I wish I could control the world, but it turns out I can’t. And with lots of variables outside my control, we do our best in this crazy real estate arena to minimize risk and manage expectations.
But unforeseen things still happen to people, to properties, to, well, everything.
And that’s why - all other things being equal - it’s always in the seller’s interest to close sooner rather than later.
Buyers, property, markets, weather, catastrophes… things happen.
Take buyers, for example. Think what you may, but buyers are people too. And lots of unexpected things happen to people. They may lose their job, get divorced, die, or have to take care of an ailing relative in Kansas. Or even Uruguay.
If we are selling a single-family house on your behalf, bad things could also happen to your house. It could flood, require a new furnace, leak from the roof, or even catch fire.
If we are selling your condo, the association could levy an unexpected ginormous special assessment for tuckpointing or for renovating all the common areas. Or the absent-minded owners directly upstairs from you left their condo with tub running, flooding your own apartment, while they raced to the airport to catch a trans-Atlantic flight.
Then there are existential crises: political, weather-related, stock plunges, the list goes on and on. And I’ve seen them all.
Any and all of these events could significantly impact your ability to sell or close, throwing a (huge) wrench in your plans, at a minimum.
Even though this may not be the feel-good message y’all were hoping for today, the direction is clear: if you have a choice, get your place on the market, closed, with the money in your bank account.
The sooner, the better.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Brad
