YaelAldrich Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 We're putting in a (lowball) bid on the house I really wanted to buy but found out it needed work on every system in the house (rivers of water coming in the dormers down the stairs, birds living in the walls of the house). We originally bid 605K and got them down to 567K, but they wouldn't go down more at that time. It's been on the MLS for two weeks and on the market as a FSBO (flip) since late September. Let's see what happens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Ditto this! We moved at the end of Sept from one close to the other. I'm so glad it went well. It was really stressful, actually the entire process was (long story that thankfully worked out in our favor). We weren't new to buying and selling but had always sold in one state and moved to another. This time we were moving within the same area. Anyhow, we did request a few things fixed, 2 broken windows and an unsafe garage door closing mechanism. We have a list of other things that need work and have already had a plumber fixing things. Kitchen and bathrooms are outdated but totally functional so we'll live with those until we can afford to make them ours. We actually moved from a VERY open floorplan to one with more room segregation. I had a very specific idea of how open/closed I wanted. This house is the perfect combo for us. My realtor asked if I liked to entertain and I cracked up. I've always laughed at the tv shows who all claim they constantly entertain. I avoid it at all costs! Although I do occasionally host for Thanksgiving or Christmas but only close family which is just not the same as true "entertaining" in my eyes. The buyer for our house made no improvement requests but it was a much newer house and we had already fixed the small issues before listing. That's funny. I don't want the "open floor plan" either, because you hear every darn thing anyone is doing. But I just did that in one kitchen and will probably open a wall in the next because that is what OTHER buyers want! Yeah, who does all this entertaining? Not me. I end up running around cleaning all night. Can't help myself. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 We're putting in a (lowball) bid on the house I really wanted to buy but found out it needed work on every system in the house (rivers of water coming in the dormers down the stairs, birds living in the walls of the house). We originally bid 605K and got them down to 567K, but they wouldn't go down more at that time. It's been on the MLS for two weeks and on the market as a FSBO (flip) since late September. Let's see what happens. I don't want a water problem either. It would have to be super cheap for me to buy that. If mold is growing, I'm out. Even the Bible (Torah?) says to tear your house down if it has mold! I guess God knows what he is talking about. ;) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I don't want a water problem either. It would have to be super cheap for me to buy that. If mold is growing, I'm out. Even the Bible (Torah?) says to tear your house down if it has mold! I guess God knows what he is talking about. ;) Yeah, our realtor convinced us to NOT put the lowball bid in now. She told us to be patient as we might tick off the owners, so wait until they are more desperate. The owners know we are still interested. The inspector and contractor we brought in said that plaster fares much better with water damage than other materials. They weren't so worried (they were worried about other things!). We don't read the word tza'arat as mold, but I get your drift! ;) Actually, we have a Midrash (exegetical story from our Rabbis) that says when the owner tears down the house with tza'arat, he found gold and jewels from previous owners as a reward to destroying something important to rid themselves of a sin (lashon hara - evil speech). So maybe I should increase the bid!? :lol: (Don't tell anyone, but I want this house so we can get on This Old House. I've fallen in love with this show after trying to learn more about possible homes for us since they are all so old here). We're probably going to start sticking "We Want to Buy Your House" postcards i people's mailboxes this weekend. People in the know say it works around here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Where I live, this isn't a big thing, but I have seen some of it. I suspect it's kept in check because there are quite a lot of old houses here, and the income levels are typically modest. Most of the time, requested fixes are for things like wiring so that you can actually insure the house. (Though even then, many people prefer to take a drop in price and have the work done themselves. People who are leaving the place don't have a lot of reason to make sure it's done really well, they just want it fast and cheap.) I think the only other things I have asked for are to have professional cleaners in, in a place that had been used as a low-income rental, and once I asked if they would leave their antique piano. But that was in part because I knew they were downsizing and thought they might prefer not to bother with removing it. I see this trend as being closely connected to people wanting houses that are decorated just so, and to the whole house staging business. I think it is essentially a way to get people to be constantly involved in trendy cheap renovations, and buying furniture and accessories and services that no one really needs or wants - they are all for show, and the renos won't last because they are done cheaply in a generic and faddish way. It kills me that people get rid of beautiful features that don't fit into the bland cookie-cutter model in order to sell. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I know the house we live in (and have lived in for the past 19 years) would have many on HH gagging. I'll even admit there are plenty of things inside/outside that could use fixing up, plus, there's only one bathroom and we raised three boys here. Many would say that's not possible! The vast majority of things with the house were here when we bought it (and could have used fixing up then). But we prefer to use our extra $$ elsewhere. Long ago we realized we were in the "Perfectly Good House & Garden" category rather than the "Better Homes & Garden" category. It's ok with me if others gag or if future buyers wonder how we survived. Heck, when we bought the place we made our decision based solely upon the land that came with it and location. The seller asked us if we wanted to look at the house again. I turned to hubby and asked him, "Does it matter?" He agreed it didn't. We'd live with whatever was inside. To be truthful we updated the wiring, paint, some appliances and some floors prior to moving in. Since then we've updated windows and water pipes. But most floors need updating now (esp if they were original when we moved in) and it's still formica in my kitchen. My furniture is old too. The oven I use is likely the original from when the house was built ('30s). It pretty much proves that junkies scrimp and save to spend their money on their habit. We're travel junkies. We watch HH (International) to get travel ideas and retirement thoughts. :lol: Perfectly good homes and gardens... We are in, "The Recession Is My Excuse-- What's Yours Homes and Gardens" LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 We're probably going to start sticking "We Want to Buy Your House" postcards i people's mailboxes this weekend. People in the know say it works around here. We sold some land we own to a guy who stopped by and asked us if it could be for sale... it certainly wasn't advertised, but was part of our retirement portfolio, so yes, it was for sale for the right price (which he had). Perfectly good homes and gardens... We are in, "The Recession Is My Excuse-- What's Yours Homes and Gardens" LOL Love it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 We're friends with a family who bought a farmhouse with one bathroom. (I refused to even look at any houses with less than 1.5 bathrooms when I was pregnant with only our second child.) They have five kids, including one teenage & one tween girl! I don't know how they do it! They could do like people used to do, and do their primping in their bedroom. Put a vanity in the bedroom, and only things involving water is done in the bathroom. Then make a rule that any shower lasting more than X minutes, means that other people can come in and use the toilet even if it involves pooping and flushing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 They could do like people used to do, and do their primping in their bedroom. Put a vanity in the bedroom, and only things involving water is done in the bathroom. Then make a rule that any shower lasting more than X minutes, means that other people can come in and use the toilet even if it involves pooping and flushing. I've stayed in quite a few large older homes that tiny sinks in some bedrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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