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Question and answers about selling a seemingly hopeless home. What to do after five months?Q. Your realtor told you that your home showed well, and should sell with no problem. It's been five months and you haven't received the first offer, what's the deal? Now, your realtor is telling you that you need to pack up your clutter and get it out of your house. Your realtor also told you that your house hosted one of the most sellable floor plans in your area. Two couples have looked at your home and said they didn't like your floor plan. Did your realtor lie to you?

A. The simple truth is that five months ago, your home may have showed well and was priced competively for the market in your area. However, the housing market has been on a steady decline and buyers want something spectacular when choosing a home for purchase. In order to compete with the market, your home needs to show beautifully and be priced lower than others in your area.

It is probably true that the floor plan of your home is a popular sell. Your agent probably didn't lie to you. You can't base the entire market on the opinion of a few couples. It stands to reason that maybe your interior design choices are hindering your sell. That is probably why your realtor suggested eliminating clutter from your home. Good interior design creates a better flow to your floor plan. Although it isn't easy to hear that your decorating may not be up to par, or that your home doesn't look good enough to sell, your agent is probably right. Staging your home can help assist you with your sell. Staging helps create a flow and show case your home potential.

Odds are that with the market being a tough as it is, the only way to get that sell, is for your home to show like a developer's model home. You'll also need to consider pricing your home lower than those in your area. The main thing is to be prepared to wait. With fewer buyers and more homes for sale, it may take awhile for you to receive that offer. Your agent seems to be doing her job and trying to help you sell your home. Your agent is a trained professional and knows what the selling points in your area are. You should take your agents advice and de clutter and stage your home to make it more appealing to buyers.

Q. My mother has planned on leaving her house to my brother and myself upon her death. The deed to her home already has both our names on it, and we both have a copy. Recently, my mother has decided to sell her home and has asked for our copies of the deed. She has mine, but my brother refuses to hand his over. What can my mother do legally so she can make the sell?

A. There may not be anything that your mother can do. Since your brother technically owns a third of the property, it is up to him if he want to relinquish his share. Situations like this are exactly why parents should examine worst case scenarios before giving their children shares of their property. If your mother wants to sell her property, your brother may be entitled to a third of the money she receives from the sell. If he does choose to take a third of the money, your mother should consider this when she determines what is to go with her property after her death. She will need to execute a will in order to make sure that her estate is distributed how she chooses it to be.

She may also want to talk with an estate attorney to determine if there is another course of action that can be taken. This will be determined by the original agreement. However, if your mother is still listed as the sole owner of the property at the county deeds office, and you and your brother’s deed were never recorded, she may be able to sell without his deed. An estate attorney can look into these matters and help your mother choose the best course of action.

Home, the most cherished asset of our life, serves the purpose of shelter and protection. Do you know how important is it to secure your home with an insurance ... The economy will not grow without jobs. Expect a double dip recession and higher mortgage rates soon.

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