JUST SAY NO!! In Real Estate!. Audra Lambert 2024

[@hipwaders]

Hi Audra, Fabulous video as always. Thank you! I have personally experienced a quite a few of these ‘over the top’ requests when selling a property. You hit the nail on the head….NO!!! In one instance, sold my home in 24 hours of listing it but the buyers were knocking at my door ‘unaccompanied’ by their agent nearly every other day… wanting to have their carpenter measure for additional cabinetry, wanting another walk-thru to take measurements for their future vision. Silly me, I allowed their cabinetry guy to come in the one time to help their project along but then they were on my doorstep constantly wanting to figure out the Feng Shui etc… Even after calling my realtor to make this nonsense stop, they would not. While packing up the final moving truck, my fiancé and I were having a lunch break on the upper patio/deck…guess who stopped by just wanting to take another peek?🤯 Sorry, NO, you’ll be getting the keys tomorrow (at closing) and we’re pretty busy here today and that’s not going to work. They were both clueless and relentless. Btw, they requested bar stools, upper deck patio furniture and totally freaked out cause I had removed the two plastic Adirondack chairs I had on the lower back patio. Sheesh!!! My now husband and I still have a laugh and shake our heads over this experience 17 years later. Everyone heed Audra’s advice…JUST SAY NO

[@AudraLambert]

Thanks so much for this example. This is exactly what I am talking about. Just say no!!

[@hannahreese1629]

I mean really! They are buying your house, not moving in with you! I even had to be firm with a neighbor like this one time 😮😮

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

Asians?

[@deborahpondermance2795]

When I so.d my last home, the buyer wanted everything and wanted it for free- area rugs, patio furniture, lawnmower, and other items. My answer was a resounding NO!

[@lindascull6327]

I'm not planning on buying or selling but I just adore your videos you're so so inspirational, knowledgeable, relatable and I could go on and on❤

[@rayzimmerman2242]

Say no to unreasonable low ball offers. We had inherited property, house in poor shape; realtor involved told us to sell now, bad neighborhood, get rid of it now, take the cash offer at 30% under value and get out of it now. Would rather had demolished the house and keep the land. Say NO to overpriced house. Saw property with house in poor shape; offered its value at $150K, owner/realtor insisted on $285K. House sat unsold 18 months, finally sold at the right priced $150K. If making all cash offer, say NO to sellers request to see your bank statement to prove you have the cash. Show your bank statement to YOUR realtor, let him write a letter to seller confirming you have the purchase price available on hand. Do not let seller have advantage of knowing you have more money available.

[@12567NoYouCannot]

GREAT ADVICE.

[@glorytoukraine619]

Thank you for all your videos. We have just sold the house. Your suggestions were always very helpful. We wish you a lot of new subscribers, to get a Golden button.❤

[@AudraLambert]

Congrats on selling your home!!

[@tinaardo2585]

In the past 6 years I sold 2 houses and bought 2 houses. I so realized that I sold both for less money and paid too much for the ones I bought. I felt pressured to sell quickly and gave the buyers everything they wanted. I’m a single older woman with two cats and a puppy, lol😅. And btw, I had no pets until after the closings.

[@DoesntMatter-i6h]

So true, realtors are really good at saying, "no." Me: "Can you explain to me how much more work you do on a $450,000 sale than a $350,000 sale to justify the extra $3,000 commission?" Realtor: "No." Me: "My mechanic doesn't charge me based on how much my car is worth, only parts and labor. Can you charge a similar fee?" Realtor: "No." Me: "Can I have an itemized invoice for your services?" Realtor: "No." Me: "Can I realistically sell without paying the buyer's agent's fee, even though that's not required by law?" Realtor: "No." Me: "Is the commission fee truly negotiable?" Realtor: "No." Me: "Is there any way the America can get passed this antiquated and over-priced method of selling a home?" Realtor: "No."

[@georgewengler5396]

Real estate agents and brokers are a true scam. My wife is a realtor and she is the first one that would agree with that. Back before the Internet realtors actually did a lot of legwork. Today it's all online. All sales should be between a buyer and seller, NO middleman (agents and brokers), use a title agency for paperwork. Period.

[@kutatm]

You forgot to point out the rest of the world’s RE fees are much much lower.

[@rayo1371]

An industry that is fighting tooth and nail to hang onto those egregious fees ..

[@annebrandrud447]

@@kutatmReally? Where?

[@annebrandrud447]

Thank you Does it Matter? Sellers r still expected to pay for “the opposing counsel”…buyer agents. Ea should pay their own.

[@ZER0_G]

This is my favorite video about No. Watching this as a buyer and learning some things about reasonable requests. Side note: not 100% sure this is true, but I read somewhere that when Astronaut John Glenn got a surprise visit from the Vice President, he still asked his wife first if the VP could enter the house. He walked out to the motorcade, told the VP that he had to ask her, then he asked her, and she said yes. I'm taking that as an example.

[@AudraLambert]

Good comment...love the example. Appreciate it. Glad yo like the video!

[@gardengirl6636]

You videos are very helpful and MUCH APPRECIATED 😍 Thank you!

[@homeloveeverything2932]

Good advice, but years ago (when the world seemed safer) I was one of those who saw a beautiful house for sale, knocked on the door and asked if I could look at it, and the owner let me in and showed me their house. What’s funny is even though I didn’t buy the house, the owner and I became best friends.

[@12567NoYouCannot]

Your is a Sweet Story. I've never owned a home and I am too Poor to ever Buy a Home, but I understand where the Lady who made this Video is Coming from; I understood her Points Very Well.

[@imalivinintexas]

Not only “No”, but “Hell No” Ms. Audra. Happy October gal !

[@AudraLambert]

Happy October to you too!!

