Behaviour When Waiting For Your New Home.

Back at the end of September I wrote a post entitled: “Behaviour When Shopping For A New Home”. The post was based on a then recent experience and was intended to shed some light on what was acceptable behaviour when you’re in someone else’s home. This is the second (and final) post based upon the same experience and deals with acceptable behaviour once you have made the deal on your new home, have removed all your Buyers’ conditions, and are awaiting possession of your new home.

Probably the most important thing to consider when waiting to take possession of your new home is ‘Do Not Disturb’. The people from whom you have purchased your new home still own it! That’s right — you have no business lurking around their home, no business knocking on their door, and certainly no business trying to gain entry to their home.

The people selling are not your friends (usually). The people selling are not looking after your home. It’s their home and they too have a million-and-one things to complete. They’re moving too, remember?

Sure it’s okay to drive by the home that will soon be yours. It’s even okay to go for a walk in your soon-to-be new neighbourhood. You’re excited; that’s normal. What’s not normal is stalking the current owners.

Under certain circumstances it may be acceptable to contact the sellers to seek permission to drop by — but you absolutely do not contact the sellers directly. Let’s say you just realized you forgot to take measurements for some new window coverings and you need the measurements to place an order. Now what? Contact your REALTOR® and ask him or her to contact the sellers’ REALTOR® to see if it would be okay to stop by and take measurements. If the sellers say ‘yes’ then have the two REALTORS® schedule an appointment for you and make sure you go with your REALTOR®.

Again, it should be common sense — especially if you’ve given it any thought at all.

///…CP

You’re Listed — But Do You Really Want To Sell?

Hopefully this post doesn’t come across too rant-like, soap box-ish, or otherwise disjointed…but here goes.

So you want to, need to, have to, or have otherwise chosen to list your home for sale…

You’ve completed those little maintenance things that require attention.
You’ve cleaned/ de-cluttered your home so that it shows it’s best.
You’ve interviewed several REALTORS® to ensure you have the best person on the job.

…right?

Judging by my experience this past weekend, some consumers are still either: a) willing to accept poor service (despite having hired a professional); b) not doing their homework ahead of time (i.e. reading my blog posts); c) feel as though they don’t have a choice; or d) don’t really want to sell.

So what happened this weekend that brought me to write this particular post?

I have Clients looking for their next home. They are looking for a home that is less than ten years old, offers 1,400 to 1,800 square feet, and is priced between $350,000 and $450,000. After wading through the tons of homes that fit their criteria, I narrowed the list of contenders down to fifteen homes to show this weekend.

Here’s where my “fun” begins…

Throughout Friday afternoon and evening I spent time building a showing schedule for the coming weekend, which included contacting home sellers and REALTORS® to schedule my appointments – as per the showing instructions on each listing. [Did you catch that? Contacting the home seller(s) to schedule an appointment -- what the...?]  Of the fifteen homes I wanted to show to my Clients, there were three of them we never did get in to see because either the home seller or the REALTOR® failed to return my repeated calls/ paged requests to show.

[Here's the soap box-ish rant-like part...] Suffice to say I don’t understand this at all. Why on earth would you hire a REALTOR® to sell your home and then personally field the calls from other REALTORS® to show your home? I know under certain circumstances it may (initially) make sense to take the calls yourself (e.g. shift worker, home-based business operator) — but isn’t that why you hired a REALTOR®; instead of going For Sale By Owner? I can’t believe how many of my colleagues have home owner(s) taking phone calls at home, at work, and on their cell phones to schedule appointments to show their own home.

Shouldn’t that be part of the service your REALTOR® provides?

[Back to the purpose of this post...] If 20% of home owners and/ or REALTORS® don’t avail themselves for scheduling viewing appointments (as was the ratio for my Clients and I this weekend), do they really want to sell?

If you really do want to sell your home, don’t you think prospective buyers need to be able to get in and view your home?

