Your neighbor's house is for sale...
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
Canada
January 13, 2007 10:13pm CST
A week after my mom died, I got a phone call from one of her neighbors asking if and when her house would be sold. I told him it was much too soon to even ask me that question. He said if we were interested in "working out a deal," not involving a real estate agent, to call him. Then, when we did go with an agent, multiple people on her street called to inquire about the price. One did a walk-through. No one actually wanted the house. They just wanted to know how much it was worth to compare it to their own. Ditto the desire to see inside. They always knew what the outside was like but they hadn't necessarily been invited in.
So, how about you? If someone in your neighborhood puts their house up for sale, do you look it up online? Do you call the listing agent? Do you go see it or go to an open house? Just out of curiousity or do you do it to evaluate it against your own property? C'mon... 'fess up now!
6 people like this
16 responses
@harsh1985 (593)
• India
15 Jan 07
i think your house is pretty one that every person on your street inquire about your house....just to compare the price between your house and and their own!!
well when we wish to buy a house i simplly go to some estate agent to enquire for current price listing!!
if my neighbour puts their house up for sale;then i will go online to get correct price or to estate agent to get local price of that particular house!!
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jan 07
You're right harsh... if you happen to have a really nice house, with great "curb appeal" or a great exterior look, people will naturally be more inclined to want information about it so they can compare to or improve their own house.
@sunshinecup (7871)
•
15 Jan 07
First. I don’t know how long ago this was but I give you my condolences. Losing a parent is always hard.
Second I have to rant for a minute. I can't beleive how cold that jerk was. I understand he was trying to find some business, but dang gone, have some consideration for the family. That was cold of him. I am glad you didn’t use the simpleton.
Any, yes I do look up the price to see what they are asking, then I watch it to see how long it sets on the market. We are ready to start the adventure of selling our home soon, so I have been watching this really close. I don't do walk ins though. I already know all these houses are the same inside, at least structure wise.
Good question!
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jan 07
Thank you, sunshinecup... although my mom passed away exactly a month before Christmas 2004 (from a rare form of cancer... parotid/salivary gland), we didn't go forward with the sale of her house until almost a year later... so it wasn't until that was all finished and the family home left our hands for good that it felt like she was truly "gone."
It's a good idea to do what you're doing to get a good bead on what you might expect for your house! I wish you a lot of luck and a quick sale... I've sold 2 of my own (not counting mom's) and bought 3 and I swear I never want to see a cardboard box again! ;)
@matlgal (1686)
• United States
15 Jan 07
Unfortunately that is true. I am an agent and we see it all the time. "The Looky-Loo's" seems like there are alot more of them than there are good serious buyers out there.
I am sorry they invaded on your grieving time that was rude and inconsiderate.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jan 07
It seems so disrespectful of your time, matlgal.... I mean, I would imagine it's hard to know someone's level of interest until you line up visits and realize that they aren't seriously looking at any of them!
@cajundharma (641)
• United States
14 Jan 07
as a matter of fact, a house down the street from me is for sale, and I did pick up one of their flyers to look at the price. All I can say is, no wonder it's been on the market for five months and hasn't moved :-) They want about 20k more than houses in this neighborhood are worth, and are two doors down from the guy who runs a chop shop from his garage so there are always junked out cars in his driveway and front yard. That's got to lower the value of the property a little, unfortunately for them. I admit I looked partly from morbid curiosity; I live in Baton Rouge and was wondering just how much Hurricane Katrina had affected the housing prices here.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jan 07
A colleague of mine in the US is in the midst of closing the sale of a house. The concept of flyers outside is new to me. They don't do that where I live. She mentioned to me that people would stop and take a flyer and sometimes ring the bell, expecting to look around on a whim and she did have to explain that they had to come in with an agent (AND an appointment LOL). And I agree with you, by the way... people are notorious for over-estimating the value of things.
@BittyBiddy (2903)
• Ireland
14 Jan 07
I'm sorry to hear about your mother. That was so incredibly insensitive of her neighbour to phone you and ask about her house. How you managed not to shout down the phone at him I don't know. I would have eaten him without salt.
If I see a house locally for sale I'll have a look on the internet for the details, but I would never phone up about it and I'd certainly never go to look at it. I'd be too embarrassed. The house next door to us has just sold and I don't know who has bought it. I know the auctioneer quite well but I wouldn't dream of asking him. I also wouldn't ask the owner.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
14 Jan 07
Restraint is hard, at the best of times, isn't it? I'm thankful my sister was there during that phone call -- she had her hand on my arm and was rolling her eyes, basically giving me the signal to just let it slide.