[@ashleaspruce8185]

Furnitures are okay to not to say no especially if you’re moving in to a smaller house . The buyer of my previous home requested the dining room, living room and some patio furnitures and my husband and I happily agreed as we inherited furnitures from the previous owner of the home we moved in.

[@thomasreedy4751]

She didn’t necessarily say no to that, she said not apart of the sales agreement.

[@kelleywyskiel3478]

I’m the no person and my agent and my husband overrule me and it’s always backfired on them every time. Now we’re into two mortgages after the buyer I said absolutely not to suddenly dipped saying there to many major issues in the inspection. I’ll get back to that because ur house is actually extremely well maintained and updated comfortably. They took weeks back and forth deciding if they wanted to make an offer and our agent kept holding off others for them while I said no, keep showing the house please. Then they kept rescheduling and canceling showing over and over again then would show up 39 40 60 minutes late. Then it was we really want to make an offer but we’re having an emotional time about moving out of the home we’re in. I’ll do it next week because my husband is out of town for the week. Then the offer but with a list of nearly all of my furnishings and personal items. Family heirlooms from several generations etc. also a contingency of selling their home which was not even staged photographed or ready to list. In the same 3 month plus market we’re in so I was like oh hello no. Petty me started removing the staged furniture my agent and buyers agents kept telling people they can have with an offer. What I said was. I will leave the items I’m happy to include but not as part of negotiations. Buy my house, I’m not having a garage sale with it. Half of the amount of things we had on the list to the house we said yes to and negotiated through and are very happy in. Oddly the majority were incorrect and I went through to show my agent, no this window is definitely not painted shut here watch me open it. No this does not have a near or need to be update we literally replaced the sinks within the last year. Anyways. Now we’re asking for an investor to just take it because we absolutely can’t keep up with two large mortgages and twice the amount of utilities as well as landscaping ,cleaning services, and going down a list of about 40 things making sure we do our best to ensure nothing on the inspection has been ignored. I live in my dream home three cities away and am driving 100 plus miles a day several days a week to deal with the for sale house. My home is ridiculous because I can’t have my personal things. I had to steal my custom made dining room table just to have a flipping table. I want to set up my guest room, finish my dining room, put my toiletries in my vanity, sit on my patio furniture and light the outdoor fire. But now, my agent want to have an outdoor evening open house because stupid me said wouldn’t it be cool to have a s’mores on the patio open house event so I can’t even take anything out of the yard and bring it home with me. Do I honestly respect and adore my agent? Yes I really do. Did I say don’t contract anyone longer than three months so we can figure out how we want to do this if the house is still unsold? Yes I did. But we’re locked in for 6 months and getting emotional about all the stress. lol. No ones really showing up to the opens which are oddly missing signage on the two very main roads that lead into our street. We might get one showing a week, we’ve cut the price 27k. I’ve done all the things I’m asked even when I really don’t agree with it. Now I just….want my things out and to have this gorgeous house become someone else’s happy new memories to create in. Thanks for letting me rant. Your videos give me great validation and guidance. I need someone willing to just tell me the things instead of being passive aggressive because I just get frustrated when I’m the let’s not, but I’m willing to be open to consider any and all offers : she’s the but they’re perfect for this home let’s give them a chance, then they back out and cancel a sketchy contract and I say, I was kinda expecting this sadly but I hope they find what they’re hoping for and she says, yeah I had a feeling they would back out too but I was being hopeful. 😮 what?

[@Ms.Merotica]

Your viewer's comments are good examples of how things went bad when the sellers didn't say NO. Smart. Insightful. Eye-opening. Thanks to you and your subscribers who take time to share details.

[@mplate1792]

With an eye toward your next video.... When I sold my house, I specified that they NOT put a for-sale sign in my yard, and that they NOT send a mailing out to all my neighbors announcing the listing. Realtor said my requests were unusual. But it sold quickly.

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

Some communities do not allow 'For Sale' signs. Mine will only allow signage for an Open House. I'm finding there are pros and cons to this.

[@RG-hf4et]

II also would not want a for sale sign in front of my house. And if there was an open house, I would specify no neighbors. They lie & say things like my niece is looking for a home. I already happened to me. They are just being nosey!!!

[@lynnvarner5383]

​@@RG-hf4etguilty... We sold a house in 2005 to build a new house just down the road. When our original house came back up for sale and had an open house I was, heck yeah, and I went to check it out. It was more like a walk down memory lane for me, as I had brought home two babies to that house.!

[@jck642]

I like this idea of no sign & mailings. Why? I have a hostile neighbor who hates my fence, and has stolen my mail. Have the proof on video. Do not want those people including relatives in my house. Don't know how else to keep them out. Thanks for the brilliant idea.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

Your agent was just trying to get your home sold. Sometimes a neighbor would be interested in buying your home, or they have a relative who might be interested.

[@ColleenSalomon]

Extremely helpful! Thank you so much!

[@zakkaryzoah1386]

Love your videos and your laugh. Thanks for the education.

[@AudraLambert]

So glad I make you laugh. Always good to laugh and learn. Thanks for the comment.

[@nickc3856]

Me, screaming "NOOOO!!" at the open house to no one in particular, startling and confusing everyone there:

[@jannekh2]

😂😂😂

[@nancydrew52]

She wasn't talking about an open house situation.

[@TheInterwebzMan]

Nancydrew52 whoooosh

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

I had a Buyer request an extension on the due diligence period by one week. My disabled husband and I agreed as a courtesy. As a result, we put off the packing that I was doing singlehandedly. When I then requested the courtesy of another 24-hours after Closing to vacate, Buyer had the gaul to say, No! Lesson learned.

[@katrinaanglemier8792]

Our realtor wanted us to leave our TV Refrigerator and portable shed and ring all in the price?

