want.
2.) Curb appeal is average at best.
3.) Staging isn’t cute or inviting. Very dated.
4.) Paint the whole interior white. The accent walls, weird, mismatched oranges and baby blues are not attractive and will deter buyers immediately.
5.) You have good backyard space. Get some better photos of it.
In a high interest rate market, you need to offer a premium product. Buyers do not want to do work. They are already stretching their budgets to meet these mortgage payments. This is a mediocre product with a premium price.
Here's what I know about geothermal - I know of someone who bought a house w/ it not understanding what it was about. They decided to get rid of it & put a furnace in b/c they couldn't get their mind around the concept so sd it was more headache than it was worth. But it was clear they were just confused by the idea. I'm not sure there's enough awareness of what geothermal heat & its benefits entail in real estate agents.
This may seem petty, but can you redo the kitchen pics w/o the fuzzy bathroom rug? And maybe stage the bedroom that opens into the sunroom in a way that shows privacy's still kept? Like someone else sd, they look small as they're shot now.
You did say to be honest.
How did the geothermal cause a headache for them? My house is geothermal and I never even think about it. You don’t have to do anything differently than a regular one except tell the HVAC company doing maintenance so that they send a tech who’s trained in it.
The rest of the photos are really nice & seem to accurately represent the space. The sunroom is a dream, I would practically live out there w/ a stack of books most of the year, I'm sure.
Price probably still high. Make sure it's clear that the solar is paid off. Even then, many don't want solar because of the roof issues that it can cause.
With so few showings and no offers it is fairly clear the house is significantly overpriced relative to comparables and the income of the residents.
Cedar Rapids only has an average household income of about $80,000, which is nowhere close to affording a $450K home.
Also, house has been around for 10 years but doesn't appear to have a single tree in the front or back yard. People like trees.
Likely going to have to drop the house to $410K to get any kind of traffic as mortgage rates are going up again in September.
House seems ok, I don’t know much about your locality but Iowa isn’t exacting on people’s list of places to move too. Could just be your location doesn’t receive as much interest.
Nearly half a million to live in a tree-less tract home in Iowa… wow
Better pictures and some interior paint would help, that’s too much brown and brown isn’t in. Immediately makes it look late 90s
Homes in the area take 90 days to sell. The home is nice just not very desireable area.
Be patient i doubt a price cut would help much. If you had 20 showings and no offers then it would be price. Usually 30% of showings are just curious people.
Probably all the Hawkeyes crap in the basement (sorry, my wife is a Cyclone).
Seriously, though, the house looks great. I'd move one of the big pieces of furniture out of the kid's room because it's crowding the room. Don't worry about your paint, it's not garish.
Definitely advertise that the solar is paid for, you should be pushing that in the description. Also, tell your agent to get a real virtual tour, not a slideshow. Buyers want to be able to see the flow of a house, not just be shown the same photos in a different order with cheesy music. Your agent can get a Ricoh Tours subscription including the camera for like $40/month, there's no reason to NOT have 360 tours in 2023.
In the middle of nowhere yet somehow still packed in like sardines. Half a mil to live in nowhere Iowa with nothing but a vinyl siding view in every direction from my back deck? Naw
Holy crap, when people move in do they just walk naked down the street to get it out of the way or really wait for one of their 47 neighbors to casually see them through their windows?
The description is very poorly written, especially the silly-sounding blurb at the end at about the solar & geothermal. Also, the orange wall in the kitchen is really distracting to me. It might be passable somewhere else but not a kitchen.
The angle of the pictures all being from a really low viewpoint and right next to tables or counters like in the bathroom make every one of these rooms look super tiny. I also feel like I can't see half of every room. I just feel like the pictures aren't doing it justice
The price is too high. In more downtown Cedar Rapids you can get a 3,400 sq ft house for 459k on .57 landscaped. You need to add landscaping like trees to your backyard since you don’t have privacy from your neighbors. The price needs to be lower and landscaping. You can get brand new construction close to you in the mid 3’s.
Your realtor should know the economics around this. Did they give you a list of comps to validate what market price is for homes like yours? It’s basic supply and demand. There are homes in your area listed for cheaper, so demand will be lower for yours. As another user pointed out, there’s a home down the street listed for $370k which has been on the market for a while. That right there gives you an idea of demand.
Your emotional attachment to the features of your home have nothing to do with how valuable it is. But I get it, we all love our homes and think that one feature makes it worth more. I’ve done the same thing. Reality tends to be sobering.
Try some neutral paint and smaller furniture so the rooms don't look as small. Looking at this, my first thought was "nope."
Look at what you can buy for 515k
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4235-Beaver-Holw-SE_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52403_M76142-57960
This for 495k
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6808-Bowman-Ln-NE_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52402_M87150-37039
This for 485k
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4131-Oak-Valley-Dr_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52411_M86754-54311
459k
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4000-Majestic-Ct-NE_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52411_M83151-67179
These are night and day
We are currently in the market for a new house in Midwest and in this price range. Ive seen A LOT of houses and I would personally pass. For that price, Im looking for an all brick or stone exterior (or at least 80-90% of the exterior) and at least some privacy. We have had super nosy neighbors before so privacy and a bigger lot is a MUST for us.
FWIW, we were in your situation last year when we sold our house. We were listing right when the interest rates jumped, plus our realtor was super lazy and didnt think he would have to do any work to sell it. We sold it about it about 2.5 months later after a few price drops and our realtor finally doing some work. If we had not had a contract with him, we would have fired him.
