home selling: Update on our Alzheimer's learning
- 04/14/13 11:51 AM
We made another run at closing the house where the seller had health issues that caused the Title Company to prevent him from signing his papers. Since Friday a week ago the seller and wife have been running around trying to fulfill the requirements the title company attorney was requiring. The doctor visit was still not forthcoming so the Sellers attorney was looking for solutions. I have still failed to figure how the doctor visit was going to prove that the seller had been in his right mind when he signed the power of attorney several months ago... What they came up with was … (6 comments)
home selling: Did the rules change...? No...
- 04/05/13 08:33 PM
In a recent transaction, the buyers agent heard a different drummer. When it was time for the inspections to be done, no appointment was made since the house was vacant. She simply went when she wanted to. We found out on one of our weekly house checks. This house had a stove stolen after a showing, so we have been careful to keep checking it regularly after that. When the walk thru was due, she did call to let us know, and to be sure the lockbox was still there. On our way to the closing we stopped to get the lock box and … (2 comments)
home selling: The Appraisal
- 03/25/13 03:07 AM
Today's morning wake up call was the Appraisor for our house. Although we deal with Appraisors daily and have for years, there is something disconcerting about having one coming to value your personal home. Since the recent changes in the procedure, I was happy to see that this person was old enough to have done a few other evaluations. Remembering that this is an "opinion" of value" and that market value is what a willing buyer will pay a willing seller, did not quell the queasy. He measured, and took photos. He even went into the attic. That is something I have never … (2 comments)
Instead of showing and marketing property, we accepted an invitation to help cater an event at church.
We participated in this last year and served a variety of our favorite fares!
Growing up in the restaurant business taught me many things including the fact that the rigors of the job can ruin your health!
So can Real Estate! It is not the profession. It is the approach one takes and the numberof hours. Working smart can be applied to any job.
Ralph is an outstanding … (0 comments)
home selling: Signs that the transaction might be troubling
- 10/11/12 01:06 PM
Signs that the transaction may be trouble...One of our most rural listings was on a county road between Ignacio and Durango Colorado.The acreage was surrounded by barbed wire fencing with a large metal gate across the driveway.Not wanting trespass issues we decided to put the lock box on the gate.One of the first agents to show the house called us around her scheduled appointment.She apparently had climbed the fence along with her clients and was on the front porch when she called to ask where the lock box was.When we told her where it was, she was indignant. "why on earth … (9 comments)
home selling: Signs And Vines
- 09/29/12 08:54 AM
Everyone has to have a place for their job equipment.Ours is behind the garage except for the bin that holds the assorted sign riders, which is inside the garage.We have recently found that keeping the garbage cans right out the back door is less than appealing. So in an attempt to get the cans out of sight, they have come to reside with the signs. Is that a sign of the times?Last week when I ventured back there I saw that one of the prolific sweet potato vines had taken root in this area. Those things will live in the oddest … (1 comments)
home selling: Porched!!
- 09/25/12 12:16 PM
Our son, who is a successful Commercial Broker was explaining to me why I should be out knocking on the doors of area FSBOs.I explained to him that although I did that once upon a time, I stopped it in 1982 when I got "Porched.""Porched ?" he queried... "yes Porched, I repeated.One sprung afternoon I had decided to boost my listing numbers. There was a cute cottage at the end of a road close to our office. It had a For Sale By Owner sign.I parked my car , opened the gate and strolled down the path to the front porch As … (20 comments)
home selling: Whatever happened to making an appointment?
- 09/24/12 08:12 AM
What happened to appointments? Imagine my surprise when I glanced out the kitchen window and saw a young couple walking down out driveway toward the back yard gate.I heard him call to her "it is locked!"Wonder what they would have done if it was open?!They headed back toward their car which was parked across our driveway.This is the 5th time since our house has been on the market that folks have tried to just come on in!Two of those were agents! No call , no appointment, these two just showed up! One of them brought her client down the drive to the … (1 comments)
Of course it depends upon the listing potential of the property he is proposing to allow you to market.
It also depends upon how much cooperation you can count on getting during the listing period. And the extent of the listing is an important factor.
Over the years we have taken listings that appeared to be less than desired due to the owner attitude.
Some have proven to be a waste of time and money. It would have been best in … (22 comments)
home selling: Building Trust...
- 08/19/12 11:26 AM
Through no apparent fault of our own, we find that many potential customers do not trust Realtors. Not at all.
We all are lumped into a large box. All of us!
