Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i just think that is what is wrong with society...you see someone being robbed and all we do is turn our back and say "not our problem." see a child who has nothing to eat and say "not my problem."
i used to think like that until i had kids...made me less self involved. (speaking of my old self, not you!)
I'm going to jump on the bandwagon here and say I think this statement is highly inappropriate.
Offering someone money for something they are trying to sell, whether or not it is as much as they would like to get, is not akin to theft and certainly not to allowing children to starve.
Nor is handing over as much as someone asks (or close) necessarily altruistic, kind or unselfish. It may just indicate an unwillingness to bargain or a lack of confidence in determining value. Or a lack of intelligence (not applied to you, just in general terms).
I do know of a realtor who misrepresented the value of an elderly persons home to her in order to get her son a "steal" on a property during the boom. Now THAT I consider to be theft, and taking advantage and if I had known her full name and license number I would have reported her in an instant.
I'm going to jump on the bandwagon here and say I think this statement is highly inappropriate.
Offering someone money for something they are trying to sell, whether or not it is as much as they would like to get, is not akin to theft and certainly not to allowing children to starve.
Nor is handing over as much as someone asks (or close) necessarily altruistic, kind or unselfish. It may just indicate an unwillingness to bargain or a lack of confidence in determining value. Or a lack of intelligence (not applied to you, just in general terms).
I do know of a realtor who misrepresented the value of an elderly persons home to her in order to get her son a "steal" on a property during the boom. Now THAT I consider to be theft, and taking advantage and if I had known her full name and license number I would have reported her in an instant.
If this is true someone should at least make a phone call, at the least.
If this is true someone should at least make a phone call, at the least.
I found out about it a year after the fact when the buyer was bragging about it at a Christmas party (he mentioned the town and price too so I know it was more than just showing off, the price was ridiculous). Unfortunately for a number of reasons I was unable to get enough information to track back to her and this is a very populated state. I would have LOVED to have reported her, what she did was just evil, and frankly I'm sure things like this have happened before so an example needed to be made.
I found out about it a year after the fact when the buyer was bragging about it at a Christmas party (he mentioned the town and price too so I know it was more than just showing off, the price was ridiculous). Unfortunately for a number of reasons I was unable to get enough information to track back to her and this is a very populated state. I would have LOVED to have reported her, what she did was just evil, and frankly I'm sure things like this have happened before so an example needed to be made.
I have made claims to the Board in CA. They said I had to litigate. Two years later after I got a judgment, they said it was too late.
Worry about me then, because I don't care if my offer is considered "low" by the seller. If they don't want to negotiate with me, that's fine; due to suburban sprawl in this city I can probably find the exact same house for sale a couple of streets over.
I'm not at all concerned with how you dealt with the sale of your house. That's your deal, not mine. However, I think you're kind of understating your approach to it. You stated you just wanted the hell out of dodge, when in actuality you guys appeared to be chasing the market down and went kicking and screaming the whole way. That's all.
geez-you all just brush over comments without reading the entire post! I worry about those sellers who do not care about losing money..and yes, we wanted the heck out of dodge with as much of our money back as possible...your point is?
Let's not get dramatic. Offering someone 20% below asking price is not the same thing as turning your back on a starving child. What a ridiculous thing to say.
If I had a realtor who advised me to offer more money and used that analogy, I'd fire her on the spot...particularly for implying that because I drive a hard bargain and I don't have children (yet), I'm somehow a cruel, self-involved witch. Perhaps it's because I'll have kids someday (and I'll have two stepdaughters soon) that I'd rather save my money for them rather than offer more than I have to on a house out of pity for the seller, someone I don't care about and will almost certainly never see again.
That makes no sense whatsoever. Didn't you say you wanted to get into real estate? Real estate is business, twinmma, not charity.
While we're on the subject of people magically turning into Mother Theresa when they have kids...I have news for you. Most don't. If you were selfish and self-involved before having kids, in general you'll be selfish and self-involved after having kids. Sure, you may sacrifice a new pair of shoes or an expensive vacation to invest in your kids, but that doesn't mean you're charitable. You're just taking care of your responsibilities, i.e. your children. I know a lot of selfish, self-involved people who became parents and they didn't change after they had kids. So.....not sure where you're getting that one from. I ought to introduce you to my sister-in-law. You'd love how unselfish and un-self-involved she has become since becoming a mother. (Being sarcastic.)
i was merely trying to point out how awful it is to say "not my problem" and "i don;t care" i was not saying lowballing is the same as a starving child. my point is: if you don't care at all about the situation the seller is in, I think that is awful. We bought for $25K less than what our seller paid for the home and I feel for them so badly. It didn't stop me from paying market value (paying them less) but I didn't try to take them to the cleaners and offer a lot less than what the comps say...we offered what the house was worth by the comps.
i am done with this thread. no need to argue a moral stand point-we all believe different things. I will just say this:
if the OP didn't think her offer was a lowball (and I define that term as offering WAY less than the comps dictate) then why did she post as "getting ready to lowball"?
Also, my point on the starving child was missed. To say you don't care and that is not problem are easy statements to say...one should think about that statement and what it really means and that was my point with the illustration of the starving child.
I believe "might doesn't make right" and I am fine if no one else believes that. I am comfortable with myself and the life I lead. Just b/c you can try and take advantage of someone (like offering way less than what the comps dictate in an hope to find the desperation in someone who might just take $100K less than what the home is worth) is wrong in my opinion. That is my stance and it won't change.
And DALLAS: I am getting into real estate and I will run my business with the highest of ethics. I will not work with someone who just wants to pull a number out of the air and try to bring the seller to their knees when the comps show otherwise. I believe I will succeed in my business b/c of this. Honestly, I am getting into b/c I have an eye for staging, good at sales, and am great with people...Something I found lacking when I was looking at agents. I have bought and sold many times in the last 5 years (all due to relocation...maybe 4 times) so I know this is business. But what is behind business is what people forget: people.
I will quit the meds if you stop lying to the people.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
