No Reason To Head For The Hills

Like most people, I was amazed about the findings of a Bankrate.com story showing that, of all states, South Dakota came in at toward the top of their list of best states for retirees to live. I couldn't help but think that realty agents throughout that state should already be all over this and have already updated their listings which could be appropriate for retired couples.

After the (predictable) few minutes of not finding anything even remotely close to this happening, I stumbled upon a current listing in the Rapid City area which is actually geared toward a young family. But you wouldn't know it from looking at the advertisement, which is shown on a "national" web site.

The ad for this home, at 19 Surfside Drive in Rapid City, frankly doesn't seem to be targeting any potential buyers.

Agents and sellers need to take a more serious approach to advertising a home for sale, and this listing ad, unfortunately, is a perfect example of why.

First, the primary photo makes it difficult to tell whether or not we are looking at the front or the back of the house. It took seeing another photo of the back (which shows a pile of bricks at an angle that makes it appear they are holding up the porch) to make a viewer realize it is the front. Finding this ad during the first week of May and seeing patches of snow within each exterior photo does not make this home attractive for relocation prospects, unless they love snow and frigid weather.

Not to mention the photo taken looking down the long driveway to the ONE car garage for this 3-bedroom home while there is snow on the ground. The next interior photo has a snow patch in the front and shows what looks like a "dead" garden spot. All of the exterior photos were taken on a cloudy and dreary day.

One of the interior photos clearly shows a water dispenser by the kitchen. Of course, there is nothing wrong with having that service, but to anyone from out of the area it could put doubt in to their mind about the local drinking water. Not exactly an ideal first impression either.

But it gets worse. One of the bedrooms has a wild blue wall on one side and a gray wall on the other, and this is the same room in the same photo. I feel safe in assuring you that no one would want to keep that room the way it looks in that photo. Thus, all this photo does is put the thought into a potential buyer that there is work to be done in order to make at least the one room liveable.

Without going into the problems with every photo, I will comment about the lone basement photo in this ad. It shoes multiple foot tracks in the carpet, and the couch is covered by what looks like a bed sheet. Frankly, I wouldn't allow visitors to see this, if it were my home, let alone anyone in the world who might be thinking of buying.

As for the description copy, let me quote one of the sentences: "With the roomy 1 car garage, you also get extra space off to the side for your toys." Which part of this is worse? Is it promoting the "1 car garage" for a 3-bedroom home with snow on the exterior? The space for "your toys" (as opposed to the kids toys, tools, etc.)?

Putting all of this together, I think I know what will happen with this listing. Based on this advertisement, the sellers might wind up having to retire in this home!


http://www.homefinder.com/SD/Rapid-City/19-Surfwood-Dr-106290719d