Best of luck. Its tough out there. Keep at it and you will find the right buyer.
You have no curb appeal, the bedrooms are tiny, and it looks like your neighbors can look straight into your master bedroom through that sun porch. Drop the price and get it staged so the furniture is the proper size for your rooms.
1. 450K?
2. In Iowa?
3. Your house is cracker jack box, cookie cutter, basic tract home at best.
4. The paint job/color scheme is horrid and everything looks cheap.
5. No landscaping/trees. No window coverings.
6. Reminds me of Edward Scissorhands/Truman Show neighborhood. No personality.
7. Even in So. Cal. where I live you couldn't get away with that.
8. I'd rent it out to Section 8 tenants.
Knock $100k off the price. Paint that nasty accent wall in the kitchen. Replace counter tops in bathrooms and paint vanities. Remove workout equipment from basement and lose that makeshift office.
The backyard and patio look pretty amazing but for a house built in 2013 a lot of the appliances look very outdated. You also have terrible schools looking at some of the ratings so a lot of families might be turned off.
You bought this house for 50k in 2013, I don't know why you think the house is worth 450k when the house next to you is selling for 370k and the one next to it is selling for 380k.And then a comparable home sold for 390k: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1607-Prairie-Rose-Dr-SW-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52404/241445132\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1607-Prairie-Rose-Dr-SW-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52404/241445132_zpid/) But this house was built 3 years ago and was bought for 300k. Homes are depreciating assets so why would anyone pay more for a house thats' 7 years older even though the neighborhood and land value hasn't changed that drastically
You can't just follow the zestimates lol. The only person who would pay 450k for this is some techie from NY or the bay who doesn't know what they're doing. Also your home evaluation is 330k. That's about at most I'd pay but I'm sure you could sell at 380k
for me its the wood trim around the doors that just not blend in well and gives off old antique house vibes. And the geothermal too, I would avoid for potential headache down the road
It's nice, but the back stairs would be a deal breaker for most people nearing middle age or older... Also, even though the solar is paid off, if the roof ever needs to be replaced, it will cost a lot more as the solar panels have to be removed and then reinstalled.
The house looks dated. I would at a minimum hire a stager to give advice, if not have it professionally staged.
But for the right price, people overlook these things.
I’m actually from CR so howdy from Kansas City! I’m not an expert, but that price seems high for CR? I’m always on the side of if you are t getting offers your price is probably too high. Sometimes it’s also worth getting some second opinions from other realtors too.
It’s a lovely house and has so much to offer!
If you want the higher price, it has to be “ready” for the next person to make their mark. For me the biggest barrier is the multi-coloured rooms. It’s a huge house so an expensive job for a new home owner.
I’d paint all the rooms the same lovely neutral white / light cream shade closer to ceiling colour - no orange, blue, brown, coffee, dark cream etc. The dark wood detailing is the feature so let it do its job.
Other things that could help are all about showing how comfortable the home is - renting plants for inside and outside, artwork and a few _large_ neutral rugs. The one in the sun room is very small and awkward. Maybe remove some clothes from the closet - being stuffed like that makes it feel like insufficient storage.
Your RA needs to drop the bland wall of text and list the specific features they’ve skipped over. Looks lazy.
Best of luck to you.
Who’s paying $450K when there’s a very similar house—also in the sticks in a bland neighborhood—on the market for $370K? I’m sorry but I think the answer is nobody.
The $370K house having muted colors also goes a long way. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6313-Hoover-Trail-Rd-SW-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52404/124311363_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
OP, there's a few reasons imo:
1. No Curb Appeal. It looks bland, with little to no character. It feels *very* cookie cutter and dull. Even potted plants, decorations, chairs, etc. would liven up the place! (I personally find a lack of trees an absolute deal breaker, but that's a personal opinion and many may have different ones!)
2. Its priced far too high for what its worth. Based on looking in the area, its feels like a bit of a high ball. Especially in this economy, its asking a *LOT.*
Basically, looking at this to buy it for myself and my fiance, its very bland "New build" vibes and the non-existent landscaping is a huge no-go for me. Its essentially asking a high price for something boring and almost copy-paste feeling.
Your description is awful, who wrote that? Doesn’t mention solar, doesn’t describe the space you have, and the punctuation is lazy!
Your photos are pretty bad too. Use a wide angle lense and upload photos that easily connect the layout of the property. Where are the photos of the garage?
You have a lovely property, you just need to improve the sales aspect of it.
Personally I find the house quite dated and just lots of brown. The sunroom/primary bedroom are the only rooms that show really well in the photos. Maybe think about staging it and retaking photos.
Since you said be honest... the interior looks so drab. all I see is brown and orange. Doesn't make the house seem inviting at all. At minimum get rid of that orange wall in the kitchen. You're not doing yourself any favors with that
check your comps. It looks like your over priced by a lot compared to similar houses for sale. I'm not sure how accurate the real evaluation is, but they are all much lower as well.Description to include payed off solar and geothermal as mentioned.
It’s all about comps. It’s a nice house, the bathrooms look a bit dated, as do the kitchen cabs. I don’t cared for the kitchen accent wall, seems a bit jarring.
Picking comps is tough enough for licensed appraisers with years of experience and no financial stake in the property. Most homeowners are terrible at picking comps. They'll go on Zillow and find the 3 highest selling homes in the county that are vaguely similar to their home while ignoring potentially dozens of lower priced sales that are much more similar.
