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It Never Ceases to Amaze Me!

All of us start to get those calls coming in for potential clients wanting to buy a home, sell a home or just general questions or feedback to one of our posts. I receive many emails though many are commenting on the beaches in Hawaii or the beautiful pictures of the mountains and blue skies and the tropical scenery.

Then, there's a serious buyer and I immediately call and start setting them up with automatic notification of listings according to the criteria they have given me. More often than not, those buyers are are Relocating to Hawaii and have been reading my blog and looking at my website for quite awhile before contacting me.

On the other hand, there will be times when there are ulterior motives and I experienced one of those times yesterday. A potential home seller contacts me and goes through the whole spiel to list their home and I let her know that I have a couple of appointments and will surely get back by afternoon.

As soon as I get back home I jump on my pc to get the facts and get info to owner.

I discover that they own another property...a townhouse that was listed and taken off the market.
Pull up comparable properties for their immediate area for the single family home and it is not good news.
This home is NOT selling for what they even owe and another one on the street sold for 40k less recently.
Got all property data, tax records, old listing (when they first bought) and check out details.
Emailed the owner with info and called to go over information.

I call the seller back and explain the situation that they will NOT get what they even owe on the property and they will be coming out of pocket with money to pay off the loan, closing costs and so forth.

Then the REAL story comes out.

They are not living there in the home but their 'stuff' is there. (hmm...husband in Iraq and she is on the mainland)
Wants to give it a try anyway and put it on the market at $70,000 over current market price.
According to the loan company (for the townhouse) they need to list this single family home so they can refinance the townhouse.

I could not believe my ears.

My answer?

Honestly!

It would be wasting YOUR time AND my time.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Posted by Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman HAWAII Relocations & Real Estate on 02/11/2009 10:46 AM

Comments (32)

hawaii home seller, ethics

Originally posted at: Hawaii Real Estate & Relocations : It Never Ceases to Amaze Me!

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32 Comments on It Never Ceases to Amaze Me!

FEB

Sally--All sorts of crazy stories are coming out now. Have you heard the one about the sellers who aren't behind on their mortgage but want to do a short sale so they get rid of their current home and move up to a better home? At the bank's expense of course. You have to wonder what people are thinking at times.

I don't blame you, I don't like my time wasted either. But if I could live in Hawaii, I would be so happy, you have a beautiful state.

Thanks but no thanks would certainly be my answer :) Some people just don't get it....we are not here to be at their beck and call, nor to help them "go around" what is ethical.....

Sally my friend I would expect nothing less from you, and anyone that reads your blog should know this by now.

Wants to give it a try anyway and put it on the market at $70,000 over current market price.

Hahaha. Why settle for only $70K over market? Let's just go ahead and round it off to $100K! :)

Always ask leading questions for this reason. You want to try and qualify them as serious by their responses while still keeping them convinced that you are taking them as serious buyers.

Teri: What a bunch of kaka. You know, instead of being responsible human beings they continue to use everyone and everything around them. My goodness, when does it stop?

Mary: I moreso don't like it when people think it's okay to use us ...at our expense of time and money to market the place. That's so not right.

Kathy: I was really in awe. Mouth hanging open and all lol! Seriously, all one has to do is put themselves in anothers shoes. I'm sure they would feel the same if in my shoes. Don't use me. I feel sorry for one who buys into that one.

Bruce: No kidding! That's not my whole concern though. KNOWING it's not going to sell..but also saying it's okay to put it up, take it off and put it back up again later. Main thing, they get their refinance on the other property . geez.

Scott: This was about a seller ....:)

Hey Sally... I doubt that this sort of thing will ever stop. I don't know where the notion comes from that we have any thing better to do with our time than waste it on unrealistic people, but it seems to be a common theme wherever you go on the planet. Maybe it'll be better on Mars? :) My favorite question to ask folks like that is, "You've surely been giving this some serious thought and planning. I was just wondering - what information have you found that would suggest that we would be able to sell your home for that kind of price?" The following silence is deafening. "Thanks but no thanks!" works too. ;-)

Randy Hooker - Dreamcatcher Realty - Arizona Real Estate

Randy: Of course it won't...but it definitely will not continue in my court. One thing is for certain...I'm not out there to list their home just so they can refinance another..... that is just not right....not a care in the world about the Realtor® and time spent and knowing it won't sell. Wonder how many others they contacted....only to hear the same answer. Maybe that's why tactics changed and no info on the other property until the very end. Why would anyone in their right mind think we go out of our way knowing we won't get paid? I shake my head.

