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Foreclosure Tours from the Sublime to the Eeekkk

By Cindy Jones

Real Estate Agent with Integrity Real Estate Group

August 17, 2008 01:27 PM

A boring Day in Real estate
It is never a boring day when you head out to show Prince William County foreclosures. Without pictures in the MLS you aren't sure if you are going to find a gem or a horror story. Some days you get lucky and everything you show is in good shape. On other days you wish you had stayed in bed.

Yesterday I only had two properties scheduled on the foreclosure tour. One house was relatively new and the other about 10 years old. My mold sniffing nose was on and so when we opened the door we were prepared to back away if we had to.

Great Kitchen in Occoquan The first home surprised us with one of the nicest kitchens I've seen in awhile. With a good scrubbing and a new microwave, the place would be fit for the chef in the family. The second home was going along fairly well UNTIL we got to the kitchen. There we met one of the former residents who apparently didn't get the word that the eviction notice had been served. At least he or she had already left this world or you might have heard a shriek from a Realtor® and her clients.

A little friend departs this world
Just another day on the Prince William County foreclosure tour!

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To learn more about purchasing a Prince William County foreclosure give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213. If you are interested in Northern Virginia real estate including Alexandria, Fairfax County, Loudoun County or Prince William County. Stop by VaRealEstateTalk, Cindy Jones Homes or Military Relocation News for more information. Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

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Eric Reid

Renaissance Realty Group of Keller Williams Atlanta Partners - Lawrenceville, GA

hey I have been think about doing a foreclosure tour .. I would love to know how you set this up what your "procedure is" anything you would like to share and if it is easier to do it off line that is cool too.

Aug 17, 2008 01:34 PM

Mark Organek

And the United States of America - Mesa, AZ

It's not a game, it's your life.

It's always a treat to meet the former residents. Can't people keep up on their listings?

Aug 17, 2008 01:47 PM

Debbie Small

Long & Foster Realtors - Martinsburg, WV

REALTOR

Yeah, I wonder, what's up with agents not putting interior photos of foreclosures? I showed one recently that said it needed a little TLC and with the water damage from bursted water pipes the ceiling and carpet were ripped out, cabinets missing, mold and on and on. BTW, I like all the photos on your blog...Nice.

Aug 17, 2008 02:50 PM

Lisa Heindel

Crescent City Living LLC - New Orleans, LA

New Orleans Real Estate Broker

YIKES! Cindy, you are braver than me - I wouldn't have stuck around long enough to get the photo!

Aug 17, 2008 03:10 PM

Patricia Kennedy

RLAH@properties - Washington, DC

Home in the Capital

Cindy, wow! Never a dull moment!

Aug 17, 2008 03:31 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Cindy,the former resident looks like he croaked. Must have been afraid of the IRS taking over the place from past taxes owed. If they did have interior photos posted would the former resident be in the kitchen shot? Well at least one out of two wasn't bad for the day.

Aug 17, 2008 03:32 PM

Brian Block

RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President - McLean, VA

Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

Cindy, you certainly see it all in these foreclosures. I've seen some in tip top shape and others that we've turned around as quickly as we opened the door.

Aug 17, 2008 11:01 PM

The Somers Team

The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA

Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Cindy - thanks for the smile ! Anything goes with the foreclosed properties ! You are right though - there are some gems out there !!!! And worth finding when you do ! Some of the properties are an atrocity and are good for a chuckle with your client... makes it fun to a degree.

The Somers

Aug 18, 2008 12:26 AM

Cindy Jones

Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA

Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

Mark-I'd rather meet a dead mouse than a live roach family any day. I still have nightmares from a cockaroch incident when I was a kid. Let's just say I haven't put my hand in a box of raisins in 40 years!

Aug 18, 2008 08:27 AM

Debbie-some of them deserve loads of pictures and others well perhaps they deserve a bulldozer. The good ones are disappearing a rapid clip in our area.

Aug 18, 2008 08:28 AM

Lisa-if it had gotten up and moved you can bet my reaction would have been a lot different.

Aug 18, 2008 08:29 AM

Pat-there is one thing that can universally be said for real estate in 2008 you just never know what is behind door number one!

Aug 18, 2008 08:30 AM

Gary-mice are such good escape artists that it is hard understand why he didn't leave and go to another house. I'm always glad when I find one winner on any tour.

Aug 18, 2008 08:34 AM

Brian-I'm not ever going to let my guard down when I turn the key. There are surprises both good and bad to be found.

Aug 18, 2008 08:35 AM

Christopher and Stepanie-the only time I don't find foreclosures to be an adventure is when I run across the ones with bad cases of undisclosed mold. They tick me off and make me physically sick so they never amuse me. Otherwise a dead mouse or two isn't going to scare me off.

Aug 18, 2008 08:37 AM

Heather Fitzgerald

REALTY WORLD-Harbert Company, Inc. - Greenwood, IN

REALTOR Greenwood Indiana Real Estate

Wow, we see them much worse when we list them, but usually not once on the market-i.e. rodents. One of our last houses had a live bird in it, I was trying not to step on all the "stuff" on the ground and had angled around the corner to get a shot of the bathroom, I thought the bird was dead, and it took off while I was taking my photo. My partner laughed at my reaction. It looked like the bird had swallowed a rodent, nice stuff with our REO's. : )

Aug 18, 2008 01:23 PM

Foreclosure Tours from the Sublime to the Eeekkk

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