My first night on the Cape I stayed at Wood Duck Inn. The rest of the time with my friend C. I especially loved the back yard of the Inn.
It bordered on the cranberry bog. There were walking paths through the blog, oops I mean bog.
In 5 days, I looked at 8 houses for sale. I made an offer on one, then negotiated the price once I had gotten home. For some insane reason I offered a very high price, as the owner was budging down only a few thousand dollars. Finally he accepted at this price way over what I would like to spend.
I was supposed to amend the dates and money amounts on the offer to purchase and fax the offer to my Realtor today. However, my temper overcame me. When the Realtor phoned to say the offer was accepted she said the owners would like to stay in the house after closing. They needed time to pack and also get their new house negotiated, for which they needed my money. They would pay me rent.I am sorry. I became furious at this idea. Why would I close on a house and not be able to move in. As a renter, when a landlord said I must be out by X date, I was out a month ahead of time. My possessions have been in storage for 5 years so that I might leave each rental when a landlord wanted. Why can't these people put their possessions in a storage unit and stay with friends. They can start packing now, for pete's sake. I thought about all this overnight.
On Monday my temper and anger was still strong so I said forget it. I dont want to buy the house. It was overpriced for the dumpy neighborhood anyway, which I had always understood to be a crime spot. The house itself was gorgeously renovated. Like the homes you see on HGTV. Also it had a lovely studio space in the raised ranch type basement. The best house in the neighborhood kind of thing.
I know I am childish and unreasonable and only hurting myself by this action. I concede that I am an idiot. There you go. More on the house hunt in the next post.
22 comments:
Oh Suki, it is such a difficult time. I think it is best not to beat yourself up about making decisions you feel are the right ones. While it is common for sellers to ask buyers to allow them more time, it is usually done up front rather than in the middle of the process. It has to feel overwhelming to you knowing how much you have given as a renter and a daughter to have someone else not be so willing to give on something like this. We all have things which are important to us and yours is to get yourself settled in your own home in a timely fashion. This is completely understandable.
Right now, it must feel hard to trust this, but everything will work out for the best when the time is right. Hang in there my dear friend!
Woodduck Inn looks marvelous. I really like that old pump.
I hope your house hunt goes better next time.
It's still not right then, keep looking and don't give up!
Is it possible to negociate further with them? If they need more time to move can you say yes, if you lower the price to what you think it is really worth, what you wanted to pay in the first place before you OVER bid? That way both of you get what you want??? Just a thought.
As long as it's still not a high crime area. And it's not more than an extra month of having to wait to move in. Maybe it is regentrifying or whatever that word is.
You are NOT an idiot, Suki.
All those stipulations, requirements etc. are indeed put into the contract ahead of time, before any offers are made or accepted.
When buying the house we are in right now, one of the stipulations was that the seller needed to stay a month, until school was out. But everyone knew it up front. And that reason was why the price was the lowest in the area. People often cannot wait.
No, no,,,,you are completely right in my opinion,,,it would make me distrustful of anything about the sale.
The Inn looks wonderful!
Hi Kim. I didnt know about this asking for more time. It did say up front that they were negotiating for a new house but when I asked my realtor what that meant she said oh their negotiations fell through. So I didnt think about it further. I think their request just hit me at a time I was exhausted from the driving and the previous week and I just felt oh no. I cant move in! I too, as someone else here has mentioned, thought...well then can't i have a lower price? also, I did think it would have been better had I been approached about this even before the offer.
I was interested in a house a few months back, but in the description they said the septic would be updated AFTER closing and I queried about that and decided I didnt like that idea. The law is the the septic be upgraded before the title passes. So in that case I made a choice with full knowledge of the twists and turns. In fact, those people never got an offer and so finally upgraded the septic before sale. I drove past the house last week and it sits there unsold.
Lisa, one of the fun things about Wood Duck Inn was the furnishings which were like things from my grandmother's house. A very casual inn. Also nice was my room was not inside the house in the owner's living space, but had it's own little door and section. I liked that.
thanks M. I just wish I werent so childish.
