Forum
« Who can assist with Custom Shower 4 small space? Recommendation for painters/carpenter »
January 25, 2008
Expressing interest in buying someone's house IF they ever choose to sell it
What are your thoughts on approaching a homeowner about possibly buying their house (via a note or letter)? Is it generally considered insulting or flattering to the owner? I don't want to offend anyone, but I was wondering about sending a note expressing my interest in case they ever decide to sell. (And no, it's not in Ft. Greene or Clinton Hill).
Comments
As a home owner I would find it flattering and a bit strange. I get letters like that from brokers all the time and I just throw them out. If you're interested in one particular house, go meet the owner. If you plan to canvas the neighborhood with letters, most people will not think you're sincere.
Posted by: Rick at January 25, 2008 6:37 AM
Ive gotten letters from brokers before and I find it quite annoying.
But if you are someone who would like to buy the home to live in because you love it so much, then Im sure a homeowner would be flattered. You never know - that person may be considering selling or even getting ready to list their house.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at January 25, 2008 8:42 AM
I and some of my neighbors get notes from indiviuals from time to time asking if we'd like to sell. This is not at all objectonable. What is annoying are all those letters, postcards and calls from brokers.
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 9:17 AM
I know when we lived in a coop, it was common practice to let everyone in the bulding know you were selling your apt. before contacting a broker--occasionally someone had a friend or family member interested in the building. As a brownstone owner, I would not find it objectionable at all to get a polite (not pushy) letter from someone in the neighborhood interested in my house. Let's face it--if you can sell without getting a broker involved, why not?
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 9:24 AM
if sincere and offering a fair price or above market price this would be welcomed or at the least a neutral move. I also think you should confront the owner when you do this. Come across as ignorant towared the market or offering low ball and you will be taken completely offensive.
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 10:30 AM
I find the generic, widely broadcast letters offensive, but would not feel the same way about a REAL letter from an individual, although, suspicious old SOB that I am, I might think that it was a disguised broker letter. If the letter appeared genuine, i might even reply, if only to tell the sender that my house would not be for sale in the forseeable future.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at January 25, 2008 10:35 AM
As a owner, I would not find it offensive.
Essentially your saying "I am offering you a chance of saving a 6% broker fee"
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 10:45 AM
Send one letter/note if you like. Multiple would seem stalkerish.
Also, why is everyone so offended by postcards/mailers from brokers? Don't be so sensitive. Good lord, they're just trying to get some business. It's their job. Lighten up. And no, I'm not a broker.
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 11:03 AM
there is a tumble-down mansion on a very nice street in my neighborhood. I see letters, notes and sometimes flowers in his door and I always imagine it's just a note saying that they'd be happy to take him house off his hands for 250k if he wants to (house worth 3mm probably). poor guy is pretty mentally ill and I wonder if one day he won't answer someone's letter
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 11:06 AM
re: broker letters
are you offended by restaurant menus for places you'd never eat at?
they are slightly annoying, but not offensive.
just recycle them if you aren't interested...
so much junk mail...the least of my problems are the broker postcards....
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 11:07 AM
To clarify - the reason I find the broker letters annoying is because they "pretend" to be personal letters from brokers with a specific person interested in my house. (Of course that same phony signed letter gets mass mailed to everyone in Bklyn). I find the pretense annoying and deceitful. The generic postcards or adverstising is fine.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at January 25, 2008 11:32 AM
We received multiple flyers offering to buy our house daily until the very day the South Slope downzoning went into effect. Much more paper than the restaurant flyers. All of a sudden it stopped once the zoning changed. Surprise, surprise. Now the occasional broker letter doesn't bother me, but I can't imagine they drum up much business that way.
Posted by: slopefarm at January 25, 2008 12:06 PM
"why is everyone so offended by postcards/mailers from brokers?"
In my neighborhood, PLG, one reason might be a carry-over from the bad olds days of block-busting in the 50s and 60s. Although this was stopped, in part because of a non-solicitation order from the NY Sec. of State's office, memories are long. When I bought my house in the mid-70s the non-solicitation order had been effect for a long time and block-busting was a memory, but a lot of hostility to brokers remained. In Lefferts Manor, at least, neighbors would get angry when brokers posted "for sale" signs which were not "the custom" in LM [I'm not sure if that started when LMA was founded in 1919 or if it was a reaction to later blockbusting, but it continued through the early '90s or later, long after the non-solicitation order was lifted].
The bad feelings towards brokers never extended to those who actually lived in the neighborhood and FWIW, those individuals are still the most successful here.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at January 25, 2008 1:01 PM
Bob, while I often enjoy the historical info you and Nostalgic supply, I think you are two of a very small number whose memories extend that far back. I don't think the resentment is a carryover because few on this blog were even close to being alive back then, let alone old enough to get the mail and read it.
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 1:55 PM
My friend and his wife sent letters to all the homeowners who are part of a homeowners association near Wave Hill in Riverdale which they wanted to live in. Needless to say, they bought a beuatiful house on a large piece of property 4 years ago after one of the owners wanted to sell and contacted them directly
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 2:31 PM
People don't like the realtor solicitations because it insults their intelligence. Nobody hires a broker off a tacky flyer stuck in their door.
I would not be offended by a personal letter from an individual, though. I used to see those in CA in my old neighborhood a lot, b/c a lot of older homeowners were selling and the neighborhood was changing over and getting hot. (I was one of the first newer younger homeowners on the block.) I think if a homeowner were thinking about selling sometime soon, but were wary about the market, and procrastinating b/c of the whole PITA of cleaning up a house to show to buyers, they'd call you if they got a personal letter like that.
I wouldn't target a whole block with generic letters though. Research people's names and how long they've lived there on Streeteasy or Property Shark, and write a genuine, personalized letter. Don't give a hard sell, just say you love the neighborhood and are looking for a home and "let me take you to lunch, let's talk".
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 3:38 PM
"Essentially your saying "I am offering you a chance of saving a 6% broker fee""
i am offering you the chance to not have your price bid up higher than 6% of asking.
goes both ways.
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 4:13 PM
True, 4:13, in a hotter market. But when there are no multiple offers on anything now even in prime neighborhoods, if offered a no-broker deal I myself would take the savings of the broker commission instead of gambling on getting more than one offer. Especially when you're talking about an elderly seller who has not renovated the property recently. Those houses need a lot of work and do not attract multiple offers. These are the houses that don't show well either, so a one-on-one deal with someone who has sent a letter, that could be ideal for an elderly seller. The seller should hire a good RE attorney though to do the deal and supervise things.
Posted by: guest at January 25, 2008 4:39 PM
1:55,
I'm sure you're right when you write "I think you are two of a very small number whose memories extend that far back. I don't think the resentment is a carryover because few on this blog were even close to being alive back then, let alone old enough to get the mail and read it", but I was writing about resentment in my own neighborhood where newcomers are often brought up to speed by old farts like me.
In the mean time, that reminds me of what it was like when I was a boy and I walked barefoot to school, in the snow, uphill both ways....:-)
Posted by: Bob Marvin at January 25, 2008 4:42 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.