My Realtor Interviews and Fear of Selling Our Home

[Snazzylass]

Spot on, Dave!

Interestingly, the business model may be changing...where they can pull off, a slightly different one. I can't give you all the names - OfferPad, for sure, but I'm certain Zillow and maybe Redfin are trying it here, as are many RE brokers. They will buy your property from you. They inspect it, give you a list of repairs (which is subtracted from the price) and make you an offer. I had a friend who did this with his condo here and he was pleased with the price he got. It's rare that you see a listing here where there is the previous owner's belongings in the photos.

I would never want to buy a property from a "flipper." I've seen too many that are badly done. It skirts the disclosure laws which had gained popularity over the years. But it's obvious to see the advantages to both buyers and sellers.

I NEVER wanted to be a Realtor, but I was one for 5 years.

 

[Snazzylass]

Nice. You would think these realtors would screen these people. First off- screen out people who need to sell their house in order to buy your house- unless you give the ok. And for gosh sakes, explain where the house is located!

At least this will be all over for you once you sell your house. By law, and you can check this out, but I'm pretty sure the Realtor is required to present every offer. Of course you were smart to decline the contingencies, but people will ask nonetheless. They see your house. They like it. They ask a ridiculous request, and so it goes.

Like you, it's not unusual that buyers find their new home before they list their present one. There must be more to the story, though. Usually agents will confirm that the prospect is in a position to buy, be pre-approved for their mortgage and such before setting up the showing.

You may have more prospects change their minds on the drive out. Yours is a function of being in a remote location.

A month after I closed my RE biz, I moved to an area completely new to me. I was driving out to meet a prospective landlady, and driving and driving and driving...and yes, I finally called her and said the location was too far out for me. I never did make it all the way out there. I had no idea!

As an agent, it only happened once. but I spent my entire Sunday driving prospects around to all the showings I set up...and, they did not buy a house from me. So, it is expensive and time-consuming for the agents, too! And, at that time, it was not unusual to show a prospect 20-30 listings.

 

[WinniWoman]

Remember when I said you need to “emotionally move out?” You need to understand that what you’re going through is how real estate works. It’s not how you or I would handle it, but it’s how it works.

Potential buyers look at listings online, pick several on a day that’s convenient for them, and the RE Agent sets up showings. Then things change - the weather isn’t perfect, the babysitter cancels, whatever - and the downstream is that you’ve now wasted your time on something that didn’t happen.

But that same buyer might come back in two days and do it again, but then put in an offer. Some buyers need multiple showings until they decide.

It’s a frustrating business. Getting upset because it’s not how you would do it is tilting at windmills. At least there is an interest in your house. Things could be much worse.

Dave

I know that. I am just saying that in certain situations screening a client could save everyone some time. Realtors usually tell buyers to get preapproved for a mortgage. They can also find out if they have a house to sell in order to buy another. And- they certainly can find out where geographically the buyer wants to live. I know if I was a realtor- I would make sure of those things first.

If a buyer says he absolutely wants a huge basement and won't consider ones without them- then don't show them homes on slabs unless you ask them if they want to look at it.

That's one of the things we hire realtors to do. Screen the clients.

We had wanted to look at a condo for sale in NH. The realtor said we couldn't see it because we would need a letter from our bank stating we could afford it. That is screening.

 

[clifffaith]

Hubby is stubborn with the sale of our items- he gets all emotional about pricing. Geez- even yesterday he embarrassed me by having us bring in his old suits and coats to a vintage consignment shop. I kept telling him to just donate the damn things- but- no- he has to lug them in only to be turned away. SMH...

I sell things for mostly cheap, since the goal is to get rid of them- no matter how nice or expensive they were. Even so, that is hard as people don't want certain things. He has stuff listed and gets no responses at all.

I am a marketing person I tell him. Listen to me. But he doesn't

In the end- I tell him- we will have to give them away anyway or PAY to have them removed from the house.


And so it goes.......

Mom was given a potty riser when Dad came home to hospice in Feb. It was the wrong shape for their potty, so when my back went out over Presidents weekend we brought it home for my downstairs office where if I couldn’t get up, Cliff couldn’t hear me holler. When I no longer needed it I put it in the closet. After several months of looking at it each time I opened the closet, I put it in the trash. Cliff had a fit — you can sell that! Nope, no one wants a used potty riser. I was MORTIFIED to look out the window this past Thursday morning to see the riser at the curb! I knew saying anything would lead to a fight, so I put it back in the trash can at the end of the day, and luckily the trash was picked up early enough Friday morning that he wasn’t up yet!

 

[Snazzylass]

I know that. I am just saying that in certain situations screening a client could save everyone some time. Realtors usually tell buyers to get preapproved for a mortgage. They can also find out if they have a house to sell in order to buy another. And- they certainly can find out where geographically the buyer wants to live. I know if I was a realtor- I would make sure of those things first.

If a buyer says he absolutely wants a huge basement and won't consider ones without them- then don't show them homes on slabs unless you ask them if they want to look at it.

That's one of the things we hire realtors to do. Screen the clients.

We had wanted to look at a condo for sale in NH. The realtor said we couldn't see it because we would need a letter from our bank stating we could afford it. That is screening.

Correct. Asking for the Pre-approval letter is legit. You hire a realtor to sell your house. Nothing else. The realtor's job is to bring the buyer and the seller to the closing table.

People say all sorts of things, so there's no point in screening for anything else. I have loads of buyer stories. One of the last people I helped, was a first-time buyer who did not want to live in my subdivision. OK. Assignment accepted. I drove him and his family all over the southern part of the county and got to meet some lovely people and see some nice houses...and he bought my house! The one I was living in in that subdivision - the one he had been in and out of multiple times. The one with the For Sale sign in the front yard. One day, after looking at and eliminating yet another listing, he asked me about one he had printed off - it was my house! LOL!! Unless you have had experience as a realtor, well, let me say, clearly, it is not what you think it is. I will say it is very rewarding and if I called to hang out my shingle again, I will.

Years before I became a Realtor, I was a commercial RE Appraiser. An experienced Commercial RE agent told me, "Buyers are Liars." I will never forget that, and I cannot tell you how many times it is true.

You are lucky. You found your location and now you get to build the home you want. Keep in mind that your potential buyer needs to fall in love with your house AND your location. That's more complicated.

You are just venting. One thing we can all agree on when it comes to selling your home, it is emotional. Try to get out and enjoy yourself.

 

[rapmarks]

Bringing back memories of house hunting.
Realtor would agree to show us four houses, and two would be under contract by the time we would get there.
Drove a long way to meet a realtor for showings and got off at the wrong exit, realtor claimed that the lock boxes wouldn’t open because we were ten minutes late. Then she told us we were saving $35000 because house came with golf membership initiation fee paid. Went to pro shop and there was no initiation fee.
Learned it was not a good idea to sell your own place.
Looked at a villa for sale by owner, liked it and went back again. The guy starts yelling at us to make up our minds.

We went back a second time to another place and the owner starts rubbing his hands together and says let’s talk turkey.
Then there was the owner who followed us around and showed us how cheaply the house was built and pointed out all kinds of defects

 

[Panina]

I know that. I am just saying that in certain situations screening a client could save everyone some time. Realtors usually tell buyers to get preapproved for a mortgage. They can also find out if they have a house to sell in order to buy another. And- they certainly can find out where geographically the buyer wants to live. I know if I was a realtor- I would make sure of those things first.

If a buyer says he absolutely wants a huge basement and won't consider ones without them- then don't show them homes on slabs unless you ask them if they want to look at it.

That's one of the things we hire realtors to do. Screen the clients.

We had wanted to look at a condo for sale in NH. The realtor said we couldn't see it because we would need a letter from our bank stating we could afford it. That is screening.

If it was that easy. With years of selling experience I can say it’s not.

Buyers give you a list of what they want but usually the reality is they can’t get it all. Many buyers end up falling in love with a home that is missing a must have and end up buying it.

