Ok I will post it. . .have been afraid to but why not! Here goes.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/612-Wellingham-Dr-Durham-NC-27713/50001938_zpid/

here is my list of changes:

- we already discussed the exterior changes including half moon window change over garage (thanks Houzzers!) ;) Would take off current shutters, take off green fan detail

-add wooden door, might add an appropriately sized pair of functional shutters. Thinking of leaning slightly farmhousey.

-would make some landscaping changes but I know nothing about plants so would hire some expertise ;)

-would take off curlique details on staircase!!

-would take off fireplace mantle!! and replace green stone surround with black or white tile

- would replace chandeliers with something more rustic/casual

-would eventually replace lots of things (tile, fixtures, etc) in downstairs master bath but not a priority

-considering adding a second upstairs bath to create upstairs master option

-add gas range and a hood

-add subway tile backsplash in kitchen

-we would bring a SS fridge with us

-replace hardware on kitchen cabinets to darker metal

-take off plastic grid on front of spice cabinet in kitchen, replace that door

-might replace top halfmoon window in family room (at top of wall of windows) w a different shape

-might take grids out of all windows since they are plastic and slightly cheap looking (although like the vibe. . .) Might also consider painting window frames black (?!) at some point or replacing with nicer windows.

-eventually: screen in a portion of the porch!

we think comps dont support any more than 350.

-ok— tell me what else to add to the list or if it’s just a lemon ;)

Rebecca, stop worrying why others have not offered on the home... it has no bearing on whether you should or not. Jennifer's scenario on an overpriced home is dead on. She explained the scenario perfectly. If it is overpriced, as you say, then this is why it has not sold... not because of the green fans, nor the protruding garage nor the poor landscaping, nor because it is Winter time. I sell in NC and have been very busy recently. I walked 15 waterfront lots with buyers during the last cold spell when it never got above 27 degrees... very cold for here. It is not selling because it is overpriced. If you do write up an offer, have your agent attach several comps to justify your offer.

Do you know if the owners are still living there or is it just staged/empty? (If they're still there, they might not be in a hurry or not really need to move. If not, then it's costing them every day and they'll be more willing to entertain a low offer.)

They’re there. But per neighbors, need to move out of state for work very soon.

Sounds like the timing is right if it checks enough of the boxes....

Any thoughts re the home from anyone? Im really open to hearing feedback, or wouldnt post. (Obviously their decor and furniture is not mine. But everything else is open for feedback!) I’d take the interior ‘ comtempofarmtransitional’ style-wise.

I like the back of it - I hope it has a nice view out of those windows!

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/612-Wellingham-Dr_Durham_NC_27713_M61860-13725#photo0

Thanks for the link Jane! I like the back of the house more than the front. :-) It's very lovely inside though. Why do they put a community pool photo there?

I think the natural light is lovely. This home seems very move in ready--yet still gives you an opportunity to make small changes, over time, to create those amazing spaces that will bring joyful memories to you, your family, and your guests. Enjoy the journey :)

I lost my post for some reason so I'll recap.

I like that it has plenty of trees in the back because all those windows face west, correct? Those trees will help keep it a little cooler.

I love the deck.

The kitchen looks to be the same size as mine and it's not really a 2 person kitchen (if that's an issue) It looks to be clean and updated, though.

I see some green in the bathrooms but not enough to deter me (plus I think green is coming back??) You may want to update the counters in the bathrooms and get some frameless shower doors.

The carpet looks new, but since this was built in the 90's, I doubt that there are hardwoods underneath it...that would be quite an expense for the future?

Only a crawl space (deal breaker for some) but your roof is less than 5 years old so that's great...

I like that there's a tankless hot water heater....if it's sufficient (high volume use doesn't give you enough hot water)

Anyway, those are the things that I look at...

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement! Yes chocolatesnap that is exactly what I was thinking. A long list of potential /definite changes (see a few posts up if curious) but pretty much move in ready if desired. The view is all trees out of the wall of windows, which I love. And most of all there seem to be lots of kiddos around for mine to grow with. They posted the community pool because some communities have them and some don’t, and here in NC it gets hot! So I think they’re saying ‘hey our community has a pool!’ :)

The more we look around,the more we like this one. . .the question is just if something else will come up in the next month that we like more! We have low 400s as a hard cap so are really priced out of a lot of ‘dream homes’ , whether that means better location or house with more character—in our area. (Which is crazy to me, but thats a different conversation— inflation!) I think I could make this one feel like ours though. :)

Thank you Penny! Yes the kitchen is a little small. And yeah I dont love having carpet in the family room, I dont mind upstairs. I really do wish they’d done the family room in hardwood but could add that to the eventual list. Thank you so much for your thoughts!