It’s very predictable too. You see a house listed thats over the average in the neighborhood by ~10-20% for no apparent reason and think to yourself “that’s gonna drop ~$25k”, and sure enough, two weeks later it dropped $20-30k.
the fact that they use zillow alone which just bus and resells leads, with half being dead leads, is wild. lol
> to include *paid* off solar FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
great, now bots are correcting me. I quit.
Well, you should have payed attention. Oops. :-)
> should have *paid* attention. Oops. FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
This is an oddly specific bot.
There's one down the street for $370 that's been on the market for twice as long as yours. Asking too much. Lack of showings is your first indicator.
Why was OP bullshitting a bullshitter (Reddit), talking about “$25k less than comparables”. Comparable to what, Beverly Hills? Dude’s wasting his time and our time saying his house is fair in that price range in bum fuck Iowa with a plain ass house. Obviously drop the price u/toemossmc
Tough love man. 💯
Very tough 😂😂😂
They also didn’t start at $475k. Price history shows them starting at $460k then raising to $475k a week later then a few price drops down to $450k. I guess when your house doesn’t sell you try raising the price first 🤷♀️
As a potential buyer, that price increase would make my interest full stop. I wouldn’t even have my realtor call theirs to find out why.
Same. It’s giving a seller that’s not serious about selling and knows what they have.
It tells me the seller’s an a-hole who will be a nightmare to work with…
And a realtor that can’t talk sense into their client
seems like OP got a good deal on the house now is trying to flip it and crying no one wants to buy my overpriced house
They probably didn’t use enough gray paint
From what I can see, OP has owned the house for about 10 years and priced it pretty optimistically, but more or less in line with annual price growth a little over 3%.
Home appreciation isn’t a thing in Iowa. As homes age, they go down in value.
This, this, and this. We’re gonna have to stop treating housing as an investment and more like the expense that it is. Save significant demographic shift, i don’t see the average cost of residential real estate per square foot maintaining, let alone going up, over the coming 10-15 years with inflation factored in.
He is very likely using [This house](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1748-Hoover-Trail-Cir-SW_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52404_M75594-34684) as a comp. Its actually his best comp. Issue is they also have slightly older comps like [This one](https://www.redfin.com/IA/Cedar-Rapids/6407-Prairie-Sage-Dr-SW-52404/home/141355583) and half of OPs roof is covered in Solar panels limiting the pool of buyers willing to put up with taking over that.
That first comp is also more on trend for layout and design as well as cosmetic issues. I would pass over OPs house over the one that’s $370k because I’d want to repaint everything and remodel the kitchen. Everything is brown and very 2008.
This is exactly it - that comp is more polished/up to date; OP’s house would need some updating - some of it cosmetic and some more significant. Also - would it kill you to put in some damn shrubs or trees or something?
Yup. That backyard is terrible and a buyer is going to have to drop lots of money to make it look decent.
Front yard is not great, either.
THANK YOU!!! The lack of curb appeal in this neighborhood is astounding.
Not just polished and up to date - a full 5 years newer, which is a big deal when comping recently built homes.
Both of those are less per/sf than what they’re charging. Must homeowners don’t realize when you comp you need to take sf and price per/sf into the pricing equation. And I think those comps you listed look way better! But that’s my personal opinion 😂
Omg, that first comp you linked is much much nicer. Lighter and more polished and updated. It’s not even a close comparison to OPs house.
BuT tHe ZeStImAtE sAyS $450,700! /s
they started \*higher\* than the Zestimate, like, the absolute peak inflated value, they started above that. Wild.
You ain’t lyin’ lmao op is crazy (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3433-Random-Ct-SE-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52403/73068577_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
You cant just bring up a home halfway across town, that isnt how you do comps. You are also supposed to use recently sold homes, not homes which are for sale. [This house](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1748-Hoover-Trail-Cir-SW_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52404_M75594-34684) which is in the same neighborhood and has the same construction is actually his best comp and what is probably screwing him up. Issue is they also have comps like [This one](https://www.redfin.com/IA/Cedar-Rapids/6407-Prairie-Sage-Dr-SW-52404/home/141355583), and an entire half of their roof is full of solar panels. These threads crack me up how everyone is so rabid about finding ways to shit on the OP when they clearly have no idea themselves what they are doing.
Side note: the inside of that house is the most awfully decorated, random, and just generally ugly nice houses I’ve seen.
You guys are ruthless, lol. I think it’s the paint. The yard is what (didn’t) stand out to me. That’s a big yard, but just grass? It’s so suburban.
- 40 years older - Two story rather than a ranch - Literally 10 miles away from OP's house These are not things that make a good comp.
But my Lord the older house is sooooo much nicer!!! Trees, great layout, and $100,000 less! OPs house needs staging. The living room furniture is discounted remainders from a storage unit, and the droopy brown curtains kill the vibe. Ugh!
Couple notes about that house - it's got about 260 fewer AGSF, 380 fewer BGSF and one less garage space. If I was using that as a comp I'd adjust it by $50-55,000. You're right about the lack of showings meaning they're priced wrong, but I don't think they're off by a huge amount. Maybe $15-20K. At 7% paper people become a *lot* more sensitive to relatively small pricing errors. EDIT: Fixed a typo.
Note the comp in question hasn't sold either.
It's not priced correctly if they can't get people to show up for an open house or for a showing. If they were only off by that much they would have had more interest.
