Look at that House Twice Before Writing an Offer
I got a call last week from buyers that had looked at a house about 8 weeks ago and decided they were now ready to buy it. They asked me to draw up an offer. I told them that since it had been awhile since we had seen it, we should head back out to check the condition of this vacant p
roperty. I recommended we walk the perimeter and double check the inside before they proceeded ahead.
I contacted the listing agent, asked several questions and made my appointment.
When we pulled up to the property we were shocked at what we saw. We could barely see the house. The grass was taller than my waist. This was definitely a city code violation, but the vacant house sitting next door, also for sale, had grass and weeds equally as high. It was dusk and the front culvert was filled with water. The mosquitoes were terrible.
We barely got up to the front door. This was a day I wished I had worn closed toed shoes. I usually dress for the occasion when I'm showing investment properties to investors, as you never know what to expect. But this was no investor.
We couldn't see most of the lower half of the house and there was no way any of us was going to attempt to get around the perimeter of this property.
When we walked inside things were different than the previous time we had looked at the house. It was evident that someone had been there. All of the ceiling fans and light fixtures were now missing, with bare wiring exposed. The mirror, sink and vanity had been taken out of one of the bathrooms. Screens were missing or ripped, there was a cracked window. The house had mold growing on the outside walls. We couldn't get around to see if the outside A/C unit was still in place.
This was an FHA buyer. So, it took less than 5 minutes to determine that this was a house that this first time homebuyer no longer wanted to or would be able to buy.
It was amazing the difference we had seen in a couple of months.
This house had been on the market for almost a year and a half. And, I suppose it will remain on the market for another year and a half.
Funny, because I thought about how frustrated the neighbors probably were with looking at this place and the house next door.
It pays to ALWAYS go and look at a property again, BEFORE writing an offer to purchase!
Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.
roperty. I recommended we walk the perimeter and double check the inside before they proceeded ahead.I contacted the listing agent, asked several questions and made my appointment.
When we pulled up to the property we were shocked at what we saw. We could barely see the house. The grass was taller than my waist. This was definitely a city code violation, but the vacant house sitting next door, also for sale, had grass and weeds equally as high. It was dusk and the front culvert was filled with water. The mosquitoes were terrible.
We barely got up to the front door. This was a day I wished I had worn closed toed shoes. I usually dress for the occasion when I'm showing investment properties to investors, as you never know what to expect. But this was no investor.
We couldn't see most of the lower half of the house and there was no way any of us was going to attempt to get around the perimeter of this property.
When we walked inside things were different than the previous time we had looked at the house. It was evident that someone had been there. All of the ceiling fans and light fixtures were now missing, with bare wiring exposed. The mirror, sink and vanity had been taken out of one of the bathrooms. Screens were missing or ripped, there was a cracked window. The house had mold growing on the outside walls. We couldn't get around to see if the outside A/C unit was still in place.
This was an FHA buyer. So, it took less than 5 minutes to determine that this was a house that this first time homebuyer no longer wanted to or would be able to buy.
It was amazing the difference we had seen in a couple of months.
This house had been on the market for almost a year and a half. And, I suppose it will remain on the market for another year and a half.
Funny, because I thought about how frustrated the neighbors probably were with looking at this place and the house next door.
It pays to ALWAYS go and look at a property again, BEFORE writing an offer to purchase!
Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.
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