A search with a specific priority
My buyer wanted a particular kind of kitchen layout. During our search, we identified a modern condominium building in Dogpatch whose kitchens fit what he had in mind. Several months later, an owner in that building decided to sell without a listing agent.
The sellers held their only open house on New Year’s Eve. For my client, that unusual timing presented an opportunity. We attended, evaluated the home, and submitted a full-asking-price offer. The sellers accepted.
The work beyond the offer
Getting into contract was only the beginning. Without a listing agent, the sellers were unfamiliar with several of the steps and documents needed to move the transaction forward.
I spent time helping them understand how to obtain condominium documents and the natural hazard disclosure report, how to open escrow, and which disclosure forms they needed to complete and provide to my buyer. My responsibility remained to my client.
A home worth the extra effort
This took considerably more coordination than a conventional purchase. But passing over the property simply because it required extra work would not have served my client’s interests. He ended up with a home he loved.
Sometimes a promising opportunity is the complicated one, the unusually marketed one, or the one others are not paying much attention to. Recognizing it is only the first step. Following through is the rest of the job.
What to take away
The home my client wanted, at the accepted asking price.
An unconventional sale still calls for careful evaluation and appropriate documentation. The goal is not to skip the details, but to do the work necessary to understand them.
Buying a condo: look beyond the unit →Edited from Tim’s account for clarity and client privacy. Transaction dates and identifying details are omitted. This is a past client experience, not a guarantee of similar results or advice about a particular contract.