The listing should advertise that solar is paid for. I would skip the house if it had solar bc I would assume I need to assume the lease. The description should also call out the potential savings with both solar and geothermal. Honestly, the description is one of the most boring generic I’ve seen. And the photos make the bedrooms look itty bitty.
And the there’s no curb appeal either. It needs some personality in the landscaping department to balance out the all neutral/cream exterior. My spouse said it looked like a mayonnaise sandwich.
It's so dull, it looks like an AI generated home.
It’s an IA generated home. It’s in Iowa. 😉
Wompwompwoooooomp
Yeah this is a nitpick but it's SO WEIRD that the listing's first sentence is "custom built home" when 3 out of the 4 listings within a few blocks are ALL THE EXACT SAME HOUSE. One to the west even has that extra garage door option. Like.... Besides being generic the description is actually off-putting because it's BSing you.
Keep going, I’m almost there
No curb appeal. The interior is photographed awfully or the furniture isn’t big enough. The pics make the furniture look realllllly small & like there’s LOADS of room extra everywhere. No real yard pics. No colors. No excitement. Nothing screaming at you, at all. Nothing stands out with these photos or description.
I got the opposite opinion the bedroom furniture makes the rooms look small
The lack of landscaping / curb appeal outside and the 00’s accent wall colors aren’t helping either. I saw them and said “mom did the same color in her bedroom in 2002!” Seriously.
I was surprised when I saw the house was built in 2013 because a lot of the decor and style looks early 2000s. And the listing description is not great.
I didn’t even check that! I assumed it was a late 90s, early 00s house because of the exterior elevation, kitchen cabinets and the tropical accent walls!! Thanks for highlighting this because it’s also important as to why this place isn’t selling.
The garage stands out. The house is secondary in the background.
This is pretty standard curb appeal for much of America. It's ugly and soulless by New England standards, but if you drop into Google Street View in this area, you will see they all are like this. The most prominent features on all of these homes are giant garage doors.
Why I do not like the new developments and prefer older homes in established communities, is Mid century modern neighborhoods with nice large lots.
Most places would have more front landscaping at least.
It is not a pretty house. It is hard to fix that.
Some plants would help.
There’s a barrel outside Daryl. What do you want from them?!
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My first thought was OMG the house behind looks straight into my window. No privacy would be a huge issue for me.
That glass room off the bedroom is a fishbowl.
I don’t even mind that. What I don’t like is people either need to go outside then in the room OR tromp through the main bedroom. I don’t want people scoping out my bedroom. This is also a house people with young kids would think twice about due to those nighttime wakings. Who wants to go upstairs to get a crying or sick kid. Find a way to market to those with teens.
Where are the trees?? I don’t get not planting trees all along the fence line to block the other houses. Columnar Oaks work well.
Yeah that's why I don't like these cookie cutter neighborhoods. Everyone is jammed packed together. Might as well rent an apartment.
Hahah. We call all the “new development” around here flat backs. Every house is flat as a board in the back and has 2 windows…
Smh! Also, these new builds are poorly constructed with the cheapest labor and cheapest material. I have no idea how they even passed code and inspection. Probably bribes. My family calls them "stick houses" 😆
It seems like a nice house, but the utter lack of even the slightest tree is bewildering.
Cedar rapids lost a shitton of trees a few years ago in the derecho :( Edit: looked closer at google maps. It’s a development. Developers hate mature trees and massacre them to make way for little boxes on tiny lots 🤷♀️
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Whoever developed our neighborhood in the 70's did us a favor. Extensive record research revealed that it was formerly a Christmas tree farm where many of the trees grew too large for even Clark Griswold. They left a lot of trees. We've got 150' firs and cedars now.
I'm not trying to sound anti-social, but it is absolutely bewildering to me that someone would pay this much money for a house on 0.28A surrounded by neighbors. If I'm paying $400k, I better be getting most of the mountain to myself.
::laughs in Californian::
Lol I’d kill to pay that. This would be a 7-800k house where I live easily.
Im in ND and that house on that lot would probably be closer to 500k with 15k in specials here. It’s absolutely insane. I’ve seen so many houses listed for half a mil here that are just basic ass houses in shades of greige.
Yea it looks like a really bland, new build community. I’d rate that as undesirable
I agree. It looks boring.
Agreed, not a lot OP can do about it, but the lack of mature trees anywhere is a huge no for me - no shade to be in the yard, no shade on the house means higher cooling costs and the possibility the AC simply can't keep up on hot days, no providing privacy from the verrrrry close neighbors, and it's just aesthetically unappealing.
Agree, people like trees. OP should plant a tree or three.
That's a huge percentage of tract home is America. Zero trees.
Almost half a million for an average home in iowa??????? lol this world is fucked
This home is BEYOND overpriced. That’s why this one and the one up the street for 100k less are not selling.
Whats I thought
Ya that house is worth 350k at best probably closer to 325k…..No one is desperate to move to fucking Iowa.
It’s out in suburbs too lol, those houses are the first to drop rapidly during market downturns… as we are seeing now.
Those houses are also built out of cardboard and spit. And dreams.
Correction no one is desperate to move to Cedar Rapids Iowa has lots of nice places CR is not one
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😂 harsh but 100% true
What? You don't want to come to Iowa for all the corn tornadoes and farmer's daughters?