Pre approval is something you can ask for but it will limit your showings. I can tell you my cash deal clients would only give information when they put an offer in. By asking a few questions a Realtor should have a good idea what their client can afford. If they don’t they will not only be wasting your time but their time too.

 

[WinniWoman]

Correct. Asking for the Pre-approval letter is legit. You hire a realtor to sell your house. Nothing else. The realtor's job is to bring the buyer and the seller to the closing table.

People say all sorts of things, so there's no point in screening for anything else. I have loads of buyer stories. One of the last people I helped, was a first-time buyer who did not want to live in my subdivision. OK. Assignment accepted. I drove him and his family all over the southern part of the county and got to meet some lovely people and see some nice houses...and he bought my house! The one I was living in in that subdivision - the one he had been in and out of multiple times. The one with the For Sale sign in the front yard. One day, after looking at and eliminating yet another listing, he asked me about one he had printed off - it was my house! LOL!! Unless you have had experience as a realtor, well, let me say, clearly, it is not what you think it is. I will say it is very rewarding and if I called to hang out my shingle again, I will.

Years before I became a Realtor, I was a commercial RE Appraiser. An experienced Commercial RE agent told me, "Buyers are Liars." I will never forget that, and I cannot tell you how many times it is true.

You are lucky. You found your location and now you get to build the home you want. Keep in mind that your potential buyer needs to fall in love with your house AND your location. That's more complicated.

You are just venting. One thing we can all agree on when it comes to selling your home, it is emotional. Try to get out and enjoy yourself.

I always thought it was the realtors who were the liars.

 

[DaveNV]

I know that. I am just saying that in certain situations screening a client could save everyone some time. Realtors usually tell buyers to get preapproved for a mortgage. They can also find out if they have a house to sell in order to buy another. And- they certainly can find out where geographically the buyer wants to live. I know if I was a realtor- I would make sure of those things first.

If a buyer says he absolutely wants a huge basement and won't consider ones without them- then don't show them homes on slabs unless you ask them if they want to look at it.

That's one of the things we hire realtors to do. Screen the clients.

We had wanted to look at a condo for sale in NH. The realtor said we couldn't see it because we would need a letter from our bank stating we could afford it. That is screening.

Certainly, you are correct. And a good agent won’t waste their time on someone who isn’t a prospective buyer. But in the case you cited, of wasting your time for no-shows, it’s a different issue.

I have my fingers crossed that the next showing will be “the one.”

Real estate is a game of compromises. It takes a certain kind of person to be a successful agent. Good luck on all counts!

Dave

 

[am1]

I always thought it was the realtors who were the liars.

As well. I prefer buying direct. Much easier to get to a fair price without some wanting 5% upfront and possibly more by inflating the actual says price. Even if a realtor has the listing (non exclusive) it is worth trying to get in contact with the owner directly. Very little use for lawyers either.

 

[Snazzylass]

I always thought it was the realtors who were the liars.

Like I've said before, there is clearly an anti-realtor bias here including many of your posts, and the one above. Folks, if you ever have a problem with a person with a license, please report them to their state agency. That's one of the built-in safety nets for consumers. It's there for your protection.

I know from experience that having a better understanding of the process can help with realistic expectations. If you received a full price cash offer today, do you want to move by the end of the month? Just sayin'

So, what is your point? This response? Surely you don't believe that the catch phrase is meant as quoted? Not when I went on to take the time to explain that people sometimes end up buying the exact house they say they would not.

People would not intentionally do business with people they do not trust, right? It's just a silly catch phrase to explain when things do not unfold logically.

 

[bogey21]

Interestingly, the business model may be changing...where they can pull off, a slightly different one. I can't give you all the names - OfferPad, for sure...

