Bad MLS Pictures Again

I need a vacation. Did I mention that?

It isn't that the homes are quirky, it is that the selling agent thinks that showing these personality quirks will endear a buyer to want to make an offer.

The home is equipped with ceiling fans. 

Another house. Another ceiling fan. I am sorry the agent didn't
show the rest of the room/garage.
Really sorry. 

 Sometimes less is more. For example, why not just take an exterior picture
and write "Investor Special" in the description? 

I am of the mind, some things are better left to the imagination. 

Confession: I looked at this picture and it took me a few
before I figured out why it looked so strange. 

Sigh... 

And finally, I am just going to leave you with this. 

I Can't Decide If I Want to First Pick Apart the Logic, Grammar or Punctuation

I first got involved in real estate in 1998 when Marty and I were looking to purchase our first home. We would drive around, grabbing flyers from homes for sale. Once in a while we would actually be interested in the content of said flyer, but not usually. Back then, real estate flyers weren't terribly sophisticated and I took exception to any home advertising with misspellings and (heaven forbid) grammar errors. We newlyweds would blissfully drive around while I ranted about Oxford commas, the word "thru" (WHICH ISN'T A WORD) and unparalleled sentences. Don't even get me started on suspension points (which are those overused "...").

To be fair, I have considerably relaxed my standards over the years. I am the first to tell you my writing is often riddled with errors. Also, agents have gotten much better at advertising properties. Long gone are the colorful paper with misused bold and underlined fonts--at least in Arizona. 

A quick back story: I used to own homes in a place we euphemistically refer to in these parts as,  "West Georgia." West Georgia actually has worse schools than Arizona. If you don't believe me, please feel free to read the letter I received below. I blocked out the greeting, but she called me by my first name.  

I don't own the house this letter was referencing, nor was this her second attempt to reach me. Did you notice she needs to close three this week but she is telling me it will take 14 days to close if I am willing to sell it to her at below market value? 

I am sure you did.

Ollie

Our Ollie went to live with Bonus Mom and a few others this past Thursday. Last week, when we found out he was terminal, I ran across this particular comic.

Ollie had cancer and congestive heart failure--a tough and fatal combo. Last week the vet was optimistic he would live for a while longer. At the time, Ollie was fine, but it took only a few more days for him to take a turn. Tuesday he fell off my bed. Wednesday he slid down the stairs. By Thursday he was wheezing with every breath.

Ollie liked to play tug with his rope. When he won, he would gloat. He kept us safe from lizards, birds and first repsonder sirens. He loved chasing birds. In fact, running in the greenbelt near our home, chasing birds was a favorite. He hated walking on the leash, but could be trusted to stay with me if I went somewhere and didn't have a lead.

He was Buckaroo's dog, but I was his person, which did not sit well with Finn. But Ollie chose me. I was up with him most of Wednesday-Thursday night, rubbing his chest to help him breathe. I thanked him for being such an amazing dog and teaching me dogs were pretty wonderful--especially Ollie Doggies.

Bad MLS Pictures

I need a vacation.

This house has been sitting on the market for 103 days, a rarity in our market. Perhaps the agent (Spoiler: it wasn't professional photography) could have closed the garage door first.

This caught my eye for a couple of reasons.

1. They put a "with the lights" and "without the lights" picture on MLS. 

2. Where's the stove? 

Oh! There it is! 

Look! This particular property comes with a street! 

We agents coach our clients to take down all personal items before listing their house

because buyers might find it "distracting." 

You decide. 

Someday I am going to do an entire Bad MLS Picture series on

body parts found in bathroom mirrors. 

Not the same listing. Awesome use of photography.

This one caught my eye because the agent had to sit on the floor to take this picture. I guess showing a buyer the room from eye-level was too taxing. 

Inconvenience and Tough Love

Inga told me Wednesday morning--after my phone rang non-stop for an hour--she just "didn't feel well." Therefore, she didn't want any showings until further notice. Later, she told me it was, "too hard," to get out of the house and people just weren't going to be able to see it. And even later, she said she couldn't, "keep going to Starbucks." That's fine. I never said she had to go to Starbucks. She did ask where she should go. I suggested drive around for 15 minutes while strangers were deciding if they wanted to buy her house. If that didn't work, try the library.

Now, I am not going to go into details about why Inga is moving, other than to say, she has no other choice. She has to sell her house. And not having showings because she is tired (which is all it is), is not a good enough excuse. There is no way around this: she will be homeless.

As an agent, I am required to obey my client's requests. I am also required to work in their best interests. Her best interests at this moment is to suck it up and let people see her home. If it is that big an inconvenience, go to a hotel. Because my phone won't stop ringing.

As far as the offer I was promised, I haven't seen it yet. I don't have a lot of faith it will be a wonderful offer anyway. Plus, about 320 other people want to see her home immediately, so I am certain she will have an offer some time. And I am sure it will coincide with my drive across Texas later this week. Offers magically have a way of coinciding with my travel plans.

She's So Cute!

Tuesday morning, 7 a.m. I got a text from Inga. Was the house on MLS?

"Yes, it it. It went live at midnight," I replied.

She wrote back: "Funny, I haven't heard from any agents yet."

Around noon, Inga texted me again. "How do you think it is going?"

I replied, "What is 'it' and where is it 'going'?"

Truly, sellers are their own breed of neediness. I should know. I have been a seller. It is a lonely place to be, waiting with anticipation for someone to love your home as much as they do. The silence is worse than the inconvenience it causes.

But I did hear that she is getting an offer. I have no idea if it will be $20,000 under asking price or if it will be reasonable. I don't know if they will want Inga and Liam to remove a wall, redecorate the kitchen or if the buyers just love the house the way it is.

Not to Jinx It Or Anything

Inga's house is supposed to go live this week. Here are some of the pictures. There are plenty more, but you get the idea.

I am pleased to say, she liked my pictures better than the last agent's photos. Here is the link to the old photos: https://adventureswithrealestate.blogspot.com/2018/07/bad-mls-pictures-srbbe-edition.html

By the way, that second picture below where you see the chair, that's where the couch was located.