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Who will tell me not to buy?

By
Real Estate Agent with Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 PA License - AB067198

This story has been adapted to not reveal those mentioned. It is not located in PA or on the Main Line but it does contain a good moral worth remembering.

A client loved a particular home. They made an offer and their offer was accepted. It was an estate selling the home as is. Home inspections were arranged. Issues arose.

The home was riddled with mold. Water was getting into the basement.  It was going to take extensive remediation to fix.There were also potential issues with the electrical wiring and the home inspector called for further investigation by an electrical contractor. However the inspector said the house was solid and had good bones.

The buyer arranged some further inspections and contractors to visit the house. Yes the wiring needed to be replaced, it was old and was not up to code. But nice house and well built said the electrician.

The contractor visited to look at the issue of water penetration, yes it would need some landscaping and some drainage issues to fix the water penetration. Well built house said the contractor.

Finally the mold remediation expert came by. He looked around and shook his head, it was going to take a lot of work to fix, but it could be done and the house was worth it as it was well built.

Now, the client was handy, the price was a deal for the area, the location was excellent, close to the buyers work, in a good school district, etc. But not once did an inspector or contractor say "Don't buy the house".

In conversation he was intrigued that not once did anyone question his purchase or advise him not to buy. Everyone mentioned how well built or what a great location or words along similar lines.

He was very surprised. So we sat down and said to him, it is your decision to buy or not to buy. Every expert is here to give you information so you can make the right decision for you. They supply you with the data, you make the choice. Not them. It is really irrelevant what they think about the house other than their specific area of expertise. Likewise, it is not our position to tell you to buy or not or what price to offer or pay. Only you can make that decision, we can supply you with the information, the data, explain it and help you feel confident in your decision, but at the end of the day it is your choice. You have to decide if you want to pay the price for the renovations, the remediation of the mold, the updates to the electrical system, the landscaping and everything else and if it is worth it to you.

They went ahead and they were very happy, they got a home in a great location, with excellent equity built in as the repairs were completed and they love their home. It was exactly what they were looking for and they don't regret buying the home, not even once.

But, don't expect anyone to tell you what to do. It is your choice when buying a home, we can all only give you the data and the information you need to make the decision.

If you need help buying or selling a Main Line or Tredyffrin Easttown home we are here to give you the confidence to make the right decisions. Contact me today, Nick Vandekar, Selling The Main Line with Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., office 610-225-7400, cell or text 610-203-4543, Nick@VandekarTeam.com, www.SellingTheMainLine.com

Posted by

 

Nick Vandekar
Nick is a Tredyffrin Easttown Residential and Commercial REALTOR selling The Main Line, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

Giving you the confidence to make
the right decisions.

225 W Uwchlan Ave
Downingtown , PA 19335
Office 484-237-2055
SellingTheMainLine.com
Mobile: (610) 203-4543 [call or text me]
Email Me

 

My Blog

   

If you are buying or selling on or around
Tredyffrin Easttown or along the Main Line, 
I can help you, contact me.

Comments(31)

Dorte Engel
RE/MAX Leading Edge - Bowie, MD
ABC - Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton & rest of Maryland

Dear Nick,

Very good illustration of boundaries in our business. We will not be fixing the place up or paying the mortgage, so our advice has to mostly stick to the facts, so our clients can make up their minds for themselves.

Jan 19, 2019 07:50 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Most of the time, we find buyers make the right choice. We also present them with facts and stay neutral unless we know they can get in trouble with something. On those occasions, we let them know what pitfalls they might be in for down the road.  Again though, as you state so well, the final decision is theirs. D 

Jan 19, 2019 07:56 AM
Dorte Engel
RE/MAX Leading Edge - Bowie, MD
ABC - Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton & rest of Maryland

Dear Nick,

So the picture made me curious. Is it in Aveira, Portugal? Inquiring minds want to know.

Jan 19, 2019 08:28 AM
Laura Filip
Laura Filip Broker , Opening doors for All Seasons of Life - Whitesboro, TX
What can we do for you today?

Thank you for sharing this very important point. We can only advise and not make decisions for anyone. 

Jan 19, 2019 08:47 AM
Margaret Goss
@Properties - Winnetka, IL
Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate

If a buyer asked me "Would you buy this house?" I would answer exactly as you said. I would lay everything out - but it's never my decision.

