Q: In these bad economic time and awful real estate market I was surprised when a neighbor’s house sold in just a couple of days.

What’s going on? I thought no one was selling now? It was a real crummy place too. Are things just better on Vashon?

A: To start with, Vashon is something of a boutique market all of the time, so we don’t necessarily follow national or regional trends. However, our market has been slower over the last 10 months or so than usual and we have suffered a set back in prices and values.

What you saw with your neighbor’s property was a very well priced property for this current market. Yes, it was a “fixer”, but priced a one. It was in a prime location and had a great potential which is what a lot of buyers are looking for.

Any house will sell, even in a slow market, if it’s priced right. That has always been the secret to a fast sale. There have been more sales in the last few weeks than even at this same time a year ago, and that’s hopeful.

The listing agents have a responsibility to price the property to sell in this market and to be sure their sellers are well prepared. If the house is clean, tidy, is in a desirable location, and priced well, it will sell.

Many sellers are hoping that their particular home will be worth more than competing properties. That’s rarely the case. Their agents can take them to see their “competition” and that can help them see their home in a more realistic light.

There are lots of buyers out there, but they are looking for a really good deal. They also read the newspapers and watch the news so they expect to find a real bargain or, at the very least, a very good value for the money.

Your neighbor was well advised. It’s also good to remember that since they’ve owned it for many years, they still made a tremendous profit over what they paid for it.