How to Screw Up Your Short Sale

My alternative title for this post was “You’re Taking What?” But, I thought that might have been too vague. Short sales have been going on so long in my local market that I thought I was immune to all the “unique” things that short sale sellers do that can throw a wrench in the works. Short sales are at their core a very emotional experiencefor sellers. The dreams they had when they purchased the home are gone, their credit is damaged, and for the most part they will walk away without any cash from the sale. I know that doesn't sound too appealing -- but the up side is when the short sale is complete -- the feeling of relief for the sellers is just as intense as the feeling of dread they experience before and during the short sale process. As a short sale agent, that terrific feeling at the end of the short sale is what I most enjoy.

Of course to get to that feeling, you have to actually sell the home and close the short sale. And, some short sale sellers are their own worst enemy in that regard. Not so long ago, I showed a home that took the cake. Thankfully, it was not my short sale listing. To start, the seller was present for the showing. And of course, the listing agent did not let me know that would be the case so neither I, nor my clients, were prepared for it. Then, as we toured the home in silence, we got to read a series of notes taped to different items in the home. Each note indicated that that particular item would be taken by the seller. Now, I was pleased that the custom fish tank built into the wall would be removed -- I’m sure anyone would be glad about that. But, not so much when we got to the built in office furniture, the custom closet organization system, and the list went on and on.

There were so many notes that when we got to the stove, I opened the door to make sure I wasn't missing one.My buyer later said they were afraid to walk over to the hot tub lest they discovered it was “not included” and they wondered if they were supposed to get up on the roof to check for notes as well. It became -- a joke. One we couldn’t laugh at until we exited so it grew funnier and funnier with no outlet because we didn't want to be overheard laughing by the seller who was still in the (soon to be gutted) office. I was trying to imagine the house with all these items removed and I couldn’t -- and I knew my client wasn’t trying as hard as I was. And where are you going to put a custom closet system anyway? HELLO -- it is customized for that particular closet!!! And, how do you expect me to sell this -- to anyone?!!! Please just pre-gut the house before you list it and price it accordingly.

If you are considering a short sale of your Incline Village Property, you should seek out an experienced Short Sale Agent to guide you through this process. If you would like a short sale consultation, please call my office to schedule a meeting or a telephone consultation at (775)745-9730.