When the Numbers Say No: A Sherman Seller Story
A client called me last week asking if it’s a good time to sell. I’ve known her property for years — I helped her buy it, so I know the area, the comps, and the honest math better than most.
I ran a current CMA. Then I told her something she wasn’t expecting: even with the updates she had planned, she was not going to get her money back out of that house. Selling now would likely mean a loss.
That’s not the answer sellers are used to hearing. A lot of agents will tell you your home is fabulous and will fetch a big price, get the listing signed, and then watch it sit for 90-plus days with almost no showings. I’d rather tell you the truth up front and save you three months of stress and a for-sale sign nobody stops for.
What Actually Happened
This home sits in a very nice subdivision in Sherman, built by a well known mid range builder. It’s a genuinely nice property — no complaints about the house itself.
Here’s the problem:
- She bought it a few years ago at a price that reflected a stronger seller’s market
- The updates she planned were cosmetic — paint, fixtures, that range of project, maybe $5K
- Buyers shopping her size and price range right now are not asking for “nice.” They’re comparing her house directly against brand-new construction with all the upgrades, ‘new car smell’ and financing incentives waving enticingly to Buyers.
That last point is the one that changes everything.
Why New Construction Changes the Math
Sherman currently has a large supply of new-construction homes in the roughly 1,300 to 2,300 square foot range, priced from around $220,000 up through the high $300,000s and low $400,000s, many with builder incentives, brand-new systems, and the exact “fancy interior” look buyers are shopping for.
A cosmetically-updated 15-to-20-year-old home now has to compete with that inventory, not with houses from five years ago.
| Cosmetically-Updated Resale | New Construction | |
|---|---|---|
| Finishes | Updated, but dated bones underneath | Brand-new, on-trend |
| Systems (HVAC, roof, water heater) | Aging, unknown remaining life | Brand-new, warrantied |
| Buyer’s mental math | “What else needs fixing?” | “Move-in ready” |
Buyers don’t have to choose between a lived-in home and their dream finishes anymore. In a lot of price brackets, they can have both, and a builder will throw in closing cost help to get them there.
What the Market Data Shows
Homes for sale in Sherman are currently taking around 90 days on market and receiving roughly one offer on average — that pattern held consistent across every filtered search I ran on the city’s active inventory. That’s the number that should stop any seller before they sign a listing agreement built on hope instead of math.
If you bought that property from 2020 – 2023, this is exactly what you will run into.
What I Told Her — And What I’d Tell You
Don’t do it if you have no good reason to. She’s holding. No pressure to sell, and now she has a real number instead of a guess to plan around. That’s the whole point of running the CMA honestly before you list, not after the house has sat for three months.
If you’re weighing whether to sell, the question isn’t “what’s my house worth.” It’s “what’s my house worth against what’s actually available to buyers right now.” Those are two very different numbers, and the second one is the one that determines whether you walk away with money or walk away with regret.
If you want that real number before you make a decision either way, let’s run it. A short strategy session tells you exactly where you stand — no “fabulous!”, no big price promises, just the math.
Want a view on what your property looks like on paper?
Let’s schedule a meeting to see how best I can assist you in this real estate journey.
