House Calls

Q: Our solitary, elderly, recently widowed sister can’t sell her house, which is adjacent to a golf course. Hers and other houses are just not selling even though the area is well-maintained.

A well-known Realtor was retained. Very few inquiries have been made about the house. She was hoping to sell before winter. The asking price is now well below what she started at. We are all braced for disappointment because even renting it appears not to be an option either. — M. G.

A: Your sister could be asking for trouble anyhow, if she tried becoming a landlady at this point.

You need to understand: Even the most “well-known” Realtor can’t drag buyers by the hair to look at a property that strikes them as over priced. If your sister were asking $2, the house would sell in five minutes. And I promise you — somewhere between $2 and the current price is a figure that will bring lots of interest and offers.

It doesn’t matter what your sister thinks the property is worth, what that Realtor thinks or what you think. Appraisers sum up their profession in three words: “Buyers Determine Value.” Only the buying public knows the right price. Your sister will have to keep experimenting till she finds the magic figure that will get the house sold.

Popcorn Ceilings

Q: My parents died two years ago, and I inherited their house that I grew up in. My mother constantly made changes in the house built in the 1950s. Some time in the 1970s, she had the ceilings all sprayed with white popcorn paint. I am considering selling the house but will it sell with these ceilings? If not, is it expensive to remove? — F. L., via askedith.com

A: Tastes vary — some people in some areas like those popcorn ceilings. After all, your mother did.

Local real estate brokers can judge better than I can from this distance. It won’t cost anything or obligate you to call two or three who seem active in the neighborhood (look at for-sale signs and search the Internet). Ask them to come over, look at the house and give you advice. You’ll learn a lot.

It won’t cost anything or obligate you to consult a couple of contractors about the cost of redoing popcorn ceilings.

Edith Lank will respond personally to any question sent to www.askedith.com or to 240 Hemingway Drive, Rochester, N.Y., 14620.