Jan 19, 2019 09:37 AM
Ken Jones
Kenneth J. Jones, Inc. - Toms River, NJ

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 In what part of Portgual is this building?

Jan 19, 2019 10:14 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 Glad to see this post featured. We can try and put ourselves in the client's shoes but we cannot make that decision. It does sound like they got the right home...and that is what is important.

Jan 19, 2019 11:26 AM
Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly Right Real Estate
Kelly Right Real Estate - Hood River, OR
Customized Choices for your Real Estate Needs

Very true. We can provide info and options for them to consider or discard, but they have to make the decisions. If the inspector or contractor did tell them not to buy it, I would have a discussion with them before providing their contact info to buyers again.

Jan 19, 2019 11:33 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Kat Palmiotti very true, people don't like making decisions and always try to pass it off to someone else. But buying a home has to be the buyers choice.

Dorie Dillard CRS GRI ABR and Jeff Dowler, CRS  I wish I had a dollar for every time a buyer asked me what I would do. 

Ken Jones and Dörte Engel looking at my diary from my walk and when I took the photo my best guess is it was walking outside of Anadia, between Lisbon and Porto, it may have been as we walked through Avelas de Camino. It was in dire need of rehab, or total tear down.

 

Jan 19, 2019 11:35 AM
Dorte Engel

Did you go by yourself or did you use a luggage service? Would you recommend the hike? What time of year did you go?

Jan 19, 2019 12:28 PM
Ken Jones

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 I'm quite familiar with Anadia. It's near my wife's hometown (Gafanha da Vagueira) just outside of Aveiro. Been there countless times.


There are many buildings in Portugal like the one in your photo.


Thanks for your reply.

Jan 19, 2019 12:29 PM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Laura Filip very true.

Margaret Goss it is not our decision, it is theirs and they have to own it.

Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland they are very happy, and they were able to deal with what was there and they got a great deal.

It is part of our job Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly Right Real Estate to provide them with information and options, it is not our job to make decisions for them.

Jan 19, 2019 11:46 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD that is exactly our policy, let them have all the information they need, but at the end of the day they have to make the decision.

Jan 19, 2019 12:07 PM
Bruce Kunz
C21 Solid Gold Realty, Brick, NJ, 732-920-2100 - Howell, NJ
REALTOR®, Brick & Howell NJ Homes for Sale

Well written and excellent points, Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543. Never get into a situation of making decisions for someone else. Buyers absolutely need to be comfortable with their purchase in the end - not anyone else.

Thanks for sharing this,
Bruce.

 

Jan 19, 2019 08:57 PM
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543  Sounds like you did your due diligence.  

Jan 20, 2019 10:38 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Bruce Kunz it is not our job to make the decisions for the client. However good our customer service that is not part of it, making sure they have the ability to make a good decision that is different, there we will go above and beyond.

Hannah Williams we do our best and whilst we would not have bought this house, it was perfect for these clients and they knew what they were getting into.

Jan 21, 2019 01:18 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

GREAT post Nick, and after 22 years, think only once did I hear a structural engineer tell a client, I wouldn't buy this home, it was very unsound, and thought unless they bulldozed it, it would not stand for 6 months longer.   

Jan 21, 2019 03:15 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Good advice. Whether you said yes or no, it could come back to bite you.

Jan 21, 2019 08:20 PM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Joan Cox I have so far never heard a structural engineer or home inspector say a house was falling down, but am sure one day...

Marte Cliff it is always the buyers decision, everything is subjective, only they know what they can handle.

Jan 22, 2019 06:04 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Nick - in my opinion the best decisions are weighing options, knowing the possibilities and understanding the "value". It's rarely or never a "perfect" fit but it's likely ideal based on timing and the facts known at that time.

Jan 22, 2019 07:07 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Excellent post!  No matter what any tradesman says, it's the buyer's decision.  I try to frame it like this, there are lots of pieces to the puzzle of buying a home. We can look at the area, price, condition and you can make that decision.  

Jan 22, 2019 11:38 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Michael Jacobs I don't think we have ever sold the perfect house, clients always want to change something regardless of price.

Jan Green totally agree, it is always the buyer's decision.

Jan 22, 2019 11:45 AM