[@AudraLambert]

Ugh...so sorry to hear that.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

The buyers would have been stupid to allow you to remain in possession after close. They own the house but you're still there and might refuse to move out, forcing them to have to evict you. What you should have done is move the closing date instead with possession at close.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@katrinaanglemier8792 What ring? Maybe he knew the buyer wanted those things and was trying to close the deal. It's all negotiable.

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

You are correct. However, after ALL of the considerations extended to the Buyers, we should have been allowed to rent it back for 24-hours. After all, at that point it really was just a matter of dusting and vacuuming for the Buyers' benefit. ​@@DailyStalkerUpdate

[@TheThomasMom]

We listed our house 3 days ago, we’ve had lots of drive by requests to see the house, the answer is always no. Also, thank you for your advice, so far we are getting lots of traffic and hope to get offers soon! The new realtor commission rules have complicated things a bit!

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

Wait. What? You're turning away potential buyers?

[@susanpera2131]

@@DailyStalkerUpdateyou need to show the house to qualified buyers only. By qualified I mean they have been pre- approved for a mortgage. No sense in wasting time letting strangers in.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@susanpera2131 That's one way to do it. Do you know what an open house is? It's letting unqualified strangers in your home. Are you opposed to that too?

[@dpej5167]

​@@DailyStalkerUpdate And many home owners refuse open houses for the same reason. It attracts thieves and looky loos. A single estate agent is often not enough to protect the home from theft or damage. Serious buyers consult their real estate agent and are escorted by a professional. Or they can look on real estate websites, of which there are many including videos, and see everything they need to know there first. You're not turning away buyers. You are protecting your investment. Also, why should I be at some strangers beck and call every hour of the day when my house might not be view ready, let alone myself. In today's climate you're just as likely to risk a home invasion as you are to entertain a legitimate buyer. Why would you ever do that?

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@dpej5167 Most open houses are with emptied-out houses. Nobody's going to steal anything. "Serious buyers consult their real estate agent and are escorted by a professional." Not always. I represent myself. I'm a serious cash buyer. I don't need an agent. I had a sales license myself. You never know who's going to buy. "Also, why should I be at some strangers beck and call every hour of the day when my house might not be view ready, let alone myself." You answer the door and schedule an appointment at a later day if you're not prepared. Do I really have to explain this to you?

[@DeanDecoursey]

I’m still about 2 years away from selling my house and I love your videos. I am a hardwood flooring contractor. I can attest to not working on a house when hired by the buyer before closing. I did it once, early in my career (maybe 40 years ago). NEVER AGAIN!

[@AudraLambert]

Thanks so much for sharing. I am sure it was not fun.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

Her advice is from the viewpoint of the seller, not the contractor. What was the problem for you?

[@DeanDecoursey]

@@DailyStalkerUpdate Getting paid after the sale of the house didn’t go through. It was only refinishing a family room, maybe 300 square feet. Around $1,000

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@DeanDecoursey You had a contract that said that you only got paid if the sale went through? The person who hired you is on the hook regardless. That's what a contract is for.

[@DeanDecoursey]

@@DailyStalkerUpdate Thanks for explaining that to me. I’ve only been in business for 45 years. I was good friends with the realtor and the buyer made it clear that they were not paying me and that it would be an ordeal to get paid. I told the realtor that, to make it up to me, she could get me a couple of flooring jobs of decent size over the following year, which she did. Almost all of my clients since 1980 were referrals. I did no advertising, so I got few deadbeat clients. The only thing that this particular job taught me was to get at least a 50% deposit on refinishing jobs and 70% on installations. In over 45 years in business, I never had or wanted contracts. I just kept track of additions to estimates and had the client sign off on them.

[@ivanrodriguez268]

So sad to hear your wedding ring was stolen. How horrible for someone to steal that whoever did that is cursed and will never find love now... anyway here is a little story: My mother and I were purchasing a home in Houston back in 2016 and we really liked one because it had gorgeous large oaks in the front. We were cash buyers and everything went great until closing. The realtor took us one last time to see it on the day of closing an hour before all parties were going to meet at the title company's office where we were going to close (we insisted to see it one last time since we saw it a couple of weeks before and just wanted to make sure) and thank goodness for that because guess what? the oaks were removed! It was the saddest thing! All that was left were the stumps and some leaves on the ground which meant they must had done that a couple days before... It even smelled like wood and sawdust... There was a plumbing issue with the roots and the owner of the house instead of fixing the plumbing just had the trees removed... we backed out last minute. The owners were there at the office with their realtor and got really upset that we backed out but I specifically told OUR realtor we were looking for a home with old trees. I understand people love to cut trees in Houston but that's not our vibe at all. The owners couldnt understand why we were not thankful the trees were removed lol they were in another room but I could see them through the glass that separated it and they were so angry it was crazy! My mom cried as she really liked the house and we had already celebrated with champagne for it! There were a LOT of emotions that day and a lot of back and forth as they were trying to convince us NOT to back out yet they DID NOT fix the plumbing issue, they said cutting the trees would fix the problem. They said we could plant new trees but they didnt even remove the stumps and I would have to wait 30 plus years for oaks to get that large! NO. Also, the house was super hot from the sun now hitting it directly lol we couldn't even be inside for more than 5 minutes, the walls were even hot to the touch and they were not before as the trees shaded most of the house before. The AC was on and the thermostat was all the way down to 50 and it was still hot inside that house... This is Houston, hot and humid makes people go mad so HELL NO! Like you say on your video. The worse thing of all though! We did not get our earnest money back! We also had paid for an expensive inspector who did find the plumbing issues. So, I wish realtors communicated better about this. We were very specific to our realtor about trees and our realtor didnt even mention that to the owners realtor... communication is key here! I heard the house didnt sell until after the pandemic...

[@ivanrodriguez268]

Also another thing, I cannot tell you how many realtors we went through for our home purchase because they kept showing us homes with no trees or very young trees. Nice homes with lots of upgrades but we told them trees several times and yet we were taken to new neighborhoods... ugh! Eventually I found the house I liked on my own and called the realtor's number that was on the sign outside and ended up with that one as the one I own now. It is a beautiful 1979 build in a cul de sac and has stunning old oaks. I did not care about upgrades inside of it at the time. I did most of that work myself, it now has new floors, appliances etc. So I did have a happy ending but it was a LOT of work on my own as I drove around several neighborhoods and was going crazy with zillow since I didnt know how updated the pics were! But I found my forever home! I really wish a single realtor would have understood my vision. I need trees to shade the house in the hottest months of the year. My neighbors do keep over-trimming or removing their trees though. It is what it is...people in Houston do that a lot because the roots cause foundation issues BUT I rather deal with foundation issues and have a cool home. At least I got my trees intact which makes me very happy every day. Cheers! And thanks for all you do!

[@AnaTorres-qc7bv]

when we sold our home we received a few all cash , quick closed buyers. We went into contract within 24 hours of going on market. The buyer at sone point ask for a 15K credit so “IF” in the future the sewer line needed replacement. This request is after I paid for a sewer inspection of his choice (his guy) to inspect and it passed with no issues. Hard NO! He wound up buying. Another note, prior to going on market, I hired a home inspection from A-Z so that I can address anything in advance. Basically find it before someeone else does. I was very minor items to address that I would never have thought of.

[@ShadeIsLikely]

The lawn will be mowed within 5 days of closing. The house will be at least “broom clean”. There will not be any code violations. All mechanicals, appliances, electrical will be operational. I will not make any cosmetic changes. No furnishings will remain with the property. You will receive all keys at closing, at which time it is yours to do with as you please.

[@silverhausen]

A long time ago I requested a bunch of small (frivolous?) things in our starter home (that people would never ask for now). We were sinking every spare penny in and I knew we wouldn't be able to do ANYTHING extra for the first few years. One thing I forgot to ask for was a toilet paper roller, and we lived without that for several years! Luckily they really wanted to sell, our offer was reasonable and we were solid buyers, so they did all the fixes I wanted. Sometimes being flexible in the right situation makes sense. When we sold that home the guy that would go on to buy it said he hated the dining light fixture said he didn't want it! It was such a weird thing to do/say that it almost insulted me. In fact, I do regret saying some things to my husband that were negative when touring houses when owners were around, maybe owners shouldn't be around! But if owners are there, couples should be aware not to insult the owner. They might get a lot more big NO's!

[@MaryBethMcCoy]

Owners should NEVER be present at a showing. It is the seller’s realtor job to show the property to potential buyers. That way, everyone is comfortable. Just make sure that no valuables are left out that could potentially be stolen. Your realtor should escort the buyers while they are on the premises to ensure nothing is taken.

[@gingerkilkus]

People will have to accept the possibility that we won't ever return to 3%. If sellers must sell, home prices will have to decline, and lower evaluations will follow. Sure I'm not alone in my chain of thoughts.

[@RaybellarayRay]

Buy now, home prices will not go lower. If rates drop, you can refinance

[@CharlesArthur-fq5sx]

The government will have no choice but to print more notes and lower interest rates.

[@williamDonaldson432]

Well i think, home prices will need to fall by at least 40% before the market normalizes. If you do not know whether to buy a house or not, it is best you seek guidance from a well-experienced advisor for proper portfolio allocation. So far, that’s how I’ve stayed afloat over 5 years now, amassing nearly $1m in return on investments.

[@foreverlaura-fq4eu]

this is quite huge! what have you invested in ? much more info needed please ...I think this is something I should do, but I've been stalling for a long time now. I don't really know which firm to work with; I feel they are all the same but it seems you’ve got it all worked out with the firm you work with so i surely wouldn’t mind a recommendation.

[@foreverlaura-fq4eu]

@@williamDonaldson432 this is quite huge! what have you invested in ? much more info needed please ...I think this is something I should do, but I've been stalling for a long time now. I don't really know which firm to work with; I feel they are all the same but it seems you’ve got it all worked out with the firm you work with so i surely wouldn’t mind a recommendation.

[@johnhahn5196]

Hello Audra, thank you so much for creating these videos, you have taught us so much, we are wiser for it and wish we had “met” you a long time ago. We were an active duty military family for years and have bought and sold many homes. We thought we had seen it all! This year we listed our home, went under contract twice, fell out twice…ouch! The second contract (full price offer) was contingent on the sale of their home (yes, we know now NEVER to do that again) and they failed to sell their home in time to purchase ours. A few weeks after that, they came back with a low ball offer (-$50 thousand!!!) No is a great word 😊

[@AudraLambert]

Oh no! So sorry to hear that. Ugh.

[@deelehey2827]

My son is a very successful agent. I have definitely used him for several transactions. In Florida, most condos are sold fully furnished.

[@RG-hf4et]

Interesting.

[@kt6332]

So funny, thanks! I have no problem saying Nooooo!

[@AudraLambert]

Good. You'll do great!!

[@mikehoyt7592]

As a seller I've had foreigners offer me the tax assessed value of the house and insist that that is the legal maximum as determined by the government. An obvious scam, but I'll bet it works occasionally. As a buyer in OR I was shocked to have the sellers request to occupy the house for a week past closing. My agent insisted this was the local custom, it gives the sellers time to move out once they know the sale is closed. Seemed to me it also gave them time to damage my property, or create a liability for me if they got injured, or who knows what Perfectly willing to say No and walk away

[@johnkatrich2954]

Wish I would have heard this great advice before I had to deal with the obstinate Buyers of my last home. 😁

[@AudraLambert]

Sorry to hear that. Not fun!!

[@BobbieJeanM]

Probably not meant to be but this was so funny! Especially since I was thinking, again, about whether or not to try to sell my house myself. Having watched many of your videos, my plan included not allowing pets or children during views and requiring proof of finance approval prior to the visit!

[@deysiguevara7907]

Thank you Audra, I am a realtor in Tehachapi CA, I learn a lot with your videos.

[@AudraLambert]

Oh good...thanks so much for watching.

[@GailHerdel]

Thank you for all of your videos. I enjoy your tutorials. You are enjoyable to listen to. Hopefully, we will sell quickly 😁 when our home hits the market.

[@jannekh2]

The referral service is fantastic. Kudos to Diana 🎉🎉🎉

[@AudraLambert]

Ahh..thanks for the shout out. She's been doing this for 20+ years.

[@alpha_nerd_2908]

Great video. Cheers from India. Some of these points I'll keep in mind as a Seller, they are applicable here as well.

[@StacyNeal-w4o]

Hello India from Washington State!

[@alpha_nerd_2908]

@@StacyNeal-w4o Hey Stacy, Hope you are doing good!

[@mpierson66]

One time we were negotiating a house and the seller was asking to stay in the house 1 month after closing. We said yes but with a rental contract. Then they said they wanted 3 months instead of one and there we said NO…. So the deal collapsed.

[@AudraLambert]

Sounds like you dodged a bullet. Why does anyone need three months? Its weird buying a new house then have to wait months to get into it. So sorry about that. Hope you found something better.

[@ezc6977]

I waited 6 months to move in. So for seller to get tax advantage. It worked out just fine. Don’t be paranoid ,put it in writing. Use common sense .

[@Chirita008]

This was awesome! I totally agree with ALL your points. If a buyer is truly interested, they will understand. If not, then they are not the buyer for me. 👍

[@createwithconfidence8094]

Great video. We had the unusual long-term contract acceptance to closing. We owned a well-preserved 1925 brick raised ranch 2 blocks from a great park with lake, in a neighborhood that was quiet, close to the city core, and desirable. We also had a contract on a new home that we weren't going to close on until 5 months later. Yes, the contract specified this fact. Yes, the buyer accepted the terms. I'm amazed to this day that this sale occurred under those conditions.

[@RG-hf4et]

My ex & I were selling our house. The house was empty. About a week b4 the closing, I went to the house & saw that the new buyer had a huge flat screen tv & boxes in a corner of the family room. My ex told the buyers was ok to bring items over without my consent. I was ticked! If the tv fell over & got damaged, they would have blamed us. Plus, who knows what was in those boxes? What if there were drugs or guns or ammunition or stolen goods? Bottom line is just say NO!! You can't be too careful. This sale was by us the buyers. I would have hoped a realtor would have advised no to moving items in.

[@pxn748]

We have negotiated a couple of times on the washer and dryer, it was kind of nice to not have to move them and buy new ones.

[@maryrussell9354]

So true about not using friends as realtors. Lost a friendship by using an agent I knew as professional and it made a huge difference.

[@sherirottweilersforever7772]

I’m so glad my lifted Ram fits in my garage. New houses barely fit a Prius.

[@AudraLambert]

Well, you aren't wrong about that:)

[@katrinaanglemier8792]

Sellers are moving up from AZ to OR and wanted us to store their new furniture in our garage before we moved out Said it was the only date to deliver. NO plus no room.

[@indoorsyren3955]

I wouldn't want to buy a furnished house or include any personal items in the sale, because I am not about to pay real estate tax on used furniture! If I were interested in a furnished house or any personal items, I would make an offer to lower the price and pay cash for the furniture.

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

In some areas, a separate bill of sale is required for any such personal items.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

"I am not about to pay real estate tax on used furniture!" Huh? Property taxes are based on the tax assessors valuation, not the sale price. Furniture is never factored in.

[@indoorsyren3955]

@@DailyStalkerUpdate real estate SALES tax on the sale of the property, not PROPERTY taxes.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@indoorsyren3955 I see.

[@Reed-2big]

We were presented with a qualification letter that upon more investigation was a letter used to get the house they’d recently bought. Nowhere in the contract was there a contingency that said they needed to sell their current home! We found out about it by accident when their realtor revealed that they’d recent lost a child in that house and the wife wanted to move because of the memories. From there it was a short path to they weren’t renting currently. Yes, an older date on the pre-approval letter may have subconsciously caused us to question how long they’d been looking for a new place, but it was close to being almost reasonable like 3 months at a time when housing was slow. Keep up the great work. Unfortunately there are always new, weird scenarios so you’ll never run out of material. PS I had a complaint about a garage after a settlement. The car was a car often called a land yacht, and the house had what was “standard” at the time. So, if say someone wants to test I react “not another one”! I reacted to your scenario the same as you did, they make measuring tapes! Or look in the manual for the car for the dimensions for your car!

[@johnhaller5851]

We bought our new house in May 2019. We put our old house on the market in October. Our first offer came in March 2020. The buyers had a limited preapproval, and their offer was "all-in". They also asked for a credit for the price of a washer and dryer, as they sold their house with a washer and dryer, but we were not including the washer and dryer. This offer was significantly under our asking price, but we accepted the offer. It was odd closing in the early days of COVID. If we had taken the property off the market and put it on the market even 3 months later, it might have sold for significantly more, but it's hard to predict the future. It was listed for $399,000, and eventually sold for $361,000, less the buyer credit. For what it's worth, the Zestimate is currently $537,500. The replacement house is worth a bit more, so it was probably still a fair exchange. But, those were the concessions required to close the old house. That, and some damaged shingles and a roof vent were replaced.

[@pattiebravata7462]

Love this video. You're absolutely correct Audra with what you're saying.

[@Sunnysideup210]

This was a really informative video - so many things you never think about and can get caught off guard. Thank you!

[@TheJojo01902]

Very sound and wise lessons! thank you.

[@AudraLambert]

Glad it was helpful! And Thank you!!