Not fair! Definitely not. True though.
So the question is, how do we disprove the myth? And, the answer is One customer at a time.
We had an experience a few years ago where a man we knew through church choir approached us.
He said he had a "friend" who needed some Real Estate advise. The "friend" wanted to sell a mobile home and move up. … (1 comments)
home selling: Weeds in the Attic?
- 07/30/12 09:43 AM
Some transactions are more memorable than others. Some are downright amusing, at least after the Initial shock wears off.
It is a good idea to never underestimate the client. You may have heard of "bats in the belfry, we encountered weeds in the attic!
We had received a listing via referral from our favorite loan officer. In a short time we had the place under contract and the fun and games of the inspections began.
Inspections are designed to be enlightening. This time the inspector came out of the attic with an incredulous look on his face.
… (3 comments)
home selling: Inspectors......
- 06/11/12 12:34 AM
According to our latest experiences it appears that potential buyers hire inspectors to make the buyers question and be uncomfortable.
The first offer we had a few days after going on the market was evaluated by the inspector. He spent three and a half hours finding that the house has original galvanized plumbing and the federal breaker box that it was built with. Does the plumbing leak....NO. Is the Federal breaker panel in good order? YES.... we had previously had a Master Electrician check it out since we had heard that people sometimes have concerns. He didn't recommend changing it … (1 comments)
After we stupidly turned down an offer brought by the second people who looked at our house, there has been very l little action.
We have continued to bring the price down on a regular basis. We have also cleaned and restaged as we packed boxes and put things in the garage. We are now set to lose $40k from what we have invested. Oh well, such is the current market
Today we have had two showings and have another that's scheduled for early evening.
Both of the showings that we have already had have … (2 comments)
After we successfully negotiate an offer, the inspector gets called in. Depending upon what he finds, specialists may be called in to make repairs or to consult. There may need to be termite inspections or even treatment. At the same time title has been opened and title work is being done. Any title issues need to be addressed. Simultaneously Loan officers are getting data together and getting the loan ready to submit to underwriters. … (5 comments)
home selling: Tough lesson learned....
- 04/19/12 02:13 AM
For years we have preached the old mantra to our clients.... "the first offer is often the best... Think long and hard before you let it go.
After putting our own home on the market, we received an offer in just a few days from the second people who looked at it.
This was what we expected since the last house we had sold went under contract in three days.
With over fifty years combined experience we took it for granted that our skill and expertise were working for us.
After inspections however the buyers said … (4 comments)
As a rule we won't accept a verbal offer or rather we won't allow our clients to take one but since its our house we made a little exception. We know an offer has to be in writing to be binding.
In this case we know the agent and the original offer was not worth paper... Or time for that matter. Even with all the experience and market knowledge we have the seller in … (4 comments)
home selling: So.... Our journey continues...
- 01/27/12 03:01 PM
So the experience continues. Of All the ways that showings can be scheduled, emails are one that we have seldom used and I now understand why! The board of Realtors frequently posts new listings as a courtesy so apparently ours was posted yesterday. We received a request to show it to a John Q Public person at about 9am. Ralph answered with a when would you like to see it? The response was this afternoon but not too late. He answered with how would 1pm work? No response until about 12:20pm. At that time they said it would have to … (6 comments)
home selling: The Power of Clean!
- 12/13/11 05:06 AM
One of the less appealing tasks we have to do as Real Estate Professionals is to tell sellers to clean up their acts!There is no effective way to market or sell a dirty property. None! For years I felt it was invasive and rude to tell people the cold hard truth about that. For years in fact I failed to be as effective at my job.When people live in a house for many years they do not see things as clearly as when they first purchased.It may be that over time perceptions dim. It may also be that deep cleaning becomes … (2 comments)
home selling: Different Perspectives....
- 11/14/11 01:08 PM
For those of us who sell real estate, it is not out of the ordinary to help our clients to stage their homes to get the best first impression possible. It is a totally different project when the house you are getting ready for the market is your own. The house in question has been home for the past four years and it has become much too much to keep up and to pay taxes on. But.... mostly we want to downsize and travel some and do some fun stuff and not maintain all the crap we accumulated over the last … (1 comments)
Author Bio: Ralph and Jeanne are long time Real Estate BROKERS dedicated to helping good folks buy homes and land in Durango Colorado and the Surrounding area.
We made another run at closing the house where the seller had health issues that caused the Title Company to prevent him from signing his papers.
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