Over the years I am sure we have all run into sellers who want to pick the buyers of the home they have for sale. This particular seller told me she did not care who the buyers were, as long as they had horses.
I explained to the seller that I cannot limit buyers for ANY reason, much less tell them they are not welcome without a horse (crazy, right!). Well, I quickly went under contract on the beautiful home. it featured 4 bedrooms PLUS a formal study, a beautiful master suite, open, remodeled kitchen, a beautiful covered porch, 3+ acres of land, a four stall horse barn and much more. It was priced at $865k and we received multiple offers!
Now here was the problem:
Three offers came in. The first was above list price with an escalation clause and no contingency. The second was above list price with no contingency. The third was at full ask and had a house to sell that was not yet on the market.
I went over the three offers with the seller. Only one of the three buyers had horses...and you guessed it, it was the one with the house to sell, UGH!!! The seller wanted the people who had the house to sell to get her home because they had horses (obviously against my advice). She also would not allow me to counter the price, she said "I have a good feeling and I want them to have it."
I called the other agent up (who I had alerted to the fact we had multiple offers). He assumed I was going to tell him his clients were out because of the contingency. I told him my client wants his folks to get the home (I think he dropped his phone), but I needed to see the home they had to sell. I met him at the house and it was a beautiful riverfront home with 170 feet on the Grand Canal (a truly amazing lot). I asked what they would be asking and he told me they would price it right (in fact, IMO they underpriced the home). I said, if you can get it listed within two days, she will sign a contract with you on her home and give you 60 days to sell yours.
They got it on the market in one day (with just a picture of the front of the house I took for them with my phone...lol. We signed the contract and contingency. The agent for them did an open house on day one, and they sold it in 24 hours for 37k over list price!
We closed a month earlier than the contract required and the new owners LOVE the home!
My client likely walked away from 20k or more she could have made on the home. That being said, she has a standing invite from the new owners to come by the property anytime she wants to visit the horses. To her, that is priceless!
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