You're so sweet I'm sure the perfect house will find you and if this is it, then the original owners are lucky to have you take over for them!

-the order of the pics sometimes gets mixed up-more a technical problem on the site

-the longer the owners spent time in the house, and especially if they custom built it-the more attached they will be, so explains why might be overpriced. it gets harder to price your house since your value that you mentally attach to your house is higher..it's understandable

-completely agree that it can be a house never even comes up in somebody's search..also, some people will make lower offer some wouldn't(I would but wouldn't lowball it too much as not to offend the seller..so I will feel bad going 25 K down in this price range, for example. In price range like 600-900K I'd feel okay because it's different percentage of the overall price..so see, depends on a person. and on a price range, btw highly envy your real estate prices..here would be older condo, maybe 2 bed 1 bath if one's lucky..and association fee will be between 300 to 450 a month)

-agree that winter is generally harder for resale..even here in sunny So Cal..it's perpetuating itself so to say..everybody's waiting for spring to list...or most people are

well we didn't wait, listed at the worst possible time, had to wait a bit..we received an offer right after Christmas..and that's how I knew it was very solid))

(well I also knew since they saw it on open house, and were thinking about it all the time, and checking probably what happens with elections..it was elections too when we listed, just great timing allover, lol)

-as for the house-if you didn't yet, go there again. I always return if I'm serious(if there's time of course). If I find more shortcomings, feel less sure about it-not a good sign. If I come back, see shortcomings, yet somehow care less -I consider them of course, they just don't ruin my good feeling-it's a good sign. It's a bit like a marriage, that house thing. In sickness in health. If you feel "sickness" doesn't avert you..you're kinda where you want to be.

That's how I know usually.

Sometimes I know right away. In most cases I'll do my due diligence will still go there twice. Also helps to see how it feels at different times of a day..or during weekday vs weekend..

Listen to yourself..how do you usually know? You probably have your own strategies..

"really priced out of a lot of ‘dream homes’ , whether that means better location or house with more character"-it's kinda true for the vast majority of population, I suppose..whatever their cap is))

A true dream home is made by the people and relationships that reside within the home, as well as by friends and neighbors invited to share memories there with us. No style, work flow, square footage, flooring, paint color, trim, lighting, appliance etc. can please us for long, if we haven't first invested in the people.

I think it is important and pleasing to work as we can to create beauty and order wherever we dwell. I love to read the ideas and feedback from others here on Houzz who seem to have similar feelings--and I can tell you do too!

Only you and your husband will know when you reach that tipping point where there are more pros than cons, or when the time is "right now" instead of "wait and see". In my area, a number of Spring listings do show up in February and early March, not sure whether it is the same for Durham. Of course, a number of buyers hit the market then too. If you aren't afraid of competing for this house, you can hold off until you are more certain--maybe you can have their realtor, and yours, quickly alert you if another offer is coming in? I would check with your realtor about that first--and how it works in your area.

Thank you April! WOW SoCal is incredible pricewise, you’re right we are lucky here in the South. (Except that you get to live in such an amazing state!) We would never in our dreams be able to afford a home there at all.

I absolutely agree abt multiple viewings— we have taken that to the max and been there 4 times! Ha. ;)

If you like the house, then get a bid in IMMEDIATELY because if you like it, someone else will too. Don't wait. You can always back out, but if someone comes in with an accepted bid before you, then you're out of luck.

the question is just if something else will come up in the next month that we like more!

There may always be a bigger, better, more perfect house, but then again there may never be one. And if you lose this one, then what?

Chocolatesnap I LOVE this post. Saving —b/c

this sentiment is just as important— actually more—to save compared to ‘fun ideas for backsplash’. You are a very wise woman (or man?) :)

as for this specific home we’re still in ‘wait and see’. . .I think this week I‘ve moved more into being near ready to tip, and my husband hasnt. I both want to see more February listings come on, but also fear the effective price of this house going up if we have more competition.

No perfect answer! THANK YOU all for your lovely thoughts.

Your heart is not ready to say yes to the house. That means this is not the one.......find a big house with some land!

It looks like a great home! Plenty of opportunities for you to put your mark on it, but I don't see anything you would have to do before moving in.

The owners' agent has likely told them it's overpriced (and every visitor to Zillow or Redfin sees it as overpriced), so while the owners would doubtless be disappointed with a low offer, they may not be shocked.

I would like to say that I disagree with the idea of making multiple visits to the same house (but then I know straight away...emotional buyer, here !).

