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Wrong Response

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Ward County Notary Services 607851

Maybe the unfortunate event was the guinea pigs soiling Joe's pants and maybe that was a new incident he did not yet know about. If he didn't know about the soiled pants then they certainly gave him the wrong answer.

When a Realtor is listing your home and they get to the Seller's Property Condition Report you (the Seller) would do good to think before you speak. Once that knowledge is out of your mouth an honest Realtor is duty bound to record it. I always encourage you to speak the truth and disclose any defects you are aware of and if they were repaired or not. Lying is NOT an option. Lying may cost you a small fortune if your lie is found out.

Keep it short and sweet. ie You said you had a plumbing leak, was it fixed? Yes, I stuck a wad of bubble gum over it. JUST STOP AT YES (it was fixed). You can be truthful without shooting yourself in the foot.

That being said, if you have a big laundry list of defects, as I did when I sold my last rental, you can expect that it may take a while to find the right buyer (as was the case for me) and you may get far less money then you had hoped for but at least you will sleep well after the sale. If you have a conscience you should indeed tell the truth... with great detail.

Posted by

Do you enjoy the cartoons written by my son (Timmothy N. Timm) which I use as a springboard to write my daily posts? His strip, Titus & Philemon, has run in two newspapers for years as well as being printed in my blog every day. Titus & Philemon (pronounced Phi - Lee -Man) are guinea pigs. Their owner is Joe. Timmothy has never repeated a joke/comic strip in the 12 years he has been writing it. He has never copied another strip, such as Peanuts or Garfield. You can follow Timmothy on FB as Titus & Philemon and you can also check him out on Instagram as Instagram.com/titus and philemon/ .

Comments(6)

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Patricia Feager
Flower Mound, TX

Bob "RealMan" Timm - All you need to know is, "Tell the Truth." The questionnaire doesn't ask for an essay. Let's not take away the Home Inspector's job. 

Mar 26, 2025 04:28 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Bringing up the Home Inspector is an excellent point Patricia Feager . When filling out a SPCS the KIS method is the best.

Mar 26, 2025 06:00 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

Good morning, Bob... I think saying stop at yes when something was a half-a$$ed repair is problematic for me. I put my own sellers through the wringer to ensure we have disclosed in such a way that no one can come back at us.

Mar 26, 2025 04:30 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

If memory serves me correctly I believe I also grilled my clients pretty well Nina Hollander, Broker but the majority of my Sellers were Builders and developers so for the most part there was little to nothing to disclose.

Mar 26, 2025 06:03 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

I'm with Nina Hollander, Broker on this one! The bubble gum won't be a secret for long. I'd suggest the bubble gum repair be fixed properly prior to sale!

Mar 26, 2025 05:04 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Me too Kat Palmiotti . I've never used bubblegum to make a repair BUT I used that "as seen on tv" waterproof tape on my old (now gone) dishwasher discharge hose. It worked perfectly for the life of the appliance.

Mar 26, 2025 06:06 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Bob. Telling the truth serves two purposes for me, one, the truth is easier to remember and two, telling the truth allows me to sleep better. And I have no issues with remembering or sleeping. Enjoy your day.

Mar 26, 2025 05:37 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Amen Wayne Martin 🙏. As bad as my memory is getting I don't have time to lie.

Mar 26, 2025 05:58 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Bob,  Tell it like it is and do not sugar coat the property Discl.  If you know something is wrong tell it for sure.

 

Mar 26, 2025 10:24 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

I agree Will Hamm . One of my RE pet peeves was when listing agents ignored previous listings of the house and those older listing told of defects but the new agent doesn't bother mentioning them.

Mar 26, 2025 04:47 PM
Lew Corcoran
Better Living Real Estate, LLC - East Bridgewater, MA
Expert guidance. Exceptional results.

Your insights offer a refreshingly honest take on navigating the tricky waters of home selling, Bob "RealMan" Timm! I love how you stress the importance of truthfulness; it’s so much better to come clean upfront than to face a costly mess later. Thanks for sharing this invaluable advice—it’ll surely help sellers sleep a little easier!

Mar 26, 2025 02:50 PM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thank you Lew Corcoran . It would be nice if they would just disclose out of duty and not because they may get caught for non-disclosure.

Mar 26, 2025 04:48 PM