[@readyornot316]

The wisdom here is spot on! Thank you

[@AudraLambert]

ahhh..thank you!!

[@StacyNeal-w4o]

Another great video. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@AudraLambert]

My pleasure! Thanks for tuning in.

[@pokerchannel6991]

hi saying no saves time and filters out time wasters, no?

[@AudraLambert]

You are spot on.

[@km4617]

Your awesome!! Thanks for showing me how to say No. good day

[@AudraLambert]

You are very welcome.

[@TFMuhamet]

When we sold our house we had no desire to keep our refrigerator, had no intention, so it was going to stay with the house as a freebee along with our washer and dryer. One of the offers, they were demanding the Serial number on the fridge. We didnt even entertain their offer even though it was the highest one 25 k above asking. Sensed dealing with them would have been hell. Whackos.

[@j.m.7056]

Had a similar whacko experience. Just said no and moved on!

[@FrancesScannapieco]

Buyers contractors came onto the property twice. Contractors came onto my property without my permission or knowledge to measure for installing a ground pool! They really scared me because I had no idea who these people were walking around my property. Another time my buyers septic company started pumping out the septic tank again without permission. That time we had to call the prospective buyers to confirm they had contracted this company to pump the septic. We decided to let them pump it since they had already started! They were nightmare buyers. Btw we used a dual agent and accepted a low offer from these buyers. Lesson learned.

[@DougCeleste]

Another GREAT video, Audra, and thanks for sharing! Regarding items in a home, some sellers may want to sell their appliances, furnishings and other things in a house and it does not hurt to inquire about that since they may not want to spend money to move everything and may want to buy new things anyway for their next house or they might be moving to a care facility if they are older. Of course, this is a transaction that would be SEPARATE from the purchase of the home and both realtors can advise on how to make this happen for the seller and buyer. Worth looking into if the buyer loves what is IN the house along with the house itself.

[@pattiebravata7462]

Regarding what a buyer may ask a seller to fix that makes sense to me: New HVAC system if older than 15 years, newer roof, newer hot water heater, fix what's broken, everything should be really clean and finally a fresh coat of paint is nice. If the seller doesn't want to fix what's broken then it should be negotiated in the selling price.

[@K-Oboe]

We had a reasonable cash offer for our home, which is in excellent condition, a few days after listing. After the inspection, which the prospective buyer reported as "nothing surprising", they lowballed by a LOT! We countered with the original offer they had given and they withdrew. We are certain their plan was to get us off the market, lowball, and hope we needed cash fast. Opportunists.

[@AudraLambert]

Ugh...that does happen a lot. Always a good idea to write in the counter offer that the seller is making no repairs and/or credits to the buyer. They still might have backed out...but at least you have the upper hand.

[@RG-hf4et]

​@@AudraLambertVery good point!!

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

So, did you sell to someone else at your price?

[@RG-hf4et]

😢Can you do a video on when a sibling wants to buy your house? He has the money & can probably pay cash. House needs work. I can't afford to do it. I am thinking of getting a realtor in to price the house fairly for both of us so there are no hard feelings down the road. I dont want to feel resentful that I sold it too cheap & I don't want this sibling saying he paid too much. I am on a quandary of how to handle this situation. Also, how would a commission work when I am bringing a legitimate buyer with no showings, no MSL listing, a quick closing, no advertising, no open houses, no photos, no staging, etc. have to be done? I am a fair & reasonable person & want to be fair to myself, my sibling & a realtor. Also, should I interview 3 realtors - what would your recommendation be on that? Thank you so much. You're videos have been very helpful. I am in the tristate area NY, NJ, CT.

[@annebrandrud447]

Realtors will do a CMA (comparable home sales) without a commission. It’s standard part of their marketing. Yes interview 3 & get 3 comps (u d b surprised they may be different to fit the price the realtor wants to sell the home for) You don’t need to explain beyond”planning to sell home”…you may recommend them to a friend or relative. An attorney (ideally a real estate attorney) will do all the paperwork necessary for a FRACTION of realtor commission. You’re spot on to want to b fair to yrself & bro. Perhaps share the comp info w him & discuss? Yr call.

[@quercusrubra777]

I sold a house to a buyer who was using FHA loan. I felt like their demands were onerous, but it was buyers market, so I had to put up with it. The next house I sold included a farm. The buyer also was using a FHA loan. This time I included in the contract that I would comply with none of the FHA demands. The buyer was ok with that.

[@AudraLambert]

Sounds like you outsmart the system:)

[@annebrandrud447]

What r u referring to re FHA requirements?

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

What did the FHA demand, exactly? And how did the buyer get their loan if you didn't comply with their demands?

[@quercusrubra777]

@@DailyStalkerUpdate , one thing I remember was they required an electrical engineer to inspect overhead electrical that went through tree limbs of a young walnut tree. This was the kind unnecessary cost burden on me as a seller. With the next encounter with the FHA, I only know that the buyer agreed that I would not comply. Maybe he chose to deal with any FHA demands. He was a good neighbor.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@quercusrubra777 So you don't actually know. Thanks.

[@DianeAvery-h1s]

Great vid, Audra! All your vid’s offer hope for a smoother transaction and transition, for the buyer, the seller, and the hard working Realtor. Thumbs up, keep your online shine shining bright. 👍

[@coralpetals]

Hate to agree on the topic of kids. After my open house, I found marker drawings on the wall on one of the bathrooms. Thankfully it came right off with water and paper towel and left no damage. Thank goodness for washable markers!

[@AudraLambert]

Oh no!! I hate to hear this!! Glad it came off.

[@coralpetals]

@@AudraLambert Yes, me too!

[@nxs0152]

Great video!!! Thank you

[@AudraLambert]

You are very welcome!!

[@billfly2186]

Can I subscribe twice? Nooooooo! Great info.

[@AudraLambert]

So glad you are getting value:). And thanks for your support.

