We love these columns from the Ask Real Estate section of the New York Times and have ourselves been featured in a column or two.
Here's a doozy:
How to Stop That Unruly Neighbor From Ruining Your Sale
Some neighbors are determined to make things difficult. But
it’s in everyone’s interest to play nice.
By Ronda Kaysen
June 30, 2018
Q: I am writing to you on behalf of my lovely neighbors, who
have been harassed for years by a neighbor who shares their driveway and often
blocks them in. Now they have put their home up for sale and he’s at every open
house intimidating potential buyers. We
live in a great community in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He’s the bad seed on the
block. It seems the real estate agent can't handle him. What can my neighbors
do?
A: The neighbor has a financial interest in behaving nicely
while the house is on the market. If the house sells for less than it’s worth
because of his theatrics, other homes in the immediate area (including his own)
could see a drop in value.
The neighbor’s antics may backfire in another way, too.
Someone will buy that house eventually, and he will have to live alongside that
person (and continue to share the driveway). If he shows himself to be an
unpleasant person, he may attract a buyer willing to take him on. “The person
who ends up buying it is going to be somebody who can take it,” said Anna
Shagalov, an associate broker with Halstead. Such a neighbor will be primed for
confrontation, “and that is not in their best interests.”
The seller, or the real estate broker, should explain to the
neighbor that his attitude is self-defeating. Be positive and try to enlist him
in the sales effort. After all, a quick sale means a swift end to a long,
unpleasant relationship. Ask him what can be done to appease him.
If the neighbor refuses to cooperate, the seller could make
the open house a boisterous one, with distractions like balloons, a food truck
and coffee. “Even if he’s ranting in the corner, he gets drowned out,” said
John W. Harrison, an associate broker at CORE. “Really, all you’re trying to do
is curate the purchaser’s first impression.”
Even if the neighbor is on his best behavior during the open
house, the seller may still need to disclose past confrontations over the
shared driveway, depending on what information the buyer requests in the
contract.
For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow@vested.com
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