Another is Opendoor. I tried them when selling my Son's house. What I found out is Offerpad, Opendoor, etc. are for those who need or just want to sell like instantly. Here is how my experience with Opendoor went. Zillow, etc. said house was worth $190,000 (which incidentally is what I ended up selling it for). Opendoor offered $183,000. After subtracting their $9,000 fee the net would be $174,000. Then they sent their inspectors in. They decided the house needed a new roof and subtracted another $4,000; then subtracted another $5,000 to fix the foundation and another $5,000 for a series of other minor repairs. Now we were down to $160,000. On top of that they wanted me to put $10,000 into excrow in case whoever fixed the foundation messed up water, sewer pipes,etc. So we would have received $150,000 with the prospect of getting our $10,000 excrow back if all went well with the foundation repair....

We then went with a Realtor who said price it at $190,000. After having gone through the Opendoor process I suggested $185,000. He said "Trust me. House will sell for $190,000" so we listed it for $190,000. The ultimate buyer had his inspector inspect the house and gave him a 25 page report including pictures. As to the roof his report said it had a remaining useful life of between 5 and 10 years. As to the foundation he said although it was a little off his recommendation was to ignore it as almost every house in that area has minor foundation issues and that the risk in messing with it was far greater than the benefit to be derived...

House sold for the $190,000 asking price. IMO what Open door wanted was to give us $150,000 and use $20,000 to $25,000 that should have been our money to put the house in such condition that they could maximize their return....

In short we absorbed about $5,000 of expense (3 months of mortgage payments, utilities, etc) to get the house sold for $190,000 less a 6% RE Commission...

As many of you know I stay away from lawyers, CPAs, Financial Advisors, etc like the plague but in this case I used a Realtor who turned out to be worth every penny. In fact it was the Buyer's Agent who wanted his half of the 6% who was the glue that held the deal together...

George

 

[WinniWoman]

Like I've said before, there is clearly an anti-realtor bias here including many of your posts, and the one above. Folks, if you ever have a problem with a person with a license, please report them to their state agency. That's one of the built-in safety nets for consumers. It's there for your protection.

I know from experience that having a better understanding of the process can help with realistic expectations. If you received a full price cash offer today, do you want to move by the end of the month? Just sayin'

So, what is your point? This response? Surely you don't believe that the catch phrase is meant as quoted? Not when I went on to take the time to explain that people sometimes end up buying the exact house they say they would not.

People would not intentionally do business with people they do not trust, right? It's just a silly catch phrase to explain when things do not unfold logically.

Yes- I do get it. I have had bad experiences with realtors and great experiences with realtors (the ones for my parent' house). Our realtor seems to be good so far.

Actually- the seller's realtor for the house we are buying is really good- hard worker.

And- yeah- If I received a full cash offer right now I would be ecstatic- even though we would have to make a temporary move. In NY - it would still take like 3 months to close- cash or not. We had a cash buyer for my parents house (in NY) and that is how long it took.

We probably will have to move into a short term rental anyway- might as well get it over with. Not saying I will like it or it won't be hard- but that is the way it is.

You are right- buyers can be deceivers also. Anyone can. But I actually like to think of most people- buyers, sellers realtors, as having some level of integrity. But I can't help but be a bit skeptical sometimes.

 

[Panina]

In the business for years, and a customer prior to getting licensed ( retired now) some people seem not to trust Realtors or think they make too much. As in any business there are always a few bad ones.

A good Realtor will work very hard for you, putting in many hours deciding how to list, calling their other Realtor contacts, calling prospective buyers, working on a marketing strategy, making and answering calls at all hours and usually on vacation too, following up on all showings for feedback, keeping in contact with you weekly, etc, etc, etc....they put in many more hours then you can imagine. A good Realtor is worth every dollar you pay them.

Now the hard part. Someone hiring a Realtor for either sellng or buying should do there due diligence making sure they have an honest, hard working Realtor that is full time (my opinion) and knows the area well.

 

[WinniWoman]

In the business for years, and a customer prior to getting licensed ( retired now) some people seem not to trust Realtors or think they make too much. As in any business there are always a few bad ones.