///…CP

Behaviour When Shopping for a New Home.

You wouldn’t think a blog post on what is acceptable behaviour when home shopping would be necessary — evidently my experiences of late suggest otherwise.

Allow me to begin with a bit of background. When I first take prospective buyers into other peoples’ homes, I tell them to pretend they are test-driving a car. Look in the fridge, check out the pantry, open the closets, flush the toilets, run the faucets — you get the picture. They can and should check any and all items that are likely to form part of the purchase.

If my Clients are seriously considering buying the home then they are going to want to make sure they have ample water pressure. They better make sure there is enough closet space. Sometimes checking the fridge and pantry for rotten food and mouldy dried goods can give some insight into the present owners and their relative level of cleanliness. The house appears clean — but is it really?

So what is unacceptable? It should be obvious but just in case…it is not acceptable to look in dresser drawers, jewellery boxes, china cabinets, hutches, sideboards, and night stands. It is also unacceptable to look through peoples’ mail, magazine racks, and underwear drawers. In other words, you are not there to snoop into the lives of complete strangers. You are there to determine whether this house is a suitable fit for you and whether or not it is a likely candidate to become your next home.

It’s common sense people…at least it should be.

///…CP

Does Your Condo Have a Leaky Neighbour?

As is usually the case for me, I require an event, circumstance,  and/ or occurrence in my business to spawn an idea for a blog post. If something out of the ordinary does not happen then my mind is typically as dry as a desert (literarily speaking) and chunks of time go by without a post.

Last week I read an article that reminded me of something that happened earlier this year. I was slated to list a condo for some Clients when (just prior to listing) their ceiling began to form a nice yellow/ brown stain consistent with a water leak from above… <fast-forward> …turns out it actually wasn’t a leak but an overflowing A/C unit catch tray. The tenants above left their A/C unit running unattended while away for the weekend…you know the rest.

To make a long story short, my Clients are still struggling with the owners of the condo unit above to get the appropriate repairs made to their ceiling.

The article that reminded me of this event is included in it’s entirety below. The author is Stan Galbraith of Galbraith Law  and he has graciously granted me permission to re-publish his article here on my blog.

When someone buys a condominium, they take on potential liability that extends far beyond their particular unit. Both under the Condominium Property Act and the bylaws of the condominium, an owner can become liable for matters well beyond their particular unit. For example, if they do not maintain their plumbing and this leads to water damage to surrounding units, the condominium owner will be facing a bill for the entire cost of repairs to adjoining units. Obviously, this can amount to a substantial amount of money.

The Condominium Corporation can enforce payment of this money by filing a Lien against the title to the property. This Lien must be addressed when the unit is sold. If the Lien is not paid, the Condominium Corporation can actually institute proceedings against the unit to force a sale.

In most cases, a unit owner will have insurance to cover this potential liability. This is where proper insurance coverage is vitally important. Sometimes, condominium owners, especially those just moving from the world of rental, will take their tenant’s coverage and believe they have adequate coverage. This type of policy only covers their personal contents and public liability coverage that would apply to a tenant. Every condominium unit owner must ensure they obtain insurance coverage specifically designed for condominium unit owners. This type of policy will cover inadvertent damage to adjoining units or common property.

{Legal stuff: The comments expressed in this article are for information purposes only and serve to highlight general principles. Each situation is different and you should seek legal counsel before pursuing any particular course of action. This article does not create a client/ lawyer relationship and does not constitute legal advice.}

Thanks for letting me re-publish your article Stan!

///…CP

Selling? Pick Up Your S**t!

Okay, the title may be a little bold but if you’re selling your home you need to clean it up (inside and out) and then continue to keep it in tip-top shape… you do want to sell don’t you…? Before you read on, know that this post was originally intended to be a short diatribe for sellers based on an experience I had with some buyers last week however, (as is often the case) this post morphed into something a little bigger — and hopefully more valuable for home sellers. The story that inspired this post is at the end…

Generally, home selling is not a ton of fun for you as the home owner and a lot of work goes into getting your home ready for sale before you actually put pen to paper with your REALTOR® and sign the listing contract. A lot of yard work and exterior maintenance is often completed before listing and inside, a coat or two of paint and some minor maintenance-type repairs are often required before your home hits MLS®.

Listing your home in early spring typically requires additional work (especially outside) to get it ready for sale. As winter retreats and the blanket of white begins to melt, treasures delivered and hidden by Mother Nature throughout the winter begin to be revealed. Trash, leaves, and other goodies have often accumulated in flower beds, window wells, and along the base of shrubs and hedges. If you are like me and have dogs as pets, then you may have found yourself standing in your backyard, scratching your head, and wondering just how that much poop can come out of one or two small animals.

The Inside
We all know that once listed, ongoing cleanliness is key to getting your home to show its best side to prospective buyers. However, reality is that we all tend to be a bit lazy by default, especially after a long day or week at work. Its often easier after dinner to say “I’ll clean up later” but what happens… ‘later’ turns into bedtime and the next thing we know we’re up with the alarm clock and out the door to begin another hectic day. “Aw crap, I left those dishes from last night’s dinner in the sink!”

The most important areas to keep spotless are the front entrance and hallway, kitchen, and bathrooms. The buyer will be looking for signs that you cleaned because you knew they were coming so make sure you clean the nooks and crannies. Nobody wants to see an inch of dust on your thermostat or cobwebs in your ceiling fixtures. The condition of your floors and floor coverings (especially carpets) is very important. Get your hardwood in the best shape possible, scrub your tile, vacuum those rugs, and clean your carpets. Get rid of extra items from counter tops, cabinets, and other storage areas. Clutter creates the impression of less space and a smaller room. Create more space by getting rid of some of your clutter. Now is the time to do all those repairs you’ve been procrastinating about. Make sure leaky faucets and squeaky doors are fixed. Loose doorknobs and broken locks should also get some attention. Don’t throw everything in the basement just because your basement is unfinished. If you store items in the basement, consider going to your local big box store to pick up a dozen large rubber storage containers with lids. Fill the containers and stack them neatly to one side of the basement or even better, under the stairs.

The Outside
The first thing a buyer sees is the outside of your home so make a good first impression. Every REALTOR® has (or will) pull up in front of a home with their buyers for a showing only to hear the buyers say “Forget it” or “We changed our minds, we don’t want to see this one”. Your front entrance welcomes people to your home – put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and walk into your home. Is the doorknob clean? Are there old papers on the stoop? Would a nice potted plant make a good impression?

Keep the grass mowed (including edge trimming), trim hedges, and weed your garden beds. Don’t forget to water your lawn and garden(s) as necessary — buyers aren’t too thrilled about having to spend the next three summers trying to bring a sun-scorched lawn back to life. Roll-up hoses and put away your yard and garden tools. Keep your driveway clean and free from toys or other clutter. Clean your windows, shutters, screens, and gutters.  Fix damaged and/ or torn window screens. Pay particular attention to the paint job of your home; especially around window and door frames. A buyer might not want to go any further if your paint is peeling or faded.

A Word or Two About Pets
Many of us have pets and treat them like part of the family; and pets can help make a house a home. Clean up after them! The last thing buyers want to be greeted by when they open your front door is the pungent smell of a litter box, puppy accidents on the carpet, or that wet-dog smell. Have a cat? Don’t let the litter box go a week or more before tending to it — clean it out daily. Make sure that when buyers are in the room where you keep the litter box, they’re not stepping in the debris that was flung out of the box by the cat the last time they visited it. Have a dog? Vacuum regularly (i.e. daily) to avoid the appearance of dust bunnies in the corners of your kitchen and/ or hair balls under the sofa. Complete regular poop-patrols! If prospective buyers are truly interested in your home they will take home a feature sheet and/ or brochure to remember your home — they don’t need a reminder stuck to the bottom of their shoes.

