A colleague coined the phrase, "Today's seller was not yesterday's picky buyer." The intent behind her statement rang true. Many home sellers in today's real estate market purchased in the feeding frenzy years. They weren't given the option of choosing between many houses. If they breathed one time too many, the house was sold out from under them. As a result, many purchased homes without having the leisure to shop, without the privilege of asking the seller to make repairs, and sometimes without even having a buyers' inspection. Today's seller had to beg and plead and coax yesterday's seller into choosing them to buy their house. Today's seller didn't dare be a picky home buyer because yesterday's seller would have told them to take a hike.
Today's St. Paul seller (yesterday's "unpicky" buyer) doesn't want to hear, "Fix this and this and this and this. Don't forget that little hole in the front screen door. And, oh, by the way, I also want you to pay closing costs and to close on June 30 (a month later than the seller wanted)." Had today's seller asked these things when they were a buyer of yesterday, yesterday's seller would have responded with, "Next". They would have lost the house. Today's seller was the buyer of yesterday that had to give concessions.
Today's seller proclaims, "It's unfair. I gave concessions when I bought and now I have to give concessions when I sell! There's something wrong with this picture!" Having a pity party is okay. Whine a little, but don't kick any holes in your walls or doors, or your house won't sell. When the pity party is done, remember the goal: to sell the house without losing your shirt! Complain as much as desired, but fix the screen door. It's not fair to give concessions on both the buying and the selling of a house, but life is not fair. Those of us old enough to purchase a home have already learned this lesson. Fix the screen. Pay the closing costs. Give the washer and dryer with the sale. Move on and become one of today's home buyers . . . one of the picky ones and ask for your own concessions!
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