A good Realtor will work very hard for you, putting in many hours deciding how to list, calling their other Realtor contacts, calling prospective buyers, working on a marketing strategy, making and answering calls at all hours and usually on vacation too, following up on all showings for feedback, keeping in contact with you weekly, etc, etc, etc....they put in many more hours then you can imagine. A good Realtor is worth every dollar you pay them.

Now the hard part. Someone hiring a Realtor for either sellng or buying should do there due diligence making sure they have an honest, hard working Realtor that is full time (my opinion) and knows the area well.

Agree. The realtors we hired- husband and wife team- they are the owners so they are full time. Always available to take a call. Answer emails quickly. So far. So good.

I cannot speak for the buyers realtors that have come here so far, yet, though.

 

[Snazzylass]

Again, the catch phrase is not meant verbatim, and I am not saying that buyers are deceivers. The phrase is a joke and is true because real estate is unique. And no matter what someone says they want, shopping for your new home can be a process of discovery. For a lot of people, it's learn as you go. And, often, it is compromise.

I once heard a surgeon use the phrase, "drop the knife" which I also thought was funny. I assume he was referring to the time the surgery would start - "we will drop the knife at 8am." I never thought he meant it verbatim. I would assume many professions have their little catch phrases.

I am still working and plan to work for many, many more years. When a customer holds his cards a little too close to his vest, I find another customer to help. As soon as I figure out that my customer is not being straight with me, I move on. But I'm not 100% right.

I once had a customer who said they were going to buy a house. I may have had some signed paperwork. They were going home to get the money. She loved the house. I never saw them again. I couldn't figure it out...until weeks later and I saw his name in the newspaper. He was arrested for polygamy. Just a funny story (for me - not for her or his other wife), and in no way meant to prove the catch phrase.

 

[VacationForever]

I have a personal story. I used a husband and wife team, who own their own realtor business and not a franchisee, to sell my first California home in 2008. They were honest people and not the aggressive type. 2008 was when prices were in freefall and my rental did not sell. I decided to rent it out and he offered to handle the rental for $100 per month and it worked for me. He did well handling the rental but was often tentative on how to handle renter/home issues.

My husband and I decided to buy our retirement home in 2014 and discussed with the realtor as to whether we should sell our home or my rental. He said my rental was going to be an easy sale as it was in a very desirable neighborhood but my current home while fabulous, was going to be difficult to get a good price on it due to the location. We told him that both will need to be sold when we finally make the move. He sold my rental within 24 hours of listing it. He was really tentative in handling alot of the nitty gritty stuff before the sale closed. Regardless, he did well enough that I was happy.

Fast forward, when we decided to retire in 2016, I contacted the realtor again that I would need to sell my California home but prior to that, he needed to help my son buy a home. After 3 months of trying to find a home for my son, he fired my son. My son who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, possesses certain traits consistent with his disability, e.g. resisting changes and trusting others. My son found an old condo that he thought would work but when the home inspector sent him a long report of issues with the home, his realtor refused to take the list to the seller because he said that was the way it was going to be with an older condo. That did not go well with my son and they got into a tiff about it. My son had no issue in keeping the realtor but his realtor wanted out. My son immediately went off to put a deposit down on a new development. His ex-realtor called me about the separation and when I told the realtor that my son had gone ahead and put down a deposit on a new home, there was dead silence and then he said he could have earned a commission on that. He fired my son and that was his loss. He also lost on the sale of my home as I went to a local realtor. He called me after I had gone to a local realtor to enquire about selling my home and I simply told him I had gone to someone else.

 

[Panina]

I have a personal story. I used a husband and wife team, who own their own realtor business and not a franchisee, to sell my first California home in 2008. They were honest people and not the aggressive type. 2008 was when prices were in freefall and my rental did not sell. I decided to rent it out and he offered to handle the rental for $100 per month and it worked for me. He did well handling the rental but was often tentative on how to handle renter/home issues.

