Realtor’s Corner: Historic ’14-Mile House’ may have found a buyer… finally

Guest column by Klint Sheridan–
Remember that Gold Rush Era home in Citrus Heights that was listed for sale at $340,000 earlier this summer? Well, after more than 200 days on the market, it still remains unsold… but perhaps not for long.

The historic “14-Mile Roadhouse” at 6540 Auburn Blvd. stands as a state-designated California Point of Historical Interest and once served as a way station for weary travelers. The owner of the property, contractor and real estate broker Terry Jensen, offered the home for sale after completing a variety of repairs and updates that make the home a unique blend of historical significance and modern comfort.

From June: Historic ’14-Mile House’ in Citrus Heights listed for sale at $340k

I followed up with Mr. Jensen on Wednesday to see how things were going and he was happy to report that they are currently negotiating with a potential buyer. I asked him what he felt kept the home from selling until now, and he noted that the home is indeed “unique” and needed to find the “right individual” to buy it.

If the negotiation proves unsuccessful and another buyer doesn’t immediately emerge, he said that he may open the home to victims of the recent fires.

Unique homes can provide a challenge to sell even in the most frenzied of markets. One key responsibility of a real estate agent is to help sellers make their home appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Even a “regular” home can be perceived as unique enough to deter would-be buyers.

Learn more about the history of the 14-Mile Roadhouse: see a 15-page report from the city

Taking steps to de-personalize a home, so that potential buyers can more easily see themselves living there, can be critical to obtaining appealing offers. Painting over boldly colored walls, taking down family photos, packing away decorations, and even rearranging or replacing furniture with the help of a professional home stager, can all go a long way to making the home more inviting and accessible.

These tactics will become more and more important for home-sellers as the market evolves from a frenzied seller’s market, where there are dramatically more buyers than homes for sale, to a more balanced marketplace. Going forward, sellers should consider these tactics in order to capture top-dollar offers from buyers who will likely have more and more homes to pick from and more leverage in negotiations.

Here’s the latest data on the housing market in Citrus Heights:

In November, there were 107 single-family homes on the market in Citrus Heights, down from 122 in October. The 50 homes that sold last month are spending more time on the market, 39 days in November compared to 29 days in October.

The average price of a home sold in November was $334,000, down from $345,000 in October, and homes were selling for about 97% of their original listing price, same as in October.

Klint Sheridan is a Sacramento-based realtor (BRE# 01995924) who focuses much of his efforts in and around Citrus Heights. He can be contacted at (916) 287-0777, or online at www.klintsheridan.com