[@Ofthegirl09]

I'm about to put my house on the market in a couple of months and your videos have been tremendously helpful and educational! Thank you, I love your channel!

[@wendypierce5621]

I had a fair weather family “friend” think she automatically had a listing from me. She just didn’t represent the caliber of house I was dealing with. So glad I said no.

[@8356-4]

Interesting about personal property. I got lots of furniture with my home purchase included in the cost. Also, when I sold my home I gave them almost all of my furniture included in the cost. LOL

[@pxn748]

All I can think about with strange pets are fleas!!!!!!!!!!!

[@AudraLambert]

Oh ya...and that too.

[@RG-hf4et]

A lot of times people are willing to leave items bc it's an estate sale & nobody wants the furniture & it would be a hassle to get a dumpster & have items hauled away. My parents owned a vacation home & sold it recently. We took furniture we wanted & left quite a bit. It was old but decent. The new owners were turning it into a vrbo rental. We saw later on they kept most of the furnishings but got new bedroom sets. It's funny to see your familys home for 45 years showing up as a vbro rental. 😢

[@bonniesmith4958]

Just love your videos.

[@MrMarkS-lg7yk]

Another excellent video today, young lady. Your depth of experience and exceptional presentation skills are remarkable. It's a real pity about your wedding ring. There are some creepy people out there. And off-topic: I liked your jacket. It jumped right off the screen! :>)

[@AudraLambert]

Wow, thank you! Really appreciate your words. Yes, it was terrible about the wedding ring. ugh. Live and Learn.

[@xopi2521]

@@AudraLambert yes, we SoCal natives love color. No boring black and navy. Love the orange really popped.

[@RG-hf4et]

Can you please do a video on how a real estate agent prices your house when work needs to be done & the house needs to be updated. I live on a lovely OUIET culdesac, very private 3+ acres/farmette1980 home. Needs new kitchen & bathrooms, wood floors refinished, new interior paint, furnace fixed, new water heater, etc. Roof is good. Windows all replaced w/new sliders or new doors in place of some of the windows to the oversized deck. Newer garden door & sidelights front entrance. Newer oversized wood deck. Outside property maintained. Houses on my street go for $650-$750k. The next culdesac are million+ dollar homes. Beautiful area for miles. Blue ribbon schools. Lots of nature yet less than 5 minutes to a major highway. No flood zone. Single female fallen on hard times & I need to sell.😢

[@louannhuber2651]

This is great advice

[@_JanetLouise]

great info .... NO.

[@Ilovedachshunddogs]

I once had a buyer buy furniture from the stager and she requested us to rearrange the furniture to different rooms and we said no

[@Bellatutu1927]

I wish that I saw this video two years ago when I sold my gorgeous home for way less than what it worth and it was my mistake to trust my agent

[@AudraLambert]

Oh no....so sorry to hear that.

[@Bellatutu1927]

@@AudraLambert thanks for your respond and I still have some rental properties to sell when I come back to the state and definitely I will contact you before I put them for sale ,, yes, the house I sold at 379 Saint Augustine Dr. Madison, MS 39110 ,, sold for $840,000 and should be over 1 million

[@sheilarae354]

Yes, I have had buyers low ball me two times when selling two different homes What I did was counter offer $1,000 lower, both times the buy woke up and counter close to asking price and if they don’t they just want to low ball you, so just say no, this is my final price

[@michellewal8219]

I love your videos but there are exceptions and circumstances that that have led to yes in my home buying experience which saved my patootie!

[@dpej5167]

My elderly father had this happen when he sold to a flipper. My dad had always had a hard time saying no. Plus the real estate agent was a friend from church which made negotiating difficult. The purchaser pushed every limit. Came onto the property repeatedly to measure things. Pestered my dad for small items of furniture.The purchaser finally stopped when I happened by on one day he was trying another of his tricks and told him that if he didn't get off the property immediately we would seek legal action. Also told the real estate "friend" where to get off for allowing this to happen.

[@victoriabush9771]

When selling my mother’s house our listing agent brought an offer that was 1/2 the listing price. She knew we were not in a hurry and were not pressed for the money. Of course I said NO. She kept asking me about selling it at half the price and I kept saying NO. I should have fired her. I finally asked, what part of No do you not understand? No is No. It turns out the offer was from one of her friends. I ended up getting a full price offer.

[@triciab7750]

I used my niece as my realtor. Turns out every family member and all of her husbands family new my most personal business. Yikes! I must have been the topic of many dinner conversations. Yikes!😮

[@AudraLambert]

Oh no...sorry to hear that.

[@kkdkqwljfdlkkl]

What's the magic word? NO. Congrats on going over 50,000 Audra.

[@AudraLambert]

Ahhh...thank you!!!

[@RG-hf4et]

​@@AudraLambertYes, congratulations! ❤

[@Nidhiphulera]

Thanks!

[@tammycompton2257]

Hello Audra! Love your style and information from one Realtor to another...just a positive suggestion...try a dark blue and a light blue suit...it will compliment your hair and those blue eyes. You have already confirmed you are an expert in the real estate field! Thanks for all of your Amazing videos!🎉🎉🎉🎉😊

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

Soooo... she should just wear blue and never orange?

[@sue272]

This just happened to me. The young couple came in & let their Dog ran allover. I confronted them & Their Arrogance of oh we that no one was here. I screamed get A Realtor YOUR TRESSPASSING

[@AudraLambert]

Oh my goodness...sooo sorry to hear that!! That's just terrible. Thanks for sharing. I'll add that to the list.

[@mariapadilla7501]

Agree, the last home I had buyer wanted to move in with his dad before escrow closed. I said NO to the Realtor!

[@AudraLambert]

Good for you!!

