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"Idaho Couple's Home Infested With Snakes"

By
Real Estate Agent with HER Realtors

ON RealTalk Steve Hong (is Steve an Active Rain member?... he is interesting...usually technology, cameras rather than snakes... someone ought to invite Steve if he is not here) shared "Interesting article about snakes infesting a house:"

"Idaho Couple's Home Infested With Snakes"*

"Snakes fell on Lyman Hepworth's head when he opened the door to a pump house near the small house the couple planned to buy."

Yuck. They found snakes before they bought... I am so scared of snakes, I can not imagine closing on it. I wrote a contract with a skunk clause once..  (oooooooh the listing agent is a Central Ohio Active Rainer...)  it did not close because of the inspection although there were no skunks in the crawl space or the house when we did the inspection.  The article says the property is "likely a snake den or hibernaculum"

According to the Newspaper Steve linked to:

"Their plan: They sent a videotape of the house, their children and, of course, the snakes to the producers of "Extreme Home Makeover," in hopes the television show would send its decorators in for a filmed renovation."

So Brynn Minsterman, always ready with a pun who is on Active Rain but not participating wrote:

"So the *Extreme Makeover* show may be the solution to the property's Extreme Snakeover?"

Edit December 2011 * The link went to the Washington Post but not to the story.

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Information is deemed to be accurate but should be verified to your satisfaction.  Information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice.  Opinions expressed are solely those of Maureen McCabe.

 


 

Comments (14)

Scott Daniels Florida Real Estate 2.0. Agents Earn 100% Commission.
Florida List For Less Realty, Inc. Broker/Owner. - Cooper City, FL

Maureen,

You sure that these people aren`t using the snakes for religious reasons.? Or they might be snake charmers...

Sep 28, 2006 10:23 PM
Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel

Called extreme makeover?  Bizarre. The article said they were behind on their bills at the previous home.  

I would be calling the seller and asking why the infestation was not  disclosed. 

Sep 28, 2006 10:44 PM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

MF:  

I wonder if it is a land contract or installment sale because of what it said about their finances. 

I don't like make over shows but I gotta say a house with snakes would get people's attention.  Do you have a place on your MI disclosure for snakes?  Skunks? Dead raccoon in the chimney? Fleas? Trying to remember undisclosed pests I have run into on showings / inspections...

Snakes happen?  Would the houses next door have snakes too? 

 

 

Sep 28, 2006 11:50 PM
Mrs. Sheri Ann Johnson, GRI
Tropic Shores Realty - Spring Hill, FL
Well we do know for certain the home does NOT have a rodent problem!
Sep 29, 2006 01:32 AM
Carole Cohen
Howard Hanna Cleveland City Office - Cleveland, OH
Realtor, ePRO

The only snake stories I've heard related to showings or purchase offer inspections have to do with pet snakes that the owners couldn't find. Like large pythons and boas. But then again I practice real estate in the big (ok sort of big) city lol.

When I lived in Greenbelt Maryland in a condo complex we had woods near us and black snakes would curl up at our doors. I knew they were harmless but my neighbor below me, a very nice, and coureous history teacher from the local High School, heard him out in the backyard saying expletive deleteds so I opened my window and said what's wrong? He couldn't get into his house, big ol' black snake in front of the door. But even there no infestations. Biggest infestation problem here? Showing homes which turn out to have more than ten cats. Once showed a home (for three minutes) with overe 47 cats (total told to me by listing agent afterwards.) My pregnant potential buyer took three steps into living room and the smell 'hurled' her to the backyard, if you catch my drift.

Sep 29, 2006 02:25 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

I have a snake story!!!  Luckily was he dead... or maybe it was a she snake dead in the basement.  but there might have been another somewhere in the house.... 

 

Sep 29, 2006 03:20 AM
Bonnie Erickson
Tangletown Realty - Saint Paul, MN
You beat me to getting this on my blog.  Yuck.  I would not have closed.
Sep 29, 2006 04:25 AM
John Pruitt
www.HelpYouWell.com - San Jose, CA

Snakes are bad, but my real fear? Spider infestation!!

Sep 29, 2006 05:08 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Arachnaphobia?  I don't like spiders but I feel like with spiders you can use spray...  

Fear of snakes herpiphobia...  just a guess... what makes snakes go away... I think they said the buyers couldn't kill the snakes  they are protected?  

 

Sep 29, 2006 05:12 AM
Ann Cummings
RE/MAX Shoreline - NH and Maine - Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth NH Real Estate Preferrable Agent
Spiders scare me to death!!  If I'm home alone and I come upon a spider, I have to DROWN it in spider spray, and then I stand there to make double sure it's dead!  It's that time of year when it's getting a little cooler now and they want inside where it's warmer.  I have a can of spider spray in multiple places in my house, just in case I need it I want it very close by so I can DROWN them!!
Sep 29, 2006 05:13 AM
Carole Cohen
Howard Hanna Cleveland City Office - Cleveland, OH
Realtor, ePRO

I'm a Realtor who can be in the middle of a very professional dialogue with clients in the basement of a house, and if I run into a web? I'm not so professional anymore!

I'm with the spider peeps; more scary; course I don't live where rattlers roam -- are there rattlers in Columbus, Maureen? lolol

Oddly enough I'm wishing we could all be sitting around a table yakking about these kinds of stories. I bet we have more collective 'doozies'

Sep 29, 2006 11:44 AM
Brynn Minsterman
Continental Properties - Tulsa, OK

I've got some great rattlesnake AND spider *It Happened to ME* stories.  Oh, if I only had the time to recount them here and now, but I don't so it will have to keep till we all get together.  I'm booked up until spring of 07, but maybe then...

Sep 29, 2006 01:46 PM
Marguerite Crespillo
Marguerite Crespillo - Roseville, CA
I would have to abandon the house....ugh. I tell my clients "I don't do basements or attics."
Sep 29, 2006 02:05 PM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate
Sorry,"www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601273.html" does not exist or is not available
Jan 28, 2011 07:17 AM