I'd never phone either... nor go around to look inside. I do think it's human nature to be curious, of course, especially when you're getting a new neighbour. I've thought about this some, since they were trying to sell next door, and wondered what type of people might move in. Currently, the owners are a late-40's couple, no kids, no pets, quiet and proud of their home. They keep to themselves, as do we, but we are all respectful and cordial. I am hoping against hope that, if they sell, it won't be too bad.
@theproperator (2429)
• United States
14 Jan 07
I have looked up homes in my neighborhood for sale online, just to see how our house compared. I have also looked up property records kept by our city (also online). But I would never actually call the agent or owner unless I was actually interested in buying the house, because I wouldn't want to waste their time.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
14 Jan 07
That's how I see it too... simple information is one thing but to take an appointment with the agent and all when you just want to poke around? That shouldn't happen.
@chigawaga (592)
• Canada
14 Jan 07
i dont really care much how much my neighbours are selling there house for..we just had an appraisal done and i would rather just have an appraisal htne go be a nosy neighbour and evaluate everyone elses houses
1 person likes this
@firemansgirl001 (916)
• United States
15 Jan 07
Honestly I know that it really doesnt matter what the house really looks like. It all depends on what the houses in the area are going for. ONe I would never do any of those things. I have a house, and could care less on anyone elses. I dont care about others houses. My house is my house, and that is worth more than any price
1 person likes this
@Meljep (1666)
• United States
15 Jan 07
Real estate experts recommend that you keep up the housing prices and improvments on homes in your neighborhood so you will know what your house is worth. You don't want to price yourself out of the market by doing too much to your house, and also you don't want to let your house turn into a dump if everyone else is improving their properties.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
23 Jan 07
We have had several houses in our area go up for sale over the past few years. I have picked up the flyers they have outside on the boxes for anyone to take in order to get an idea of what people were asking for to compare it with what we paid for the house and maybe to know how much ours could sell for. I would never call and do a walk through though unless I was actually interested in buying. To me that would be rude. It would be a waste of the real estate people and the home owners time. They don't need that. Curiousity is one thing but being rude is another.
@crystal8577 (1466)
• United States
14 Jan 07
I personally would not look into the price of their house nor go look at it. Well, I would if I was interested in buying it. I guess I am just not nosey enough to care. I am sorry that this neighbor had no tact.
1 person likes this
@Geminigirl (1909)
• United States
14 Jan 07
Yes, I would look it up on realtor.com or contact the listing agent and get details so I would know more about how much my own house was worth. But I would not go inside to see and and waste my time and an agent's time unless I was truly interested in buying it for real.
@candygurl24 (1879)
• Canada
14 Jan 07
WOW..that is just extremely ignorant in my opinion. Number one, I don't tend to waste people's time for my own curiousity. If I was really interested in actually purchasing the home, meaning that it would have to be better than the one I was in, then I would call real estate agents etc, but I would never have the nerve to call someone's family members that soon, nor would I expect them to work out something outside of an agent.
1 person likes this
@klttl3s (40)
• United States
15 Jan 07
I can't believe anyone would do that! Actually, come to think of it, my childhood home was wanted by my next door neighbor and several other neighbors I believe (at least they showed an interest in it). I remember eavesdropping on the parents of my neighborhood friend about them wanting my house! When my parents went to sell it, they were the first to make an offer on it. I guess that's kind of different though, because they actually did want to purchase the house. But it did end up going to someone who didn't live in the neighborhood.
1 person likes this
@missyd79 (3438)
• United States
14 Jan 07
i live in a trailer park, so no i really don't do that, but my mom does this, whenever she sees a house up for sale in the school district she will call and ask for the asking price and all the details like the taxes and stuff. I don't know her reasoning because it's not like she is helping me look for a hew home.
1 person likes this
@myworkid1987 (755)
• United States
14 Jan 07
I've never owned my own house but if I did and a house next to me went up for sale I think I wouldnt mind seeing the inside of it just to see if it was a nice house or not. Not necesarly (sorry bout the spelling) to compare it to my own house. And the price...again ive never owned my own house so it might be different for the people that do own a house and right now i could care less bout someones price on their house but that could change once I do get my own house.
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