The Story
Last week I was showing my Clients some $500K+ homes in a trendy southwest neighbourhood. One home in particular showed very well — we were greeted by an inviting smell when we opened the front door, the home was spotless on the inside, and had many of the features on my Clients’ wish list. So far, so good… We wrapped up our tour by heading back through the kitchen to check out the back yard. We opened the garden doors and stepped out onto the beautiful new deck and while standing there surveying the yard we noticed what looked like those 2″ to 3″ grass cores that remain after a deep core aeration treatment. Wrong — not a field of dreams here. It was a beautiful vista of completely digested dog food (I’m sure you know what I mean). My Clients of course made the kinds of comments you’d expect and we promptly exited the home. They haven’t talked about the home since.

My point? Pick up your ’stuff’…

 

///…CP

REALTORS® – We’re Not All…[insert adjective, noun, or other favourite descriptor]

Like many in my chosen profession, I too get tired of all of the mud-slinging and general BS that gets thrown at REALTORS® and the real estate industry as a whole. Yes, it is true there are a lot of REALTORS® out there that lack the appropriate knowledge, experience, integrity, or otherwise-normal human ethical and moral base to appropriately assist and serve their Clients and the public-at-large. I however, happen to believe that for every douche-bag REALTOR® out there there are at least ten that know their business inside-and-out, go way above and beyond any and all expectations to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to their Clients, and along the way successfully build long-lasting and mutually gratifying relationships with their Clients — myself included. To exemplify this fact I thought I would call upon another personal experience and share it with you.

BTW, it’s my blog so if I want to call the unsavoury types in my industry douche-bags I will…besides, that adjective is a lot cleaner than what I hear and read elsewhere.

Now, on with the story… About two years ago (early to mid-2006 when things in the Edmonton market were in full-on-stupid mode) a mortgage broker with whom I work from time-to-time sent me a referral. His Clients had their pre-approval in-hand and were ready to go shopping for their first home. As with many first-timers, things can be tough when you are approved for a mortgage that amounts to ‘the minimum’ to get into the housing market and things weren’t any different for my buyers. Pickings were slim and the half-dozen or so homes that we did go see were total dogs. A more appropriate sign for these homes would have been “Danger – Open Excavation in Progress” rather than “For Sale” (i.e. these homes should have been bulldozed). In very short order we eliminated every available home on the market and were basically in watch-and-wait mode, hoping that as the first ones to view any new listings we would successfully find and secure the home they wanted before it escaped them through a multiple-offer scenario (these were also quite common at this time in Edmonton).

During one of our outings our conversation turned to a local commission-free realty company and whether I could and/ or would be willing to help them find a home that was ‘listed’ through a commission-free ‘listing’ service. For reasons I will discuss in a future entry, I explained to them that it would not be in their best interests for me to assist them but I encouraged them to go after such a home if they found one on their own. I encouraged them to grab one that was ‘listed’ with a commission-free realty company if they found it (and they did).

That’s right – at the risk of losing my payday I encouraged them to continue to search through FSBOs while I continued to hunt on their behalf, knowing that if they found a FSBO I would not get paid for the work I had done for them. Now why would I encourage my buyers to go after a for sale by owner without me instead of protecting my commission cheque you ask? Because it is my fiduciary duty to place the interests of my Clients ahead of the interests of all others; including my own. If I had instead discouraged them from pursuing the FSBOs they could very well have found themselves homeless and I would have failed them and failed to fulfill the obligations I have to them.

Instead, I actually found the FSBO the day it went online, phoned them and told them about it, they went and saw it, and ultimately purchased it — and I didn’t get paid. Do I work for free? Hell no. Do I work for my Clients? Absolutely…and that’s exactly what I did in this instance. My job was to help them find the best home for the best price and that is exactly what I did!

