someone's gonna get a bargain

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Well, looks like the deal is falling through.  Totally fed up with the prospective buyers.  They don't want to clean their own gutters or reattach the downspout that fell off, or clean the leaves off the roof, or put a spark-arresting cap on the chimney, etc.  They won't give an inch on anything.  They're just being flat stupid about it.

[MountainDon]

I am so sorry to hear that. Words can not express enough.

[peternap]

I'm sorry also. There's a lot that I could say but without a lot of explanation, would sound insulting to many people....so I won't go there. I will repeat a phrase I used a lot when I was building spec houses whenever I got a buyer like yours....

Thems that gots the least....demands the most!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

They want us to "fix" all this stuff, most of which is routine maintainence, and I'm afraid we'll send the money to fix it and they'll show up at closing without enough to close.  Then we've spent money to "fix" stuff that could be done without and still don't have a real buyer.  Their realtor sent me the most obnoxious email.  Maybe I should coolly tell her to kiss my grits, too?  Anyway, if they can't afford to do routine maintainence on a house, what makes them think they can afford to live there???  My gosh, who'll clean the gutters out next spring, or maybe they'll want it in the contract for us to do that, too??
  It's OK, at this point, as badly as I want to make an offer on the place we like, it isn't going anywhere fast, and even if it does, there'll be something else come along.  At this point, I wouldn't want to give  a cat I liked to these folks, and I'm not a cat person.

[peternap]

Just a thought....since you seem to be getting the bottom of the barrel anyway, why not place an ad on Craigslist for that area. Around here, Craigslist is getting more buyers than the Real estate Agents. ....Make sure you set up an email account just for that or you'll be getting junk mail for years.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Well, I figure if they actually can afford the house and are just trying to get a sweet deal, they'll come back and accept our final offer.  If they truly can't afford it, then they really don't need the house anyway and would only end up in foreclosure if the deal proceeded.  Still, I'm hoping while they're piddling around trying to decide that someone else will come along and make a better offer so we can just get it sold.  Our realtor is going to do another open house in the next week or two.

[StinkerBell]

If this deal does not go through, I really think you need a new realtor with new perspective.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Well, she sent the paperwork today from the other realtor to end the negotiations.  In a way, I'm relieved.  DH's company is still helping out with temp housing, so hopefully we'll get a better offer.  Our realtor is doing another open house this weekend.  She's got ads out already.  It is really in God's hands... we have no control over what  happens with it because we have done the very best that we can to make it happen, but I just can't see emptying our bank accounts so that they can have their house.

[considerations]

Selling my house in Oregon was one of the most irritating events in my life.  When I finally turned over the keys, I never looked back.  I didn't want to know what was going to happen to that place, after all the deprecatory remarks I received about it during the sales process.  I know that the buyers were just trying to get a deal, but gads some of it was harsh.  And the house was only 3 years old, not a mark on it.   

The good news is I've been mortgage free since.  I feel for you Homegrown, that stuff will make you crazy....but only temporarily.   

[southernsis]

Homegrown, Sorry to hear about all the problems you are having. There are buyers out there that you would like to drop down a very deep well. I am a broker with my own business and I had some clients that everyone who dealt with them, called them THE CLIENTS FROM HELL. There was some extra muscle brought in for the closing in case they went crazy and did something.
If the other agent sent you a nasty email, send it on to the Real Estate Commission. They need to know what the people they license do. There are many rules that must be followed.
Hopefully things will improve and you can get it sold.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Considerations, I've always read that next to losing a loved one, moving is one of the most stressful experiences in life.  However, I'd beg to differ.  Moving 900 miles in bitter cold weather with two small kids and two dogs and a parakeet while seven months pregnant was actually fun, relatively speaking, particularly because I was so glad to get back here.  However, selling the house has been a little bit of a pain in the neck, and I'll be really glad when it is over.  I'm through hoping to get a good price for the house, and through with hoping it will all go smoothly; if we could just get 'er done, come heck or high water, I'd be glad.  We feel like our life is just been put on hold indefinitely; DH and I were talking the other day and he made a comment that he still feels like we're "living in a hotel" because of the fact that we only unpacked necessities (I have exactly three long-sleeved shirts out... have no idea where a sweater or heavier clothes may be, but did find a pair of courderoy jeans the other day which were a welcome sight.)  Normally, we would've gone fishing and camping multiple times over the summer, and maybe gone on at least one decent road trip.  Granted part of the lack of normal activities is because there is a new baby, but most of it is just that everything is still on hold until that house is gone. 

