My Realtor Interviews and Fear of Selling Our Home

[WinniWoman]

Mary Ann if you can be there to make suggestions when the photographer comes I strongly recommend it. You know the best features of your house. If you can't be there then take pictures yourself and send them to the realtor showing what you want the photographer to make sure he or she gets shots of.

The house we lived in for 23 years before moving to Florida was on the market for over a year before it finally sold. Far longer than it should have taken because it is a very desirable neighborhood and has one of the best elementary schools of the eleven in that school district. The pictures the listing realtor took totally missed most of the best features of the house. Eventually the owner wised up and went with a different realtor because after that there were fantastic pictures and the house sold. Our son was the one who told us to look at the pictures when the house was first listed. Neither he, my husband nor I could believe it. Both our master bedroom and our son's bedroom each had two closets and not a single picture showed them. The pictures of our downstairs family room were horrible and never showed there was a bathroom down there nor how light the room was due to the extra windows we had the builder put in. Even the new listing indicates the garage is large and has great built in storage but didn't have any pictures of the fantastic shelves my husband built and the nice workbench. To make matters worse we had added on a huge family room and deck in addition to putting a french door to the deck in our bedroom and angling it out like we did the door in the family room. Those few feet made our bedroom seem much larger and the french door made the room lighter and gave it pizzazz. You can see it a little looking out the door to the deck on the left in the first picture. The deck is as wide as as the family room so is bigger than it looks in the picture and has built in benches and a gate at the top of the steps which you can't see. The only picture the first realtor used that showed that family room at all didn't even show as much of the family room as the bottom picture does. There were no pictures of the deck at all. The sad part was that the house stayed on the market for longer than it would have if the first realtor had done a better job. It was a divorce, the wife got the house and she got desperate because she is terrible with money. She's in her later 30's and has a good paying job. We've known her whole family since she was little because her younger brother and our son were friends. We went to her wedding. She ended up taking a lot less for the house because she was going under financially and was going to lose it to foreclosure. That was the only time we know of that her parents didn't bail her out which really surprised us because she has two grade school aged boys. With them both retired now they must have finally said no more. We know what she's like and the three of us have wondered if the first realtor had issues with her and refused to do more than the bare minimum. Or perhaps that realtor knows her ex who is a really nice guy or his family. If that is the case I can guarantee that person wouldn't be a fan of hers. She knew our house and wanted it so we never even had to list it but we knew what we were in for dealing with her and she didn't disappoint.

The first realtor just could just been lazy and lousy at the job. I learned on our second move to kick that kind to the curb and find another realtor. That's easy when you are looking at houses to buy but you're stuck with them when your the seller. Our son closed on their first house last month. I did a lot of over the phone hand holding and teaching in his search and putting in bids on two different places. He didn't understand just how bad the first realtor he was working with was until he found someone who is really good.

Very nice house! Yes- I am going to be here when the photographer comes and also the realtor will be here because we have to sign for the listing.

The realtors did say they have a great photographer so we shall see. They said they make sure the pixels are good for cell phone viewing and so forth also.

 

[Jan M.]

Very nice house! Yes- I am going to be here when the photographer comes and also the realtor will be here because we have to sign for the listing.

The realtors did say they have a great photographer so we shall see. They said they make sure the pixels are good for cell phone viewing and so forth also.

I wanted to post what I did because I think there are a lot of people reading this thread and hopefully learning a from it. I can speak from experience when I say there has been a lot of very valuable information given by the people posting in this thread. Some people may be following this thread out of curiosity but down the road they may find themselves needing and remembering what they've read.

 

[Panina]

OMG! TUGGERS ARE THE BEST!! I can't believe this myself- but I called the Financial Advisor a little while ago after some of the suggestions here about a mortgage and so on and told him about the house and the whole situation and - WAIT FOR IT- HE GAVE US THE GO AHEAD TO BUY IT!!!! And here is the clincher- we are going to pay outright for it! He said sometimes we can't always adhere to a "perfect" financial scenario! I knew I liked this guy!!!!

