How I Talked a Homeowner Out of Selling Their House

She Thought She Wanted to Sell But It Wasn’t About the House

This is exactly why I like to start every seller conversation with strategy, not a price.

I recently started working with a homeowner who was pretty set on selling her house. She wasn’t in a rush, but she made it clear she didn’t like her home anymore and was ready for a change. She had a lot of equity, a solid down payment lined up, and her dream was to move closer to her family in Mukilteo or Lynnwood.

I work with homeowners across Snohomish County and North King County who are trying to decide whether selling actually makes sense, not just whether it’s possible.

We talked through everything she was looking for in her next home, how much she was hoping to spend, and how far her equity would realistically go in this market. She also had one of those rare low interest rate mortgages that is nearly impossible to match right now. Once we started running the numbers, it became clear she would either need to settle for a much smaller home or significantly increase her budget to get close to what she already had.

That’s when she started hesitating. Over the course of a few weeks and several conversations, I could tell something still wasn’t sitting right with her, and it wasn’t just the financials.

Eventually, through one of those deeper conversations, we landed on the real issue. It was the yard.

She thought she hated her house, but what she actually hated was feeling powerless over what she could do with her own landscaping. She assumed the HOA would not allow changes based on what she had read in the CC&Rs, so she never even tried. She felt stuck and like she had no control or freedom in her own home.

I asked if she had ever submitted a request, and she didn’t even know her HOA had a portal. We looked it up together, found the form, and submitted a request for the updates she wanted. The HOA approved it.

It was like a light switch flipped. That single friction point, the thing that made her feel like the house was not really hers, turned out to be solvable. Once that stress was removed and paired with the reality of what it would cost to start over in a new place, she felt at peace staying put.

Not everyone who wants to sell actually needs to. Sometimes people just need help untangling what isn’t working. Once that becomes clear, the best decision is not always to move. Sometimes it is simply taking back control of where you are.

This is exactly what my free seller strategy is designed to do. Slow things down, look at the numbers, and uncover what is really driving the decision before anyone commits to selling.

If you have been feeling like it might be time to move but you are not exactly sure why, or the numbers just are not adding up, I am happy to talk it through.

Yes, I am a real estate agent and I do love getting listings. More than anything, my job is to understand your why. Sometimes the real problem is not the house itself. It is something deeper that just needs a fresh perspective or a simple solution.

My mentor always told me that being a great agent is not just about selling homes. It is about solving problems and always doing what is truly in the client’s best interest.

If you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about your next step, I am here.