Some Short Sellers Are Real Turkeys
November 24th, 2008 categories: Home Sellers
It hit me as I pulled into the driveway of a home that was listed as a short sale.
Parked in that driveway were 4 cars - two of them nicer than my own. This is the home of a seller who is strapped for cash? Who can’t pay the bank what is owed?
Then I see the house - filled with gadgets like a flat screen TV, the box for an iPhone, a computer, and almost 100 brand new pairs of Nike Air Jordans stacked in a bedroom in their original boxes and wrapped in plastic - probably worth more than what the owners will owe the bank.
Busy shopping, the owners have left the house in serious need of repair. Just who is supposed to pick up after their financial mess? Am I actually supposed to feel sorry for someone who treats their sneakers better than their biggest asset?
Misplaced priorities. Poor decisions. Lack of respect for money and homeownership. These are the real problems facing the real estate market.
I can’t help but compare this house with many others I’ve seen owned by senior citizens. On fixed incomes and with few luxuries, the typical senior citizen treats their home with the care and respect a home deserves.
When working with a new client, I often say that they would be lucky to find a home lived in and cared for by a senior citizen because you can bet everything is in great condition - although maybe out-of-style.
Then I think of my grandmother who bought everything she owned from a second hand store and was too poor to buy her own home but treated her tiny rental apartment like it was the Taj Mahal.
We must regain our respect for the privilege of owning a piece of a real estate (because it can only be obtained through saving, hard work or birthright) and that by owning real estate, we make a promise to ourselves, the bank and our community that we are going to take care of it - better than we care for a lousy pair of sneakers.
Gobble. Gobble.
