April 22, 2009 – Attach from Cyberspace
“Just had to say it. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND…this home at this price has no CHANCE of closing.. GOOD LUCK!!!!!! -
That from steve at sfhorn55@aol.com who has never been into my house but felt the need to offer marketing advice regardless. Intent on not simply getting offended and perhaps gleaning a shred of enlightenment from his comment, I turned to members of my networking group, all professionals in the field and asked for a no-holds-barred opinion of value.
Apparently, I’m not THAT out of my mind, and with the price issue somewhat laid to rest, I turn to the bigger topic, one on everyone’s mind to some degree, “How to Sell A Home These Days With Guys like that Out There”.
Unarguably, it is a buyers market out there right now. Prices don’t just drop, they tumble. Lofty goals have turned into crumbled dreams and everyone knows someone that is or soon will be bankrupt. The housing bubble burst and the collateral damage is hitting everyone.
What amazes me, however, is that people refuse to see themselves as part of a whole. Until they are bitten squarely on the ass by these events, they really, really think it doesn’t or won’t affect them. Today, they are Buyers in “the hottest buyers market in 20 years”. They are going to make a killing on the purchase and not only do they want that DEAL, they want blood, it not being good enough if the guy on the other end isn’t lying gasping for breath on the other end of the transaction.
Then they realize, “Oh, I need to sell my house to buy this house.” Suddenly, they are sellers. OOOOPS!
Or, they have this wonderful loan with a terrific interest rate, locked in ready to close in two days. Then, without warning, POOF! The lender closed it’s doors, gone. No explanation, no apology, no loan, no house. Drat!
If not yet ready to be active participants in the real estate game, some buyers are sending their brokers on the most evil of errands….THE PRE-OFFER OFFER:
“Hi, this is so-and-so with such-and-such. I have someone that’s interested in your house. Would you take blah-blah for it?” says Broker X.
“Have you been in my house?” I reply.
“Well, no.” she says.
“Blah-Blah wouldn’t even cover the cost of construction.” I say.
“Well, it’s worth a try. Bye.” Click.
People, I live in a small town where it’s easy to see cause and effect. Real estate brokers getting second and third jobs, contractors leaving town. Fine, people said, there were too many brokers and contractors anyway. Then Lo and Behold, suddenly the restaurants and boutiques start closing. (Of course, the liquor stores are making a killing right now but perhaps that is another post altogether).
But we are a microcosm, a reflection of the whole that is the rest of our country. The thing I’m getting around to is this, HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT. Some people have worked hard, leveraged everything they have, and done it right, (not with silly loans) and have simply been caught in a net set by others above and beyond what any of us could have controlled.
This storm will be weathered by some, not all. But if all of us just take a step back and respect each other just a little bit, it’ll be a little easier. And remember, what goes around does come around. That guy you screw today could be there waiting for you tomorrow. It happens every day.
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