FlipperToolbox

It is always a heartbreaking story when buyers and their agents put in all their effort and don’t end up getting the house they wanted. I recently experienced this first-hand, and it was certainly an emotional roller-coaster.

My buyer’s agent was an all-around great guy; a family man with two kids and a nice house in the suburbs. He was patient, smart, and a pleasure to work with. I had no regrets in picking him as my buyer’s agent. We did our best and he did his best to take us to see houses all over the St. Louis metro area, from Columbia to Edwardsville to Valley Park to St. Charles. Unfortunately, in the end, we couldn’t make it across the finish line. We lost offer after offer. After this, we had to pause our search, and my buyer’s agent was left with nothing despite doing his best.

I know this feeling all too well, as a few years ago I showed over 100 houses to a couple that ended up buying in another market. This kind of thing happens all too often, and it’s very difficult to come to terms with.

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, there are still a few things you can do to show your appreciation to your buyer’s agent. First, be sure to refer him to friends and family whenever you can. Also, when you’re ready to search for a house again, don’t forget to pick your buyer’s agent back up. Lastly, leave them a phenomenal review on Google and their Facebook page that highlights their patience and willingness to go the extra mile.

Being a buyer’s agent is a tough job, and it’s always disappointing to not be able to help your clients land the house they wanted. However, I know from my own experience that it’s also incredibly rewarding, and I’ll always be grateful for the effort my buyer’s agent put forth on my behalf. For example, I was given a referral for a couple who got 60 thousand dollars cash for eminent domain (their house was demoed for a public school). I took this couple and their two kids (one of them being a newborn) to over 20 homes in less than a week, and they eventually chose the one they wanted. We closed in just three weeks. It was a great story, and I’m so thankful for all the hard work my buyer’s agent put in.

No matter the outcome, it’s always important to show your appreciation for your buyer’s agent. Offer referrals whenever you can, and leave them a great review that highlights their patience and hard work. They may not have been able to get you the house you wanted, but that doesn’t take away from all their effort.

They were visiting from out of town that needed a place to stay b/c they missed their flight. So they put them up in my place. They didn’t even ask me about it.

Moving out of my condo a couple weeks ago, I left behind a bed, living room furniture, some TVs, and four cameras, one for each room. We are under contract to sell the condo but not closing until July 15th.

Imagine my surprise when I received notifications this morning that someone had entered the condo around 12:30AM last night. After reviewing the footage, I found that a couple in their early to mid twenties had come in with suitcases. Within minutes, they were walking around the condo, completely nude. Their stay lasted about two hours, and at no point did it appear that they had gone to sleep.

At first, I assumed they had used the condo for a hookup spot. However, it seemed more likely that they had simply dropped in for a shower and then left. During their stay, they discovered the cameras I had scattered around the condo, and spoke with my agent on the phone. I’m sure my agent instructed them to unplug the bedroom camera and turn the living room camera around, which they did, but left the kitchen camera alone.

My agent then called me this morning to explain the situation. It turned out they were friends of theirs who had missed their flight and were in need of a place to stay. Without even asking me, my agent had put them up in my condo.

I’m still baffled as to how they didn’t notice the cameras when they first came in. Regardless, I’m glad the situation was resolved, and that my agent made sure their friends were taken care of. It’s a reminder that sometimes we need to step in and help out our friends in need, even if it means using our own place.

It’s no secret that the recent rate hikes have had a huge impact on the housing market. In just one year, for the same house, mortgage prices have gone up by 70%, just as they should. Despite this, prices and inventories still remain the same, leaving buyers with little choice but to pay $25K over asking and compete with multiple offers.

So why hasn’t the market shifted? We can start with the fact that a large percentage of people have mortgages at or below 4%. This means that unless a major life event forces them to, they’re unlikely to sell. But there are other factors in play, too. Unemployment is incredibly low, allowing people to find remote work, and many are supplementing their incomes with side hustles. On top of this, many are willing to be house poor in order to buy the house and location they want right now, banking on the hope that they can refinance.

