So we imagine that we have your attention now… We wanted to share with you some of the worst housing advice we have ever heard. A new client who we will call ” Sam” to protect their identity called us the other day to speak with them about selling the home that he and his wife own in Wesley Chapel.
Worst Advice Ever!
Sam and his wife, were in a position 2 years ago when they were relocating to the Tampa Bay Area, they were on a tight schedule, they had some pretty specific housing requirements that they had to have. They had a horse. Now finding equestrian properties is not an easy task. Especially when you still want to be close to everything. Sam’s wife works from home and he travels so they needed to be close to a major highway to make his commute a little more bearable.
So they purchased a home that was very dated and needed some minor repairs. They purchased it slightly below market value based on these things. They were working with an agent, that they found through a colleague at Sam’s new place of work. So they assumed that the agent was reputable and knew the area and about horse properties. So they purchased the home and were moving in and they realized that almost half of the land was swamp land that was dried up because of the time they purchased it was particularly dry. And when they submitted the paperwork to the HOA about installing the fence for their horse, they were informed that the restrictions restricted how much area could be allotted for the area for their horse.
Needless to say they were not happy. this agent had given them estimates for the upgrading and even referred a “Handy Man” who would assist them with the work. Well needless to say the cost of doing the upgrades was significantly higher than the prices the agent had given them. But they figured they would start. They got about halfway through the first project and the “Handy Man” just disappeared in the middle of the job. He had been paid for all the materials, which fortunately were kept in the Sam’s garage during the time that the work was being done. So they did not lose out on the cost of he materials. But to this day the handy man has never returned their call or ever came back to finish the job.
So now they are in need of selling their home and purchasing a new home that will be suitable for their lifestyle. They contacted us and we went out and met with them. They had spoken with one other agent who gave them a price to list their house that we can not find a comparable home in the same condition that sold anywhere in the same county never mind in the community for the price that this agent said that they could sell. Not to mention that the price they were told was nearly 45% higher than they purchased for two years ago. And remember none of the upgrades had been completed. We showed them the photos of the comparable sales in their neighborhood and the highest ones that sold had been renovated or updated and still sold below the recommended price they were given.
It is disturbing to us as a REALTOR(R) when colleagues do things like this. Try to secure a listing for giving a price that is so outrageous that even the consumer questioned it. Thank goodness that Sam is an intelligent and savvy businessman and seriously questioned the number that they were told. Our philosophy has always been and will continue to be that we would rather tell you what we do and not tell you something we cannot just to get you to list your home with us. We always say we appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, but we cannot list your house at that price and sell anywhere near that price. So we would rather shake hands and part as friends. And when the home does not sell, and you want to sell. We will be here ready to assist you.
Sam and his wife are a little gun-shy right now, so we recommended that they take some and think about what they were going to do. Right now the horse is doing well and everything is doable for them. So we will keep you updated and hopefully we will be able to assist them in selling and purchasing a more suitable home where they can live the way that wanted to when they came to the Tampa Bay area.
If you need someone who may tell you now is not the right time to sell. If it is applicable, or tell you the best price you can sell your house for. Even if it is not the dollar amount you want. Then we are here to help you. We always want to SELL your house for the highest price possible, in the shortest amount of time, with the most favorable terms for you our client. We can always be reached by simply clicking here or you can always call us at 813-300-7116. We’d love to assist you with all of your real estate needs here in the Tampa Bay and surrounding areas.