🏡 Seller panic, failed offers, and open houses

Real Estate Issue #36 - Derek’s question hits a nerve for anyone watching their listing sit

23 May

Happy Saturday Everyone!
Welcome to this week’s Home SWEET BUZZ!

Today we’re breaking down why so many homes are failing to close, what’s really happening behind the “60% failure rate” headline, and what sellers can do to avoid becoming one of them. Plus, featured listings, open houses, and a great Realtor Q&A about deals falling apart during inspections.

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In this Issue . . .

📊 Local Market Snapshot: "60% Failure Rate. One City. Here's Why."

💬 Ask a Realtor - Derek from Layton asked:
“I’ve had my home on the market for 71 days. We got two offers, but both fell through during inspections. My agent says we just need to find ‘the right buyer,’ but I’m starting to panic. What am I doing wrong?”

🎥 New Video Message from our Sponsor - Todd Porter: "60% Failure Rate. One City. Here's Why."

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🏡 The 60% Failure Zone: Why So Many Homes Never Make It to Closing

You list your home. Showings happen. Maybe you even get an offer. Inspections are scheduled. The appraisal comes back.

And then the deal falls apart.

Or worse… you never get an offer at all.

Right now in West Point, nearly 60% of listings are failing to close.

That means 6 out of every 10 homes that hit the market are either:

  • expiring

  • falling out of contract

  • failing inspections

  • missing appraisal

  • losing financing

  • or simply sitting until buyers move on

And West Point is not alone.

  • Farmington: 43.5% failure rate

  • Layton: 42.7%

  • Centerville: 42.9%

Across Davis County, 104 listings recently failed to close.

That’s 104 families who thought they were moving forward… only to end up back at square one.

📊 Here’s What Makes This So Interesting

While those 104 homes were failing…

👉 207 other homes actually closed.

Same market.
Same interest rates.
Same buyers.

Completely different outcomes.

So what separates the homes that close from the homes that fail?

The data is actually pretty clear.

💰 The Pricing Problem

In city after city, failed listings were dramatically overpriced compared to homes that actually sold.

Kaysville

  • Failed listings median: $700K

  • Homes that closed: $515K

West Point

  • Failed listings: $614K

  • Closed sales: $530K

Centerville

  • Failed listings: $499K

  • Closed sales: $440K

That’s not a small pricing gap.

That’s the market rejecting listings that never matched buyer reality in the first place.

⏳ The Time Problem

The homes failing right now are also sitting for months.

  • Clinton failed listings: 177 average days

  • Clearfield: 163 days

  • Bountiful: 147 days

  • North Salt Lake: 108 days

Meanwhile, homes successfully going under contract in many of those same cities are moving in 14–35 days.

That’s the difference between:
👉 momentum
and
👉 becoming stale.

Once a listing sits too long, buyers start asking:

  • “What’s wrong with it?”

  • “Why hasn’t it sold?”

  • “Will they have to drop the price?”

That’s a dangerous position for sellers.

🏚️ The Condition Problem

Here’s another hard truth:

Inspections, appraisals, and financing are killing deals when homes feel risky.

Deferred maintenance.
Outdated systems.
Safety concerns.
Poor presentation.

Today’s buyers do not want surprises.

They want certainty.

And when a home feels like a project, buyers either:
👉 negotiate hard
👉 or walk away completely.

🎯 The 3-Step Difference Between Closing… and Failing

✔ Step 1: Price Based on Reality

Not what you hope to get.
Not what your neighbor got in 2021.

Price based on what is actually closing right now.

✔ Step 2: Fix the Deal-Killers Early

Pre-inspections. Repairs. Prep work.

The homes that feel “move-in ready” create confidence and reduce negotiation fallout.

✔ Step 3: Launch Like It Matters

Professional photography. Strong digital marketing. Serious exposure.

This is no longer a “list it and hope” market.

The launch matters.

🧠 The Bottom Line

The buyers are still here.

👉 207 homes just closed across Davis County.

The market is still working.

But it’s only working consistently for homes that:

  • are priced correctly

  • prepared well

  • and positioned strategically from day one

Because right now…

👉 the difference between closing and failing is not luck.

It’s strategy.

📲 Text 801-755-1882 for a no-pressure equity analysis and a real game plan for getting your home to the closing table… while we still have time.

If for any reason, property tax concerns, estate planning, wealth evaluation, you are wondering what the present value of your home; scan this QR code or go to https://sureut.com/epicreport and we will promptly provide you with our detailed professionally engineered EPIC Report:

💬 Real Estate Q & A

PROVOCATIVE READER QUESTION


💬 Derek from Layton asked:
“I’ve had my home on the market for 71 days. We got two offers, but both fell through during inspections. My agent says we just need to find ‘the right buyer,’ but I’m starting to panic. What am I doing wrong?”

Todd’s Answer:
Derek, I’m going to be blunt:

👉 This probably isn’t a “wrong buyer” problem.
It’s likely a house problem that buyers keep discovering during inspections.

And if two buyers walked away over similar concerns, buyer number three is probably going to see the same thing.

Right now, Layton’s failure rate is sitting around 42.7%. That means out of 89 recent listings, only 51 actually made it to closing. The rest failed.

You’re already at 71 days on market with two failed inspections. That’s not bad luck anymore—that’s a pattern.

🛠️ What’s Probably Happening

The inspection is uncovering issues buyers don’t want to inherit.

Maybe it’s:

  • roof concerns

  • HVAC problems

  • plumbing or electrical issues

  • deferred maintenance

  • or simply a home that feels too risky compared to other options

And in today’s market, buyers have choices.

They are not overlooking problems the way they did a few years ago.

🚨 “We Just Need the Right Buyer” Is Not a Strategy

That phrase usually means:
👉 “We’re hoping someone ignores the issues.”

But buyers today are cautious.

If your home feels like a project—or like an expensive surprise waiting to happen—they’ll either:

  • walk away

  • or negotiate aggressively

✔ What I Would Do Right Now

1️⃣ Get a Pre-Inspection

See the house the way buyers see it.

If multiple buyers are reacting to the same issue, it needs to be addressed.

2️⃣ Fix the Deal-Killers

You do not need a full remodel.

But you do need to handle the things that kill financing, inspections, or buyer confidence.

3️⃣ Reprice If Necessary

If you fix the issues, you may be able to hold your price.

If you don’t fix them, the market will usually demand a discount.

There’s really no middle ground there.

4️⃣ Relaunch the Listing Properly

Fresh photos. Fresh marketing. Fresh positioning.

The goal is to make the home feel like an opportunity—not a listing everyone already passed on.

🎯 The Bottom Line

The Layton homes successfully going under contract are doing it in around 32 days.

That tells us the buyers are still there.

But they’re choosing homes that:
✔ feel move-in ready
✔ are priced correctly
✔ and don’t come with major surprises

“The right buyer” is probably not coming to save the deal.

👉 Strategy will.

📲 Text 801-755-1882 and Todd Porter (“Utah Todd”) will help review the inspection issues, pricing, and strategy so you can stop guessing and start moving toward a real closing plan.

Got a Real Estate question?
👉 Submit a question for next week’s edition 
Call me at 801-755-1882, and let’s build your
custom plan to win in this market.

"60% Failure Rate. One City. Here's Why."

👇 Click pic below to hear Todd’s Message!
(Message changes each week!)
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📱Call/Text: 801-755-1882
📧 Email: [email protected]

Thanks for buzzing with us in this week’s Home Sweet Buzz!

Have an AMAZING weekend!

— Brenda 🐝

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