Fill Out the Form and Forget it? Not Necessarily OK, there’s no such thing as a “living, breathing document” — with the possible exception of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, etc. What I have in mind, though — at least in the context of residential real estate — are contracts/disclosures where one party...Read More
Disposing of Old Paint (Or Not) I have an (almost) fail-safe way of predicting whether or not the Buyer wants the Seller’s old paint. If the Seller leaves it . . . the Buyer wants it removed. If the Sellers gets rid of it . . . . the Buyer wanted it left. Coin Flip...Read More
Pre-Closing Jitters First, a caveat (actually, two): 1) most residential real estate deals close on time with no — or small — last-minute issues; 2) good agents proactively work to anticipate and resolve any such issues. That said, you still worry — albeit Sellers typically more than Buyers, especially in today’s housing market and economy. One potential...Read More
“Work to be Done by a Licensed Contractor” Usually, inspection issues are all about “what”: what is in disrepair; what documentation the Buyer has to substantiate any issues; and what the Buyer wants the Seller to do about it (fix it, or lower the selling price). But “who” can also be relevant — as in, “who...Read More
Flexible vs. Strained Purchases What’s goodwill between the Buyer and Seller in a deal worth? Usually, at least a couple hundred bucks — which is why I encourage my clients not to go overboard negotiating for the last $50 (in a bigger deal, I’d up that to $250 or more). Case in point: my client...Read More
The Real Estate Walk-Thru OK, so it’s not as dramatic as the point in the wedding ceremony where the officiating clergy asks the assembled guests to “speak now or forever hold your peace.” But functionally, the walk-thru performed by the Buyer just before closing plays much the same role in a residential real estate deal....Read More