Good Morning and WOO HOO. You said it exactly right. One must know best for themselves when to " Hold Em" and especially when to " Fold Em" and you have learned your lessons well. You always make me proud of you for your marvelously clear thinking.

Hi William! I have learned many lessons oh so well William! I hug you!

... "Yes, I will happy to list your home. I have an upfront marketing fee of $ 1k? 2k? ".

We all know - many folks do not respect our time and energy!

James: I think instead of my time/money for marketing etc I'll just move on. The stress that would go along with that one is not in my 'budget'. :)

Sally,

Nobody is immune to the short sale flu!!! Thanks, Fran

Fran: Not sure what it was....they didn't mention if it was going to be short sale...in fact they mentioned....renting it too. So who knows.

Sally - it always surprises some sellers that we actually turn down listings. They want to "try" it? With our time and our money? You made an excellent point about the stress cost in addition to those.

We are definately all seeing this. I am to the point now that if they are not willing to list it realistic to the market I cannot help them. I had a custom built gated home and he insisted on over pricing by $200K, it came up for relisting and I told him, I am sorry, your home is beautiful but we are way out of the ballpark to be serious in selling in this market. Of course I wanted the 3% of the selling at close to $1M, but it isn't going to happen when the house next door is priced in $600K range.

Hi Sally...That is exactly why we appreciate it when people are honest with us from the get go.

Tell me you need a CMA for whatever purpose and I will do it. I state that I will on my Web site. Almost all of us do.

Please don't string us along.

Kate

Sally that is a good one, and I can't think of a better response for that person than the one you gave.

WooHoo, You know I've heard this many times. I used to always just say "No". Now I say.."No problem. Pay me $500 upfront and I'll list it for you in the MLS"

Sally, those of us who have survived 2008 will not take these listings in 2009. It's not good buiness for anyone....let alone us. We are in the business/industry as our basis for making a living and a business decision is justified. I do analyze whether I can get it done and based on that analysis take the listing or not. Good decision on your part. You would be wasting money and time and money on all parties. Bryant's pretty cool in his assessment. We could learn from him.....no doubt!

Sally, oh....I feel the slime all the way here in Texas! Nothing used to make me madder than someone wasting my time and jerking my chain. I let it happen a couple of times (2nd time totally my fault, too). Still get mad when I think about the week I wasted. Can't get it back!

Sharon: yeah...try it...that was not a good thing for my ears to hear lol. Thanks.

Kim: It really isn't going to happen with the one down the street that already closed either :)

Kate: No kidding. I for one do not like dishonest people. Once someone 'leaves something out' it's lying....by omission. Same as being dishonest and I don't work well with anyone like that. No kidding. That much I will do ....and have done ...many a time. Maybe that 'helped' them in some respect.

George: Thanks much.

BB: Well, this is a first for me ....telling me to they want to try it anyway as they need to so they can refi the other property. nope...not my kind of work. You have your own biz...so listing for $500 is not an option and we don't do that.

Jeanean: No kidding. It just is NOT my idea of helping a client. I do not hand out false promises nor do I B.S. to the public. It isn't right and it isn't the way I do business.

Linda: ARggggh. I don't like that and if I don't acquaint myself with people like that in personal life...I definitely will not in business either.

FEB

Sally - It is amazing how much time we spend just weeding through all the leads to find the actual clients!

It's sad that consumers just think we have nothing better to do than not get paid by wasting time gathering information for them.

Sounds like a lose-lose situation to me! Seriously!

Sis - I guess I could sit here and ask what they were thinking, but I don't really even want my synapses to be in tune with folks like that.

Hmmmm, maybe some of us should start a "Information Gathering Business" IGB Enterprises.

Sally- you did the right and smart thing! Thanks but no thanks, you are NOT desperate to take a listing that ain't gonna sell!

The listing price conversation has gotten so bad that we have to start filtering clients for a preliminary reality check before we waste paper printing a presentation.

Sally, I agree, leaving important information out when speaking to someone would not be someone I'd want to work with either. I (thankfully) usually get calls from the best clients but every once in a while.....I feel I won't be able to work with them.

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