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We looked at our house 4 times before we bought it. I wanted to be there at different times of the day, and I also wanted to be sure that I was happy with some of the things we were compromising on.
Our 4th visit was intended to be a quick evening visit, so we had no problem with the sellers being around. They ended up inviting us for a glass of wine while we talked the house and the neighborhood. We are actually still friends, and we love our house!
She's not nervous in the typical sense. She's analytical and that's the way they work. They'll do this even in homes they don't intend to buy, but in this case she clearly likes. Falconhead is right, why not let her know there another offer.
I would refuse to show her the house again. At this point, this is just strange and you have to use your gut instinct. If something doesn't feel right, it means it isn't right. If she was serious about putting an offer on the house, she would have already done so. I know people like the buyers in this case. Their interest level doesn't necessarily correlate with the time they spent looking at your home. Of course her agent is going to say she is a serious and "well qualified" buyer but what else do you expect her to say. She has been to your house 4 times so her agent is going to tell you what you need to hear, that she is serious and not some kook (which we know she is). Some people by nature are analytical which means they may not be committed to buying your home. Naturally you would think that someone who sees your place 4 times is seriously interested but that's not always the case. There are people who truly have enough nerve to exploit the trying and testing phase whether they go into a clothing store, ask the clerk to help them try on 30 outfits for 4 hours and then walk away buying nothing or the person who stops at a car dealership on several occassions, test drives a car several times, talks to the dealer for hours and then walks away. There are people like this so don't assume they are committed to buying your home just because they keep looking at it. Also, if you take a stand, it puts pressure on them to make a decision. If they walk out because you no longer allowed them to see your home, it's likely they wouldn't have bought your house anyway. Plus, if someone is usually strange or "shady" as I like to call them, they are only going to be a pain in the a$$ the rest of this process and could renege at any time.
It's about quality. As a home buyer, I not only seek to buy a nice home but one that was owned by quality people. I'm not just buying their home, I'm buying the seller too. If the seller is shady, the homes usually end being problem childs too. Likewise, if this potential buyer is being weird now, it's only going to get uglier down the line. You were gracious enough to let her see your place 4 times and spend 2.5 hours there now you need to dictate the terms. I know people like this, they will either put an offer or walk away but your putting pressure on her will not be the reason she walked away because you allowed her plenty of time to look at your place and she knows that. If she walks away, it's because she wasn't interested. You don't need her to spin your wheels. You did your part but you have to draw a line somewhere. Time to get tough!
Last edited by azriverfan.; 12-18-2009 at 10:40 AM..
I don't know if it is time to get tough but
we had a similar buyer looking at our house many times,
requesting utility bills , requesting for her contractor to spend
an afternoon in the house .
oh, yeah agent claimed she was this close to making an offer but
after 4 visits nothing materialized.
I am suspcious that their contractor spent a lot of time copying our
architecht designed house .
we also have another potential buyer that has seen it
3 times , once had all her friends see it ,
spent hours there with a bottle of wine
and still has not decided if she wants it.
needless to say she is not getting back in,
i have backhand knowledge that she has spent the last year and a half
visiting houses every week-end.
extremely wealthy but bored.
as sellers these days one is almost obligated
to do whatever buyers want.
We looked at our house 4 times before we bought it.
I wanted to be there at different times of the day, ...
Doing this for the neighborhood is also a good idea. Is there
a neighbor with a barking dog that lets it out for three hours
every evening while you are trying to unwind after work?
Does a house down the street attract a large number
of punks with loud, thumping stereos on Saturday nights?
If I wasn't already familiar with the area, I would do that.
I'd also take the time to walk the neighborhood on a number
of occasions ( while not seeing the house ).
I would refuse to show her the house again. At this point, this is just strange and you have to use your gut instinct. If something doesn't feel right, it means it isn't right. If she was serious about putting an offer on the house, she would have already done so. I know people like the buyers in this case. Their interest level doesn't necessarily correlate with the time they spent looking at your home. Of course her agent is going to say she is a serious and "well qualified" buyer but what else do you expect her to say. She has been to your house 4 times so her agent is going to tell you what you need to hear, that she is serious and not some kook (which we know she is). Some people by nature are analytical which means they may not be committed to buying your home. Naturally you would think that someone who sees your place 4 times is seriously interested but that's not always the case. There are people who truly have enough nerve to exploit the trying and testing phase whether they go into a clothing store, ask the clerk to help them try on 30 outfits for 4 hours and then walk away buying nothing or the person who stops at a car dealership on several occassions, test drives a car several times, talks to the dealer for hours and then walks away. There are people like this so don't assume they are committed to buying your home just because they keep looking at it. Also, if you take a stand, it puts pressure on them to make a decision. If they walk out because you no longer allowed them to see your home, it's likely they wouldn't have bought your house anyway. Plus, if someone is usually strange or "shady" as I like to call them, they are only going to be a pain in the a$$ the rest of this process and could renege at any time.
