I know some of you buy and sell houses regularly. I have bought 2 over 40 years.
Right now we have my MIL's house on the market. We have an agent but I have some questions beyond that.
Agent uses a professional photographer. Unlike so many listings that I have seen for online listings which show clutter and the Sunday newspaper scattered all around and the beds unmade---you may have seen similar pictures.Under exposed, or over exposed and blurry. (How do people expect to sell a house with such crummy snap shots?)

House listed last Thursday, and we have had 3 people go through already. Their comments make me ask a few questions.

"House is dated"---well OK, it was built in 1989--but it looks just as "dated" in the pictures--why invest a trip top look at a house that you know is out if style?
"questions about age of roof....HVAC system"--- why , that info is listed we list when the roof was replaced and when the HVVAC was replaced.


My (admittedly) unprofessional theory is that these early visitors are not house buyers. They may be speculators looking for a quick flip, so these comments are really stage 1 negotiations, devaluing the property.

Does that make sense?

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I see a lot of bottom feeders when property is listed for sale when someone's estate is being settled. Developers? They're the first ones in the door in shore towns here.
Homes in neighboring zips 08202 & 08247 have a life span of 20 years or so.
Zip Code 08202
Zip Code 08247

If your agent has priced the property properly, it'll sell. Turn it around. You'd be upset if the property sold in a week for it's list price.

Sounds like they are looking for ways to get you to reduce the price to me.

__________________
Jim

One way to weed out some of the lookers is to require proof of funding. ( Bank statements , non IRA / 401 investments. )

Another way is to go over the ad in detail with the person over the phone. I see this with general Craigslist ads where the caller never reads the ad.

If the house is dated, they should be looking at those new but cheaply built houses in a plan. Next will come the cries that there is a ( non critical ) crack in the wall, at that point I'd say "You are buying the house as you see it, if it does not meet your requirements, move on." . I'd hardly call 89 old, just be sure anything that a bank loan agent would kick for repairs is complete, ( hand rails, peeling paint and such )

My Mom and Dads house was built in 34 , I recently had an appraisal done and the 30 something real estate guy only cared about updates. The roof was 2 months old, HVAC 10 years, modern electrical service, neutral kitchen from mid 80's. I don't know that much else can be updated. The person buying this house will want if for the 30's character not if it has SS appliances.

It is a nice neat clean effectively 2 owner house, putting in a stainless kitchen would be out of character as would removing the tile bathroom and period fixtures. ( It was built by a young couple that lost it after a year,the next people had it until 2000 when Mom Dad bought it. )

Yep, I agree - it is just part of the game.

It is all very tedious but that's the way it goes these days.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

They've been watching too many HGTV shows, where everything is dated and has to be replaced, even if it's in perfect condition. Perhaps they should be watching "Rehab Addict" with that lovely Nicole Curtis. (No relation that I know of).

__________________
'83 300D, 126K miles.

Thanks all. It's one thing for me to try to figure out these comments; it's another when some of you experienced people agree.
Knowing " it's all part of the dance" helps with perspective.

Thanks

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

(1) Bank statements are so easy to Photoshop up. If you're smart, you're always a "cash buyer" even if you're looking to get a mortgage, if you know what I mean. Asking for paperwork just to view the house will just make a lot of people not want to go through the trouble without actually weeding out the "speculators." Save the paperwork for the binding offer stage.
(2) The "looky loos" aren't always a bad thing. People talk, and they might tell someone else about the house.
(3) I'm surprised that they're whinging about it being built in 1989, considering a lot of the housing stock in the DC region is a lot older. Were those maybe people who recently moved from the West Coast or Phoenix, where 1980s can often be old.
(4) Never be insulted by negotiation tactics. It's a game. Play or be the water boy.

From a previous thread, I seem to recall this property being a condominium or Town House. Am I correct or senile?
Might have a subset of interested parties if such is the case.

How are the new bionic knees?

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Good points.
Remember,it's business; not personal. As soon as you allow it to be personal,you lose.
I was just asking to be sure I was reading it correctly.


Knees are progressing. Still a lot of pain from the surgery. Ice and stretching helps, but it still hurts a lot. I am probably pushing too hard and expecting too much, but having seen friends who failed to push and had to be put asleep and have the physically manipulated,I choose to push, ( and whine a little).

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

That's the spirit.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I like what she does too. Easy on the eyes too.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It's an inside townhouse; not a condo.
Community with covanents. Not for me, but some like those HOA.

The neighbors must be hating their electric bills. MIL kept the house about 78 degrees and the neighbors benefited. Now,I have her empty house set at 45 degrees but never seen the actual temps below 55 degrees.

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Any whining anyone does pre purchase and sales agreement and deposit, negotiation and inspection, is to be treated as white noise you can happily ignore. Just tire kicking style overtures. Can be useful from the standpoint of what small changes you can make to show it better however. I cant believe how much complaing people do about paint color, which is an easy and cheap change if needed

Dated also means vintage with character.

Are you showing the building personally? This is whats great about real estate agents, let them deal with this type of griping while you wait for a report

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.