So, check it out, I had this total nightmare experience with buying a house that I gotta tell you about. This seller was straight-up shady and clearly didn’t wanna sell their place. Turns out, they were probably being forced by the bank to sell it. They pulled all sorts of sneaky moves to keep buyers confused and stall the process. Trust me, don’t get caught up in their games.
The house itself was a typical 1.5-level single-family home from the ’90s in Federal Way, WA. Seemed alright at first glance, but I was surprised it had been up for sale for over four months. Anyway, things started off smoothly. We were ready to drop all cash on this place, and our offer, $18K below asking price based on our agent’s advice, got accepted quick.
But then the drama began. During the inspection, we found out that some of the appliances listed, like the dishwasher and washing machine, had mysteriously disappeared. And don’t get me started on the so-called “renovated” kitchen—it was a disaster waiting to happen, with shelves barely hanging on. When we asked for repairs, the sellers flat-out refused. They did agree to knock $5K off the price, which we reluctantly took.
The real bombshell came just before closing. Turns out, the seller hadn’t paid a hefty $15K chunk of their mortgage for nearly a year. That revelation turned our deal into a short sale and threw a wrench in our plans. Desperate to make it work, we offered to throw in an extra $15K to help the seller close the deal. But guess what? They still wouldn’t sign the paperwork. Their excuse? They suddenly didn’t wanna sell because they had nowhere else to go. Seriously?!
Later, we found out they hadn’t even paid for the crummy renovations they did. It was clear they never cared about anyone else in this whole process—talk about selfish, right? Looking back, it’s obvious their whole game was to mess around with the lender, pretending to sell while dodging any real commitment. They hid their mortgage mess and ghosted us on closing day. What a mess.
I hope by sharing this wild ride, it helps others steer clear of sketchy sellers like this. Keep your eyes peeled, folks, and don’t let anyone pull the wool over your eyes when it comes to buying a home.