If You Liked It Then You Should Have Made An Offer On It
[My apologies to Beyonce..]
Just a couple of days following the recent closing of the sale of one of our Madeline Island listings, I received a phone call from a fellow who confessed that he had been browsing that waterfront property for months.
We tend to think of such prospects as "lurkers", not in a negative way, but simply because they watch and watch from the sidelines, but seem to take a very long time (if ever) to come forward and make an offer. They won't contact an agent, won't ask for more information or request a showing..they just snoop and browse and lurk and hope somehow that the price will come down dramatically or that the seller will become desperate.
The lurking on Madeline Island seems to get more serious as soon as the leaves begin to change color in early autumn. You can literally mark your calendar with the time of year when this scenario begins to unfold.
This guy made it clear that he was disappointed. He informed me that he "was going to buy that place", but just didn't move quite fast enough. And he wanted me to stay in touch with him (after the sale had already closed), adding that he "would be very interested in buying the property".
Too late.
I admire the cautious buyer, I truly do. But it's possible to be overly cautious.
After the sale has closed, you're done. You waited too long to get serious about the property.
Someone else scheduled a showing, signed an offer, wrote a check for earnest money, had an inspection and showed up at the closing table. While you were daydreaming about buying the house at that unbelievably low price you were hoping for, someone else ate your lunch.
So by all means, take your time. Do your homework and check your bank account. Take all the necessary steps required to give yourself that level of comfort with the idea of buying a second home or waterfront lot on Lake Superior. But don't wait too long. Others are doing the same things you are.
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