Sellers might (are, really) less likely to negotiate if you go back more than once. It shows you're really interested and want the house. If you offer after one visit, then they might think that they need to grab you before you change your mind!

A lot of home buying is psychological. Like playing poker.

oh penny I'm the most emotional buyer I know lol

doesn't matter. it's not only for me too.

agree about sellers..potentially..well what will be will be)) What can I do about other people. I just can decide, in the very worst scenario, not to deal with them.

our previous home-we saw it once at night time..put an offer right away. was accepted right away. loved that house. was never gonna move lol

(second house btw when I thought I'd never move. this current one is a third..I already know how it goes lol..))

but we had different circumstances too. different needs as family. and high hopes for things that never happened. to my deep sorrow. they were normal things to expect. life took a different turn.

(btw would make a really bad poker player. poker face? can never do. can pass for a monkey)) it's a huge pity..so many talents go right down the drain))

@rebecca, wise (woman) is most accurate; though my kids would argue that I am hardly wise, just very free with my opinions :) Keep us updated with your search!

"Sellers might (are, really) less likely to negotiate if you go back more than once. It shows you're really interested and want the house. If you offer after one visit, then they might think that they need to grab you before you change your mind!"

I don't agree with this - if anything, it shows that the buyer is on the fence, and they need to look at it again to make a decision. I looked at one house three times - once during an open house, and two appointments (one with DH, one without), I was ready to put in an offer right after the open house but DH was on the fence, so I went back with an appointment by myself - saw a few more things that were hmm..I don't know...still wanted it but decided to keep looking. Took DH back a few weeks later and saw even more things that gave me pause - it was a 1940s house with a lot of character, but lack of storage, small rooms, laundry in the garage, stuff like that. Even though I still really liked the house and could have made it work, the thing we couldn't change was the fact it was a bungalow style with MIL quarters upstairs, and we really wanted a ranch. Again, we could have made it work, it was large enough on the first floor and bedrooms on the first floor, but ultimately DH just said no, we need to hold out for what we really want. That house took a few more months to sell, and it eventually sold for about $50K less than original list - and we're in a tight market.

I agree with mxk3. Sellers might assume there is great interest, and it may be true, but smart sellers will know there is a reason the multiple views have not yet produced an offer. If the sellers can discover the problem causing the hesitation, sometimes they can make the problem less a factor. However, on-the-fencers that have made an offer might be less inclined to stick with that house should more problems get discovered, such as during inspections.

Fair market value is what a willing buyer will pay a willing seller. Trying to guess the other side's level of motivation is sometimes easy and sometimes very difficult. There are no hard and fast rules. When I sold real estate I would take buyers to see as many homes as we could fit in the first day. Give them a really good feel for what is on the market in their price range, find out what they really want. Amazing how many are open to a fixer upper until they walk in and can't see past the Orange carpet. After the first day or weekend we started narrowing the search. I had buyers who were moving from another state, had sold there home and needed to buy something in a few days. I had others that took months to find that perfect home. They were renting and had a month to month lease and could take their time.
I had sellers who had found their next home and had to get rid of there house now and sellers who were in the process of finding their next home or just testing the waters to see if they can get enough for their house to buy the one they want.
Every buyer and every seller is different and has a different level of motivation and level of knowledge and level of tolerance. There are no hard and fast rules. Going back two or three times could mean that you really want the house, or it could mean you are on the fence.
I have only bought homes twice and sold a home once. The first time I bought I had a very tight budget and what I could afford didn't buy much. I bought a home from a distressed seller for $2k less than he owed on the house, but he had sold his home, moved out of the country and it fell out of escrow. I had 20% down, was pre-approved (not just pre-qualified) for a loan and could close in less then 30 days and I made the first offer. The house had gone back on the MLS with a crazy low price for the neighborhood at 8:00 in the evening. I saw the house at 7:00 am and had the offer written and submitted by 9:00 in the morning. It was accepted before noon. It took me 8 months to find a home that wasn't a shit hole that was within my budget and I knew that I had to act fast.
When I sold my home I had watched the market for months. I knew what my house would sell for. I was amazed at the realtors who wanted the listing and gave me hugely inflated numbers thinking that it would entice me to list with them. I listed it myself through an mls listing service and offered a 3% commission to the buyers agent. I knew what the selling points were, made sure to highlight the homes best features, staged it properly, sold it as having "a designer color pallet", It included deep reds, purples and teal blues. Every realtor told me to re-paint before putting it on the market. Every new home development had neutral color pallets. I had the largest back yard in the neighborhood with room for a pool and play area (a treasure in San Diego County) and I lived within 3 blocks of some of the highest rated elementary, middle and high schools in the state. All three were either 8 or 9 out of 10 on the state scoring. I didn't try to compete with the new home developments and my house had a nearly full price offer within 3 days.
When I bought this home I was once again not in a huge hurry. I had the money from the sale of my home, was staying with family and could either buy or rent something while I continued to look. Once again, I found a home that had motivated sellers. It was fairly priced and the owners were elderly. The wife had Alzheimers and the 80+ year old man was caring for her and had found an assisted living home where they could move. The house didn't show well, dirty, cluttered, too much for the man to care for. I also had grown up in this neighborhood and new this was a well constructed custom home when it was built in 1970. I went back at least 3, maybe 4 times before making an offer. I had been looking at home for sale in my home town in Pennsylvania every time I visited for the past 3 years and had watched Zillow for 3 years. I knew what the market was like and what prices homes would sell at. I found out through my visits that he raised and trained race horses. He would want to haggle prices and would want to "win". So I made a reasonably low offer, he countered and I accepted a price that was under market value.
It is a poker game, but the trick is to educate yourself. If you are selling, know your competition. The house that will sell first is the best home in the price range. If you are buying learn everything you can about the market. Go to every open house, ask your realtor show you 10 or 20 homes in your price range in a weekend. Look at the houses that have sold on Zillow. You should know when you walk through the door if this is a good or bad house for the $$$. You should also know if the houses are selling within days or if inventory is sitting for months.

