Selling 2502 N Sheffield Ave is hard work

Dan Green is selling 2502 N Sheffield Ave in Chicago and has posted his townhouse for sale on Zillow. That picture is of the kitchen at 2502 N Sheffield. Dan’s been working hard on this since December 29th when he also started ‘a blog about the things a homeowner does to sell his home‘. I enjoy Dan’s blog; it’s honest, informative and it’s entertaining in that reality-TV kind of a way. It gives a seller a good first hand account of the real (hard) work involved and the time it takes to sell a home.

Dan is not new to either blogging or real estate — he’s a mortgage planning specialist with a popular blog on that topic. What’s interesting is that despite Dan’s hard work and industry expertise, he  understands that he will most likely need the help of a Realtor to get his home sold. In fact, he is interviewing Realtors even though his home is already advertised for sale. If a suitable buyer happens to find the townhouse today, Dan estimates that his hard work will have saved him $30,000 — but if it’s not so easy to sell, Dan is well on his way to getting the help he will need. It’s an interesting approach — not exactly FSBO (for sale by owner), but it could be if luck plays along.

In his search for a Realtor, Dan has interviewed three agents. This interview process is common advice that sellers regularly hear but seldom heed. Interestingly, these three agents have disagreed on the valuation of 2502 N Sheffield to the tune of $50,000 or, roughly 8% of the value of the house. This puts Zillow’s median Zestimate error (7.2%) in context — valuations are difficult and to a degree they’re subjective, even when you do visit the home.

I look forward to reading how this story plays out. If you’re thinking of selling, you may want to keep track of Dan’s blog and if you’re in the market for a townhouse in Chicago, check it out. For now, I’ll leave you with these links to a few of the entries in Dan’s blog so you can catch up with the story thus far …

• Zillow Make Me Move Price Set at $615,000
• Home Staging Begins
• We Made Our Bedroom Bland
• Home Inspection Complete
• New Shower Door On Its Way
• Chimney Sweep Calls Out Home Inspector
• Home Appraisal Completed: $625,000
• Live at Zillow and Craig’s List
• Photos of the Kitchen and Dining Area
• Three Interviews Down…