I am crying I am so happy! I immediately called the realtor because I knew this was a big open house weekend. I already picked the lot and later tonight will reserve it on paper. We are going up next weekend to sign everything and pick out what we need to. Remember- this is a new house. It is a very small ranch but will be perfect. We actually could not see inside one last week as they are all occupied but we saw another model and it was really nice. This lot is the only one left with a walk out basement and also is one of the better lots left in terms of grade and has just a little bit of a view through the trees out back of Paugus Bay, but no big deal- don't care about views as much. The Lake is close by.

Someone pinch me...

I am so happy for you! The best news.

 

[WinniWoman]

I wanted to post what I did because I think there are a lot of people reading this thread and hopefully learning a from it. I can speak from experience when I say there has been a lot of very valuable information given by the people posting in this thread. Some people may be following this thread out of curiosity but down the road they may find themselves needing and remembering what they've read.

For sure! It has been a long while, but we have had our share of real estate transactions and many have been stressful. There are always a ton of things to worry about and I find if I don;t worry about them they come back to bite me!

Some people can buy and sell things and be oblivious and everything works out just fine. Some people are extremely lucky that nothing goes wrong. People like me who know the devil is in the details always have a hard time! LOL!

These threads and posts on TUG are always so helpful. I have learned a lot about a lot of things over the years. So very much appreciated!

 

[bogey21]

In the meantime here is the website where we are buying. The smallest home is the one we are buying.

Builder must be doing something right. Plat shows majority of lots sold with very few left...

George

 

[bogey21]

Meanwhile, my husband is working and we can't get up there until Friday or Saturday and I can't see how we can get an attorney to look at it until after we sign, so I am very nervous.

I have never used an attorney for any of my many RE purchases. I just read the contract and asked a lot of questions. The key IMO is not to let them rush you trough the signing process. What you might do is get there early and knock on doors of some of what will be your new neighbors and ask them about their buying experience. But if you are nervous not having an attorney, by all means get one...

George

 

[Jan M.]

For sure! It has been a long while, but we have had our share of real estate transactions and many have been stressful. There are always a ton of things to worry about and I find if I don;t worry about them they come back to bite me!

Some people can buy and sell things and be oblivious and everything works out just fine. Some people are extremely lucky that nothing goes wrong. People like me who know the devil is in the details always have a hard time! LOL!

I too like to be prepared and am a detail person. I find it pays off because when things come up, and something usually does, I'm prepared to handle it so things rarely reach a problem state. This is one of the ways people make their own luck.

I'm really excited for you that you found what you wanted and it makes it even better that your financial person says you can and should do it. And being close to your son will be wonderful. Will this be a closer drive to work for your husband? Or will he be retiring when you move? If you said I missed it or am just forgetting.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

OMG JIM! I feel like I am dreaming! We have to go up to NH next weekend to deal with the details. I am very excited and hope all works out!

Mary Ann: I'm so happy for you and you are getting exactly what you wanted.... I so hope things fall into place for me next year when I sell my place and move to a small condo.

 

[silentg]

Thanks! I forgot about the St. Joseph statue thing! I have to get one!

Yes- I remember when you stayed there- you didn't have such a great experience. LOL! That beach is not somewhere I would go- except maybe in the off season just to hang by the water. As you know it can get very crowded in the summer and the water quality leaves a lot to be desired since it is a small, shallow swimming area.

Anyway- I am praying it works out. We reserved the lot- but we only have 10 days to sign the contract and give a deposit- including al the upgrade money up front.

Meanwhile, my husband is working and we can't get up there until Friday or Saturday and I can't see how we can get an attorney to look at it until after we sign, so I am very nervous.

In NY, we would just give a good faith deposit which would go in escrow until the attorney could review the contract. Then we would go into the attorney's office and sign and he would send it to the seller.

So this is rather scary to me. NH does not require an atty and supposedly the agent and buyers agent handle everything, along with the title company. But we don't have a buyers agent- why would we need one now? I was the one that found the place on line a couple of years ago.

On top of that it is- well- not a technically a leased lot- we would own the lease/lot. The property used to be a trailer park back in the day and when the other developer bought it he made changes to the already approved land to make the development work. So all the buyers pay like $100 one time for a 99 year renewable "lease" -renews for free again- when the developer is done building the "lease" goes to the HOA and everything is divided amongst the 85 homeowners.

All new to me.....

