Foreclosure Flu Sickens Many
INDUSTRY NEWS, SHASTA COUNTY, TIPS FOR BUYERS
May 13th, 2009
Forget about swine flu or its proper name H1N1 flu, foreclosure flu is sweeping the country! What is it you ask? Any seasoned real estate agent can tell you stories about homes that never should have been placed up for sale. These homes will gag you before you swing the door fully open!
Every so often, I will show or preview a home that makes me ask myself “Who could live in this filth?” This question is being asked more and more frequently due to the sharp increase in the number of foreclosures. Some homeowners went out of their way to spread human and animal waste on walls and floors and cleverly figured a way to shoot it on the ceilings. Prospective buyers grab their shirt sleeve transforming it into a mask to breathe but smartly exit the home quickly, anxious to get as far away as possible. Needless to say a sale is not made. Eventually the home sells for much less than it should, hurting neighborhood property values.
Worse yet are the homes we see that were not trashed by the occupants on their way out the door but appear to have gotten into their current state after years of hard living. How can people live and breathe the stench? Had I ever seen kids living in such squalor, I would make an urgent call to CPS to effect a rescue. The shear number of foreclosures has allowed Realtors to see first-hand how many fellow residents live, for better or worse. In some cases, it’s downright disgusting.
Some believe real estate agents should not allow homes to be listed for sale if buyers will flee with a case of foreclosure flu. This is when the smell is so disgusting you become instantly sick to your stomach. Other symptoms include puking on the lawn before jumping in my car as I burn rubber while peeling out of the driveway!
Thankfully, California disclosure laws require real estate agents make a diligent visual inspection inside and out of every home they list or sell. Other states lack this law, so many agents list foreclosures sight unseen. This dramatically increases the chances of catching foreclosure flu!
530-224-6767 or 530-941-7492
BRAD GARBUTT
REALTOR/BROKER ASSOCIATE
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GMAC
CORNER OF COURT AND PLACER
QUARTER CENTURY LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE
