You know a real estate agent? Good for you.

[prjkt]

there's a few here in Melbourne.(http://lentilasanything.com/ ) Well it's the same restaurant in a few locations. The way they get around a lot of overheads is that it's vegetarian , the menu varies from day to day and a lot of the staff are volunteers. On average people were paying just over restaurant prices for their meals.

I've heard good things about them, but never had the chance to stop in.

Was saddened a year or two ago to hear that a number of people who had been attending the annual Rainbow Serpent Festival (pseudo hippie festival turned commercial now - kinda like Burning Man in the US? It's been running for almost two decades now I think) were coming in on their way home and basically eating for free, almost the antithesis of what the Festival's meaning was...

[Gidgetdigit]

You have my deepest sympathies. I don't know how people in the real estate industry don't throttle their customers on a daily basis. I would have absolutely no patience for that. I am not in the real estate industry, but it fascinates me. I completely understand where you are coming from, and I feel your pain!

[Catwoman2965]

You have my deepest sympathies. I don't know how people in the real estate industry don't throttle their customers on a daily basis. I would have absolutely no patience for that. I am not in the real estate industry, but it fascinates me. I completely understand where you are coming from, and I feel your pain!

Me too! I'm already feeling sorry in advance for whoever my cousin chooses to list her townhouse. While its in a very desirable area, and is nice, generally speaking, she has some hoarding tendencies, has fostered cats, has four of her own, and hasn't really updated at all. She currently going through it all, in hopes of listing by March 1. I can't see that happening, not in its current state.

What she needs to do, but won't, as she is cheap, is put 90% of her stuff in storage, rip out ALL the carpet, put in new, paint, and pay someone to stage it for her. Her thing is she'll give a carpet allowance, and so on. which won't work since it stinks like cat. So i suspect she is in for a rude awakening, because any offer she gets will be lower, since i know she won't do all the things needed to make it sell fast.

[sirwired]

Me too! I'm already feeling sorry in advance for whoever my cousin chooses to list her townhouse. While its in a very desirable area, and is nice, generally speaking, she has some hoarding tendencies, has fostered cats, has four of her own, and hasn't really updated at all. She currently going through it all, in hopes of listing by March 1. I can't see that happening, not in its current state.

What she needs to do, but won't, as she is cheap, is put 90% of her stuff in storage, rip out ALL the carpet, put in new, paint, and pay someone to stage it for her. Her thing is she'll give a carpet allowance, and so on. which won't work since it stinks like cat. So i suspect she is in for a rude awakening, because any offer she gets will be lower, since i know she won't do all the things needed to make it sell fast.

I agree that new carpet is not going to fix the cat-piss problem.

You don't have to feel sorry for the agent at all. One of three things will happen:
1) The agent will list the house for what it's actually worth, and (at least back-handedly disclose the condition in the listing.) Assuming your cousin agrees, of course. It'll sell quickly enough to somebody all hopped up on the idea of a "fixer-upper". (And for the asking-price's sake, one that doesn't realize how hard it is to get rid of the smell of cat piss.)
2) The agent will tell your cousin what the house should be listed at and how it should be described, your cousin refuses, and the agent walks.
3) The agent, desperate for the listing, will not point out the obvious deficiencies in the listing, not price it appropriately, and the house will not sell and and the agent will damage their reputation with other agents. If that happens, well, it's just a lousy agent you shouldn't feel sorry for.

When we sold our house, we met with the agent, who kind of shook his head sadly and said that we needed to do some fixing up before putting it on the market. (With the tone of: "I'm going to ask you to do these things, you aren't going to do it, and it's going to take me forever to unload this thing, even at a decent price.") Well, we decided to go ahead and move (because otherwise we would have had to move three times: Once to clear out of an individual room before renovations, again to move back in, and a 3rd time to actually leave the house.) We then had a handyman spend six weeks working full time on the place. I think he went through twenty gallons of paint, fifteen gallons of drywall compound, and we put in classy (but cheap!) carpet, appliances, and countertop. We DIY'd all the outdated and worn trim (outlet plates, vent registers, doorknobs, vanity tops, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc.)

When we brought the agent back to the house, he was flabbergasted at how great it looked. In 48 hours, we had 21 showings and 18 offers (in a neighborhood that wasn't really that "hot") for $15k over asking price. In a 25-yr-old house with renovations that didn't cost more than $17k. (It would have gone nowhere near asking price if we had not done the renovations... it would have gone for exactly what you'd expect a 25-yr old house that hasn't been through it's first major overhaul to go for.)

(It helped that I fixed the poor photo angles every real estate agent taking pictures of the house used, and on the first day of showing, EVERYTHING in the yard that could bloom except the daffodils was in full blossom! Dogwoods, Crepe Myrtles, Azaleas, Jasmine, everything...)

[notalwaysright]

This is why when (I will get there!) I have enough to buy a house, I hope to find a "fixer." What I mean by fixer is not major structural issues, but all the little stuff like paint and flooring and fixtures. I used to watch those real estate shows and yell at the tv "so what if it's not a stainless steel refrigerator!!!" I would also much, much rather put on a new roof myself. Everyone always puts in cheap stuff to sell. Not trying to be mean, or saying it doesn't work, because it does! It's pretty much expected in the market. I guess I can see past paint color?

[Catwoman2965]

I agree that new carpet is not going to fix the cat-piss problem.