It's about quality. As a home buyer, I not only seek to buy a nice home but one that was owned by quality people. I'm not just buying their home, I'm buying the seller too. If the seller is shady, the homes usually end being problem childs too. Likewise, if this potential buyer is being weird now, it's only going to get uglier down the line. You were gracious enough to let her see your place 4 times and spend 2.5 hours there now you need to dictate the terms. I know people like this, they will either put an offer or walk away but your putting pressure on her will not be the reason she walked away because you allowed her plenty of time to look at your place and she knows that. If she walks away, it's because she wasn't interested. You don't need her to spin your wheels. You did your part but you have to draw a line somewhere. Time to get tough!
Buying the seller?
Sure. The seller should increase the pressure, get tough, draw the proverbial 'line in the sand', etc - Afterall, you don't have to sell, right?
A bird in hand is better....wait - you know the rest of the saying.
If you are willing to wait, there's always tomorrow.
Everyone has their own Tactics, Techniques and Procedures....some better than others.
I would refuse to show her the house again. At this point, this is just strange and you have to use your gut instinct. If something doesn't feel right, it means it isn't right. If she was serious about putting an offer on the house, she would have already done so. I know people like the buyers in this case. Their interest level doesn't necessarily correlate with the time they spent looking at your home. Of course her agent is going to say she is a serious and "well qualified" buyer but what else do you expect her to say. She has been to your house 4 times so her agent is going to tell you what you need to hear, that she is serious and not some kook (which we know she is). Some people by nature are analytical which means they may not be committed to buying your home. Naturally you would think that someone who sees your place 4 times is seriously interested but that's not always the case. There are people who truly have enough nerve to exploit the trying and testing phase whether they go into a clothing store, ask the clerk to help them try on 30 outfits for 4 hours and then walk away buying nothing or the person who stops at a car dealership on several occassions, test drives a car several times, talks to the dealer for hours and then walks away. There are people like this so don't assume they are committed to buying your home just because they keep looking at it. Also, if you take a stand, it puts pressure on them to make a decision. If they walk out because you no longer allowed them to see your home, it's likely they wouldn't have bought your house anyway. Plus, if someone is usually strange or "shady" as I like to call them, they are only going to be a pain in the a$$ the rest of this process and could renege at any time.
It's about quality. As a home buyer, I not only seek to buy a nice home but one that was owned by quality people. I'm not just buying their home, I'm buying the seller too. If the seller is shady, the homes usually end being problem childs too. Likewise, if this potential buyer is being weird now, it's only going to get uglier down the line. You were gracious enough to let her see your place 4 times and spend 2.5 hours there now you need to dictate the terms. I know people like this, they will either put an offer or walk away but your putting pressure on her will not be the reason she walked away because you allowed her plenty of time to look at your place and she knows that. If she walks away, it's because she wasn't interested. You don't need her to spin your wheels. You did your part but you have to draw a line somewhere. Time to get tough!
I know it's a buyer's market, but this takes the cake.
Why hasn't your agent called the other agent to let them know another offer has come in and you would like to see their offer before making a decision, but that you'll make a decision by this time, which will light a fire under the buyer? Basic real estate 101 common sense.
This is exactly what my Realtor did. So today she wrote an offer. After spending about 8 hours going over the place with a fine tooth comb, and finding nothing really wrong or nothing hidden.... and knowing another offer was on the table...... she wrote a low offer, at about 85% of the asking price. Lower than the 1st offer.
So, we've countered the first offer (verbally). And, there is possibly another one coming in tomorrow.
I still agree with the posters who think this lady is a bit kooky. I'm cautious and analytical myself... but she just seems to be wasting everyone's time.
This is exactly what my Realtor did. So today she wrote an offer. After spending about 8 hours going over the place with a fine tooth comb, and finding nothing really wrong or nothing hidden.... and knowing another offer was on the table...... she wrote a low offer, at about 85% of the asking price. Lower than the 1st offer.
So, we've countered the first offer (verbally). And, there is possibly another one coming in tomorrow.
I still agree with the posters who think this lady is a bit kooky. I'm cautious and analytical myself... but she just seems to be wasting everyone's time.
Did your agent call for highest and best?
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