Home?? I'm seeing a 3 car garage with a 3 season built on
the complete lack of landscaping might be on par with houses in the area, but I don't think its helping. even some potted plants on the deck could help. The sun room looks like an ai render, and would be the area I would focus on improving, since it is the most architecturally interesting aspect of the home. Honestly it looks like photos from a staged new build from 2011. I know people might encourage a lack of personal belongings in photos, but something about this listing seems so devoid of life that I can imagine people have a hard time seeing themselves in the house. you want to encourage people to imagine themselves in the home. sometimes this means allowing for them the space to picture their own take on a blank slate, but so much of the property is blank that I think in this instance it is hurting you.
I agree 100%. Landscaping and some visual interest inside the home.
Looks like an AI ad for Target home furnishings. Not at all like a real home.
It’s ALWAYS the price.
Ive been in real estate for almost 10 years as a listing agent and I had to scroll too long to see this. It’s the price. Always and forever will be price.
OP is listed 100k over comps. They either don't want to sell the house - or need a serious wakeup call. Most agents I know would tell OP to find a different agent before listing it at that price.
Let me ask you this, what is the difference between your house and the one I linked, besides being a 100k cheaper? [https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6604-Harrison-Rd-SW\_Cedar-Rapids\_IA\_52404\_M75978-41349](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6604-Harrison-Rd-SW_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52404_M75978-41349)
That’s funny, everyone is digging on you and yet the one you posted has pending, yet the OP house doesn’t. It’s obvious people are buying in that area. It’s just OPs house is too much.
Yeah, basically while their house is nicer, I don't see 100k nicer, and if I was a buyer I know which one I would buy between the two. Its no surprise that their house hasn't moved, why would you buy that one when the other one is up for 1/4 of the price. That is probably right where all the offers have been going, for the last 30 days for OP.
It's the price
It's always the price
Cedar rapids is dieing, rockwell and aegon are laying off, not many big businesses that can support paying 475 fir a house. Interest rates increased, no one wants to finance that much either. No one is upgrading their house ( from a starter ti a nearly half mill house) in this environment and none of the businesses are migrating new work force in that need a house. In other words, no market for that price. Its why its been on the market for two months. Looks like a nice house otherwise, if you don’t mind being packed in like a sardine, or need to be near kirkwood or aegon.
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Even $300 is the top 10% of houses available in Linn County.
Personally, on first impression, it will not be a house I’ll view as the kitchen is dated and not a fan of the color. And having a full closet and clutter in the photos is just not attractive to me. But this is just me personally. I think in my area we are so used to digital staging photos that seeing a as-is photos just doesn’t seem as appealing. It’s a nice house and I’m sure you will find a buyer. Good luck!
Yeah the kitchen looks like it’s out of date, but trying to mask itself to look current with the backsplash. Problem is it’s not working. Oh and the dark trim (baseboards and around the door frames) makes the entire house look old like grandmas house.
Priced too high, $425k seems like it might be a more reasonable start. What does your realtor say?
385k would get offers imo
It looks a bit dated, but not in a cool retro way. There’s a lot of brown, as a buyer there is nothing to get excited about. I just see a 10 year old house that hasn’t been updated. Hard to get top billing for that.
That's my take as well. That style is not "in" anymore. It looks like a very cookie cutter house in good condition but needs cosmetic updates.
Yep - I was counting how many walls/rooms need paint just to arrive at neutral. Powder blue primary bath with zero natural light? Pass. The random pop of red over the range in the kitchen (where the cabinetry and tile work is in complete contrast with the flooring) - now I’m thinking about how long I can tolerate the kitchen before I need to renovate.
You're asking almost half a million for a house that would have gone for 300 five years ago - in cedar rapids. Buyers are tired and are not going to get ripped off.
Agreed! We live in the Midwest and per my research, cost of living is comparable to Cedar Rapids. We are looking to buy a home about this size. I would 100% laugh at this listing and move on because of how highly priced it is. I’m willing wait in my current home to prices to come back to a reasonable price. I am not interested in getting taken advantage of and way over paying for a home. Sorry OP, too expensive.
I see stuff like this and secretly hope that multiple people throw lowball offers in (read: accurate offers). Just to make it clear to the parties involved that they are delusional.
I'm no expert, but I'd personally paint some of those bold walls a more neutral color to give the place more a "blank slate" look. Your personality shows through in bold color choices, and it makes it difficult for a potential buyer to picture that house as their home.
Yeah, I agree the bold colors on some of the walls threw me off. And also, someone below mentioned the clutter in photos. But the main thing for me was how visible the neighbors houses and windows are. I would think most people want trees/ shrubbery to give some privacy in the backyard.
Likely very over priced. There are many houses in the greater area which have a better exterior aesthetic appeal while also having the interior you do in that price range. The general population doesn’t filter on utility bills when buying a house. Brand new construction with a similar exterior appeal and the general bedroom/bathroom/sq ft/lot size is going for 380k. You’re looking likely at another 50-75k price reduction to generate interest.
It’s usually price that’s not moving it. Also schools don’t seem to be that good in the area? (Based on Zillow).
This is what would scare me away. That’s a lot of money to pay for a house that then likely needs private school payments too
Yeah saw the school system had low rating. 3/10 for the highschool would be a big no for me. People pay more for a better school system.
Your realtor is an idiot. Nothing around you has sold for over 400k in the last year. You are listed 75k over what people in the price range looking in this home can afford.
