When you've been searching for a new home for as long as we've been searching (torturing myself for almost a year now!), you begin to pick up on the various ploys and trickery that realtors and homeowners employ to make their home stand out and look much better than it actually is.
I'm not saying that we were completely innocent of this when we sold our own condo. That slightly bumpy wall next to where we opened up the wall in our kitchen? Nothing a strategically placed frame couldn't hide. The noisy neighbor upstairs who constantly blared his music and stomped around like a water buffalo? A terse knock on the door and lightly veiled threat of calling him in for a noise violation quieted him down long enough for each of our open houses. Of course we didn't hide anything that would have been a real issue. Honestly, there wasn't anything to hide. We took care of our home and it showed, resulting in a sale after only three weeks on the market.
Here are some of the tricks I've learned to avoid in our own home search because they usually point to some sort of red flag.
There is no photo of the front of the house or it's featured at the very end of the slide show.
It could mean the house is run-down, has no curb appeal or neighbors who keep seven junk cars in their front yard. Save yourself the time and go no further. This one never ends well.
The posting contains the words "handyman's special" or "fixer-upper".
Unless you're really handy or looking for a renovation project, run, do not walk, away from the house. It may be a good deal now, but you might end up biting off more than you can chew. Jon and I really do love fixing up things on our own for the sense of pride and accomplishment it brings, but when that means potentially dealing with mold issues, ancient heating systems or complete kitchen and bath overhauls, we know when to walk away.
Similarly, the posting contains words like "cozy" or "intimate".
This is code for "smaller than a shoebox" and "you might end up divorced or in the crazy house for lack of space." We've been there and done that with cozy and unless it's in a flat in Paris, we're not going back.
The realtor gives off an air of desperation.
Jon and I went to an open house a few weekends ago and were completely put off by the realtor. Before we were even out of our car, she was standing in the doorway waiting for us. Creepy! She made really strange attempts to flatter us ("Oh, such a lovely young woman!") and got so flustered at the prospect of a buyer that she couldn't even remember the name for crown molding.
We've since saved the creepy realtor's card and have been hiding it throughout our bedroom for the other person to find. I found it in my jewelry box this morning and Jon will soon discover it in his beloved Pleepleus' hands! Hee hee :) We've also since devised a plan for whether or not to put our real contact information on the realtor sign in sheet, since Jon has been getting calls from the over-eager Dolores. When signing in, I'll casually ask Jon if he wants me to leave his home e-mail address or his work e-mail address. If he says home, I'll leave accurate information; if he says work, I'll leave false information. It's a good way to cut down on calls from realtors who make you sign in even when you're not interested in the house.
The house has been on the market for longer than six months.
You can't help but wonder why it hasn't sold yet. A long time on the market could indicate an inflated asking price, a bad neighborhood or something inherently wrong with the house. Of course it could also just mean a flooded market and bad luck on the part of the seller, but it still makes me nervous. That being said, however, being on the market for a long time could definitely play to your favor if the house is your dream home. The sellers are probably anxious to sell by this point and might very well entertain an offer considerably below asking price.
If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
I can't even begin to count all of the fabulous homes we've discovered only to be shattered with disappointment when we find out the reason behind the low price. Most of these dreamy homes tend to be new construction in shady parts of town or built practically on top of each other. I much prefer an older home on a big lot in a good neighborhood with highly ranked schools rather than a new home with a tiny yard that juts right into your neighbor's yard set in a pocket of a bad neighborhood.
I know a lot of you out there are home owners...what are some of the lessons you've learned along the way?