Maryann,
We stayed at the NH timeshare twice, first time was so nice that we went back again timing was bad second time, the area had a drought and the water was contaminated, I’m sure it’s better now. We also rode the Mt Washington Boat the first trip. And went to The Castle in the clouds. Are you a member of RCI ? You could go there to visit for a week if they have available units. I can check for you if you are not a member?
Silentg

 

[TravelTime]

I've told the story before about our home just before this one. Beautiful 3 story painted lady Victorian. Pink with ivory trim with accents of burgundy, hunter green and mint. Absolutely magnificent. And the freakin' realtor wanted us to paint it white or green or any color besides pink. It was my dream home, if not in my dream area. Took us 10 months to sell that house -- 10 months where we already owned the current house, so two mortgage payments. Two years later we were refinancing our current home and they'd pulled the old home as part of the comps (10 minutes away from this one). Comment on the comp was that it had taken 10 months to sell because it was an "undesirable style". Um, how about it was 2010/2011 and the market sucked at that time.

I love the color! It is a Victorian style home so bright pink works!

 

[Sugarcubesea]

In the meantime here is the website where we are buying. The smallest home is the one we are buying. This Saturday we go back up to select options.

http://weirsbeachvillagenh.com/photos/

I just love your new community...I just looked at the link and I just love where your going to live at... Thank you for sharing your journey.

 

[Luanne]

Mary Ann, congratulations on the new house!

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, and if it has I apologize, but one of the pieces of advice we were given by several people, and did follow, was to get an inspection on the house we were selling BEFORE we listed it. This allowed us to fix anything that needed to be fixed in the way, and the amount, we wanted. We ended up needed to remove the balcony from the second floor master bedroom as it had rotted out. My removing it instead of replacing it, we saved a lot of money. There were some other minor things that we had fixed as well.

 

[WinniWoman]

I too like to be prepared and am a detail person. I find it pays off because when things come up, and something usually does, I'm prepared to handle it so things rarely reach a problem state. This is one of the ways people make their own luck.

I'm really excited for you that you found what you wanted and it makes it even better that your financial person says you can and should do it. And being close to your son will be wonderful. Will this be a closer drive to work for your husband? Or will he be retiring when you move? If you said I missed it or am just forgetting.

This is in another state. We live in NY and this is in NH. My husband is retiring the end of this year. The new house should be closed on before that. It is just a matter of our current home selling and if it does, depending on the timing, where to live in between.

 

[WinniWoman]

Mary Ann, congratulations on the new house!

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, and if it has I apologize, but one of the pieces of advice we were given by several people, and did follow, was to get an inspection on the house we were selling BEFORE we listed it. This allowed us to fix anything that needed to be fixed in the way, and the amount, we wanted. We ended up needed to remove the balcony from the second floor master bedroom as it had rotted out. My removing it instead of replacing it, we saved a lot of money. There were some other minor things that we had fixed as well.

We are going to do a pre inspection, yes. But it will coincide with the listing at this point because we want to get it on the market for summer.

 

[TravelTime]

OMG! TUGGERS ARE THE BEST!! I can't believe this myself- but I called the Financial Advisor a little while ago after some of the suggestions here about a mortgage and so on and told him about the house and the whole situation and - WAIT FOR IT- HE GAVE US THE GO AHEAD TO BUY IT!!!! And here is the clincher- we are going to pay outright for it! He said sometimes we can't always adhere to a "perfect" financial scenario! I knew I liked this guy!!!!

I am crying I am so happy! I immediately called the realtor because I knew this was a big open house weekend. I already picked the lot and later tonight will reserve it on paper. We are going up next weekend to sign everything and pick out what we need to. Remember- this is a new house. It is a very small ranch but will be perfect. We actually could not see inside one last week as they are all occupied but we saw another model and it was really nice. This lot is the only one left with a walk out basement and also is one of the better lots left in terms of grade and has just a little bit of a view through the trees out back of Paugus Bay, but no big deal- don't care about views as much. The Lake is close by.

Someone pinch me...

