5 Truly Strange Questions Home Sellers Have Asked Realtors-Revealed
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images Real estate agents have heard all kinds of questions from home sellers, from How much is my home worth? to Should I take that lowball offer or hold out for something better? And most times, agents are happy to field thesequeries becausethey're there to help.
And yet, every once in a while, agents hear a doozy that leaves them speechless. As proof, check out some of the craziestquestions real estate agents have heard that just go to show that, yes, there is nostupid question-but there are plenty of really, really odd ones.
1. 'Can you keep an eye out for my lost boa constrictor?'
Seattle real estate agent Matt Parkerhas dealt with home sellers with cats and dogs, but the homeowner witha snake-specifically a boa constrictor-made him uneasy.
The home seller informed me that he'd lost the constrictor in his house, explains Parker, who did not feel any better when the sellers added that he needn'tworry, becauseit should be able to find plenty to eat.
Parker kept his eyes peeled for the MIApet more out of fear than to arrange a reunion. The house ended up being torn down, he says. We never found [the snake]. Wait, what?
2. 'Want to know why I have a pole in my bedroom?'
Joshua Jarvis, founder of Jarvis Team Realty in Duluth, GA, recalls one particularly uncomfortable consultation with a home sellerwho, during an initial walk-through of the house, showed Jarvis adance pole in the master bedroom.
There was a stage around the pole, Jarvisrecalls. The seller told me how it provided her great flexibility and stamina. For a good ol' Southern boy [like me], I can tell you my face was about as red as the carpet.
Furthermore, she toldme about how her husband just loves to watch her 'work out' on the pole and how her daughter now knows how to dance on it, Jarvis says. I'm sure at this point sweat drops were running down my face.
When he and the seller couldn't agree on a sales price, Jarvis ultimately passed on the listing. He figuredit would be even more awkward to have to explain the pole to potential buyers.
3. 'Should I bury a Saint Joseph statue in the front yard?'
Some people use conventional methodsto sell their home-marketing, social media, mailers, open houses-while others turn to their faith.
I've had the Saint Joseph question a few times over the years, says Los Angelesbased real estate agent Kathrin Nicholson. As it turns out, a number of home sellers do, in fact, believe buryinga statue of Saint Joseph in their yard will help them sell their house.
Typically it's homes that are languishing on the market, says Nicholson. In other words, desperation makes for an open mind: For whatever reason the owners are trying what they can.
4. 'I filed an insurance claim after a hailstorm, but used the money to buy a car. Should I fess up?'
Neenah, WI, real estate agent Linda Sanderfootrecalls whenone of her listings was under contract, the seller revealed some unsettling news: In the past, the roof was damaged ina hailstorm, but instead of using the insurance settlementto make repairs, the seller boughta new car.
Because the hail damage was something that would be spotted during a home inspection, the client asked me if I thought the buyer would ever find out, says Sanderfoot.I told them that I hoped the car was worth it and that I couldn't give them legal advice.
The seller eventually disclosed thisinformation to the home buyer-the night before the home inspection.
Believe it or not, thebuyer's home inspector said that he could see a little bit of hail damage but nothing that concerned him enough to say the roof needed to be replaced, so we went on to close, says Sanderfoot. But the whole thing made me highly uncomfortable.
5. 'Would you walkour two dogs while we're on vacation? Don't worry, they don't usually bite.'
Chicago real estate agent Sean Conlonloves dogs, but hehas his limits. When his clientsasked him to walk their two 100-pound dogs while they were on vacation-and added thatit takes time for themto warm up to strangers-Conlon politely declined.
My first thought was to tell the sellers to send the dogs to a local camp for wayward dogs, Conlon says. But I ended up referringthem to a great dog walker and boarder.
Unfortunately, even when the sellers were home, the dogs made Conlon's job difficult.
I would ask that they clean up prior to showings, but inevitably I was always cleaning up a few toys, he says.
So, a word of advice: If you have pets, either take them with you during showings or drop them off at a neighbor's house.
The post 5 Truly Strange Questions Home Sellers Have Asked Realtors-Revealed appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.