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avi daniels · 30-10-2012, 09:52 PM

HI All,

I would welcome your input onto my current situation!

I went to see a 2 Bed semi on Saturday which is a probate. I loved it, it was in a state, but in the right location for me, and it would be well within my competency to manage to works. I own another one just a few steps from this one.

I bought this other one last July for £136,500.

Now while I was viewing the property, I spotted a bloke doing some brickwork outside, and struck up a conversation. He was the vendor and son of the deceased. I told him that I was always on the lookout for tradesmen and should I be successful in this bid I would be asking him to do the work as he knew the house well. We exchanged numbers.

Well, I made an offer of £136,000 within the hour through the agent. No answer. I chased up today and was told that he was looking for £150K.

I dropped the vendor a text, but he is not replying.

Please comment on my handling of this. Is there anything I should/shouldn't have done? Is there anything I can do now?

avi daniels · 31-10-2012, 12:43 PM

Just refreshing this thread, come on guys, some replies please!
Avi:

Vanessa Warwick · 31-10-2012, 12:52 PM

Hi Avi,

I don't think you have done anything wrong.

I would put your offer in writing to the agent, explaining that you are able to complete quickly, not in a chain etc ... Explain why you are offering £136K ... your reasoning etc.

Then text the son again and ask him if the agent has passed on the offer.

Explain that you are very keen to start a dialogue with him.

If he does not respond, it probably means he doesn't want to get involved and just wants the agent to sort it out.

Keep your powder dry and be patient.

People don't always respond in the time frame you want, but it doesn't mean they are not considering.

A written offer will be your ambassador to keep the offer at the forefront of their minds and show that you are serious and professional.

avi daniels · 31-10-2012, 12:55 PM

Will do Vanessa, thank you!

Lets see what happens

Avi

Pat Flatley · 31-10-2012, 02:14 PM

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Hi Avi, my mind must work differently to Vanessas as based on what you've said I can see a few reasons why you might be stuck! This may come across as a bit presumptuous on my part but hey... no harm in taking different views on board.

(30-10-2012 09:52 PM)Avi Daniels Wrote: He was the vendor and son of the deceased. I told him that I was always on the lookout for tradesmen and should I be successful in this bid I would be asking him to do the work as he knew the house well..

Try and think about it this way around.. how many people do you know, that if wanting to get rid of their deceased parents house, they'd gladly return to work on it after it's sold? Do you think he was doing brickwork because he wanted to do it... or simply in order to get the place shifted? (I'm thinking it's a pity he never got around to doing it while his parents were living and could have benefitted from it). I'm wondering if perhaps you did more talking than listening when you met vendor?..come on be honest Wink

(30-10-2012 09:52 PM)Avi Daniels Wrote: ..
I dropped the vendor a text, but he is not replying.

I'll bet there are tens of thousands of texts that fall down a big hole every day and so they should as they can be so lazy and impersonal. You could bite the bullet and simply call/speak to him, or maybe consider why he's not responded. He may have OCD in being "ethical" so see your text as a blatant attempt to bypass the agent who he's already instructed.. yeah right.. or on the other hand if he's the type who would glady wait till his parents had moved upstairs before doing the brickwork he may like to deal dirty!

Easiest thing is put yourself in vendors shoes and imagine you were selling via an agent. How would you feel if a viewer started texting you directly?

Personally I think at this stage you should be speaking a lot more to the agent to justify any offer. Vendor-wise it sounds like you own next door or a few doors away but he doesn't know you? If thats the case I'd keep that under your hat for now as there's probably more chance of it working against you than for you (smarmy landlord owner syndrome).

Ian · 31-10-2012, 03:40 PM

Avi,

As I understand it you want to see a property, make a quick offer that was low and the vendor is holding out to get more.

He may get someone that wishes to live in the property that is willing to pay more over the next few weeks, or he may not. However he will not know he can’t get more for a few weeks or months. If they have no great need for the money now, they can do better by holding out.

But at some point if they don’t get a better offer, they may wish they had taken you up on your offer.

So how do you make it so they can come back to you in a few months’ time without losing face?

(Our current home, we viewed and told the vender/agents about what we were willing to pay that was less than it was on the market for. The agent then phoned us a few months later to say the vendor was now willing to consider offers and we made an offer that he accepted. Given he accepted the offer within minutes of us making it, maybe we could have got for less… But we like living there so are happy with the outcome)

avi daniels · 31-10-2012, 08:52 PM

Thanks all for your input.

Things hot up a little.

I took Vanessa's advice and texted him to say that I had made a cash offer on the property. He texted back saying that he did not know this at all. No offer had been put forward to him. He was a bit cross.

About him doing some works on the property- he said that his mum had not allowed him to change anything during her lifetime, since his Dad passed away. They had plans drawn for an extension, but a combination of finance and mum's wishes did not let them go ahead.

Surprise, surprise, about half an hour after my text, I received a call from the agent. Unfortunately, I could not take it, so will pick it up tomorrow morning.

What do you think in terms of my handling so far?

Avi

Vanessa Warwick · 31-10-2012, 09:30 PM

Interesting!

So far , so good.

My advice is not to alienate the agent.

Apologise to the agent for contacting the vendor. Say you were just a bit baffled by the silence as you would have thought that an offer would be put to the vendor straight away. Ask the agent to forgive you for your impatience.

Be polite and willing to be blamed as you do not want the agent to think you have "gone behind his back".

Slowly, slowly catchee monkey! Smile

Pat Flatley · 01-11-2012, 12:26 AM

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I think your vendor could be a budding author... and I've been letting my warped imagination get the better of me. Blush

You hadn't stated you were a cash buyer. I would tell the agent you can exchange in x number of days as you must have this all wrapped up by xmas. Maybe consider offering to cover his fee if vendor is agreeable (only if you think it's worth it of course).

So the previous inaction was all down to a deceased parent because your vendor had in fact been gagging to do the work all along. He sounds like a really nice son to have or else he's full of it (obviously into texting though so that's handy if you prefer it to looking into someones eyes).

You got me thinking again though when you mentioned he said via text that he'd gotten a bit cross with the agent. It's halloween midnight in about half an hour. Any idea how I could really scare my daughters via text? (as I'm pretty sure typing BOO wont work). See what I'm getting at?

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