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  1. #1
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    Feb 2009
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    Default Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Maybe it is just me but does it strike anybody else as odd that so many sellers shot themselves in the foot after they get an accepted offer?

    I can't count the number of times I've had buyers suddenly start questioning their decision when the seller leaves the home thrashed after it was immaculate for the showing.

    Or sellers that have an offer and refuse to accept an inspection time for the buyers - I had one last week that moved four times because nothing pleased the seller. I finally asked the agent if they really wanted to sell the house because the buyer was getting incredibly aggravated over the whole thing.

    Anybody else have a pet peeve like this?

    Paul Duffau
    WA Lic #215
    Asotin WA

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Spring City/Surrounding Philadelphia area
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    I have too many pet peeves in regard to inspections to cover them in this thread.

    - buyer's who want to book and inspection without an agreement of sale
    - buyer's who continue to shop around after booking with you and then canceling at the 11th hour
    - being asked with every defect I find "how much will that cost?"
    - being asked with every defect I find "can I fix that?"
    - sellers who want to follow you around and chime in
    - buyer's who say "let me use your flashlight" (this one really gets under my skin)
    - being brought back to the same issue over and over after I've already spent far too much time covering it the first time around
    - family members who want to interject their thoughts which forces me to wait for them to finish so I can get to address the buyer
    - people who want to climb my ladder and get on the roof too
    - being asked again with every defect "how much will that cost?"

    Shall I go on?

    Most of these are not rubs with the sellers. If they want to shoot themselves in the foot, I don't care. I tell buyers that it's up to the seller to make the house available for the inspection if they want to sell it.

    "It takes a big man to cry. It takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man". - Jack Handey

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Caledon, Ontario
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    4,982

    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Purchasers who call and ask how much to inspect a property, then tell ya that they can get it $20-25 cheaper.


  4. #4
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    Southern Vancouver Island
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    The smarter sellers will know enough to 1) stay out of the way and 2) clean the place up at least a bit. Some will even go as far as to repair things that are easy to fix. When I see that, it makes my job more enjoyable and I can focus on the big ticket items, which are usually not too bad in most of the houses I see.

    My pet peeve is the burned out light bulb and the Buyer's question "Is it just the bulb?" 10 minutes later, "Yeah, it's just the stinkin' bulb"

    When sellers put obstacles in the way, they are sometimes trying to hide stuff, but mostly just ignorant of the inspection process.
    When they refuse to allow the inspection on this or that day, they don't really want to sell. Maybe they wanted a higher offer, or there is a marital dispute in progress.

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Sellers having a pre-sale insp report sitting on the counter in the kitchen. One client told me that the seller agent was telling them that another inspection is not needed, we had one done,,here it is.

    In those cases my clients walked, because the existing report did not ident major faults that I discovered and wrote up. One such agent couldnt believe that the basement is leaking, exclaiming that the inspection report doesnt say anything about it??? Mine did.


  6. #6
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    Oregon
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Duffau View Post
    Anybody else have a pet peeve like this?
    Dog crap in the yard
    Sellers attending the inspection
    Piles of stuff in front of the furnace, electric panel, attic and crawl hatches - It's amazing how the entire house can be relatively free of junk except for these areas


    Buyer's pay me so I hesitate to complain too much about them.... at least outwardly


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Lake Barrington, IL
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Much of this has to do with a real estate agent not properly prepping their clients.

    Eric Barker, ACI
    Lake Barrington, IL

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Spring Hill (Nashville), TN
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    I have an inspection today that starts during around 11:00am and I just received an email from the listing agent asking what I want for lunch from Jason's Deli. Seems the owner wants to buy lunch for the prospective owners, their agent and me! I'm game!

    My guess is that this house will still be in prime condition when I inspect it! This is one reason I love inspecting big expensive homes!

    Scott Patterson, ACI
    Spring Hill, TN
    www.traceinspections.com

  9. #9
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    Mar 2007
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    Lake Barrington, IL
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    About 5 years ago the seller pulled out the fine place settings for us while we wrote the report. As I recall we had found a couple of issues and had she known what we were writing she might have altered her offering.

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    Eric Barker, ACI
    Lake Barrington, IL

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Knoxville, TN
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Hope you had a good lunch Scott. I love it when that happens - its just not often enough for me.


