Any updates? Did the house sell?
Our house went live on the MLS late in the day on 5/31. On 6/2, we had a showing. The realtor (not mine) said the buyer liked the house but was concerned about storage (lack of basement). On 6/4, the same realtor came back again for another showing. We had 4 more showings that week.
Meanwhile, on 6/6, the people who came on 6/4 (who could be the same couple that came on 6/2) made an offer (for $10,000 less than our asking price) contingent on selling their home, which we rejected. Their house was not even on the market yet. First their realtor said their house would sell quickly. When we rejected the offer- our realtor said- yeah- they have a lot of work to do on the house before they can put it on the market. HUH?
The following week they took that contingency out and made the same monetary offer contingent on them LEASING their house. We told the realtor we needed more information. For example, information from their bank regarding the mortgage approval in this scenario, what rent they would need to generate to be approved for the mortgage, etc.
In fact, my husband and I drove by their home (just about 1/2 hour from our home) to see where it was and what it was like. It is very tiny (800 square feet) and tired looking and off the beaten path, but in a very good school district. The couple is in their early 40's. The wife is pregnant and due in October and they have a 2 year old and 2 cats. So they are bursting at the seams.
The buyer then sent us more information from the bank and so forth, which I forwarded to our attorney. He said to make it clear they would have to produce a lease very quickly- even though it would be for a future date (like let's say 10/1). I also told him we wanted to counter their monetary offer, which we did for $7000 more, which is just $2000 under our asking price.
I relayed this to our realtor and also told him we would probably want a kick out clause in case another buyer comes along with a better offer- meaning no other contingency other than final mortgage approval and inspection.
They did not counter- they accepted our counter offer. This was verbal- nothing in writing. This past Wednesday, they did the inspection and we are waiting for the results. We have the radon canisters sitting in our home so the inspector has to come back for those. He also requested if he can unscrew the attic cut out in the garage my husband made when he had to fix a pipe one year which is fine with us. I am not sure when he is comng back yet.
Our realtor did say that he came to the house at the end of the inspection. It only lasted 2 hours instead of 3 and he thinks that is a good sign. The inspector and buyers realtor said no major issues were found - just a "couple of things'. he also met the couple and said they seemed friendly and obvious they really liked the house.
Meanwhile, the following week after we had the 6 showings, we had a broker's showing and we only had one other buyer showing on 6/14 and nothing since. It has been dead quiet. Went from 6 showings in the first week to 1 the second and then nothing. Our realtor insists the house will continue to be shown, but I am suspicious.
Comments from the other showings were essentially positive in terms of the home condition and price. Most all were rated a 4 out of 5, one 5 out of 5 (our realtor- lol!), one 3 out of 5. One buyer wanted a more open concept, but loved our kitchen. Another loved the house and lives nearby here, but has a house to sell. Another said the home was a "maybe". Another said priced to high and not interested. Another scheduled showing was cancelled AFTER the appt. time because the buyers thought it was too far. Nice to let us know as we wasted 2 hours having to leave our home.
This couple reminds me of us when we were buying the house, though we were in our early 30's. We lived in a small house (though totally remodeled and updated); I was pregnant; we had 2 dogs.Our house also was not on the market when we saw this house. It was the one and only house we looked at and we immediately put in an offer- but with NO contingency to sell our home- although we really needed to in order to buy the new house. (we were so sure our home would sell right away- boy were we wrong- but it worked out- but that is another story).
When they initially put in their offer, they wrote a nice letter about how they loved the house and all that. Very sweet. I hope it works out. They say the first offer is usually the best, Not sure in this case, but hope so.
But if this deal does not work out, I really want to lower the price of the house by a lot considering we have had no further showings. So I hope we can wrap this offer up soon so we can proceed in the right direction. Right now we are stuck and can not do anything about the listing price.
In the meantime, we have been working like dogs emptying the house of most of our worldly possessions. Pretty much giving things away or donating them. Only made a little over a $1000. If things don't sell after a couple of weeks- they get put out at the end of our driveway or my husband takes to work for employees to take or Goodwill or even the Humane Society garage sale.
I actually put For Sale signs on some pieces within the house and one broker actually bought my husband's file cabinet- beautiful expresso finish- not a scratch on it. Only asked $40. Can you believe she talked me down- offered $30 and we agreed on $35? I can't believe people.
Our realtor is actually interested ion a couple of pieces when the time comes. Also said the young couple might want to buy some things. They were surprised at how much we got rid of already.
One woman who responded to my Cat's Meow villages on Facebook Marketplace had the nerve to ask me if my $20 asking price for all 50 PIECES was negotiable!! OMG! Each one of them bought new is $20. They are in perfect condition. Ummmm- no. She did end up buying them. Funny- we got into a conversation about downsizing and she is in her 70's and said she envied me but she and her husband are too tired to do the same. So here she is buying 50 Cat's Meow houses! SMH......
Another woman asked me 40 thousand questions about a $20 set of wooden cat silhouettes. After answering several of them, I told her for $20 I am not responding to any more questions. Either she wants them or she doesn't. She tells me- I lost the sale because of my attitude! LOL! I donated them to the Humane Society for their Cat Palace. They were delighted!
We have had to leave the pictures on the walls so as not to have the nails showing and also had to leave a lot of furniture in place so the house will show well. It would be too bare otherwise. But I am anxious to get rid of more also.
I am stressing over where we will live if our house does sell- just the whole moving and packing twice thing.This, coupled with the fact that we have 2 weeks vacation coming up the end of July and the big trip to Utah in the middle of Sept. I know these people will want to be in our house by October. No way can we be vacationing and look for a place to live and pack and move (with my husband working as well) with those in the way if we have an early Fall closing date. This couple's original closing date on their offer was 8/26!
On the new home front, for some reason the builder had not deposited our upgrade check though the realtor did deposit our home deposit check. I was obsessing over this- wondering if he did not receive it since his realtor mailed it to him. I did call her this week and she confirmed he had it and he did finally deposit it yesterday- a month later!
She said last week they dug the foundations and this week they were supposed to be poured but they were delayed because of all the rain they had had, so he is shooting for next week. She insists the house will be ready by 11/1, but again, I don't see it. Maybe I am wrong. It would be great if when (or if?) we go up to our NH timeshare in August it would be framed out and we could do the electrical walk through and so forth. It's hard building a home when you live far away. Our son would not be much help as he knows nothing about construction, but I suppose we can have him take pictures down the line.
I did start to go over a kitchen design with their kitchen person. Waiting on that and costs. I am also trying to see if I can get better appliances through the builder or not. Waiting for prices. Then will have to work on the bathrooms, though I am not so sure we will do anything major with those- they are so tiny as it is.
This whole situation is so way out of my comfort zone it isn't even funny. It is exciting but extremely stressful at the same time. I also hate feeling like I am in a holding pattern. Waiting for the inspection results; waiting for this house to sell; waiting to pack; waiting to move; waiting for the new house to be built; waiting to finally move there to our forever home. Very overwhelming.
Well- that is the LOOOONG UPDATE! LOL! Wish us luck!