Ouch

The owners of 11 Plow Lane paid $4,755,018 for it, new, in 2007, the high-water mark of our market. They put it back up for sale in September and it remains unsold; today it’s been marked down to $3.595. Plow Lane’s a (small) development off Old Church, and I’ve never been a fan of its geography, with houses carved out of ledge and thus affording only minimal back yards. And this house’s lengthy stay on the market doesn’t help, because a stigma attaches to houses that stay around too long. Buyers ask, “what’s wrong with it?”, and explaining that its only problem was that it had been originally overpriced never quite lifts their suspicion that, if no one else wants it, why should they?

Still, it’s a decent house, and it will certainly sell, at some price.

I used to dismiss stagers as unnecessary, but I’ve changed my mind. A stager, for instance, would have temporarily cleared out this master closet, if only for the listing photo day — dump most of the clothes and shoes in another room before the photograph was taken and then return them, would have been my suggestion.

An empty wine cellar only reminds buyers that no one uses them