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Auction Signs around town! Pet Peeve!

By Susan Goulding

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management 01490605

September 12, 2007 05:49 PM

I've got a new Pet Peeve and as more and more homeowners feel that an auction is a better option than selling thier home the traditional way this will happen more and more. Here it is, I can't, by City Code, put my For Sale signs all over town, semi-permanently in the ground. So why can the auction companies? I can call code enforcement, will they do anything, probably not! So in the meantime, everytime I drive by one of those signs my irritation rises.

Do you have "Home for Auction" signs taking over your city? If so, are you ok with it or what are you doing to stop it. Not the Auctions - but the signs!

auction

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Rosario Lewis

DDR Realty - Newburgh, NY

GRI, SRES - DDR Realty - Orange County, NY

What I have seen is signs tacked to utility poles offering to buy property.

Sep 12, 2007 06:02 PM

delete me delete me

delete me - Dixon, CA

My recommendation is to beat them to the punch with a community website...the domain name sanjoaquinauctions.com is available...buy it and set up an auction site. You could also use that as a means to talk with these guys. Let me know if you want some help setting it up. I can help you out. Good luck.

Sep 12, 2007 06:04 PM

Dionne Morgan

Realty World Solano Realty - Vallejo, CA

Broker REALTOR ,GRI, e-PRO

I met my first auctioneer this summer. There is nothing new under the sun. Just a different marketing strategy for those that have run out of options. We also have a local ActiveRain member. We all have to do the best job we can do in this market.

Sep 12, 2007 06:10 PM

Susan Goulding

Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA

Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Rosario - Signs tacked to phone poles are against the code in Tracy also. They have a non profit group that goes around weekly taking those and garbage sale signs down.

Rondel - thanks for the idea

Dionne - I am no saying that auctions don't have a place in any market - what I AM saying is that they should have to follow the same rules, codes and guidelines that those of us who regularly do business in town have to follow.

Sep 12, 2007 06:20 PM

Membership Cancelled

Pullman, WA

I have never seen anything like this. If I were a seller, I would be afraid of this!

Sep 12, 2007 06:55 PM

Hayden Gerson

HPM Financial LLC - San Diego, CA

They should follow the same rules as everybody else, I agree with you Susan.

Sep 12, 2007 07:58 PM

Keith Perry

Coldwell Banker - Hiram, GA

REALTOR - West Metro Atlanta

I see it some but mainly with banks or corporate owners.

Sep 12, 2007 10:19 PM

Benny mckee

Greenway Financial - Gainesville, VA

Isn't that a ruse.....auction to most people means they can get a bargain, when we know the truth.....it's amazing what people will believe

Sep 12, 2007 11:12 PM

James Gordon

Sibcy Cline Realtors® - Cincinnati, OH

REALTOR, PBD SFR SRS

Susan report it and go to zoning to get them removed. Is there a fine for illegal signs?

Sep 12, 2007 11:32 PM

Anonymous

Rich Ranft

As an auctioneer let me offer another perspective....Our number priorty is to get a particular piece of real estate sold on a scheduled day, at a scheduled time. That being said we need to use whatever marketing ideas we can to get buyers to our clients home. Usually these signs are only up for a short period of time and any responsible auction company removes them as soon as the auction is over.

Susan...It sounds like you have never worked with a professional auction firm firm to help market and sell your properties and from the sounds of everyone else she isn't alone. Before you start to criticize them you should try working with a good one a watch the results. It's definitely something coming to city near you!

Thanks for listening and anytime you want to know how Real Estate Auctions can work to your advantage don't hesitate to contact me.

Sep 13, 2007 04:46 PM

#10

Susan Goulding

Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA

Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Rich I will start here and work backwards.

First you are correct, I have not worked with an Auction Company, and this wasn't about that.

Second - my NUMBER ONE PRIORITY is to get a particular piece of real estate sold as quickly as possible. Ok so I'll even say I'd like to sell my listing on Saturday at 1:00. I need to use whatever marketing ideas I hve to get BUYERS to my CLIENT's homes also.

The difference is that I am REQUIRED to abide by the city codes which state that "No sign may be placed except for Saturday and Sunday's between certain hours, and those signs must be removed." I can NOT place my signs up anywhere, for any length of time other than the days I have an Open House.

Have you ever wondered why developers hire sign holders? Because they are not allowed to put their signs on the corner directing people to their properties. I'm certain their goal is to get their property sold also.

Again, the critcism was not to AUCTIONS. I do have an issue with the fact that they do NOT adhere to the same marketing regulations that those of us who operate our business in a town, day in and day out must adhere to.

Simply said, Auctions are welcome, however, they need to follow the same rules and codes that REALTORS and Home Owners have to follow. (BTW _ For Sale by Owner signs are against regulation also, unless they are in front of the home they apply to.)

Sep 13, 2007 04:55 PM

Susan Goulding

Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA

Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Nathan - it's probably coming to a town near you!

Hayden Thanks for the support, I've started something.

Keith & Robin I'm not opposing the Auctions, I'm opposing thier marketing tactics. However, buyer beware. There may be deals with an auction, but there may not be also.

Benny - Buyer beware -- if it seems too good to be true it probably it. Perhaps the first couple were great deals....but..... the jury is out. IF it worked so well why doesn't everyone do it.

James - I did get the contact information for Code enforcement today. I'll keep you posted.

Everyone: This is MY town, this is where I LIVE! I take pride in where I live, and all the little signs stuck in the ground for Auctions, furniture stores going out of business for the 50th time, etc irritate me.

Sep 13, 2007 05:01 PM

Candy Henthorne

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring Texas Real Estate

Susan, I have seen signs advertising everything-(We buy homes-cash), however I haven't seen the auction signs yet. They do come around and take all those down every so often. They just put them back up. They probably know what day they come to take them down.

Sep 13, 2007 06:40 PM

Anonymous

Brenda

I live in Tracy and I have seen these signs all over town. I even went to one of these auctions. These auctions in my opinions are misleading. Every auction I have been to are trying to get as much as possible for the product they are offering. Whoever's the highest bidder obviously walks away with the product. And hopefully for the seller they got the price they wanted or more. But there's the possibility that your product might go for way less then you were hoping on, being your loss. That is not the way these auctions are run. They start the bids at 50,000 or 100,000, and if your the only one who shows up and the only one who bids you think you've gotten a good deal right? Wrong! The seller has the right to refuse your bid. What?? Whats up with that. So technically if they feel they havent gotten as much as they would like they can refuse you from buying it even though your "supposedly the highest bidder" That to me is a load of _____. Why not be honest and start your bids what you really want people to pay. Every legitimate auction site or house puts a reserve on their products. Thats what these supposed auctions should do. You cant go and make a false bid you have no intention on paying so why can they allow you to make bids they have no intention of honoring?

Sep 14, 2007 05:08 AM

#14

Susan Goulding

Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA

Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Candy -= I'm guessing the only to get it to stop is take the signs to the auction house, the we buy home people if you can find them and fine them. Make it punative.

Brenda - very astute of you. It is not your typical auction. Sometimes a home does sell for significantly less market value, but usually this is not the case. Working with a good REALTOR will help all home buyers to find a home that fits their budget, needs and is a great value. With 800 homes on the market in Tracy, using a REALTOR will hlep to navigate the choices.

Sep 16, 2007 02:04 PM