I agree.

You can not second guess a buyer's or seller's motivation.

Agreed, but some things are obvious, like multiple visits.

And (if I was selling) I would be interested in where my house is being viewed. Search Google images would do that for me....bringing me right to this thread....

All I'm saying is that it pays to hold your hand close.

Penny that is a great point and thank you Jennifer for your detailed edits! Sounds like you have been a really smart buyer and smart seller.

Re: Penny's point. . . I am now wishing there were a way to take this thread and others down. . .just have to hope they dont think to search!!

Possibly they won't. Not everyone thinks like I do.

Either way, you didn't reveal much. I'm sure that many homes you like will end up here.... ;)

I think you can ask the admin user to remove it. .....

following

1 - most people are not going to do a Google image search.
2 - If they see the thread they will know that you think it is overpriced

3 - They will know that you are still looking and fell in love with another home.

Would something like this be too far away for you?

https://www.redfin.com/NC/Chapel-Hill/18-Wedgewood-Ct-27514/home/44404716

Good luck!

Oaktown thank you :) that is a lovely home and neighborhood! Chapel Hill is great and that kind of lot + community is exactly what my husband would love, you’re right on target ;)

we commute to Raleigh though, and so yes CH is a little far in traffic.

I realize I’m overdue to post an update— in the end after viewing lots more homes, we kept circling back to the first one I posted here. . .the 1995 one!

It just had the best combination of all the things we want. I think part of the process was just me accepting that we weren’t going to find ‘perfect’ on our budget these days. We almost made another offer for another home also built in the 90s, but in the end we kept comparing it to the first house/first neighborhood and realized the first one just felt most like what we really wanted all along, despite the tiny lot. But, you truly cant have everything.

We were able to negotiate, and are happy to be under contract.

I have a loong project list and am very excited to get started next month :) I may post other spin off threads here for help! Thanks again for all your help with the decision making process, everyone!

Congratulations, rebecca_adia! Enjoy your new home!

Great decision! Happy for you.

Congrats! I hope you feel great!

Congratulations! Personally, I'm glad you went back to that home :)

Great News, best wishes for you and your family in your new home!

Best wishes, glad you found home!

Congratulations! I think you made the right choice and once you make it YOUR home you'll love it even more.

I liked this home so well that it might have inspired me to move to NC and buy it LOL. Those windows! Glad you got it.

Why Zillow didn’t change it to “pending sale”? It still shows for sale. When the seller accepted our offer on a property, the property status changed from for sale to sales pending on Zillow quickly.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/612-Wellingham-Dr-Durham-NC-27713/50001938_zpid/

So odd! You’re right that’s weird! Redfin and the MLS have it right— but I just checked Realtor.com and it says totally ‘off market’ altogether which isn’t true either — I guess that’s something to be mindful of in home searching, don’t trust Zillow or Realtor!

I completely agree with raee -- I’d have moved for that house, really nice place you got. summersrhythm, Redfin shows it pending - zillow is often behind with updates.

Did the agent change the status in the MLS. Here, we have no more than three days to do this.

Also, Zillow is notorious for unreliable data. All of the time.

Either way, it does not affect you. You are under contract no matter what Zillow says.