SSis, I may have to do that.  She didn't use any foul language, but she did say that we had "issues" because we wouldn't continue to dig ourselves deeper in the hole so these folks could have a house.  She also hinted that we were racist because we wouldn't, and that we were lying about what we could "afford".... apparently she thought we were rich?  My realtor was completely worn out from dealing with her, and described trying to talk to her as being like slamming her head into a brick wall. 

Your 'clients from hell' story reminds me of my first real job when I was in highschool.  I worked at a portrait studio.  This woman came in one afternoon raising cain about where was the "michelle" she'd talked to.  Three of us were named Michelle, and there was another girl named Shelly, and none of us recognized this woman, nor could we figure out why she was yelling at us.  The assistant manager came back from break about that time and got into it with the gal.  The other two michelles and the Shelly and I watched around the corner of the office door because we thought there were going to be punches thrown.  Anyway, turns out the lady was there to pick up her pictures, and one of us had called her on the phone to let her know they were in, so we'd never actually talked to her in person.  Once the assistant manager found out why she was there, they went into the office to look at the pictures.  We heard a lot of shouting from both sides and expected the assistant manager to be calling for help any second.  All of the sudden, the door burst open and the lady huffed out with a bag under her arm.  The assistant manager came back in and took a sip of her ice tea, while we all clamored around her wanting to know what happened.  She smiled coolly and said, "You just have to know how to deal with people like that."  One of the Michelles asked her if the lady had bought anything, whereupon the AM smiled and said, "She bought them all, ordered extra, and took two frames as well."

[southernsis]

Homegrown, the other agent should have never sent you anything. If she had an issue she should have addressed it to your agent. That agent sounds like a holy terror that needs to be taken down a few notches. She was already counting the money she was going to get from the commission and got mad when it fell through. I never counted on my commission until the minute I held the check in my hand. Even sitting down at the closing table, the deal can fall through.
Just hold your ground and a buyer will come along that doesn't want the stars and moon and the whole universe.

[peternap]

Homegrown, the other agent should have never sent you anything. If she had an issue she should have addressed it to your agent. That agent sounds like a holy terror that needs to be taken down a few notches. She was already counting the money she was going to get from the commission and got mad when it fell through. I never counted on my commission until the minute I held the check in my hand. Even sitting down at the closing table, the deal can fall through.
Just hold your ground and a buyer will come along that doesn't want the stars and moon and the whole universe.

In this part of the world, contacting you directly without your agent's permission, is an ethics violation.

[southernsis]

Peter, it is an ethics violation. The agent can be in deep trouble for what she/he did.

[peternap]

Peter, it is an ethics violation. The agent can be in deep trouble for what she/he did.

Isn't it interesting how ethics go out of the window....when times gt tight.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

 

I don't know... maybe we should have just given them the moon, but then they would've asked for the sun and stars too.  No one showed for the open house over the weekend.

[StinkerBell]

I hope that estate agent for that couple you just dealt with didn't do something to sabotage your open house.
I also hope your agent really did her best to have an open house.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Praise the Lord!!!  We have another offer, a legitimate one this time, from a guy who's already got the VA loan paperwork pretty much done, and they want to close on Dec. 29th.  I am flabbergasted.  They aren't asking for everything and a kite like the last offer, and they know what the previous inspection turned up already, so there are no surprises.  Couldn't ask for a better Christmas present than that!!!!

[glenn kangiser]

This sounds good, Homey.  I feel better about it.

[NM_Shooter]

Sweet!  Fingers are crossed.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Yeah, poor folks are moving from HI to WI in DECEMBER!!!!  That's gonna be rough!  I wonder if they're from that area though and that's why they're moving there.  Or maybe he is getting stationed at Great Lakes?  Either way, I'm ecstatic.  We already sent our counter.

[MountainDon]

Super!    to success! 

[fishing_guy]

You must have been a good girl for Santa to bring you such a wonderful gift.  Congrats!

[apaknad]

homegrown i am sooo happy for you. when this is all said and done i expect you to send cookies to all forumites(well it doesn't hurt to ask).

[Redoverfarm]

HT I am happy for you. I know what a pain you have been dealing with.  Probably would have been better to show in Aug with someone from HI.  But take it when you can get it.