Frustrating home selling update page 8

[bettymae1121]

No they weren't. We haven't budged from that number. We are on the 3x sending them the same thing. They keep countering. We say no and sign back the same offer. We haven't changed our position the only thing we added is the letter from the title company verifying our funds.

We have negotiated in good faith and have been honest about where a short sale would be reached.

As I said, tell them that if they demand one more thing the whole deal is off, you will refuse to sell to them at ANY price. Remind them you aren't in foreclorsure and are not desperate to sell as you can carry the house indefinatly.

If they so much as squeek another demand at you, then walk away. There is driving a hard bargin and then there is acting like an idiot. They passed "idiot" a while back!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Radionate--

How long has your home been listed on the market and how active have the viewings been?

Only asking--b/c though they do seem to being butts--they do know the activity on the home, they can see what you bought it for, they can zillow comparisons (accurate or not)--they can do a lot of things to try and guage your desparation.

The fact that you have sent back 3 same counters--isn't sinking into them.

Best and final should be in your vocab--so whatever your best and final that doesn't require a short sale is--counter with that AND those words Best and final and then do not entertain anything but an agreement to that. They need to know that you will entertain no further negotiations from them at all.

 

[jodifla]

I'm just throwing this out there as food for thought.

When we sold our Florida home in 2005 we THOUGHT we hated the buyers. Then we actually met and had a chance to talk...turned out it was THEIR agent who was the total jerk and making all the unreasonable demands, then claiming it was the client being demanding.

We both ended up filing complaints against her Realtor, and she actually switched to OUR Realtor to sell their condo.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

BTW....in no way is it disrepectful of you to ask for another pre-approval letter. We were shown a letter that pre-approved our seller for three times the amount of our condo. Of course, this week she can not get approval anywhere.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[RadioNate]

It's been fun and I will come back later but my DD finally woke up so now I have to stop playing online.

I want this deal done and am willing to be flexible. I've agreed to a close date that is horribly inconvenient for me and puts us in temp housing for the last weeks of school.
I've come down 3% in price, agreed to a flat amount of closing costs and a "whatever" allowance.

Unless they want a short sale I can't do any more. Sorry.

And I've already ranted enough about the pool thing.

There is nothing more we can do and I need to accept that. It really has become as simple as that.

 

[FireDancer]

There is nothing more we can do and I need to accept that. It really has become as simple as that.

That is true. It sounds like it is time to say take it or leave it.

 

[RadioNate]

And to quickly answer some questions, I think we just passed our 100 day mark. We've taken about 15% off the asking price because we want it gone. Everyone but 2 who have looked at the house has done 2nd showings. This is actually our 2nd offer. The 1st guy couldn't get financing because it was a 2nd home for him (which was an entirely different messed up situation.)

 

[RitaZ.]

But they are not millions of homes in this area that are NOT short sales or foreclosures. There aren't and that is what they need if they want to get into a binding contract before the government incentive runs out in 8 days.

You know they want the house. Yes, there are many, many homes on the market in FL right now. The fact is that the majority are trashed and gutted. Who wants to take on a house like that? If they did, they would be looking at those homes and not yours. Your home isn't in a state of disrepair.

Like another poster said, they may think that you're really desperate to get rid of the house. If I were in your position, I would tell them to take a hike. Tell their realtor that you won't consider any further negotiations. You have more power in this situation than you think you do. Good luck.

 

[Pig Pen]

We recently sold in a buyers market. We actually had several offers but we had an awesome realtor who advised us to TURN DOWN w/o countering the first few offers. They contained all sorts of contingencies and she said they were just fishing to see what they could get. She would just call me up and say "We have an offer, but don't get excited." I would follow her advice but with great trepidation!

We had lots and lots of showings and ended up selling for just under asking price...not without drama, but no one was being a butt.

I feel your pain and still have nightmares about the process. But I thank my lucky stars for my savvy realtor!

 

[Silent1CB]

If it were me, I'd start moving back UP in my counter offers. You have agreed to pay some closing costs, call your realtor and tell them you have reconsidered and are cutting that amount in half.

Really, instead of walking away, go on the friggin offense.

I was going to suggest that. Maybe the buyer is trying to minimize how much cash they need to lay out at closing so they can have money for other moving / new house type stuff. Like that pool.

If you raise the purchase price by the closing cost amt, and then give them back the closing cost, essentially, its THEM that ends up paying it & they end up borrowing it from the bank in the mortgage.

Now if they were nice about it, THEY would have been the ones to make that offer in the first place.

I would counter offer with that one and be done with it. I would NOT be going back & forth with these people at all at this point. Too bad. Too sad.

Its your house. You are in control.

 

[minniecarousel]

Sure is a different story in my region.

Just last night, one of the local news stations had a report on people making pre-emtive bids on homes, offering tens of thousands over asking price before there had even been an open house.

Just to satisfy my curiosity could you please let us know what part of the country you're in?

 

[simba20]

Geez....some buyers.

My husband and I are int he process of buying our first home. We found it on our first day looking. It's a short sale, but it's in a neighborhood I have looked at before and built buy a good quality builder.

It's a short sale and it was noted on the lisitng that the sellers would pay 3% of the closing costs.

We offered $10,000 less than the listed price and for 3% at closing and it was aceepted (we totally expect to conuter). However, because it is a short sale it's being sold "as-is." In our contract (state of GA) it is writtenthat we have a 10 day "due dilligence" period in which we can change our mnds. Our agent quickly arranged for us to have a home inspection last week and everything came out fine -- we just have to have a bathroom exhaust fan replaced.