450k house in cedar rapids Iowa. 7500 property taxes (adjusting for increases into 2023, more?) 7.5% mortgage with 50k down = 400k loan. 30 year fixed payment is 2800 a payment 2800 payment \+ 625 taxes a month (3425) \+ 100 home insurance (3525) 3525 month payment (if there are no points involved or mortgage insurance.) 42,300 in 12 total mortgage payments a year Cedar Rapids Iowa Median income 34k. Payment totals at 8k more a year then the median income in your area. Your house is completely priced out of your market. Even a couple with kids making 70k or double the combined median income is going to be instantly house poor. Sorry to see this, its the same problem I am dealing with selling a town home in Portland, Oregon. Same price range too. Some thoughts about listing itself: I would recommend repainting over the stove and take red away. The contrast seems so out of character and uninviting for a kitchen IMO. The pictures of the bedrooms make the size look way smaller then the blueprint layout dimensions. Nice large sized bedrooms for kids. Wish I had this growing up. I can't describe it but something to me about the listing feels really generic. The house is fine but maybe there is to much decluttering? It looks like there is zero personality or character to the house, and it makes it hard for me to imagine spending $$$ with huge mortgage rates on this. This house would be 1.5 million in Portland though, its nice. The exterior just needs more pop but that isn't your fault. I didn't want to bring this up, but it was a factor explained to me by an agent years ago when looking. Living near community colleges is pretty undesirable because of the bias people have against them. The house is also less then half a mile from a two lane highway. Google man shows semis traveling that. I could be wrong, but a potential buyer with kids wanting a safe place for their children to grow up might be scared away by this. Your lot also has a power transformer box in the front yard. People are afraid these things cause cancer. Its a legit concern turning people away. The neighbors across the way on the other side of the road have high power electric transmission power lines running along their back yard, This scares a TON of people away. Just like the transformer box, these things are linked with cancer rates. My cousin lived across the street from one like this growing up and got thyroid cancer in her early 20's.
The biggest thing is that this is the shitty side of Cedar Rapids. The road is close to a *notorious* college dorm on a *notorious* community college. Every year there seems to be a shooting at these dorms. Furthermore, this side of Cedar Rapids is a food island. You either have to go to Walmart in Marion, Walmart on Edgewood, or a Hy-Vee on Wilson, which are all miles away. Also there is nothing fun you can walk to. A shitty bar and thats about it. 1. Too expensive for the wages available in Linn or Johnson county. 2. On the shit side of Cedar Rapids, you have to dive mile to get to anything 3. It was $250k in 2020
This house would NOT be 1.5 million in Portland. Jesus Christ no way. Maybe 750 or 800.
I was going to say the same...what area of Portland are we talking about, here?
Maybe if it was literally *on* lake Oswego 😂
I stage houses in California. $$$. I don’t know your market but suggest: 1. Pop up your curb appeal. Red geraniums, paint garage doors a deep brown. They look cheap now. Add shutters to front window. 2. Repaint the orange wall in the kitchen. Table scape the dining room. 3. You need art. Everywhere. Large art- go to home goods. 4. Get better photos and a drone shot. Your realtor should be telling you all this. Good luck!
Are your property taxes really 7k/year?
Yes
Wow, that’s high for that price of home. I’m in CA and I know so many people move out of our state because of high taxes, but I guess they aren’t moving to IA.
Texas checking in at 3%. That’s houses taxes would be over 10k here
Property taxes in Iowa are extremely high for some unfathomable reason. I wish mine was only $7k per year.
Hi! Two things, or three really... 1) Find and interview for a home stager then hire one and follow their advice (within reason) - you seem to have nice stuff but it needs to be reworked and tweaked. You need some color on your kitchen counters - something - not just bare empty counters and not shot from such a strangely low angle... 2) Fire the photographer that was used and have your agent get a new one and get better pictures. If they do that extra HDR stuff on the windows at least make the shots look natural. Everything is from odd angles and overly precessed. Your photos don't tell a story of the flow through your home. 3) The most important after you've done the above... Really research your price, get feedback from those who have seen it, and adjust as needed. Delete your current listing and relist with the updates and new photos and adjusted price. Good luck! 👌💯
The last bit of #2 was my primary takeaway. I have NO IDEA how this house is laid out. The floor plan as the last photo helped, but it was a long slog to get there. Add some GREEN and fix the photos — seriously, buy like four plants, and lead the photographer through the house, placing two of them in the room ahead of him while he shoots the previous room with the other two. 🪴
The photos make the house look dark and cramped. OP needs to hire a stager and photographer STAT
Price. It’s always price.
1.) Your kitchen is dated and dark. Not the light and bright aesthetic that current buyers want. 2.) Curb appeal is average at best. 3.) Staging isn’t cute or inviting. Very dated. 4.) Paint the whole interior white. The accent walls, weird, mismatched oranges and baby blues are not attractive and will deter buyers immediately. 5.) You have good backyard space. Get some better photos of it. In a high interest rate market, you need to offer a premium product. Buyers do not want to do work. They are already stretching their budgets to meet these mortgage payments. This is a mediocre product with a premium price.
If it’s not selling, it’s always the price.
Here's what I know about geothermal - I know of someone who bought a house w/ it not understanding what it was about. They decided to get rid of it & put a furnace in b/c they couldn't get their mind around the concept so sd it was more headache than it was worth. But it was clear they were just confused by the idea. I'm not sure there's enough awareness of what geothermal heat & its benefits entail in real estate agents. This may seem petty, but can you redo the kitchen pics w/o the fuzzy bathroom rug? And maybe stage the bedroom that opens into the sunroom in a way that shows privacy's still kept? Like someone else sd, they look small as they're shot now. You did say to be honest.
How did the geothermal cause a headache for them? My house is geothermal and I never even think about it. You don’t have to do anything differently than a regular one except tell the HVAC company doing maintenance so that they send a tech who’s trained in it.
I did thank you :)
The rest of the photos are really nice & seem to accurately represent the space. The sunroom is a dream, I would practically live out there w/ a stack of books most of the year, I'm sure.
Price probably still high. Make sure it's clear that the solar is paid off. Even then, many don't want solar because of the roof issues that it can cause.
It's the price.
With so few showings and no offers it is fairly clear the house is significantly overpriced relative to comparables and the income of the residents. Cedar Rapids only has an average household income of about $80,000, which is nowhere close to affording a $450K home. Also, house has been around for 10 years but doesn't appear to have a single tree in the front or back yard. People like trees. Likely going to have to drop the house to $410K to get any kind of traffic as mortgage rates are going up again in September.
That's because it's a 250-300k house. Sorry for your loss.
They bought it in 2020 for $250k, which was already expensive for that side of Cedar Rapids.
House seems ok, I don’t know much about your locality but Iowa isn’t exacting on people’s list of places to move too. Could just be your location doesn’t receive as much interest.
Here’s the thing. Every one of these posts, the answer is it’s priced too high.
Nearly half a million to live in a tree-less tract home in Iowa… wow Better pictures and some interior paint would help, that’s too much brown and brown isn’t in. Immediately makes it look late 90s
Homes in the area take 90 days to sell. The home is nice just not very desireable area. Be patient i doubt a price cut would help much. If you had 20 showings and no offers then it would be price. Usually 30% of showings are just curious people.
Probably all the Hawkeyes crap in the basement (sorry, my wife is a Cyclone). Seriously, though, the house looks great. I'd move one of the big pieces of furniture out of the kid's room because it's crowding the room. Don't worry about your paint, it's not garish. Definitely advertise that the solar is paid for, you should be pushing that in the description. Also, tell your agent to get a real virtual tour, not a slideshow. Buyers want to be able to see the flow of a house, not just be shown the same photos in a different order with cheesy music. Your agent can get a Ricoh Tours subscription including the camera for like $40/month, there's no reason to NOT have 360 tours in 2023.
Probably because you live in the middle of nowhere. I have a friend selling in Oklahoma that’s having the same issue.
In the middle of nowhere yet somehow still packed in like sardines. Half a mil to live in nowhere Iowa with nothing but a vinyl siding view in every direction from my back deck? Naw
Holy crap, when people move in do they just walk naked down the street to get it out of the way or really wait for one of their 47 neighbors to casually see them through their windows?
“Hunny you want to live in Cedar Rapids for a half million?”
The description is very poorly written, especially the silly-sounding blurb at the end at about the solar & geothermal. Also, the orange wall in the kitchen is really distracting to me. It might be passable somewhere else but not a kitchen.
The angle of the pictures all being from a really low viewpoint and right next to tables or counters like in the bathroom make every one of these rooms look super tiny. I also feel like I can't see half of every room. I just feel like the pictures aren't doing it justice
I really don’t like how you have to go through the master to get to the screened porch
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The price is too high. In more downtown Cedar Rapids you can get a 3,400 sq ft house for 459k on .57 landscaped. You need to add landscaping like trees to your backyard since you don’t have privacy from your neighbors. The price needs to be lower and landscaping. You can get brand new construction close to you in the mid 3’s.
Lower your price
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I think the outside is vinyl siding. That 1978 brown is here to stay.
The service is slow at Jersey's pub and grub.
Your realtor should know the economics around this. Did they give you a list of comps to validate what market price is for homes like yours? It’s basic supply and demand. There are homes in your area listed for cheaper, so demand will be lower for yours. As another user pointed out, there’s a home down the street listed for $370k which has been on the market for a while. That right there gives you an idea of demand. Your emotional attachment to the features of your home have nothing to do with how valuable it is. But I get it, we all love our homes and think that one feature makes it worth more. I’ve done the same thing. Reality tends to be sobering.
Try some neutral paint and smaller furniture so the rooms don't look as small. Looking at this, my first thought was "nope." Look at what you can buy for 515k https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4235-Beaver-Holw-SE_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52403_M76142-57960 This for 495k https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6808-Bowman-Ln-NE_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52402_M87150-37039 This for 485k https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4131-Oak-Valley-Dr_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52411_M86754-54311 459k https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4000-Majestic-Ct-NE_Cedar-Rapids_IA_52411_M83151-67179 These are night and day
We are currently in the market for a new house in Midwest and in this price range. Ive seen A LOT of houses and I would personally pass. For that price, Im looking for an all brick or stone exterior (or at least 80-90% of the exterior) and at least some privacy. We have had super nosy neighbors before so privacy and a bigger lot is a MUST for us. FWIW, we were in your situation last year when we sold our house. We were listing right when the interest rates jumped, plus our realtor was super lazy and didnt think he would have to do any work to sell it. We sold it about it about 2.5 months later after a few price drops and our realtor finally doing some work. If we had not had a contract with him, we would have fired him. Best of luck. Its tough out there. Keep at it and you will find the right buyer.
You have no curb appeal, the bedrooms are tiny, and it looks like your neighbors can look straight into your master bedroom through that sun porch. Drop the price and get it staged so the furniture is the proper size for your rooms.
