“Substantially the Same Condition” & The Golden Rule ‘I know it when I see it.’ –Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, on the legal definition of what constitutes pornography. “Buyer has the right to a walk-through review of the property prior to closing to establish that the property is in substantially the same condition as of the...Read More
Enabling(?) Non-Committal Buyers (aka “Fence-Sitters”) One of the things that invariably happens in the course of representing a Seller is the Listing agent gets a request from a Buyer’s agent to “be kept in the loop.” Translation: ‘let me know if someone else is about to buy the home, so my client at least knows...Read More
Multiple Interested Parties If you’re not in real estate — or buying or selling a home this Spring — this Thursday (June 30) is probably just the day before the day before the 4th of July holiday weekend (Y-a-y-y-y!!). However, if you are in real estate (agent, broker, or especially title company) . . . ...Read More
Left Holding the (Garbage) Bag: Reason #17 for Buyers to Do a Walk-Through Inspection It’s certainly possible that the weekly garbage collector will haul away all of the Seller’s junk, left curbside. But, I wouldn’t count on it. And neither should the Buyer. Instead, I’d negotiate either: a) a $500 escrow (holdback) from the sales...Read More
“Never Ask a Barber if You Need a Haircut?” Yes, But . . . If you’re going to pronounce last rites on an expensive-to-replace capital item in a home, far better — at least from the Buyer’s perspective — to do it the day before closing, rather than the day after. Make that, during the...Read More