The Skylight Has A Crack

Larry & Sheila, that's just crazy...why don't Lawyers just stay the H*^$ out of our business, I know some HOA/POA in condos can be a problem when fixing certain items but seriously if there wasn't any major water damage and just a crack then why not move forward. 

Funny that the other home also has a cracked skylight...ha!

Good luck and hopefully all will work out for you and your Buyers, sometimes we use Lawyers but 99.9% of the time we go through title companies but in all our contract it states their lawyers can consult with them most often they choose not to sign this portion of the contract.

Have a wonderful Thursday and good luck...

Hi Larry & Sheila,

This is ridiculous! As Bob pointed out in Austin we normaly close at Title companies and not with attorneys..this is exactly a reason why I'm glad we don'e use attorneys...thi is way overstepping their bounds! Good luick and hope they listen to your advice!

It is actually common for many different condos and I like the key that the HOA has installers that are experienced in installing and repairing them already. Great point when it should be a non issue. Those lawyers like to create problems that are not....

Larry & Sheila, good luck with these buyers, and sure home the original seller fixes the crack, or buyers have no problem fixing themselves - for $20K less!

Larry & Sheila-   I wonder how they'll feel about him when they loose out on the community they really want. 

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Another reason we do not use lawyers.  Replacing a skylight is one of the easiest things that can be done to improve a home.  It's also relatively inexpensive.  Done all the time here.

Title companies are used to close in our area and it works great to me.  As for those buyers I hope they jump on the Condo or they will probably miss out on a great deal. 

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Skylights can be great IF they are constantly maintained. Often they are added and forgotten. That leads to problems since the seals need to also be maintained. It isn't as if this problem cannot be easily taken care of.

Larry and Sheila-I love the part of the listing agent not wanting to keep you updated. That's hilarious. If there's no other damage around the skylight it doesn't seem like a real big deal. Good luck.

 

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Larry and Sheila,

I know Mr. Destroyer from our commercial real estate days.  You know you are in TROUBLE, when they say to you this lovely sentence, "I AM NOT A DEAL BREAKER, I AM A DEAL MAKER!".   This type of dude/or dudette (they come in both genders) often messes a deal up while showing their ignorance big time.  We also dealt with the mother (attorney) of a physician who wanted to open his practice in Beverly Hills.  When it came to signing the final papers, she had reworked them, even though what we sent was agreed by all parties.  Our client tore the documents, said NO DEAL!

And with Ron's blessing, I wished them well!  I was not interested in going through that again!  A

 

L & S,  All I can say is I am so GLAD I dont have to deal with attoneys while doing my job.  I have yet to conduct a real estate transaction with an attorney involved.  i know it is so different in your area.  you have far more patience than I.  Best of luck to you.

Seems like a small maintenance issue should not be a problem with the insurance Larry & Sheila, just send the insurance company evidence that the issue was corrected.

Larry/Sheila...that is absurd and obviously poor advice from the Lawyer, compounded by the terrible service by the listing agent.  I hope your buyers see the light and buy! ;-)

Larry and Sheila: What in the world is the lawyer doing giving advice on this issue? I can see talking about the skylight, "but there might be more problems"? Come on. The price sounds right for this well located condo. And what's the matter with these skylights that they all crack?

Larry & Sheila, that is why I didn't have a skylight put in our home....usually have problems.  Since, the sky light is not leaking, and the condo has what the buyers are looking for....it is clear as a bell that they should write an offer.

I think it is time to change attorneys!  Surely he isn't qualified to make a judgement on whether or not it is an issue.

Sheila and Larry, feed the attorney to the sharks.  No kidding, I have 9 skylights in my house and replacing a skylight is not that expensive and should certainly NOT kill at transaction.  Google "Velux" to check the price of skylights.  There are lots of variables--size, fixed or operable, single pane or dual or triple pane, etc.--.  Estimate as close as possible.  Then get an estimate of installation cost from that roofer and see if buyer and seller will split the cost.  Remind the listing agent that any buyer will want to be compensated even if it's not leaking at this time.  Remind the buyer he wasn't buying a unit with a brand new skylight.

Larry & Sheila,

Problems with the insurance company and HOA - BAH HUMBUG! I'm so glad TX is an escrow state and we don't have to put up with that. Buyers and Sellers in TX have a choice whether or not they want to hire an attorney; most do not. As a matter of fact, I've sold property to a Criminal Attorney and he was like a toddler learning how to ride a toy bike - he needed me every step of the way. He showed me respect and treated me with true professionalism. Another Attorney referred business to me because he didn't have time for it - he was going to trial and working on a mediation and 100 other more important things to do. He trusted me and it worked out fine.

Whenever there's a concern about insurance claims, I always tell my clients to call their insurance agent - they are the expert and the first thing they they are going to ask, is, is there an HOA? They can run a clue report and give people a lot of information and guidance too.

When there's an HOA question, I tell my clients to contact the HOA or to go to the office and sit down with someone to discuss issues and concerns. They are always happy to answer questions. Plus, a lot of information can be found on line.

Just like there are physicians, who I would never use, there are attorneys I would never use either. They are not God and they are only human, subject to lies, mistakes, and misinformation.

Congratulations on getting a prospective seller in the process!!!

We can't avoid lawyers in our market but it is extremely frustrating when a buyer uses a lawyer that advises they walk away from a simple, fixable problem. Unfortunately, the seller should have been advised to repair the cracked skylight prior to listing the property. If Hurricane Sandy did in fact cause the crack, shouldn't homeowners insurance cover some or all of the cost? What about the structural responsibility of the condo association? It's a shame a simple problem is causing such trouble.