All of this has made it difficult for first-time homebuyers who don’t want to be house poor, as it’s hard to find a house in the city or suburbs. But with some smart decisions, it can still be done.

away within a month of each other and the house was left to the girlfriend. The guy we were going to buy it from was never able to get it in his name and he refused to sign an extension so we had to cancel. We were discouraged but we ended up finding a third house that was better and we got accepted. We got triple the land and it was in our price range. We’re so excited to finally move out of our terrible roommates and have a place to call home.

After two years of searching, my husband and I, both 26 and 33 respectively, were ecstatic when we finally had a seller accept our offer on a house. We were excited to finally move out of our terrible roommates and have a place to call our own. We signed all the papers and our room was full of packed boxes, but only days before closing, we found out the realtor had not made sure the house was in the seller’s name. It turns out the house was left to the seller’s girlfriend by her mother, but they had both passed away in the same month and he thought he had the right to sell it.

We were devastated and started to look for other houses, but the interest rate was higher and there weren’t a lot of options in our price range. We decided to cancel the offer and see if we could do anything about it in court. We were discouraged but our luck changed when we got accepted for a third house with triple the land! We were so excited to finally have a place to call our own and move out of our terrible roommates.

The two-year search was worth it because we were able to find a house that was not only in our price range, but also had triple the land. We are so relieved to have a place to call our own and cannot wait to move in.

Prices have more than doubled in less than a decade, and we’ve been saving our entire marriage. We are still in a good financial position, but the market is way out of reach for us and it’s sad. I feel like our kids are going to pay the price for our generation’s fiscal irresponsibility.

I feel like I’m living in a nightmare. My family and I are so lucky to have a home, but I’m worried about the future of my kids. When we got married we made the responsible decision to buy a starter home for $200,000. Although the square footage is livable, the lot size is tiny.

Back then, the McMansions in our neighborhood were selling for $350,000 to $400,000. I’m an engineer and I make a good salary, so we’ve been able to save around 25% of our income. After all these years, we are finally in a position to upgrade, but it would take us making a terrible financial decision to do it.

We’d love to have a bigger house or a bigger lot with a view, but it’s not even possible. The same McMansions that were selling for $400,000 are now selling for over $700,000 and they come with a fraction of the lot size. Prices have more than doubled in less than a decade and we were doing the right thing by saving our entire marriage. We’re still in a good financial position, but the market is way out of reach for us and that’s really sad. I can’t help but think that my kids will have to pay for the financial irresponsibility of our generation.

a stoner.

If you’re looking to stand out in a competitive housing market, you may have considered the idea of listing your home for an unorthodox asking price. While putting your home on the market for $420,069 may seem like a funny joke, it’s important to consider the potential implications before doing so.

When it comes to buying or selling a home, you must consider the practical implications of your decisions. For example, you may need to explain why you chose this price to potential buyers and their agents, which could be an awkward conversation. Additionally, it’s possible that your appraisal could come back at the exact same price, meaning you’d be on the hook for the remaining 69 dollars.

That being said, there are creative ways you can list your home to stand out in the market. For example, you could advertise a grow closet if you live in an area where marijuana is legal. Additionally, if you live in a younger part of town with tech-savvy couples, you may be able to attract more buyers and a higher asking price.

When I bought my first home many years ago, I bid $777,777 and won, so there is definitely precedent for this type of strategy. However, you must also consider how your listing will be perceived by potential buyers. My husband is a realtor, and when I asked his opinion on this, he said he wouldn’t advise it as he didn’t understand the joke of 42069 and his first thought was that you were stoners who smoked in the house.

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you want to list your home for $420,069. While it could draw attention to your listing, it could also raise some eyebrows. Weigh the pros and cons before making your decision, and if you do decide to go ahead, make sure you’re prepared to explain why you chose this price.

I’ve had my home for seven years and the bathroom has never been modified until now. These concentric rings have suddenly started appearing on the wall, and I can’t scrub them away with soap and water. I’m wondering if the prior owner painted rings on the wall and then painted over them, and the original paint is finally starting to show through. I want to make sure there’s not some weird type of mold that makes concentric patterns or something else, since it’s in the bathroom.

I figured I should get a moisture meter and take some readings, just to be on the safe side. It might turn out to have nothing to do with the rings, but at least I’ll have a moisture meter for future use. To me, the rings look like a spray paint pattern, so I’m guessing somebody spray painted the walls and then painted over it.

