What to Do About the Pornographic Statue** on the Neighbor’s Front Lawn

When the Neighbors are the Dealbreaker

Prospective Buyer: “We love the house. But we could never live across the street from that pornographic statue.”
Phil Dunphy: “Oh . . . huh . . . I never noticed it.”
Prospective Buyer: “Yeah . . . you can see it from inside when you look out the window.”
Phil Dunphy: “Oh . . . ahh . . umm . . are you talking about that one?” (points).
Prospective Buyer: “It’s quite large.”
Phil Dunphy: “I’ll take your word for it.”

—-Modern Family; “Marble With Wood” episode.

Unlike TV Realtor Phil Dunphy, I’ve never had a listing torpedoed by an obscene statue on the neighbor’s front lawn (this is Minnesota, after all).

But, I’ve had sales where the neighbor’s snowmobile(s)/kayak/under-repair-motorcycle was an issue.

Sugar vs. Vinegar

Step #1 is always a friendly, “We’d really appreciate it if you could relocate your [ _____ ] while our house is on the market.”

If the “For Sale” homeowner doesn’t feel comfortable making that request, it’s certainly appropriate for their agent to (note: a six-pack of beer and/or a helping hand can help grease the skids).

If that doesn’t work — depending on exactly how odious the item is — step #2 is in order.

Namely, contacting the local municipality to see if the offending item(s) violate any city ordinances.

See also, “More Phil Dunphy-isms.”

**The TV producers digitalized the statue’s offending parts.

P.S.: Next-door dumpsters can be a turn-off, too.

But, as I like to point out: a) they’re temporary; and b) they can indicate that the homeowner is doing a (major) remodel, which is good for adjacent home values.



from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230700 https://ift.tt/2R9crht
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Estimating the Discount for a Busy Street (or Not)

Image
The Art of Comp Selection One of the trickier home features to account for in a Comparative Market Analysis (“CMA”) is a busy street. For a family with little kids, a busy street may very well be a deal breaker — in which case the discount is theoretically infinite. At the other extreme, an investor looking for a rental property may see the location as a plus: free advertising! Of course, not all busy streets are created equal: depending on how far the home is set back; elevation differences; the individual home’s layout; and even landscaping and other topography, and the noise level/loss of privacy can vary significantly. Two Strategies Faced with so many variables, Realtors and Appraisers can always simply choose an average discount — say , 10% off. Strategy #2? Choose as Comp’s (Comparable Sold Properties) only homes that are also located on busy streets. Even better: the same busy street. Then, there’s no need to make any adjustment, because all the home...
Read more

“What’s the Highest Point in Hennepin County?”

Image
There sure seems to be some confusion on that, umm . . . point. I’ve now encountered at least three different properties — none close to one another — that all claimed that status in just the last month. For the record, according to Hennepin County’s website, it’s on Williston Road near High Point Road in Minnetonka — 1,131 feet above sea level. See also , “ Florida’s Tallest Point (and how to get there) .” from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230700 https://ift.tt/2Pq1ndL via IFTTT
Read more

“Are You a Realtor?” “Why, Yes I Am!”

Image
“There Goes My Realtor!” Admittedly, the intended effect is for clients who see me in and around the neighborhood where I live (by Cedar Lake in Minneapolis) to see my car on the road and say, “There Goes My Realtor!” But, my custom license plate (above) is also a conversation-starter when I’m parked. Like today, in Linden Hills, where a builder who has an upcoming listing saw my car and asked if I was a Realtor. I know what to do from there . . .  from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230700 http://ift.tt/2glixp5 via IFTTT
Read more