However, with that said. We do have to have new carpet installed (the old carpte is filty and smelly) and the entire house painted (think little kids and crayon marks//scuff marks on walls, dents, etc). There is also a huuuge above ground pool in the backyard we don't want and will have to take down.

But did we ask for any of that to go in the contract? NO! We understood "as-is" meant "as-is" but I will admit had anythign MAJOR come back in the home inspection then we would have contacted the seller's bank/sellers/seller's agent to at leat try to get something or have something worked out.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And to quickly answer some questions, I think we just passed our 100 day mark. We've taken about 15% off the asking price because we want it gone. Everyone but 2 who have looked at the house has done 2nd showings. This is actually our 2nd offer. The 1st guy couldn't get financing because it was a 2nd home for him (which was an entirely different messed up situation.)

You're actually not in too bad of shape, then.

I'd perhaps do some of what was suggested her and state it is your best and final.

If they are just being ornery and want it, they'll take it. If they think you are a liar liar pants on fire....well, tough noogies.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I was going to suggest that. Maybe the buyer is trying to minimize how much cash they need to lay out at closing so they can have money for other moving / new house type stuff. Like that pool.

If you raise the purchase price by the closing cost amt, and then give them back the closing cost, essentially, its THEM that ends up paying it & they end up borrowing it from the bank in the mortgage.

Now if they were nice about it, THEY would have been the ones to make that offer in the first place.

I would counter offer with that one and be done with it. I would NOT be going back & forth with these people at all at this point. Too bad. Too sad.

Its your house. You are in control.

Yes. When I sold my house, I had some crazy, looney toon offers. I didn't have to sell. I told my Realtor you can tell them I laughed at their offer.

 

[Anjelica]

In the last 2 houses we've sold we left all the paint. I actually patched all the holes from our pictures and touched them up. I even left lists of what paint went where because some of the colors were similar.

I put all the appliance manuals together so they would have them.

I had pre-paid for a year of lawn care and pest control and I just let them have that.

I made sure that there was TP, soap and paper towels in every bathroom. I've moved enough to know that is 1 thing you don't think about.

I had planned on asking if they wanted my area rugs or washer and dryer since I don't need them but now I'm not going to.

I had also planning on leaving our Entertainment Book and are discount cards for them to use but I'll find someone else to give those to.

WOW - I'm buying my next house from you!!! You are MORE than reasonable and helpful.

I agree with what others have posted. Tell them you are done negotiating and maybe remind them that April 30th is almost here.

 

[marydmjj]

Nice bronze air vent covers - taken, the plain Jane ones put back on.

The nice bronze light switch and electrical covers, replaced with the plain Jane white ones.

The nice Hunter fans gone - replaced

My cuz had gotten a really good deal on a high end washer and dryer. They had them sitting garage. The peolpe who bought the house were told multipule times that they washer and dryer inside the laundry room were staying. And it was written in the contract that the white top loading Kenmore washer and dryer were staying. The set in the garage, in the boxes, were not. They tried to say that they were to get those. Nope, that's not what was noted in the contract.

All the room darkening blinds - they were told those were going, but they would either give them the option to have my cuz replace them with standard blinds or give them an allowance to replace them with what they wanted. Again, they tried to say that they were to get the darkening blinds.

You have to be really careful with that kind of stuff. Here in WA State it is part of the purchase and sale that the home will be left in the condition it was in at the time of the contract. It is probably different in each state but make sure you read your contract before changing out fans, etc.

 

[Carl Fredricksen]

Just give them your rock bottom price and concessions, and tell your realtor/agent them you will not accept any counter offer. That put's it in their court, and they can take it or leave it.

 

[marydmjj]

It stinks that you are going through this. Yes, it is a buyers market but there is something to be said for "do unto others".

You probably know this already, but you don't have to respond to each of their counter-offers. You can sit back, do nothing and the deal will be over. If they want the house, and it sounds to me like they do, they will come back to you with a reasonable counter. The tax credit deadline is a huge incentive for people. If they want to qualify, they are going to need to get in contract by the 30th. There is no way they will be able to do that with a short-sale property.

Hang tight. You really are the one in control. It is your property. You don't have to sell to them. The tax credit deadline is almost here.

Keep us posted on the results. I definitely want to hear how it ends!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Sorry you are going through this! I agree with the others who say you need to take a stand and stick to it. I say this as someone who just bought a house last year. Yes, it is a "buyers market" but you would not BELIEVE the trouble we went thru, and how long it took for us to finally get a house. I hear other people searching for homes saying the same thing.

I am in Broward county...what county are you in? It seems everything here is a short sale (our house we just purchased was a short sale) and those are SUCH A PAIN to deal with...because you have to wait for bank approval. We had 20% to put down, stellar credit...and it was still such a pain! We looked for 10 months before we bought anything. We really thought we would have had a house in a month or two.

Anyway, sorry you are having to deal with this. Just wanted to give you another perspective. I really don't think they have as much power as they think they do!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

You have to be really careful with that kind of stuff. Here in WA State it is part of the purchase and sale that the home will be left in the condition it was in at the time of the contract. It is probably different in each state but make sure you read your contract before changing out fans, etc.

Same here. If like in the PP if there were bronze covers when the contract was written then unless they were specifically written in the contract as being removed then they had better be there at closing same with ceiling fans they are considered to be part of the home. I, of course, had the buyers who wanted the cutrains in my nursery(their child was 17). They were care bears and matched our bedding set. They wanted my shower curtains, and the guest towels . They were nuts and this was way before the market crash so it was NOT a buyers market.In another home we owned the people offered us almost 50% less than asking price( we were at fair market) and in the contract it said their parents house had to sell and it would be a cash sale. They were shocked when we didn't take the offer! they also wanted us to add in central air. We sold for asking price 2 weeks later.