The best part of this whole story is that in the two years that have passed since they purchased the home we have become very good friends. Oh, and I proved once again that I’m not one of the douche-bags.

///…CP

Could It Happen Here?

One of the many blogs I check out from time-to-time is the Canada Real Estate News. While visiting the site this morning I followed a headline link that ultimately lead to a New York Times article published yesterday.

The article is about a couple from California suing their real estate agent – alleging he mislead them, withheld information, and ultimately caused them to pay too much for their home. In terms of the article, I will stop there and let you follow the link to read the article in its entirety if you so choose.

I wonder if something similar could befall one or more members of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton? I sure hope not…but I can’t help but wonder. I hope (and would expect) that all members, all the time, follow(ed) all the rules, all the time — even during the height of the buying frenzy that happened in Edmonton 18-months or so ago – when low inventory levels and fierce competition made it so difficult to help clients purchase homes. Despite all the unconditional offers that were written in an attempt to get buyers the homes they wanted, I hope every licensed member did everything they could to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to their clients; specifically that of undivided loyalty.

During that time it seemed every second offer I wrote for my Clients wound up in a multiple-offer situation. In every case, my Clients’ offers had (at a minimum) a home inspection condition. In many cases we were unsuccessful; no doubt because my Clients’ offers contained buyers conditions. However, my Clients’ were fully informed, knew they risked not getting their offer accepted because of the conditions, and understood the risks that can come with buying a home without conditions to protect their interests.

I recall one multiple-offer situation in which the sellers’ REALTOR® actually chuckled out loud after I had presented my Clients’ offer to his sellers. When I asked what was so funny he replied, “You know, in a multiple-offer only a fool would write an offer with conditions in it”. I firmly (but politely) replied, “And only a fool would advise their Clients not to complete a home inspection on a 20-year old home selling for over a half-million dollars”. As I was leaving the home owners shook my hand, thanked me for my Clients’ offer, and said, “We’d have done an inspection too”. In the end, after successful negotiations and a home inspection, my Clients took possession of the home.

Quoting from the current Agency Relationships brochure: ”The Agent must act solely in your best interests, must always put your interests above the Agent’s own interests and above the interests of other parties”.

As a buyer, you will be required to sign an Agency Relationships Acknowledgement — make sure you understand it and make sure your REALTOR® is fulfilling their mandate.

 

///…CP

A New Home for Christmas

I was thinking today about how very fortunate I am to be a REALTOR® — especially at Christmas. While many get lost in the hustle and bustle of the season and forget what Christmas is about (giving, sharing, kindness, family), I had the privilege of helping one family give their children a new home for Christmas. Here’s the story…

At the beginning of November (through a referral) I met a wonderful young family of four from the maritimes. They had been living in Edmonton for several years and had decided it was time to buy a new home. We went out several times over the next three weeks and viewed all of the homes (about 15 or so) on the market that met all of their criteria…unfortunately none of them were quite right. That last night out, feeling a little bit discouraged (remember, we still haven’t found them the right home yet) my Clients told me that their two children said that all they wanted for Christmas was a new home. Wow…talk about pressure. Understandably, my Clients weren’t sure it was going to be possible given that we had already seen everything available. I told them to remain positive…you just never know…

For whatever reason, we went out one more time at the end of November and looked at a home that really didn’t meet their criteria; but we thought it might be worth having a ’snoop’. Wouldn’t you know it — bingo! We found “the one” for them. It really didn’t meet all of their criteria and they would have to make some minor concessions, but it was the one.

Fast forward to Closing (just ten days before Christmas)…I’m standing in my Client’s new home with them discussing their plans for moving in and how much they planned to do that day. Only one thing on the agenda: they were bringing over their Christmas tree and decorations and that was it! They had promised the children they could set up and decorate their tree in their new house.

Wishing all my Clients, friends, and family a very
Merry Christmas and a safe, happy, and healthy New Year.

///…CP