Get another realtor.

Yes stress is trying to take over and I am sorry your son is not giving you more support. I agree with monica--Wait, get a new realtor that is more for you and not for the buyer. There is a forum called Buying and Selling that has some wonderful supoort and advice. Just flat out pull the house off the market, go and visit with your children and get some good legal advice. You are still in your grieving stage and to protect yourself you need to wait. Do you have a church? senior citizen group or council on aging to help out AFTER you take a vacation. Sending hugs and good thoughts. Take that trip, and you will feel better.
Marie

It all depends, is the housing market slow or good in your area? Have you had more than one person give you an estimate ( I had seven) I had to reduce my business building by 150.000 of the original price but I was willing to do so as I wanted it gone. What are the comps in your area and have they shown them to you? Who set the price, them or you? Sometimes sellers and buyers expect all that they want but have to compromise. Check your real estates and see what they're getting in your area for a similar home. Good luck and don't stress too much although I know I did lol.

How long has it been since your husband's passing? I've always heard you should wait at least a year to sell your home or make any major plans. If you don't feel right about the sale, I think you should stick to what your gut tells you. Keep your price at the original price and once the contract is up find a different realtor... but give yourself at least a year.

I think Marie's advice about taking a vacation is good too.

I would get another realtor too. No, you shouldn't throw in most of your furniture. I can see throwing in the major appliances but nothing else. Don't let them take advantage of you and your situation. A realtor being to your home only 5 times in 19 months is not a realtor that is working for you.

Get another realtor. I think they are taking advantage of your situation.

Definitely get a different realtor. No way they should back up a seller with that much of a price reduction.

Counter higher than the first advertised sales price. That will tell them, you are not interested in getting screwed.

Moni

NEVER make any big decisions while you are grieving. Advice from a priest years ago,I won't give my details. Don't sell the house just yet. Real estate market is terrible right now, it will probably pick up once people are back to work. If you need income temporarily, fix it and rent it out for a few years.

Mary, I went through this 5 years ago. I put our house on the market right away, because it was such a big house for just my stepson and me and the memories were too much for me to deal with. I should have waited to sell it, because I found out later, I could have sold it for $200 thousand MORE than I sold it for.

Change realtors and wait to sell, would be my advice. It's too soon, in your grieving state, to sell it. In 6 months, you will be thinking more clearly and make a better decision.

How much time is left on your contract? If you are stuck with several months then why not speak with the head of the agency and explain the situation and disappointment with your current sales agent. Your agent is not doing anything for you as it is so you have nothing to lose.

Where are you located? Here in Florida, there are so many investors out there looking for deals to flip and of course they have to get the house for alot less than what the seller wants so they can do the fix up and flip it or as perhaps in your case - rent it out(since he wants the furniture)and still make a profit.

Go to you county's Property Appraisal's website and look at all the houses in your area (your street or subdivision) where the houses are similiar in size to yours. Look at the Just Market Value and see how yours compares. You can also find recent sales in your area to do comparables. Your realtor should have already done this for you but if he/she is being honest with you, the price you are asking should be in line with those that are in your area and are same age, size, tc. If you have insisted on pricing it too high (please don't take offense, DH and I have been there, done that too), then you may not be getting offers that you would if it were priced appropriately. For alot of people there is an emotional tie to their home, especially if it has been "the family" home for a long time. My next door neighbor has refused to let her SIL sell her home (she lives in another city with her DD and SIL. They have lawn care done on it weekly and yet she has not lived in it for over the last 10 years.

You may also be having to compete with many foreclosures that are around or even short sales where people are trying to get out from under homes that they can no longer afford to make payments on and will sell if the bank will accept what they can get for it and forgive the difference.

If this same guy has visited your home 5 times in 19 months, he is not in a real hurry to relocate and is bidding his time, wanting to haggle with you. If you know where he is from, you can go to that county's Property Appraisal site and put in his name. It will show you a list of all the properties he has owned or owns. Bet you he is an investor/renter/flipper as well as a used car salesman.

We are assuming that you have your own realtor and are not trying to sell it on your own. Remember if so, his realtor is not working for you - you definitely need someone to represent your interests. I'd tell the buyer's realtor you will get back to him when and if you are ready to go that low but for now that isn't happening. Then see what happens.