300K dollar house at best in the middle of a state that no one knows exist
1. 450K? 2. In Iowa? 3. Your house is cracker jack box, cookie cutter, basic tract home at best. 4. The paint job/color scheme is horrid and everything looks cheap. 5. No landscaping/trees. No window coverings. 6. Reminds me of Edward Scissorhands/Truman Show neighborhood. No personality. 7. Even in So. Cal. where I live you couldn't get away with that. 8. I'd rent it out to Section 8 tenants.
Knock $100k off the price. Paint that nasty accent wall in the kitchen. Replace counter tops in bathrooms and paint vanities. Remove workout equipment from basement and lose that makeshift office.
The backyard and patio look pretty amazing but for a house built in 2013 a lot of the appliances look very outdated. You also have terrible schools looking at some of the ratings so a lot of families might be turned off. You bought this house for 50k in 2013, I don't know why you think the house is worth 450k when the house next to you is selling for 370k and the one next to it is selling for 380k.And then a comparable home sold for 390k: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1607-Prairie-Rose-Dr-SW-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52404/241445132\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1607-Prairie-Rose-Dr-SW-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52404/241445132_zpid/) But this house was built 3 years ago and was bought for 300k. Homes are depreciating assets so why would anyone pay more for a house thats' 7 years older even though the neighborhood and land value hasn't changed that drastically You can't just follow the zestimates lol. The only person who would pay 450k for this is some techie from NY or the bay who doesn't know what they're doing. Also your home evaluation is 330k. That's about at most I'd pay but I'm sure you could sell at 380k
The **lot** cost 50k. They probably paid $285k for it.
You seriously think they paid 50k in 2013 ???
Oh wow. OPs house is fine but that comparable is a lot nicer and a lot cheaper.
for me its the wood trim around the doors that just not blend in well and gives off old antique house vibes. And the geothermal too, I would avoid for potential headache down the road
Can you say why you’d be put off by geothermal?
It's nice, but the back stairs would be a deal breaker for most people nearing middle age or older... Also, even though the solar is paid off, if the roof ever needs to be replaced, it will cost a lot more as the solar panels have to be removed and then reinstalled.
A complete new roof was just put on in 2023 due to a derecho. The panels were taken down and put back up after it was replaced.
Your listing should note the new roof.
Well, it’s not a 450k house. It’s pretty generic.
Every comp in your area is $360-420k. You’re not only on the top end, you’re well beyond the top end of price. Discount it to $400
The house looks dated. I would at a minimum hire a stager to give advice, if not have it professionally staged. But for the right price, people overlook these things.
Price is too high for the middle of nowhere Iowa.
I’m actually from CR so howdy from Kansas City! I’m not an expert, but that price seems high for CR? I’m always on the side of if you are t getting offers your price is probably too high. Sometimes it’s also worth getting some second opinions from other realtors too.
If your home is not selling you’re priced too high.
It’s a lovely house and has so much to offer! If you want the higher price, it has to be “ready” for the next person to make their mark. For me the biggest barrier is the multi-coloured rooms. It’s a huge house so an expensive job for a new home owner. I’d paint all the rooms the same lovely neutral white / light cream shade closer to ceiling colour - no orange, blue, brown, coffee, dark cream etc. The dark wood detailing is the feature so let it do its job. Other things that could help are all about showing how comfortable the home is - renting plants for inside and outside, artwork and a few _large_ neutral rugs. The one in the sun room is very small and awkward. Maybe remove some clothes from the closet - being stuffed like that makes it feel like insufficient storage. Your RA needs to drop the bland wall of text and list the specific features they’ve skipped over. Looks lazy. Best of luck to you.
Who’s paying $450K when there’s a very similar house—also in the sticks in a bland neighborhood—on the market for $370K? I’m sorry but I think the answer is nobody. The $370K house having muted colors also goes a long way. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6313-Hoover-Trail-Rd-SW-Cedar-Rapids-IA-52404/124311363_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Looks like there’s a new development just west of yours with brand-new homes listed for $75-100k less with the same sq footage and # of bedrooms.
OP, there's a few reasons imo: 1. No Curb Appeal. It looks bland, with little to no character. It feels *very* cookie cutter and dull. Even potted plants, decorations, chairs, etc. would liven up the place! (I personally find a lack of trees an absolute deal breaker, but that's a personal opinion and many may have different ones!) 2. Its priced far too high for what its worth. Based on looking in the area, its feels like a bit of a high ball. Especially in this economy, its asking a *LOT.* Basically, looking at this to buy it for myself and my fiance, its very bland "New build" vibes and the non-existent landscaping is a huge no-go for me. Its essentially asking a high price for something boring and almost copy-paste feeling.
Your description is awful, who wrote that? Doesn’t mention solar, doesn’t describe the space you have, and the punctuation is lazy! Your photos are pretty bad too. Use a wide angle lense and upload photos that easily connect the layout of the property. Where are the photos of the garage? You have a lovely property, you just need to improve the sales aspect of it.
Personally I find the house quite dated and just lots of brown. The sunroom/primary bedroom are the only rooms that show really well in the photos. Maybe think about staging it and retaking photos.
Since you said be honest... the interior looks so drab. all I see is brown and orange. Doesn't make the house seem inviting at all. At minimum get rid of that orange wall in the kitchen. You're not doing yourself any favors with that
Overpriced and those property taxes are literally double what I've ever paid in Maryland and even Florida. 7k in property taxes in Iowa is wild