brtlmj's Discussions

Some time ago I was selling a car. A potential buyer wanted me to pay for replacement tires/brake pads. I politely explained that it was the first day on the market and three other buyers were coming to see the car... and that was it. Had the car been on the market for a month, I would have negotiated.

"Some people hate negotiating and believe in trying to be fair from the beginning." Yep - I would be likely to make an offer at what I consider to be a fair price, and the stick to it.

"...and college towns are supposed to hold their values better." I expect to see the exact opposite. You would not believe how many people bought houses for their student kids instead of paying for rentals. They are/will be strongly motivated to sell when the kid graduates.

I would not care about what you paid for the home over thirty years ago. I would use pre-bubble comparables instead.

There are funds that invest in gold - that's probably the easiest way for a private investor to buy gold. A word of caution - I would not bet my house (literally) on a single asset.

"...where someone pointed out a good deal for other buyers to check out." And why is it this way? Think. Hint: it's not because we are mean people who don't want others to get a good deal.

"had another couple coming by later today with a serious offer" What about "thanks for telling me that, I am not interested in houses where there is competition"? :)

"Where's the shame???" Gone. I know personally a couple who did exatly that - bought a new house and let the bank foreclose on their old one. They don't seem to be ashamed.

"Maybe these electric heaters are more efficient, but I'd want to see proof. " Electric heaters are 100% efficient - they convert all the power to heat :-) If you burn anything, quite a bit of heat escapes through a chimney. This is not to say that electric heat is better - it simply moves losses to the power plant side of the wire.

I have always thought that - while not exactly comparable to "normal" sales - foreclosures nicely balance incentives offered bu some sellers and builders.