Ronda Allen's Blog

In my blog from the other day, I mentioned a home I toured with a prospective buyer in Burleson, Texas.  The home had lots of what we refer to as 'deferred maintenance'.  The family had basically moved into the home, lived in it really hard, and was now trying to sell at top dollar. 
The house wasn't for this buyer in it's present condition, and it's likely it won't be for many of the buyer's who come through because of it's present condition.

Well, low and behold, who should email me on Monday, but the homeowner.  He blasted me about noting that the carpets were stained throughout the home, that there was a hole in the garage door from where someone apparently punched the door, and that there was dog poo in the gameroom.  He blasted me for noticing the settling of his foundation and the apparent signs of possible foundation issues inside and outside of the home.  He blasted me for recognizing the rust stain on his upstairs window as the sign that his external secondary drain had been utilitized on the HVAC system.  And he blasted me on my apparent lack of professionalism for pointing these things out and the remarkably low cost of fixing these issues.  

My response...please fix them.

Honestly, we owe our due diligence to the buyer we are walking through, and not to the homeowner who didn't care for their home.  We are SO over-the-moon about the loved and cared for homes that we tour with buyers.  We praise them for their efforts to keep up their investments.  But, we owe feedback from the showing on the homes that were not loved, too, and I share what the prospective buyer says to me.  The listing agent needs to know.  Yes - sometimes, it's hard for a seller to take.  It's okay.  But, please, take feedback as an opportunity to do these remarkably low cost fixes and cleaning as further make-ready for the sale of the home, to be more prepared for the next buyer.  We want to be able to sell homes. This buyer and I wasted a trip on Saturday.  We thought the owner was ready to sell - they were advertising as much to us on the internet and with the sign in the yard.

Have a blessed day!
Ronda


Ronda Allen, Realtor, Certified Purchasing Manager
Keith Dobbs Team at RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs