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reno_fan

Made an offer on that house today......

reno_fan
17 years ago

Some of you may recall my talking about buying another house last year. We had *just* finished our kitchen, but I got curious about this other (bigger) house in a nicer neighborhood that had a bigger pool. I even went to real estate school to get my license to buy it. Then we changed our minds.

Fast forward to last month. We started noticing the pinch of having growing teenagers, and decided to take another look at that original house (that is STILL on the market.....541 days and counting....)

We made an offer today. I'm curious to see what they say. We offered low, with a contigency, with them paying closing costs. Not exactly the strongest of offers! LOL!

If they say yes, we'll hafta sell ours quickly. If they say no, then I get to live in a re-done house a little longer!

Here is a link that might be useful: Reno's new house??

Comments (15)

  • sweeby
    17 years ago

    Good Luck Reno_Fan! Hope you get the house. Of course, if you're flexible on the price and terms (which you shouldn't reveal here, of course, in case the owner's here too!), you CAN make it happen.

    So what did you decide about the exterior of your house? Are you being brave and defying the majority of the Decorating divas?

  • reno_fan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Sweeby, as much as I want to paint that horrid brick, I'm gonna pass. I can't afford to have anyone think "Hmmmm, wonder what they're trying to hide....".

    Even though I think it would look tons better, I just don't have time to take the risk. I already consider alot of our decor risky enough! Not everyone is going to like brick pavers in the living room, or a checkerboard backsplash.

    I'm sweating bullets about selling this place. Gulp.

  • seekingadvice
    17 years ago

    reno, any news yet? Can't wait to hear! I didn't have time to view all the pics but it looks like a great place. Let us know what they say!

  • msafirstein
    17 years ago

    How's the bid going? Just wondering as I like the house. Such nice big rooms! Are you considering mid-century modern for this one. I think our next home will be mid-century which I just love.

    I think I will subscribe to "The Atomic Ranch" of course just for fun at this point!

  • mahatmacat1
    17 years ago

    Atomic Ranch is fun, definitely, msafirstein...And reno! What's up? Been lurking and checking this thread every day! :)

  • reno_fan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Sorry to leave the thread hanging! We were preparing to have this house put on the market, and had been working at break-neck speed to replace carpet, tiles, flooring, painting, etc. We'd been living out of boxes for weeks.

    Then we heard back from the other realtor. They liked everything about our offer except the contingency. They wouldn't accept that, and we couldn't budge on that part, so I suppose the deal's off, unless they call back at a later date.

    The house is going on 575 days on the market. You'd think they'd be ready to get rid of it, but I guess they just don't want the risk of having our house sale not go through. I even sent the other realtor photos of our house, and told her what we'd be listing it for (very reasonably priced, esp. considering the new kitchen, HVAC, and several other improvements we've made since last year.)

    C'est la vie, you know? At least I get to enjoy my newly installed brick floors and new carpet for awhile.

    And I'm a firm believer that things happen (or don't) for a reason. Right now I'm a bit disappointed, as I really did like the layout and potential of that house, but I can rest knowing that if it were meant to be, we'd be under contract right now.

  • chiefneil
    17 years ago

    Sorry to hear that, reno_fan. Almost two years on the market and they're not willing to wait a few more months for you to sell your house? Sounds like the waiting hasn't softened them up enough yet.

  • sue7972
    17 years ago

    So reno, are you still putting your house on the market? If it sells, and the other house is still on the market, which I would think it would be if it hasn't sold in over a year, you could still make an offer. Maybe even a lower one.

  • reno_fan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Unless the "perfect" house came along, I don't think we'll move for awhile. I've grown extremely picky since remodeling. I either want a very good shell that I can customize myself, or we'll just have to build.

    All the houses in our area are *very* nice. There are several that are in our price range. But then I go inside and I can't stand this or that, and because it's new and nice, I don't want to tear it out and re-do it. Like a really nice kitchen, but with only 1 oven, and a bad layout. That sort of thing.

