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Why did the real estate agent cross the road?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner CalBRE# 01433049

Why did the real estate agent cross the road?

To have a chat with Gladys Kravitz.

Gladys Kravitz

For those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about, Gladys Kravitz was a mortal homemaker who lived across the street from Samantha, Darrin and Tabitha Stevens in the hit series Bewitched.

During many of the shows, Gladys could be seen peeking out (or in) a window, trying to figure out what was going on in the Stevens' household. Basically, Gladys was playing the part of (and very well, I might add) the nosy neighbor.

Nosy neighbors can be a pain in the booty if they happen to be yours, but if they live near a home for sale they can be the absolute best source of neighborhood information available. Not all homes have an endless parade of witches and warlocks for entertainment, but what about these seemingly innocent disclosures/statements/questions that come out of the neighbors' mouth?

  • Do you know if all the termites were killed when they tented the house?
  • Poor Mr. Smith, he dropped dead in his living room right after that last earthquake.
  • The washer and dryer were moved to the garage shortly after the washer flooded the house.
  • Did they tell you about the leak they had during that last doozy of a storm?
  • LOL, their youngest kid was playing in the attic and fell right through the sheet rock!
  • The CC&R's prohibit livestock, so they never let the pigs out of the house.
  • I guess they didn't like the slider near the fireplace, so they moved it over three feet.
  • No, no, that used to be a garage.
  • I'm just saying, you might want to get the ________________ checked out.

So the moral of this story is, if you want to find out as much as you can about a home for sale:

  1. Read the seller disclosures from front to back
  2. Have inspections done
  3. Check building plans and permits
  4. And most importantly, do what I do. Cross the road and have a chat with Gladys Kravitz

 

Posted by

 

Cynthia Larsen (707-332-2560) is an independent real estate referral broker in Sonoma County, California as well as a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist.

CA Broker License #01433049

Comments (48)

Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

This is brilliant - I am sending it to my buyer agent - what a great idea and so deserving of Kathy's feature.

Apr 04, 2015 09:44 PM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

Happy Easter!  I hope you have a blessed day!  How about them Badgers?  :-)

Apr 04, 2015 11:47 PM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Hi Sheila, thanks for stopping by! I love the power of re-blogs!

Hey Kathy Streib thank you for my appearance in "What I learned this week", I'm honored!

Lise, LOL, love the "brilliant" remark. I'm half asleep nursing my first cup of coffee!

Kristin ... Badgers ... I had to look that one up. I must be the only one not following March Madness :(

Apr 05, 2015 01:19 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Cute post.  I refer to Mrs. Kravitz all of the time.   Oh yes, there always seems to be at least one in every neighborhood.  

Apr 05, 2015 06:09 AM
Rebecca Howard
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Orland Park, IL
Recognized | Respected | Recommended

Hi Cynthia. You should write a book.  You nailed the points exactly.  Maybe before taking the listing, we should gather notes from the neighbors first and ask the seller to compare your notes and see if they left anything out. 

The things some people's children reveal. If I see Gladys coming, I just want to cros the street to get away. We've all seen her at some point. 

Apr 05, 2015 07:57 AM
Pete Cullen ~ Broker Associate, GRI,CRS
Bailey Properties, Inc. - Santa Cruz, CA
Serving The Entire Monterey Bay Area

Abner!

Apr 05, 2015 08:33 AM
Dan Tabit
Keller Williams Bellevue - Sammamish, WA

Cynthia, 

I've used the same illustration.  Gladys was such a memorable character, if you were around when the show was on.  Definitely gets the point across. 

Apr 05, 2015 10:31 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

It was because of Mrs. Kravitz next door that we found out the seller's wife and sons had multiple drug problems.  It was the house we had tested for meth, and it was positive!

Apr 05, 2015 11:27 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I would definitely do it to get to the better deal or to run away from what I like to call "energy vampires" that suck all the life out of you. 😄 that's just my humor I guess. Gladys was a different story and great at that!

Apr 05, 2015 03:24 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

To the previous commenters, you definitely don't want a breaking bad situation in your life!

Apr 05, 2015 03:24 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Cynthia - A nosy neighbor certainly can have lots of information.

Apr 05, 2015 03:33 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

The one about the pigs made me laugh out loud.  Buyers certainly can get lots of information from the neighbors.

Apr 05, 2015 08:30 PM
Janis Borgueta
Newburgh, NY
Retired RE Salesperson

For the most part the neighbors don't know all the details. Like an owner trying to be helpful to new buyers, a neighbor can also provide bad information and frequently have no clue what they are talking about. Good for neighborhood info, bad for structural details of a home. Much of what they say should be taken with a large grain of salt. 

Apr 05, 2015 08:35 PM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Paula - yep, every neighborhood has one, they make life interesting.

Rebecca - LOL, Gladys is the one who should write a book!

Pete - Abner was the best straight faced spouse you could hope for!

Dan - oh yes, I was around! Bewitched in black and white TV!

Evelyn - wow ... just wow!

Laura - no kidding! And I like that term "energy vampires", I'm going to have to borrow that one :)

Christine - Yes, some good, and some you don't want to hear!

Kat - Remember when pot bellied pigs were the rage?

Janis - I feel the same way when I read the morning newspaper. Half of what I read becomes a different story the next day.

 

 

Apr 06, 2015 01:48 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

I learned a long time ago that we sell homes, not neighborhoods or neighbors.  If home buyers want information, there are resources that they can use. 

Agents have to tread carefully when asked about neighborhoods or neighbors.

Apr 06, 2015 11:42 PM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Hi Lenn - my point was that sometimes the neighbor is a resource for information. If a buyer asks about a neighborhood, I advise that they spend some time in it. Especially on a weekend.

Apr 07, 2015 12:17 AM
zeta cross
Smart Green Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Getting Greener Makes Your home worth more!

I love seeing that picture of Gladys Kravitz! Thank you, Cynthia Larsen. I always talk to the neighbors. Steve Harney of Keeping Current Matters recommends meeting every neighbor--10 on one side of the street....and 10 on the other side. Great advice!Keeping Current Matters

Apr 07, 2015 02:19 AM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Hi Zeta - interesting, I've never heard of that recommendation or KCM. I'm looking at their web site right now.

Apr 07, 2015 05:57 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Cynthia. Talk about a blast from the past. Accurate and funny.

May 31, 2015 12:10 AM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Great way to get a message across, Cynthia!  

Nov 23, 2015 06:14 AM