Tranquility7 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 DH and I are looking and looking and looking for "the house" we want to buy. We are ready! But there are not houses listed in the neighborhoods we like. There is one neighborhood in particular that we especially like. Is there anyplace online (or any other way) that homeowners can find out that there are people out there that might be interested in their house, should they decide to sell? That sounds so crazy and stalkerish now that I type it, but the reason it occurs to me is that the market is so down right now, and I'm wondering if there are people considering selling who aren't listing their house yet because they are worried it won't sell. Is there a way to let them know we'd be interested? Or is that just weird???? I know it sounds weird. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I have already made up a flyer and dropped it off at the houses I like. Kinda describing my family and saying how much we've been looking for a house like yours. Put something in there about being serious buyers and your contact info. Do several, you never know what will come of it, and at least then you'll feel like you're doing something productive about your search! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ksol Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 My friend just bought a house this way. From a complete stranger. She just walked around neighborhoods she liked and talked to people outside watering lawns, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I know of someone who sold her house that way. Someone just came up to their house asking if they might be interested in selling. We also have some friends who bought a house that wasn't listed. It had been listed at one time and friend stumbled upon the old listing. It was in a neighborhood they really wanted to be in, the only house that was interesting to them that might be available. Turns out that due to health issues the owners took it off the market. They still wanted to sell but didn't think they could manage it at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 My parents went door to door in a lakefront neighborhood they liked, dropping off business cards with their contact info on it, and asking whether the person was interested in selling or knew someone who was. One of the doors they knocked on turned out to be an heir to an estate, and eventually, about 9 months later, the heirs had decided what they wanted to do and sold the house to my parents, no realtors involved, using only a real estate lawyer. Some of you might remember the saga of my selling the house last summer. The house was basically an unimproved '60s era bungalow-style home on one of the prettiest full-access lakes in metro Miami. Had it not been for that gorgeous lakefront, I don't know how we would have been able to sell the house. Everyone that came through the front door and got a glimpse of the lake and the heavenly breeze coming off it started thinking about what they could do with the house. : ) Back to your question: don't be afraid to knock on doors and to be upfront and honest about what you want. I think most people still respect forthrightness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I have a friend who sold his house that way. Someone rang his doorbell one day and asked him if he would sell. He said he wasn't planning on it but he would if the price was right. The offer was good, so he sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I'm sure many people would be willing to sell if the price is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 My aunt bought her dream home this way. She lives in a town of about 10,000 and there was only one home she loved. She told the owner that if she ever wanted to sell my aunt would buy it. When they owner finally sold my aunt bought the house and her boss was MAD, lol. His wife had wanted the house for years, but hadn't been as friendly as my aunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 My mom has purchased several houses that were not for sale. She just went up and knocked on the door! She has a lot of guts - I would be totally chicken, but it has paid off for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 The only big drawback (other than hearing, "No way! What are you a stalker?") is that you lose your negotiating power. So I would be really sure about price since, most likely, you are going to be the first one to name a price which is the opposite of how it usually works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 We live in a popular urban neighborhood and houses pretty regularly exchange hands around here without ever seeing them online as a public listing. Our neighborhood has a neighborhood FB page and a yahoo group. People looking for leads on houses coming on the market regularly post in these areas. So you might want to do some googling around about the neighborhood and/or talk to someone who lives there - we see posts from friends and friends. I get asked on a regular basis about this kind of thing actually. Talking to a real estate agent that serves that area isn't a bad idea either. Patience is a virtue when you have a particular area in mind - good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 We had a young man come to the door offering to buy our house quite a few years ago. His fiancée was in love with our house. She used to house sit for the previous owners. About a month later we got a note in the mail asking us to please respond in writing so he could show her that we had no intention of selling so that that she could 'move past it' and look for another house for them to start their married lives in. Until then I had no idea people do this, but apparently they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 My sister and her husband bought land this way. They saw some vacant land in an area they wanted and went to the door and talked to the owners. We almost bought our house that way. We had to move due to a highway project and we needed enough property for our horses so we asked someone if they wanted to sell. We made an offer but the lady decided she wanted more--figuring that other friends being displaced by the same highway project would pay more--and we BOTH found other places within days. That said, it does work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I know someone who bought a house that way. He wanted to buy in a particular neighborhood and he wrote letters asking people to let him know if they were interested in selling, and he did eventually end up purchasing a house. We've had people leave notes on our cars, LOL, asking if we wanted to sell them (not our house though, I wish!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 My mother lives in NYC and she is constantly getting mail from realtors telling her they have people who want to buy her apartment. Its been going on for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 If the price is right............. as in well above market value, with excellent terms for the seller, many might be willing to sell even if they had not planned to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 I know Zillow lets you set a "make me move" price. You might want to look on there and see if anyone in the neighborhood you want has set one and ask them first about selling. If someone came to me wanting to buy my house we probably would move. We've been considering it for years, but it's hard to get a house ready to list, if I could avoid that hassle I'd sell for less then I would if I listed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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