Doug Buenz
Real Estate Broker
Alain Pinel Realtors
(925) 463-2000
I am a local Real Estate Broker with
Alain Pinel Realtors serving the
Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley
area. I am an avid watcher of the
local real estate market, as well as
cultural and political events.
But that is what I do, not who I am... » read more
Real Estate Q & A
Unreasonable buyers asking for more money from Seller
I entered into a contract to sell my house a couple of weeks ago. Because the market is slow, I ended up taking a lot less for my house than I was planning on. Now the buyers have had inspections, and they want me to credit them $3500 for repairs, most of which are complete B.S. I am really mad about this. Should I tell them to take a hike? Fred W.
Fred, take a deep breath and relax. In some ways this market can be called "Revenge of the Buyers". Remember 4 or 5 years ago when Sellers told buyers things like "take it or leave it" or "don't ask for anything to be fixed... we have 2 other buyers who want it". Now the tables have turned. Don't get hung up on the details of what the buyer wants. Some may be legit, and some might be categorized as outright extortion. But so what. If you want to sell you house, swallow hard and sign it. If you think you can do better in this market, tell them no. It is really that simple. But tread carefully, because working with buyers today is a little like trying to feed a squirrel. They don't really trust you, they are skittish, and at the first sign of trouble they go scampering for the woods. If you refuse the $3500, it could end up costing you $5000, $10,000, or even $20,000 more to get the next buyer in contract.
Stubborn Seller Won't Move Out?
I am buying a house in Pleasanton, and the contract is signed and the escrow is getting ready to close, and the seller decides he does not want to move out at close of escrow, but wants a week after close to move out. When we express the fact that this will not work for us, he threatens to cancel the contract. Can he do this? Ben in Pleasanton
Ben, I have good news and not so good news. The good news is that no, the seller can not unilaterally cancel a ratified contract just because he doesn't get his way. If all contingencies are removed and you are coming down to the wire, the seller can't arbitrarily start changing the terms. And he certainly can not cancel a contract. Real estate contracts are bilateral. they require the agreement of both the buyer and seller. If he attempted to cancel the contract, you could likely tie up his property so he could not sell it to someone else, and take him to court to force him to sell to you under the terms of the contract. That is the good news. The not so good news is that this course of action is time consuming, emotionally draining, and costly. If the seller becomes difficult to deal with, try to relax and work around him if you really want the house. You can always take him to small claims court after the close to recoup any out of pocket expenses you incur. Unfortunately, there is virtually no protection in a contract for an obstinant seller. You can either put up with him as best you can, and then seek renumeration in small claims court, or threaten him back, but it is difficult if not impossible to physically force the seller out of the premises. As always, consult an attorney about the specifics of your case.
Confusion on Commission Agreement?
Doug, my friend listed her house with an agent with the understanding that if one of her friends (named specifically) buys her property, the agent would be compensated at 4% commission. So one of her friends has made an offer. When the agent sent my friend the estimated pay out from the transaction, the agent put in her commission as 6%. Her explanation is that the original deal was only good until she listed the house in MLS. Is this ethical? Or legal? Or standard practice? Ginny C.
Ginny, that is a great question. As is often the case, the devil is in the details. Any agreement involving the sale or transfer or brokerage of real estate in California must be in writing to be enforceable. So if there was no written clause regarding the friend, then your friends are out of luck. So is it legal? I think a better question is the agent legally entitled to the 6%. Based on what you have described, the answer is yes, since there obviously is no written agreement regarding this situation. Is this ethical? I always have a problem with any party that does not honor the spirit of an agreement, even if the details are not specifically spelled out. But keep in mind that neither you nor I heard what was actually said. Again, this is why all agreements dealing with real estate must be in writing. I this standard practice? Again, I am not sure what you are referring to, but if there is an exception or exclusion to the commission agreement for one party, there normally is a time limit during which the party must act. Whether or not that was clearly stated in writing, or clearly explained, is a matter of conjecture at this point. The lesson here is to always get agreements in writing, especially if they are modifications to standard agreements.
The Pleasanton Ca real estate market showed some life in October, especially on the high end, with pending sales up from a disappointing September, and inventory continuing to drift downward. The prospect of further interest rate cuts is hopefully spurring some buyers go get off the fence and take advantage of some of the values available in the market right now.
Pleasanton overall ended October with 199 available homes, down slightly from 207 at the end of September. Pending sales were up to 45 in October, up from 36 pending sales in September. Look for the market to continue its trend of lower inventory though early spring. (click on graph to enlarge)
The low end of the Pleasanton market actually showed a slight decline in both pending sales and inventory at the end of October. Pending sales came in at 26 for the month, down slightly from 28 in September and 45 in June of this year. Inventory ended the month at 99 homes under $1 million, down from 101 at the end of September. Roughly half of the inventory in Pleasanton is under $1 million.
The mid range of the Pleasanton market (between $1 million and $2 million) showed a jump in pending sales, ending October with 10 pending sales as compared to 7 at the end of September, and down from 17 at the end of June. Inventory ended the month at the same level as September, with 64 homes on the market in this segment.
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The high end of the Pleasanton market (Over $2 million) showed a dramatic spike in activity, with 9 pending sales in October, which is up from 1 at the end of August and September. In fact, it is the strongest month of sales since February of this year, where we also had 9 pending sales. Inventory is down in this price range as well, with 36 homes available at the end of October, down from 42 at the end of September.
Clearly, buyers are taking advantage of some of the tremendous values available in the market right now, and the mid range and high end range of the market are more driven by value as opposed to need. This is a good sign for our market. There are buyers out there… it is a matter of getting them off the fence, and the key factor in provoking activity is value. Here’s hoping that the anticipated cut in the Federal Funds rate will spur more activity, and stabilize the Pleasanton market as we enter the holidays.
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Pleasanton October Market Update - Lower Inventory, More Sales