I am currently selling a six bedroom, five bath home in East Mesa. It is priced competitively. The home is in immaculate shape. It was custom built in 2015 by my client for the expressed purpose of providing a roof over the heads of recently adjudicated folks.
My client is a loving and compassionate woman. She is a dear, sweet person who is akin to Mother Teresa when it comes to sainthood. She believes highly in what she is doing. I don't agree with her mission, but I respect her convictions (excuse the pun). Unfortunately, her neighbors didn't see things her way. And, after 18 months of press coverage--and frankly, downright lies by the neighbors--she moved. To be fair, I wouldn't want recently released felons living next door to me either. But there was no need for the neighbors to exaggerate and add their own imagination to the entire ordeal.
And no. My client's grandchildren were never used for pornography.
When my client built the home, she didn't really think about resale. But for that matter, she didn't consider the fact she might have to move. So, there was no foresight when it came to the floor plan. The 4,000 square foot home has a two car garage, no landscaping, no bathtubs (showers only) and one main living area. All of these are holding buyers at bay, as someone who wants this much square footage wants more luxury and amenities.
Yesterday I put the home on a realtor tour, hoping to generate some exposure. Unfortunately, one of the neighbors to this home is also a real estate agent and was on this tour. The rest of my colleagues listened intently as I countered every single one of her version of events. I have little patience for gossip. Most of her information is incorrect or grossly exaggerated. I was able to shed some light on true facts, but it will be up to her to share what she learned with her fellow neighbors.
And by the way, I get at least one phone call a month from these crazy neighbors, with all sorts of ugly comments about me or my clients. The neighbors are hostile. My client moved out months ago, but that doesn't stop the ugliness. I have held the home open a couple of times and I am concerned to be there by myself, given the level of hate being spewed. My client changed her phone number. For business reasons, I don't want to change mine.
The home, though new, is not ideal for a large family. It is better suited for a foster care facility or an assisted living center. Of course, how I find an owner of an assisted living center who wants to buy a home on an acre in East Mesa, is beyond me.
Today I started calling agents who have sold assisted living centers in the past five years. A woman named Linda has sold three, which is two more than the next most productive agent I found. She didn't really give me much hope that her clients want another facility. But, on to the next one. I haven't figured out how to sell this yet, but I do know I need to get creative. Quickly.
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