My husband and I decided to buy our retirement home in 2014 and discussed with the realtor as to whether we should sell our home or my rental. He said my rental was going to be an easy sale as it was in a very desirable neighborhood but my current home while fabulous, was going to be difficult to get a good price on it due to the location. We told him that both will need to be sold when we finally make the move. He sold my rental within 24 hours of listing it. He was really tentative in handling alot of the nitty gritty stuff before the sale closed. Regardless, he did well enough that I was happy.

Fast forward, when we decided to retire in 2016, I contacted the realtor again that I would need to sell my California home but prior to that, he needed to help my son buy a home. After 3 months of trying to find a home for my son, he fired my son. My son who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, possesses certain traits consistent with his disability, e.g. resisting changes and trusting others. My son found an old condo that he thought would work but when the home inspector sent him a long report of issues with the home, his realtor refused to take the list to the seller because he said that was the way it was going to be with an older condo. That did not go well with my son and they got into a tiff about it. My son had no issue in keeping the realtor but his realtor wanted out. My son immediately went off to put a deposit down on a new development. His ex-realtor called me about the separation and when I told the realtor that my son had gone ahead and put down a deposit on a new home, there was dead silence and then he said he could have earned a commission on that. He fired my son and that was his loss. He also lost on the sale of my home as I went to a local realtor. He called me after I had gone to a local realtor to enquire about selling my home and I simply told him I had gone to someone else.

Good lesson learned, hopefully, by the Realtor, he was short sighted. Having a relationship with you he could have contacted you prior to firing your son and probably get good info from you and kept the relationship good with you at the least. When I would have clients that wanted perfection I always searched and took them to new Developments. He wasn’t a great Realtor as he didn’t realize what your son needed.

 

[VacationForever]

Good lesson learned, hopefully, by the Realtor, he was short sighted. Having a relationship with you he could have contacted you prior to firing your son and probably get good info from you and kept the relationship good with you at the least. When I would have clients that wanted perfection I always searched and took them to new Developments. He wasn’t a great Realtor as he didn’t realize what your son needed.

... and that is because you are smart!

 

[Snazzylass]

So sorry about this. You know he was wrong not to present the list to the seller, right? OK, so I don't know the RE laws in your state, but from my training, what he did was wrong.

After that, it sounds like the whole situation played out exactly as it should have. Well, except for all the Realtor's bad manners. I have no use for people who focus on their commission first. I always say, hey, let's get the deal done and then we will settled up.

The correct response for any buyer would be for the Realtor to say, ok, let's see what they are willing to do. No one is a mindreader. What if the seller were the detailed-type person like your son? Anybody dealing with the public needs to understand that people have all sorts of charming quirks to be discovered and appreciated, including Aspie's. So, I'm sorry the Realtor you referred to your son let you both down.

Even if the Realtor was correct, he needed to save that speech for after having presented the requests. No reason to offend one's customer. It would have been better to let it all play out. Surely your son would have felt better about the situation if the seller had said "no" rather than his own Realtor.

Like I said before, the Realtor's job is to get the buyer and seller to the closing table. He failed. And he earned the commission he deserved - nothing.

 

[riv1964]

Any updates? Did the house sell?

 

[WinniWoman]

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!

 

[rapmarks]

Thanks for the update....
I remember cleaning out our home of thirty years. It had a big basement with two big storage rooms and they were full. My motto was to get rid of a ton a week. I actually had eight sofas.weekly sales and trips to good will etc.

 

[Beachclubmum]

Sounds exciting! Anecdotal evidence that the first offer is the best one. A friend of mine just snagged her dream house after it sat on the market for a year. The owner had two great offers within a few thousand of asking price the first week it was on the market. Instead of taking it the seller got picky, negotiations broke down, yada yada, and here is my friend now buying it for $135k less than that original offer.

Another friend is having a retirement house built right now too. She's supposed to close early in August and they just started the foundation last week. They say it will be ready....

PS. GOOD LUCK!

 

[WinniWoman]

Another interesting thing is on Zillow we have had a zillion views and a ton of saves. yet- no activity. For views- ok- -people are curious so many might not be serious or many might not like the house.

I suppose the saves could be people waiting for a price decrease before they come out and look?

I don't get it.