Lynn, hard to know if they would want to deal with me after I backed out. Yes, certainly it would have been to my benefit to approach the thing from a mature standpoint of can we talk about this. I suppose the neighborhood could regentrify but not any time soon with the job losses etc.
Babs, thanks for sharing that story. I agree that if they had said they needed to stay a few months after closing from the get go, I could then have made a decision as to whether to make an offer or not from a better informed place. They did offer to pay me rent, but my thought is if I wanted to be a landlord I'd be buy an "investment " property not one I planned to live in. Of course, I can be flexible about my move in time and also about the closing dates. But I prefer to move in the day I close or close to it.
What a miserable experience. I would try to negotiate a lower price later, they will be ready if they do not have another buyer. I am concerned about the crime though. That house that had the septic tank finally fixed, if it's still for sale, offer a low price, people are certainly motivated to sell after time goes by. Good luck and hang in there.
The Wood Duck Inn looks charming and perfect way to relax with winter on its way. Keep on keeping on Suki!
I like what Lynn said. I am wondering where the anger is coming from? You, dear Suki are not an idiot, you are a lucky woman to have this problem :-).
I know you don't see it, but from my stand point, I would love to have the problem of finding a house I could actually buy. Sending you love and hugs.
Artist unplugged, thanks for your perspective.
Blue Sky, it is one foot in front of the other, for sure.
Annie, I sometimes sound perhaps like I am not grateful for this "problem." I am so blessed to be able to buy a house, I know that and sometimes forget to look at the blessings part and get overwhelmed by the details.
oh god how bloody annoying, i would feel and react exactly the same way...GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRR
I agree with Lynne, and also think you are quite right to feel aggrieved. Go for it if it somewhere you will feel sorry that you let slip by, after all is said and done.
But then I know absolutely nothing about house hunting and selling in the USA,so who am I to offer an opinion. Lot of love, dear Suki. Ann from UK
Suki, I believe you weren't that crazy about the neighborhood and deep down felt you didn't want to live there anyway.
Keep searching. We once had a house deal fall through and not only was I disappointed about it, one of the agents who was working with us--it was two partners--just flat out gave up on us. It was good riddance. We found another agent and another house and that deal went very smoothly. The sellers were flexible, the agent was straightforward, and this house was much better! Things work out when you stay focused and don't give up hope.
Wood Duck Inn looks wonderful. AS does your heading. Was that in The Cape? Guess I would be disappointed too in searching and finally finding a home to buy and not actually getting to move in right away. Maybe thats why the house is still for sale.
I agree with San, Suki. Stay with it - there will be something better in a safer area around the corner.
Hi, Suki. You are NOT an idiot and I don't even think you were acting childishly. I think it's pretty obvious where the anger/complex comes from. These people a) tried to sneak in an "oops, we forgot to mention" detail after the handshake and b) they are non-challantly trying to pull something you have spent your life going to great lengths and inconvenience to avoid doing to another. In my experience, anytime someone else casually permits themselves something we put ourselves out not to do, that can hit a hot button. I am the same kind of house shopper you are. If anything about the seller or process pisses me off, I'm outta there. It's like it adds bad energy to the whole thing and I no longer want to deal with those people.
Soulbrush, I wish though that I could work with my anger in a less vehement way although perhaps I only sounded vehement to myself.
Wild sommerset child: thanks. I am so new to this house search process that I react to each surprise along the way.
San, I have wondered if my realtor might "fire" me. I am causing her a lot of stress for sure.
Cris, actually the house was on the market only 17 days (whereas many houses are on the market now for several months or more). I think that is why the owners were such hard bargainers. I may have been the first offer.
thanks Patti
Kikipotamus, so interesting to read your thoughts. I know I too am super sensitive to this whole business of buying a house, the manipulations that occur, the plottings etc. I am trying not to be so sensitive as I have been in the past though, as I think I will come up against this sort of thing with just about everyone and what i need to do is learn to stand my ground. The very business and training in the business is about (in my opinion) lies and half lies and trickery. thanks for your insights.
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