The longer a home stays on the market, the more likely agents and prospects will think there is something wrong with it. The home will be shown less, making it more difficult to find the right buyer for the home.

The reasons that properties fail to sell include one or more of the following: price, location, condition, terms, and marketing efforts. To successfully sell, a correction in these areas must be made. You rarely get a second chance to make a first impression. To maximize the new marketing efforts, all factors must be considered.

Price is the single most important factor in a successful sale. It can overcome a poor location, bad condition, or no terms. A price adjustment must exceed an invisible threshold in order to induce increased activities. For instance, if a home is priced at $107,500, a reduction probably will not encourage additional activity unless it brings the price below $100,000.

If the location of the property is not favorable for a sale, an adjustment in one of the other factors must be made in order to compensate. The areas to consider are price, condition, and terms.

Most buyers, regardless of the price range they're in, spend everything they have for a home. They have to live in it the way they buy it until they can save enough to redo it.  It's better to replace carpet and floor covering with something neutral, than to give the buyer an allowance to pick their own. It's better to replace wallpaper and repaint with neutral colors than to give the buyer an allowance to pick their own. It's also better to replace appliances that are needed, than to make an allowance.

Buyers will always deduct more in their offer than it will cost you to make the repairs or improvements.

Terms describe financing alternatives. They include seller carried first & second lien notes, buy-downs for the purchaser to lower the costs of the payments in the initial periods, seller paid discount points, and the willingness to sell the home FHA or VA.

If two or more homes of the same size are on the market in the same area, for the same price, the one in the best condition will probably sell first. If two or more homes of the same size are on the market in the same area, in the same condition, the one with the best price will probably sell first.

If two or more homes in the same condition are on the market in the same area, at the same price, the largest one will probably sell first. If two or more homes of the same size are on the market for the same price, in the same condition, the one with the best location will probably sell first.

One successful tactic is to position your home like its new on the market. This will create excitement among the buying prospects and more importantly, the agents in the area.

Your home must be exposed to the largest buying segments. Your home must appeal to different buyer segments, such as first time home buyers, move up buyers, relocation buyers, move down buyers, and investors.

Every home needs an exciting feature. The price of the home will determine what the feature needs to be. It could be new appliances in the kitchen, ceiling fans through out the home, a whirlpool spa, or a home entertainment center.

If your home doesn't have an exciting feature, that could be the reason it hasn't sold.