I know--you think I am going to gripe about sellers! And in previous years, I might have. But this year, I have had some amazing sellers, and they weren't even my clients. I had the buyers!
I think we tend to think we are in opposing camps most of the time, and that may be true when we are submitting offers, negotiating, and resolving inspection issues. But for some reason, I had three sellers recently who just were not going to be put into that opposing camp.
1) The first seller fixed everything before he put his house on the market, so inspections revealed nothing major, but he promptly fixed the few minor problems. He also sat with my clients one day and explained everything about the house, organized all the records and manuals for them, and left them a housewarming gift. My clients were totally amazed.
2) The second seller was a FSBO, so I was fully prepared to do all the work on both sides. But he priced the house well (unusual, I know!), kept it in show-ready shape, and he returned my calls promptly. He responded to questions, inspection issues, and deadlines as if he were an agent. Moreover, he agreed to a quick closing because my clients had already closed on their house; within a month, he found a new place, moved his home-based business and personal belongings, and left the home in move-in condition, with carpets freshly cleaned.
3) The third seller was facing some personal hardships and decided to relocate to another state. Because of the decline in the housing market, they were hoping to just break even in the deal. They didn't try to hold on to an unreasonable price or sell the house "as is" in an effort to keep as much money as they could. Throughout the transaction, the sellers put themselves in the place of my buyers to make sure they "did the right thing" (their own words). Wow!
Will all transactions go this well? Probably not, but I will appreciate them when they do. So to sellers like this: Here's to you!
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