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Someone PLEASE Make Me Stop Cleaning This Northern Virginia Short Sale

By
Real Estate Agent with Long and Foster Real Estate VA License # 0225089470

Northern Virginia Short Sale Listing Agents like myself see homes in all kinds of conditions.  There are those that are pristine.  You can't believe someone LIVES there.  They keep their home neat as a pin.  It's like a model.  Then there are those that show that the owners have literally thrown their hands in the air and given up.  Why clean up spills on the carpet?  Why repaint walls?  Why change an air filter? 

Little maintenance items left undone add up when it comes to selling a Northern Virginia Short Sale.  And when I say they add up, ultimately, that means a lower list price will be needed to entice an offer.  Especiallly when a refrigerator has been left closed, with food inside, while power has been turned off for three weeks or more.  That's not a pretty picture.  The mold eventually works its way out to the floor.

I showed up in a sweat suit with cleaning gear to tackle some of the problem.  I was convinced that no one would want to be IN the home, let alone write an offer on it.  Shoot, I was wearing a mask to shield my nose and mouth.  Yet there were already three business cards on the counter and it had only been on the market for less than twenty-four hours.   And there was a Buyer's Agent, knocking on the door to ask me to stop cleaning.

WHAT? 

Well, I must say the Buyer's Agent might as well be whispering sweet nothings in my ear.  He handed me an offer...a very good cash offer, and said, "If you leave the debris and trash, the BPO agent is more likely to see the issues and give it the value needed."  Good point.

I took off the mask covering my nose and mouth, shut the front door and went over the offer with the Buyer's Agent and Buyer on the front steps to the home.  I told them things that would not need to be changed later if they changed them now.  Things like the Seller not being responsible for removing debris before Settlement.  Or that the utlities being turned on will be the responsibility of the Buyer, if needed for inspections.  This Buyer wanted the house so bad I couldn't believe it.  Yet there is a pristine Short Sale I have that a Buyer can't see the value in. 

So, changed offer in hand, I packed up my cleaning supplies and headed out.  Thank goodness someone was able to stop me from cleaning out that refrigerator.  And I was shocked to get home and see there was yet another offer on the moldy refrigerator house.  Go figure.  And I thought I'd have to clean. 

Comments (28)

Pat Fenn
Marketing Specialist for CJ Realty Group/Cindy Jones Broker - Springfield, VA

Chris Ann-step away from the fridge and the mold toxins :-)

Nov 14, 2010 03:17 AM
Evelyn Black
Comey & Shepherd, Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati, OH

Kudos to you for even considering cleaning the place up!  I may have had the same reaction; can't imagine anyone buying anything dirty and yucky!

Nov 14, 2010 03:41 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Chris:  Mold is a big problem.  I don't think people give it the attention it deserves.

Nov 14, 2010 04:30 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Elizabeth:  If we kept the price the same, we'd have had TONS of offers had it been cleaned.

Nov 14, 2010 04:31 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Richard:  Or ruining my sweat pants in the process.  They were all dark gray, now the knees are bleacked to an orangey color.

Nov 14, 2010 04:32 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Cindy:  I am grateful.  Funny thing is, I just got a call from the agent that saw the home in the MLS and wonders why the price is so low.  I told him to open the refrigerator and take a peek because it's starting to creep on the floors.

Nov 14, 2010 04:34 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Fernando:  I have a contact too.  She was charging too much for the client to pay.  Lord knows I wasn't going too.

Nov 14, 2010 04:35 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Coral:  It's funny the situations we find ourselves in, isn't it?  I wasn't going to clean the fridge out entirely, just the moldy junk on the outside that is creeping to it's surroundings.  The counters were just filthy.  Trash everywhere.  I would never want to cover up mold.

Nov 14, 2010 04:38 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Pat:  You bet!

Nov 14, 2010 04:38 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Evelyn:  My thought was to at least straighten things up, like the floors and counters.  It's a great house in sad condition.

Nov 14, 2010 04:39 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

I would have put a sign on the refrigerator that said: Do not open, and let it go at that. Because a sure-fired way to get people to do something is to tell them not to do it, LOL. But fixers (and this sounds like a fixer) in my neck of the woods tend to attract more offers than nonfixers because of the perceived value. At least you won't have anybody demanding the bank pay for repairs at the last minute, and I get those kinds of requests all the time. What part of "as is" do buyers not understand?

Nov 14, 2010 07:44 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Elizabeth:  I actually put that in the agent remarks.  What is it about refrigerators that makes people want to open them?  Particularly in vacant homes.

Nov 14, 2010 07:52 AM
Candice A. Donofrio
Next Wave RE Investments LLC Bullhead City AZ Commercial RE Broker - Fort Mohave, AZ
928-201-4BHC (4242) call/text

HAHA! Wonderful! Our BPO agents don't enter the homes as a rule. I'd probably put a note that the fridge was 'icky' and not to open it in the agent remarks of MLS . . . ;)

The late George Paukert said "If it smells, it smells like money." I've seen total beaters in bidding wars more times than I can remember . . . buyers don't fear stuff like that even though I DO!

Nov 14, 2010 10:49 AM
Ellie McIntire
Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate - Ellicott City, MD
Luxury service in Central Maryland

You are quite the listing agent. I agree with the pack and you would not find me cleaning out that fridge. That IS going the extra mile.

Nov 14, 2010 11:31 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Candice:  I'm surprised by the activity.  I like your saying, "If it smells, it smells like money."

Ellie:  That's because I couldn't find anyone to haul it away.  BTW, the fridge is still disgusting.  Got the winning offer just in time.

Nov 14, 2010 12:58 PM
Jackie Connelly-Fornuff
Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Babylon NY - Babylon, NY
"Moving at The Speed of YOU!"

I can't believe you have an offer in after 24 hours it's on the market. Cool and congrats!

Nov 14, 2010 09:59 PM
Renée Montgomery
Century 21 New Millennium - Warrenton, VA
Northern Virginia Real Estate

Chris Ann,

I Can believe you have multiple offers but I want the price range that one is in! I have a rule about refridgerators and washing machines.....never open them in a vacant house!! Good for you for rolling up your sleeves I would likely do the same. I got a great cleaning company if you need another contact.

Here's hoping we do business together soon!

Renee

Nov 15, 2010 06:58 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Jackie:  I liked Candice's comment about if it smells, it smells like money.

Renee:  Same here.  Nice to see you on Active Rain.

Nov 15, 2010 07:24 AM
Judy Klem
Transition Stage LLC - Shelton, CT
Home Staging, Senior Move Management, Fairfield/New Haven counties

Hi Chris Ann - Wow! This is really unbelievable. Although you were willing, I'm glad you didn't have to go through with this particular cleaning job.

Nov 18, 2010 02:01 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Judy:  Me too!  I got to picking up debris and a bit of wiping the floors.  Not too much trouble.

Nov 18, 2010 02:35 AM