You don't have to feel sorry for the agent at all. One of three things will happen:
1) The agent will list the house for what it's actually worth, and (at least back-handedly disclose the condition in the listing.) Assuming your cousin agrees, of course. It'll sell quickly enough to somebody all hopped up on the idea of a "fixer-upper". (And for the asking-price's sake, one that doesn't realize how hard it is to get rid of the smell of cat piss.)
2) The agent will tell your cousin what the house should be listed at and how it should be described, your cousin refuses, and the agent walks.
3) The agent, desperate for the listing, will not point out the obvious deficiencies in the listing, not price it appropriately, and the house will not sell and and the agent will damage their reputation with other agents. If that happens, well, it's just a lousy agent you shouldn't feel sorry for.

Its not actually cat pee, but more cat box, and kitty stink. not to mention whatever cat dander is IN the carpet. And I just meant any agent in the beginning, trying to get through to her what she should be doing. And the house itself is fine, but for example, a lot of others in her development have updated kitchens with granite counters, and newer appliances. more cosmetic than anything else.

But she stubborn and cheap, so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

[Aria]

You have my deepest sympathies. I don't know how people in the real estate industry don't throttle their customers on a daily basis. I would have absolutely no patience for that. I am not in the real estate industry, but it fascinates me. I completely understand where you are coming from, and I feel your pain!

I wonder how my builder doesn't throttle some of their customers. I recently had a repairman out - stupid clothes washing machine, they shouldn't have problems after four months - and he said a guy from my builder was there and told him to expect calls from the next building. Apparently, there's a woman there who thinks that EVERYTHING is wrong. They've been out a dozen times and everything is fine. My own company deals with people like that too...

[sirwired]

I wonder how my builder doesn't throttle some of their customers. I recently had a repairman out - stupid clothes washing machine, they shouldn't have problems after four months - and he said a guy from my builder was there and told him to expect calls from the next building.

On washing machines: You'll pry my top-loading "direct-drive" Whirlpool from my cold, dead body (that will have clean clothes on!) They used the design for something like 40 years (if your Whirlpool top-loader has a "pull to start" knob, it's a "direct drive"; if it has a "push to start" button, it ain't; it's the new "Vertical Modular Washer", which sucks), parts and DIY videos are widely available, and repairing the thing is a dream. You don't have to move it away from the wall to repair it; you remove two screws and two spring clips and one electrical connector, the shell of the machine just lifts off, and you are now staring at the water pump, motor, timer, and water valve (and every electrical part), all of which can be replaced in minutes.

If it ever dies (which I doubt; the one in my parent's household is about 30 years old and still going strong!) I'm totally just getting another off of Craigslist. In fifteen years, it's needed all of one part (agitator dogs; a wear part) which cost me $4.50 and took all of three minutes to replace.

[WishfulSpirit]

My dad and I love to watch those real estate shows just to see what kind of priorities the rich people have. Like the couple with one kid in a 3 bedroom, two bath house whining about not having enough room. My living room doubles as dining room, fitness area AND craft studio but thus bitch wanted a different room for all those functions. For $100 a month more. Yeah good luck with that.

[Aria]

My dad and I love to watch those real estate shows just to see what kind of priorities the rich people have. Like the couple with one kid in a 3 bedroom, two bath house whining about not having enough room. My living room doubles as dining room, fitness area AND craft studio but thus bitch wanted a different room for all those functions. For $100 a month more. Yeah good luck with that.

I can totally understand wanting different rooms for all those things... if you eat together as a family, a dining area is important and I wouldn't want to combine it with something else. Fitness should be combinable with crafts, but maybe she's one of those people who's craft area looks like an explosion in a fabric factory.

What I really don't like is when the woman of the family - it's always the woman - wants SO MUCH and she can get it in the suburbs! Nevermind that she's adding a good 45 minutes to her husband's commute. It's such a good deal! I want to say, you're not the one driving in rush hour, bitch!

[Ironclad Alibi]

What I really don't like is when the woman of the family - it's always the woman - wants SO MUCH and she can get it in the suburbs! Nevermind that she's adding a good 45 minutes to her husband's commute. It's such a good deal! I want to say, you're not the one driving in rush hour, bitch!

But that's 45 more minutes he doesn't have to deal with her.

[laborcat]

But that's 45 more minutes he doesn't have to deal with her.

Where's the like button for this?????

[Teysa]

My husband and I like to joke that our property value goes up about the time taxes are due. Otherwise, the house is a major fixer upper. It needs a new foundation, a new roof, and new plumbing among other things. New siding wouldn't hurt.

I'm still wanting us to pack up and move to Alaska but at this point we'd probably have to pay someone to take the house off our hands.

[manybellsdown]

My dad and I love to watch those real estate shows just to see what kind of priorities the rich people have. Like the couple with one kid in a 3 bedroom, two bath house whining about not having enough room. My living room doubles as dining room, fitness area AND craft studio but thus bitch wanted a different room for all those functions. For $100 a month more. Yeah good luck with that.

I used to work for a real estate agent in a veeerrryyyy high-priced neighborhood. I was showing a huge house to the wife of an Italian race car driver and she rejected it on the grounds the master bathroom was lacking a bidet.

"You know", she says to me conspiratorially, "For after sex!"

Me:

[Aria]

I used to work for a real estate agent in a veeerrryyyy high-priced neighborhood. I was showing a huge house to the wife of an Italian race car driver and she rejected it on the grounds the master bathroom was lacking a bidet.

"You know", she says to me conspiratorially, "For after sex!"

Me:

...Couldn't she have one put in?