Sounds like the sharks are circling. I would wait it out, get another realtor, and go visit your kids and talk it over with them. If you don't care about the furniture, it would be a good way to not to have to move it, but if you want to keep it I would't be coerced into leaving it. Sorry you are going through this.

You've had some great advice...[mboston's] take it... and when the listing runs out... get another realtor. Interveiw them...get references too! find out how they would market your property.

No advice about selling except to agree that when you're under extreme stress, it's not a good time to make financial decisions.

However, think about including the furniture with the sale. Will it fit in your new space? What condition is it in? Does it scream "old lady" (not that you are -- neither am I). Presuming you can afford to do so, why not get a fresh new start in your new home? Used furniture has very little value and may not be worth the expense of moving it a long distance.

I am so sorry that you have this additional stress. Better times are ahead, I'm sure.

first and foremost, be sure ANYONE who makes an offer on your home is a qualified buyer! that they have visited a bank/mortgage co and have the cash, period...sounds as if this ya-hoo may be having money problems...

next, i'd visit your bank and see if the real estate manager can make a survey of the house and see if your home and asking price match...

do a little research online...visit surrounding neighborhood, get the name off any for sale sign and pull the listing up...see what the asking price is...

is your realtor the only one in the town/area?

last? it's time for you to get mad, not stressed! know you want to move near family, but darn it you're NOT a stepping stone, you are woman hear me roar!!!! my mother was almost clueless, but by the time she passed, she owned her mobile home, had bought and sold car, had a nice nest egg, and traveled some...she was a widow for about 25 years...

footnote on the furniture...call your local moving co and see how much it costs to move a household...unless the family are willing to come and help you move...as dedtired said, what you have now might not fit...or the price to move might buy a nice new lr, and bedroom...

please keep posting on your journey...and that's exactly what this next stage is....((((phoggie))))

I wanted to add that when I sold our house, I included some furniture, maintenance equipment and Gary's workout equipment, plus the pool table and accessories - it was just too much effort to move all that stuff by myself! Ya, I took a big loss on the whole transaction, but I needed to move. I don't regret my decision AT ALL!

It seems to me wise, in usual circumstances, to not make major decisions for some time after a major change in one's life, largely for a year, and maybe longer, if one still feels stressed.

Do you know some people who are famiiar with the real estate market?

Or do you have friends or connections, in social, community, religious or other agencies where you may be able to find someone, or people, who know it and can offer useful advice ... or know someone whom they trust who can?

You need to know whether the real estate market in your area is soft, whether there are quite a few foreclosures, etc., which would mean that prices may be somewhat reduced, now.

And if they are slow now, what are the prospects of a recovery, over the short to medium term.

Plus... how much pressure do you feel under to make changes in the short term?

Sometimes when we marry in haste ...

... we later repent at leisure.

Same for marketing houses, possibly?

Come back to talk whenever you feel like it!

Good wishes, whatever you choose!

ole joyful

Check out "zillow.com" www. of course. It is quite fun and you will get an idea of what is happening in your neighborhood as well as where you think you might move to. The BEST advice has been given. Wait. Get a new agent and agency. Go visit your children/family and "believe that another door will open" when it is the right time, and you will feel comfortable with your decision..

Mary, first of all, love yourself enough to put you first. In your position I would take a step away, visit the kids, go on vacation, go visit a friend, whatever it takes to relax and put some space between me and the house. If I cannot put physical distance between myself and the house, then I'd just remove it from the market and fire the realtor and treat myself to some time to relax and not make any decisions right now. Step back and take your time.

Mary - hugs...

You are not ready to let the house go. Can you afford to sit on it a while? It's been a year (almost) since mom died and I am just now getting to the place I could imagine another family living there.

Realtors here are snakes looking for a find. One here just bought a farm I would love to have had. 25 acres, brick house overlooking a stream - big barn. Realtor lined up a sheriffs sale and didn't put it in the local paper. That nice farm brought $80,000. Realtor's buddy bought it.

Call an estate attorney and ask who to get a professional appraisal from. Ours cost $250 to get but we know the bottom line on the real value of the property. You get a comparison of what similar houses are selling for.

Be strong. There is a special place on h.... for people who prey on the grieving. Say NO. It's hard, but you need the money for the rest of your life.