Hi Mary Ann, I have gotten though reading through page 5 where you said you are buying the new house in NH. Yah! I will read more later and be following your move! Funny thing I was just about to tell you to buy the new house because I think if you are excited about a new chapter in life, it will help you get out of the obsessive thinking and worry about what you are giving up in the Old house and get clarity and confidence to move forward. I did not think your FA would approve it so it is amazing he/she said yes when you went back and he also figured out a way to buy it outright. What a blessing! Terrific outcome.

I am selling the house we have lived in for only nine years (closes on Jun 12) as well as an office we have owned for 3 years (closes on May 28). I was moving along with both sales since last November but not very excited. We own a second home 168 miles away so that did help relieve some moving stress but I am not sure I wanted to keep that house either over the long term. Then I found a brand new condo flat in early April (all one floor, first story unit, 2 car garage, directly on the San Francisco Bay in a 60 unit new development for a great price that seems below market for the SF BayArea right now. I fell in love with the view on my first visit and we put in an offer and went into contract in April within a week. Keep in mind our primary home was not for sale officially until May and my office was not scheduled to close until end of May. However, focusing on the future and all the fun we will have on the bay watching the sailboats has completely changed my motivation to move. Now both properties are closing before our new condo walk through on June 13 and our new condo closes on June 20, 8 days after our old house closes. We has been approved for a bridge loan in April and we had been thinking of using that as interim loans until we knew for sure when our main house would sell. It sold so fast that now we are rushing to find a day to sign the closing docs since we are in the Virgin Islands until June 9th. And the best part is we can pay cash for the condo and be mortgage free right we DH turns 51 on June 11!

Okay, I am a bit superstitious and hope telling my story a few weeks before it happens does not jinx us! We have had so many ups and downs to accomplish this. I could go on and on about what has happened since listing the office and house. In March, an oak tree fell on the house and we had to work with insurance to remove the 75 year old oak tree that was 36” at the base and 70’ tall and then hire a roofing company to fix the roof.

About a week ago, a hit and run driver crashed into a fire hydrant in front of the office, it exploded and gushed water into several office buildings, and water got into my office and 8 other businesses. We had to go there immediately when we found out at 8 pm on a Saturday night (incident happened at 6:30 pm) and hire a 24 hour water extraction company in the middle of the night to get the place back to its prior condition. Then we had to assess the damage and get the realtors and the new buyer to approve our repairs. Unfortunately for this one, my insurance does not cover water incidents so we may not get reimbursed. Also, I neglected to put this office on my insurance renewal by mistake (just a few days before the accident) so first we need to get the office address reinstated before we can put in a claim and see if our circumstances qualify anyway. So we are feeling jinxed right now by the accidents and praying nothing else happens to delay the closings.

The point of my story is similar to what many others have told you. If you focus on the new chapter of your new life with joy and a sense of adventure, and let the past life stay in its proper place with many many years of happy memories, then it is so much easier to make a decision and be confident to move forward with peace.

I look forward to reading past page 5 later today and hope your move is progressing well and better than ours is!

 

[WinniWoman]

Maryann,
We stayed at the NH timeshare twice, first time was so nice that we went back again timing was bad second time, the area had a drought and the water was contaminated, I’m sure it’s better now. We also rode the Mt Washington Boat the first trip. And went to The Castle in the clouds. Are you a member of RCI ? You could go there to visit for a week if they have available units. I can check for you if you are not a member?
Silentg

Oh- that's right! I remember now! We do not belong to RCI but we own a timeshare at Pollard Brook and we do stay via rentals sometimes near where our son lives and also Have XMAS in Meredith.

Thank you for the offer, but hubby is still working and we pretty much have vacations booked up for this year.

I love Castle in the Clouds!

 

[WinniWoman]

Builder must be doing something right. Plat shows majority of lots sold with very few left...

George

The first developer recently sold it and this is a new one. There will be one more phase after this I found out but there again are just a few more lots.

The development started in 2009 and then the market crashed. But now they are selling like hotcakes. There are not many- if any at all- like this in NH.

 

[amycurl]

Which model were you choosing? I love looking at blueprints. *sigh* And, which plat did you get that will give you the walk-out basement (which is a *fantastic* bonus.) And it's nice that there is a small pool. As long as the HOA fees aren't outrageous, this really does seem like the perfect solution for you.

And if your current house closes before you can move into the new construction and/ or DH retires, I would definitely put everything in a POD (where you load up at the old house, have them move it somewhere, and then deliver it to the new house,) and maybe see if you can piece together the time in a timeshare or other furnished rental, so you're not moving *as much* stuff twice.

 

[WinniWoman]

I have never used an attorney for any of my many RE purchases. I just read the contract and asked a lot of questions. The key IMO is not to let them rush you trough the signing process. What you might do is get there early and knock on doors of some of what will be your new neighbors and ask them about their buying experience. But if you are nervous not having an attorney, by all means get one...

George

That is amazing! In NY we use attorneys for everything! LOL! It is a law actually.

I spoke with the realtor today and told her I am going to call an attorney up there on Tuesday. If the atty. can't review the incompleted/unsigned purchase agreement before Friday since we have to sign it by then, then we are just going to sign it and keep our fingers crossed. The realtor (keep in mind this is the seller's realtor- we do not have a buyers realtor) said that we can do everything electronically if we want and we can also have a telephone conference so we don't have to drive back up there next weekend. That was a relief! We were just up there and it is a 6 hour drive and my husband commutes all week. Plus we are doing some tasks around our home on the weekends.

Then afterwards we can set up to meet with the kitchen lady (Can you believe I have to go over a kitchen design again!? LOL! It won't be as nice as ours is that's for sure! The bathroom will not be either!).

We are trying to keep any upgrades to a bare minimum. It gets way too expensive.

 

[WinniWoman]

Which model were you choosing? I love loo It is like our first houe size wise! LOL!king at blueprints. *sigh* And, which plat did you get that will give you the walk-out basement (which is a *fantastic* bonus.) And it's nice that there is a small pool. As long as the HOA fees aren't outrageous, this really does seem like the perfect solution for you.

And if your current house closes before you can move into the new construction and/ or DH retires, I would definitely put everything in a POD (where you load up at the old house, have them move it somewhere, and then deliver it to the new house,) and maybe see if you can piece together the time in a timeshare or other furnished rental, so you're not moving *as much* stuff twice.

It is the little Wolfeboro. Just 4 rooms, 2 bathrooms, walk out basement and one car garage and covered front porch. It is like our very first home was- size-wise- also! LOL! It is plot 28.

Realtors claims the HOA fees are $159 per month right now.

Yes- we have looked into the PODS- seems like a good option. I like your idea of a furnished rental!

Thanks!

 

[jackio]

It looks beautiful, and the community seems terrific!

 

[WinniWoman]

Hi Mary Ann, I have gotten though reading through page 5 where you said you are buying the new house in NH. Yah! I will read more later and be following your move! Funny thing I was just about to tell you to buy the new house because I think if you are excited about a new chapter in life, it will help you get out of the obsessive thinking and worry about what you are giving up in the Old house and get clarity and confidence to move forward. I did not think your FA would approve it so it is amazing he/she said yes when you went back and he also figured out a way to buy it outright. What a blessing! Terrific outcome.

I am selling the house we have lived in for only nine years (closes on Jun 12) as well as an office we have owned for 3 years (closes on May 28). I was moving along with both sales since last November but not very excited. We own a second home 168 miles away so that did help relieve some moving stress but I am not sure I wanted to keep that house either over the long term. Then I found a brand new condo flat in early April (all one floor, first story unit, 2 car garage, directly on the San Francisco Bay in a 60 unit new development for a great price that seems below market for the SF BayArea right now. I fell in love with the view on my first visit and we put in an offer and went into contract in April within a week. Keep in mind our primary home was not for sale officially until May and my office was not scheduled to close until end of May. However, focusing on the future and all the fun we will have on the bay watching the sailboats has completely changed my motivation to move. Now both properties are closing before our new condo walk through on June 13 and our new condo closes on June 20, 8 days after our old house closes. We has been approved for a bridge loan in April and we had been thinking of using that as interim loans until we knew for sure when our main house would sell. It sold so fast that now we are rushing to find a day to sign the closing docs since we are in the Virgin Islands until June 9th. And the best part is we can pay cash for the condo and be mortgage free right we DH turns 51 on June 11!