    So unless another one with "good bones" comes along, I think we'll just stay put and enjoy the fruits of our expedited labor for a year or so longer, and then we can look at building.

  • msafirstein
    17 years ago

    Well pooh!! Here I thought I would be able to witness another reno_fan redecorating fenzy!!

    We had 2 deals fall through before we finally purchased a home. We had a "B" contract on one, house inspection and were in Attorney Approval Period and the owner decided that we had to pay for the 2 sump pumps or else he would remove them. Hmmmmm....used sump pumps, maybe worth $5 a piece! I was so mad that I pulled the contract! Second deal was now a "C" contract as we had our loan already. Owners decided to nitpik with keeping a light fixture, then the shelves in the FR and on and on and the contract went back and forth at least 4 times. I again pulled the contract. Then I guess the owners decided they had pushed us far enough and signed contract. Our realtor was so happy until...well I don't think I need to tell you what I told them. Gee a "C" contract is nothing to mess with and we could have closed that day too. Why some sellers are so difficult is beyond me. Either you want to sell your house or your don't....simple!

    But I am glad we have the house we bought now. I love our land and my 300 year old oaks. I can't imagine living without my Oaks!

  • pecanpie
    17 years ago

    msafirstein, I would buy a house for those oaks alone!

    reno, I don't understand why a contingency with a kickout clause would handicap them in any way. It's not like eager buyers have been beating down the door with offers for the last two years.

    My guess is that these are very difficult sellers.

    Sorry it didn't work for you- but I wouldn't be too surprised if their agent suggested you resubmit your offer some time down the road...

  • reno_fan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I don't understand why a contingency with a kickout clause would handicap them in any way. It's not like eager buyers have been beating down the door with offers for the last two years.

    Pecan, I'm scratching my peroxide-blonde head about that one myself. Seriously. We did have a kickout clause. Because of the contigency, we offered slightly higher than we would have if we didn't have to sell ours first. I realize that from their perspective, it's a gamble having to wait on ours to go under contract, etc., but here's the kicker; they're (according to their realtor) going to take the house off the market for a while and do some updating, then relist and try to sell again.

    Hello....by the time that's all said and done, they could have had the house sold to us, without having to renovate anything.

    I already had other realtors from the office lined up for when mine was ready for the market. I had several in to preview it, and they all had buyers in mind. (Not that it's a guarantee or anything, but the general consensus was that it would sell fast.)

    The listing expired today. I'll be interested to see what happens with the house next.

  • mahatmacat1
    17 years ago

    Well dat's jus' silly :(. You've got a great attitude about it, though; when something comes completely out of left field, like people whose house has been on the market for 575 days worried about whether a contingency sale will go through if they commit to an otherwise acceptable offer (?!), you have to say that greater forces are at work and just roll with it.

    The right thing will happen...

  • msafirstein
    17 years ago

    We tried to buy a Cape Cod home that had a beautiful kitchen and some other nice features although the land was not that great, just flat and apparently a previous corn field. The house had been on the market for abt 8 mos with no offers and we offered a "A" which is a contingency to sell our home. The buyers had moved out and were living about 3 states away but they refused our "A" contract. The house did not sell for another 2 years which means they had to mow the lawn and plow the driveway too on top of carrying the mortgage and all utility costs. They also had a large tree growing in the middle of the huge deck off the back of the house which toppled over during a winter storm and of course they had to have the tree removed and all damage repaired too.

    An "A" contract does not stop the house from being shown and/or sold to someone else.

  • bill_vincent
    17 years ago

    You wanna hear a deal? My stepson is starting to look into forclosure properties up here on line. He found one last night that he actually might be able to afford! Apparently, someone bought 5 acres just outside of Bangor, Maine, started building a house on it, and ended up, for whatever reason, claiming bankruptsy. The property and beginning of a house are up for grabs for 1500.00 (this is not a misprint-- one thousand, five hundred dollars).