Name: Cloud Conrad, 49, who works in marketing for Maid Brigade
The home: A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home built in 1966 with a brick and frame exterior.
Where: Dunwoody
Why she sold: Conrad, who purchased the Dunwoody home in 1998, desired to make what she called an "urban exodus" to Winder, where she says "life is quiet and simple." Her plan was to carry two mortgages, by buying a home in Winder while renting her Dunwoody home, just in case she wanted to move back. Conrad bought the home in Winder in October 2008 – days before the historic stock market crash. "I remember sitting in my kitchen in the new house thinking, 'I am sunk,' " she said. "Three years later, I am now bailing out my canoe." During that time, she moved back and forth between both homes (when the other wasn't rented) and watched the value of her Dunwoody home drop. She is now living in Winder full time.
Time on market: Almost 1 ½ years, with three different agencies.
Original price: $324,900
Sale price: $220,500
What it took: "I had to get really real about the price," she said. "I was not realistic with myself about market value." Once she lowered the price to $250,000, she got the offer for $200,000, and then they negotiated the sale price. The home sold in 31 days with agent Scott Smith Sr. of Keller Williams First Atlanta. Another crucial step was updating the home by landscaping the front yard, painting the exterior a pale yellow, installing a new furnace and air compressor and a heating and air conditioning system, and insulating the attic.
Potential stumbling block: Conrad was concerned about the inspection and appraisal. She was worried the buyers – who were purchasing a home for the first time – would get overwhelmed if they saw a long list of repairs. But the inspection noted only minor repairs, which they handled. As for the appraisal, it came in about $4,000 over the price they negotiated for the home. The home closed in December. "They were shrewd buyers and there when the time was right for buyers," she said.
Seller's hint: Consider paying someone to handle major changes to a home. She said it was a mistake for her to spend five months painting the inside of the home because it took longer for her to do it. She estimates lost out on thousands in possible rent, which would have gone toward the mortgage, because she wasn't able to have renters in the home during the painting.
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