I’m also wondering if the walls are interior or exterior walls. If they’re exterior, do I hear anything in the walls, like bees or other insects? Could the sun be reflecting off of something during the day and casting the shadows of the rings onto the wall? The shadows look very similar, with the same 7 and 10 o’clock dark spots. I’m thinking that this might be a portal to another dimension! I’m sure I’ll have to complete a task or retrieve certain elements to activate it. Have I missed anything?

Living in a dry basin, Phoenix, Arizona is facing a unique challenge when it comes to water and development. With ground water being the primary source of water for the city, the city has been forced to restrict building permits due to a lack of water. This has sent developers and planning groups scrambling to find and buy water for projects.

As a resident of a completely different part of the country, I often wonder how Phoenix manages to sustain growth with such limited water resources. To make matters worse, Phoenix’s water use is around double that of New York City, but with less people.

This brings up the question of what long-term implications this could have on the housing market, both positive and negative. If developers are unable to secure enough water to support projects, there could be a decrease in the supply of housing, which could lead to a rise in prices. On the other hand, if news of the lack of water gets out, it could deter people from moving to the area, which would also lead to a decrease in supply.

So what measures is the city taking to address the water shortage? For starters, Phoenix has implemented a tiered water rate system, which charges residents higher rates for higher water use. This incentivizes lower water use and could help to reduce the amount of water used in the city. Additionally, the city has implemented water-efficient building codes, which require developers to meet certain standards for water efficiency.

At the end of the day, it’s up to the city of Phoenix to decide between agricultural use and people use when it comes to water. There is no easy answer, but with smarter building codes and incentives for water conservation, the city could make a positive impact on water use in the area.

It’s easy to be taken in by a beautiful home, especially when the asking price is lower than expected. That’s exactly what happened to us when we recently put in an offer on a house that had sold just two to three years ago. The price had surged by 38 to 40%, but the home had only seen some surface updates like an updated wet bar and a fancy foyer chandelier. Since the house was 40 years old, we asked upfront about the condition of the roof, windows, AC, and water heater. We were assured that all was in good condition with the roof having been recently inspected and found in good shape. The windows were supposedly replaced as needed and the AC and water heater were supposedly in good condition.

Unfortunately, our inspection report told a different story. The roof was showing signs of advanced aging, moss growth, and heavy deterioration. One HVAC system was beyond its life expectancy and it seemed like no maintenance had been done in ages. The other HVAC was at the 20 year mark. We also found mouse droppings in the basement and some windows were literally rotting from the inside.

This experience serves as a gentle reminder that it’s essential to never skip the home inspection no matter how charming or seemingly perfect a house might be. If we hadn’t had an inspection, we would have been unaware of the issues within the home. In the end, we decided to back out of the offer instead of trying to negotiate as we felt the house was already overpriced.

I was recently dumbfounded when I found out that a townhome costing $350,000 with homeowners association (HOA) fees included was only going to cost $3,800 total. I thought I had an above-average income at $120,000, yet I couldn’t even afford this. Was everybody making a lot more money than me, or what was the deal? It turns out, it’s all about the interest rates. Even a quarter point can make a huge difference, and when rates are multiple points higher than they were this time last year, purchasing power is greatly reduced. Furthermore, home prices haven’t dropped in correlation with rate hikes like many people expected, making it almost impossible for many to afford a decent home. It’s a tough time to be in the market right now, so just be patient.

I know this firsthand, as I took out a $420,000 mortgage a couple of years ago with no HOA fees, but my monthly payment is $2,600 and that already includes taxes and insurance. At the time, I was only making $120,000, but even that wasn’t enough. I’m seeing a real increase in multigenerational living these days. Even if one person is the one taking out the loan, sometimes they’ll have extended family living with them and helping to cover the mortgage. I have some neighbors around the corner who are doing just that – there’s so many of them that they can’t even fit all their cars in the driveway, and they’re blocking the sidewalk. Roommates are also a common solution, as having dual incomes has changed the game.

At the end of the day, your HOA fees really do make a difference in how much you’re paying for a home. It’s important to do your research and find a home that you can afford while still living comfortably.