  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Asotin, WA
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Patterson View Post
    I have an inspection today that starts during around 11:00am and I just received an email from the listing agent asking what I want for lunch from Jason's Deli. Seems the owner wants to buy lunch for the prospective owners, their agent and me! I'm game!

    My guess is that this house will still be in prime condition when I inspect it! This is one reason I love inspecting big expensive homes!
    I need to upgrade my standards. I'm a mite jealous as I munch on a peanut butter sandwich......


  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Fletcher, NC
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Patterson View Post
    I have an inspection today that starts during around 11:00am and I just received an email from the listing agent asking what I want for lunch from Jason's Deli. Seems the owner wants to buy lunch for the prospective owners, their agent and me! I'm game!

    My guess is that this house will still be in prime condition when I inspect it! This is one reason I love inspecting big expensive homes!
    Yep! Those were the sellers who would have their housekeeper's make lunch for the agent. buyers, and me. And sometimes just for me as I was the only one there. Always a good spread too.

    Some (sellers and buyers) even took me to lunch at the country club where (if it was the buyers) we would go over what I had found to that point.

    That market sure was sweet!

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Columbus GA
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    I had someone buy me a Coke once, does that count?

    ' correct a wise man and you gain a friend... correct a fool and he'll bloody your nose'.

  14. #14
    Join Date
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    Spring City/Surrounding Philadelphia area
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    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    I turn down every offer of food, drink, etc. I have too much to do to sit down and eat meal. But the offer is always appreciated.

    "It takes a big man to cry. It takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man". - Jack Handey

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Oregon, USA
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    333

    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Patterson View Post
    . . . . Seems the owner wants to buy lunch for the prospective owners, their agent and me! I'm game!
    Where I come from, that's called "greasing the chute." Purely done to influence the content of your report, in a positive light, of course. Especially if they buy unlimited rounds of hootch to get you slurring your words. Mission accomplished!


  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Fredericksburg, VA
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    895

    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Quote Originally Posted by BridgeMan View Post
    Where I come from, that's called "greasing the chute." Purely done to influence the content of your report, in a positive light, of course. Especially if they buy unlimited rounds of hootch to get you slurring your words. Mission accomplished!
    Shhurling what whoords?

    The above statements are expressed solely as my opinion and in all probability will conflict with someone else's.
    Stu, Fredericksburg VA

  17. #17
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    Mar 2007
    Location
    Mesa AZ
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    1,181

    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post
    Yep! Those were the sellers who would have their housekeeper's make lunch for the agent. buyers, and me. And sometimes just for me as I was the only one there. Always a good spread too.

    Some (sellers and buyers) even took me to lunch at the country club where (if it was the buyers) we would go over what I had found to that point.

    That market sure was sweet!
    Dang you did good.
    The only time someone took me to, or povided lunch was a new home owner of a 8000 sq. ft. home.
    His wife was on a trip in their private plane to disney land with the grand kids.

    We went in his new thunderbird conv.. Destination was McDonalds..
    Oh well all.. at least all of the girls there knew him by name

    Last edited by Dan Harris; 04-26-2012 at 04:23 PM.
    Phoenix AZ Resale Home, Mobile Home, New Home Warranty Inspections. ASHI Certified Inspector #206929 Arizona Certified Inspector # 38440
    www.inspectaz.com

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    376

    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    Ever run into the "Old Appliance Swap?" Buyer says "that wasn't the fridge that was here when we made the offer". I always tell 'em to threaten the seller's with backing out of the transaction unless the original appliance is returned of they pony-up some other concession.

    I had a condo 4 months ago that was being sold as-is. Sometime between mutual acceptance and the inspection there was a water leak and the carpet and pad were removed and nothing put in it's place. The buyer walks in and says "where's the effin carpet?" Buyer's agent called the listing agent who responded with " there was a leak so we removed the carpet. Buyer's agent: "Are you going to replace the carpet?" Listing agent: "Property being sold as-is." Inspection over....Funniest thing I've encountered in a long, long time....


  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Wenatchee Wa
    Posts
    301

    Default Re: Seller's Shooting Themselves in the Foot?

    I have got lunch a few occasions, but that was my clients. They get hungry on my inspections .

    I like the ones where they forgo the lunch and tip you extra cash because you did a great job. Maybe I should be charging more ...hmmm!

    Don Hester
    NCW Home Inspections, LLC
    Wa. St. Licensed H I #647, WSDA #80050, http://www.ncwhomeinspections.com

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