Let the Games Begin

I just got off the phone with the buyer's agent of the cute little Tempe condo we have under contract. You see, the buyer has some "grave concerns."

The "grave concerns" really boil down to this 37 year old condo is not brand new. There is "evidence of previous water leaks." Though, I have to tell you, the agent could not tell me how there was evidence or where this evidence happened to be. In fact, there is all new faucets and bath fixtures in the place, but whatever. The plumber they hired to look this over said for a measly $1,600 he could make this all go away.

Let me just say, if a plumber can make $1,600 on phantom repairs in a 1,000 foot condo, I am in the wrong business.

In addition to this, the ceiling fan happens to only operate by the cord hanging from the fan, not by a  switch that doesn't exist, because the ceiling fan installation came after the condo was built. The closet doors are "wobbly" and a few other minor types of items that I just couldn't wrap my head around.

Oh! The buyer is devistated--devistated I tell you!--there is no spa on the property. That one is on me. I listed the property with a spa. I have since taken it out of the listing.

Anyway, all this is to tell you the buyer is probably asking for a boatload of phantom repairs (a seller can't recreate something that isn't broken--even though my seller says the pipes never leaked and has no idea what he is talking about). Conversely, the buyer would like a price reduction.

Bashing a home is a common negotating techquine in this business. It goes something like this. "My buyer really wants this place but we are finding all these terrible issues such as...." The answer of course, is simply, "If the issues are so terrible, why would your buyer want the place?"

Now, please note, we haven't actually seen the list of disproved items. All of this could be the agent blowing smoke. Or, there could be major and legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. I think it is probably somewhere closer to smoke. But that's just a gut feel. In any case, I listened to the buyer's agent and I suspect he thinks he won me over. He didn't.

I have discussed the potential list of items with the seller. He is dying to see the plumbing issues in writing, becasue he has no eartly idea where they could be. They probably will not attempt to repair anything that isn't major. They aren't giving a price reduction (we still haven't had an appraisal). My seller is more than willing to put the house back on the market because if the buyer walks, I suspect I will have a new offer shortly. There isn't anything else for sale. I checked.