Okay, I am a bit superstitious and hope telling my story a few weeks before it happens does not jinx us! We have had so many ups and downs to accomplish this. I could go on and on about what has happened since listing the office and house. In March, an oak tree fell on the house and we had to work with insurance to remove the 75 year old oak tree that was 36” at the base and 70’ tall and then hire a roofing company to fix the roof.

About a week ago, a hit and run driver crashed into a fire hydrant in front of the office, it exploded and gushed water into several office buildings, and water got into my office and 8 other businesses. We had to go there immediately when we found out at 8 pm on a Saturday night (incident happened at 6:30 pm) and hire a 24 hour water extraction company in the middle of the night to get the place back to its prior condition. Then we had to assess the damage and get the realtors and the new buyer to approve our repairs. Unfortunately for this one, my insurance does not cover water incidents so we may not get reimbursed. Also, I neglected to put this office on my insurance renewal by mistake (just a few days before the accident) so first we need to get the office address reinstated before we can put in a claim and see if our circumstances qualify anyway. So we are feeling jinxed right now by the accidents and praying nothing else happens to delay the closings.

The point of my story is similar to what many others have told you. If you focus on the new chapter of your new life with joy and a sense of adventure, and let the past life stay in its proper place with many many years of happy memories, then it is so much easier to make a decision and be confident to move forward with peace.

I look forward to reading past page 5 later today and hope your move is progressing well and better than ours is!

Wow! I can so relate to your story! I mean- we have had issues in the past with real estate transactions! Even my parents house after they passed- a tree bough came crashing on the gutter and smashed it- on Closing day!

I have tons of stories also.

That is awesome about your new condo! Lots of luck with everything! I get superstitious also blabbing about this whole thing but I am an expressive personality and I have to let it out because I am so excited! LOL!

You are right- we have to focus on the positive stuff and it all will eventually fall into place. Now if I could only sleep!

PS- did you use an atty for your condo? In NH- they go right to the contract- no offer first- and then atty's are not required for real estate transactions so a lot of people don;t sue them. This is so foreign to us, being from NY.

 

[silentg]

Here is the website
https://www.villageofwinni.com/
They don’t have anything on RCI til the fall.

 

[slip]

In the meantime here is the website where we are buying. The smallest home is the one we are buying. This Saturday we go back up to select options.

http://weirsbeachvillagenh.com/photos/

I just opened the brochure and noticed the map of the lots. Which lot number is the one your getting? Your right not much left, timing was perfect, it may not have made it through another week.

I just saw your post, lot 28. I’ll take a look.

 

[TravelTime]

Wow! I can so relate to your story! I mean- we have had issues in the past with real estate transactions! Even my parents house after they passed- a tree bough came crashing on the gutter and smashed it- on Closing day!

I have tons of stories also.

That is awesome about your new condo! Lots of luck with everything! I get superstitious also blabbing about this whole thing but I am an expressive personality and I have to let it out because I am so excited! LOL!

You are right- we have to focus on the positive stuff and it all will eventually fall into place. Now if I could only sleep!

PS- did you use an atty for your condo? In NH- they go right to the contract- no offer first- and then atty's are not required for real estate transactions so a lot of people don;t sue them. This is so foreign to us, being from NY.

Glad you could relate to my story. It is certainly stressful esp being in Virgin Islands now for 2 weeks. The trip has been planned since 2018 so we could not reschedule. California is like New Hampshire. We can go into contract as soon as seller and buyer agree. That is probably one factor that drives home prices so high since there is often no time to think, or someone else buys it out from under you. We sold our house on day 1, after a pre-market offer. We accepted 2 hours after the offer and the buyer put down a $72,000 non-refundable, non contingency offer the next day. The buyer waived the financing contingency and they waived the property inspection. Incredible. We doubt they want change their mind and lose $72,000. Plus we could sell it again quickly if they do.

I am most worried about the closing on the office on Tuesday. That is in a smaller business center about 20 miles east Sacramento. If it falls through for any reason, it will take 6-8 months to re-start the process. Commercial sales take longer than home sales esp in smaller markets. It has been in contract for 3.5 months. Then the water accident happened about 2 weeks ago. I was worried the buyer might back out or want more work done. So far, she has not mentioned it and we signed closing papers last Monday. I guess it will finally close since it is Saturday and Monday is a holiday so probably way too late for her to change her mind, right?