Post by crazycakes on May 14, 2013 11:12:57 GMT -5
That sucks! I hope you find something soon!
I have a friend who has put offers on six houses within days of them being listed and has lost every one. The last one she offered $10K over the asking price and was still outbid. It's rough for buyers out there right now. You'll find something soon!
Ugh. The investors are buying things up as soon as they go on the market here. Black Stone Group is the biggest. They're paying cash so a lot of the time owners are just going that route.
It's ridiculous
ETA: chances are the places will be ready to rent soon.
Post by gretchenindisguise on May 14, 2013 11:18:00 GMT -5
Yeah, in that kind of market, i think you need an agent in the know who is networking with other agents so you know what is going to be listed before it actually hits the market.
It is the same way in DC. We lucked out on the one we finally got- I'm still thinking it was some sort of kizmet, karma, stars aligning and not anything us or the agent did since it was on the market and had an open.
Our agent was talking to the listing agents in his group to make sure they knew what we were looking for so we would get the first shot before the listing hit the street. The problem is, in this market, the DC sellers are letting the properties go to market knowing they will go over list.
I hope you find something soon. People sell your darn houses so inventory isn't in the toilet. Thanks.
I think your agent will make the biggest difference here. You need one in a large group of realtors, one that has been in THAT market (not any market!) for a long time, well established, well connected, etc. That way he/she will hear of stuff first.
Yup, we've been putting offers on houses that are over $20k over asking and still getting outbid.
There was a condo that had an open house this weekend. We were planning to bid up to $40k over but it the sellers' accepted an offer the night before the open house and didn't cancel the open house. I was livid that the realtor still held the open house, and so disappointed. It would have been a perfect place for us. I'm getting pretty worn down too.
Post by goaskalice on May 14, 2013 11:34:36 GMT -5
It's crazy out here too. I'm working my contacts like mad to get my buyers into houses before they hit the market. Most buyers are putting in more than one offer, and many times over asking price. Good luck!
It's illegal to put stuff in people's mailboxes in the US???
Wow, how would hockey teams advertise their fundraisers? Plus the newspaper girl always puts the local paper in my mailbox (free of charge, three days a week!).
It's illegal to put stuff in people's mailboxes in the US???
Wow, how would hockey teams advertise their fundraisers? Plus the newspaper girl always puts the local paper in my mailbox (free of charge, three days a week!).
As for the OP, out current house was on the market for all of maybe 6 hours? It gets inputted into the system, at which point it met our criterias and was sent directly to us, that was at about 6pm. We saw it at 6:45 and had an offer in at 8pm (with competition). We offered 10k more than asking and it was ours by 10pm. So yeah, it wasn't on the market long at all, we got it because we had an appointment to go see another house at 6:30 and this one came through our email while we were having dinner so I called my agent and let her know we wanted to see it.
It's illegal to put stuff in people's mailboxes in the US???
Wow, how would hockey teams advertise their fundraisers? Plus the newspaper girl always puts the local paper in my mailbox (free of charge, three days a week!).
Ads are made specifically to hang on a door knob. They also stick it in the screen door jamb round these parts. We also have mailbox shaped boxes specifically for newspapers. They are placed below your normal box on a post at the end of your driveway
Don't you Canadians worry that someone is going to go into your mailbox and look through and/or steal your mail?
If someone wants to steal my mail, does the illegality of putting something in the mailbox really deter them from taking stuff FROM the mailbox?
and really, they can still my bills anytime they want.
No, I just wouldn't be comfortable with someone being allowed to open my mailbox. Seems like it would be pretty easy to carry around a stack of BS flyers and rummage through someone's mail.
I'm thinking birthday cards and whatnot that might have cash in them, not bills.
Post by mrsukyankee on May 14, 2013 12:09:17 GMT -5
They can put anything in your mail in England too. But most of us don't actually have open mailboxes - most of us have a slot in our door or a locked mailbox. I didn't know that about the States and I'm from there...this is what 9 years of expat living will do to you - I'm US illiterate now!
Ugh, that's how it is here too. I've been keeping an eye out because I think we'll be looking for a place to buy later this year (wink, wink goaskalice) and it's crazy how quickly the desirable homes are snatched up.
Post by goaskalice on May 14, 2013 12:17:50 GMT -5
I'm seriously loling that this turned into a discussion of mailbox etiquette. My mailbox is one of those group boxes with locks so I can't get any surprise mail.
If you have certain neighborhoods you are interested in, I would drive around and see if you can find homes that just put their house on the market but aren't yet listed on mls. My parents signed with a listing agent and put a sign in their yard, and they had a very close to asking price offer on their home the next day. The couple who put in the offer saw the house before it was even listed on mls. They had lost out on two homes already so the wife was starting to just drive around neighborhoods, and she saw the sign in my parents yard just a couple hours after they put it out. Once the house was listed on mls their realtor started getting tons of calls, but the house is already under contract.
Don't you Canadians worry that someone is going to go into your mailbox and look through and/or steal your mail?
Nope. We also don't carry guns for protection. And lots of people don't even lock their doors. I have a typical mailbox. Anyone could go though it, I have never in a million years thought about someone going through it.
Post by sailorgray on May 14, 2013 13:18:13 GMT -5
This is my fear when we go to sell. Everyone says sell before you buy, but I am not so sure anymore. Everything is being scooped up! I see houses marked new listings and they are already under contract. Kinda makes me think I could do FSBO, though....