[@willalaska]

Sweet Audra, my neighbor across the street didn’t close as their buyers, buyer changed jobs. They allowed prospective owners to move in anyway. They are removing fixed objects, etc. To make matters worse the real owners have a hard money loan at crazy Int rate. It’s now a MONTH! What a mess, you’re spot on!!!

[@AudraLambert]

Ahh..thanks. So sorry to hear about your neighbor. That is just terrible.

[@bladerunner1458]

We bought a house in Michigan and we let the people stay in for an extra month after closing. Fortunately everything worked out perfectly. we were told by the realtor that is very typical for Michigan that you close on a house and the people need to stay for an extra month it’s common to do that. In Michigan, the title company acted like the lawyer and we were told your lawyer wasn’t necessary. We also asked the previous owners if they wanted to leave anything they could and they left us some good stuff. Fortunately, they were very nice people. Your thoughts

[@Nancy-y8q1n]

By appointment only

[@lovly2cu725]

I got a lowball offer. His agent talked him out of $20k under. He offered $10 k under. I already came down and he wanted more. We were $2k apart. I sold a month later for my price. Mr lowball agent said I wasn't playing. I already did and it isn't a gameshow

[@SoBelle100]

What should a listing agent be doing to market a home? My home is immaculate, barely lived in, and the professional photography showcases this very well. My home is just shy of 4 years old, and I did have a home and roof inspection and made the few repairs that were found. I also had it appraised. I interviewed 5 real estate agents per your recommendation. In 3 weeks, I have only had 1 showing even though everyone comments on how beautiful my home is and how well maintained the entire property is. What could my listing agent be doing to bring more potential buyers to look at my home? I live in St. George, UT and the issue here is the "tight network" of the church community which controls every aspect of the city and state. I am not of this faith and considered an outsider. I am a very inclusive person and have never experienced anything like this and I have lived in numerous states across the country. What can my realtor do to get my house shown and sold when she and I are both "outsiders" and the sale of my home would not be bringing any money into the church (it is a state religion here-no judgment, just honestly stating a fact.). Please advise. Thank you. P.S. I only came here for medical treatment and it is time to go!

[@glorytoukraine619]

@@SoBelle100 As Odra says: "Adjust the price!!!!" We've been in the same situation for 4 months, and our agent said our price was OK. With our new agent we adjusted the price to our area ( even though our house is much better than surrounding houses for sale). We got the offer lower than we expected, but thanks to our more experienced agent, got the offer in our price limits.

[@AudraLambert]

Hello there! So sorry to hear about your challenges. I don't know much about your area or tight network. I am hearing a lot of issue nationwide with how slow the market is right now. I even have homes that I am having issues with selling. Its just really tough right now. I do think after the election is over and mortgage rates come down, that the market will start heating up. Sounds like you're doing all the right things.

[@SoBelle100]

@@AudraLambert Thank you so very much for responding. I also appreciate the many ways you help so many people by sharing your expertise through your videos.

[@SoBelle100]

@@glorytoukraine619 Congratuations! Thank you for sharing your good news story in this market. How did you lower your price and still get your oiginal asking price (or am I misunderstanding your comment?) TIA

[@annebrandrud447]

Maybe appealing to out of town buyers or ppl like yrself coming 4 medical treatment or medical staff & yr realtor partnering informally w their recruitment office.

[@SamscottKim]

We live in a new world.. people want to see and touch stuff before they are even convinced to buy. All you need is to have everyone sign a sheet that says "Break it and you own it" before they enter the home

[@siouxrose7766]

Stunning outfit Audra. I think orange is your color! With all your theatrics, don't be surprised if Hollywood knocks on your door one day! I could see YOU in a Lifetime Movie for sure! (You could play a real estate broker!)

[@AudraLambert]

Laughing....well thanks so much. Appreciate your vote of confidence!! Means a lot.

[@markh.6687]

Well at least you didn't see Audra in a Hallmark Channel movie or series! PHEW! They'd have her selling houses at Christmas time with enough decorations to actually bury the town! She'd lose her ever-loving mind trying to declutter a Hallmarkville house!

[@jmbisme]

Moral of the story…don’t leave your wedding ring on the countertop. Wear it instead.

[@AudraLambert]

I hear ya. I actually was going down to the horse barn because my horse was sick. I didn't want to wear it down to the barn. Lesson learned.

[@showdogmissy]

No kids is brilliant. too many brats out there!!!

[@AudraLambert]

Laughing.

[@lv4366]

Never a friend or family member who is a realtor, or someone's family member who is "in the business". It's a lot easier to have a difficult conversation with someone who you are not tied to, change the realtor, no problem. Friend or family - awkward forever.

[@tabbycat8511]

“No” always beats the alternative of, “No … sorry.”

[@MaddieBr]

Is it common to say "No" to putting a For Sale sign up (except for during open houses) to discourage people from knocking on your door? Seems there's no need for 24/7 signs anymore.

[@AudraLambert]

The only benefit of having a sign on the property is that its easy for realtors/buyers to find your house. Also, sometimes friends visit neighbors in your community. They may see the sign and ask to view it. I cannot tell you how many homes I have sold this way.

[@hannahreese1629]

​@@AudraLambertI am a little confused by this. How do you tell if a potential buyer is for real and not a scammer or a criminal, just good discernment? Our neighborhood is highly sought after and this makes me very anxious. I would also like to say I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

@@hannahreese1629 If the buyer has an agent, then the agent is supposed to vet the buyer before wasting time with them. They don't always do that though. If a buyer is unrepresented, you want to require proof of funds and a pre-approval letter from a lender prior to accepting an offer. The letter needs to state the loan amount and that the lender has verified their income and run their credit. Buyers are not ready to put in offers without these things, and you never want to enter a contract with a buyer without these things. Some sellers conduct open houses where anybody, serious or not comes through your house. If you don't want that, then don't hold open houses and look over their documents before showing them your house.

[@JMgmkh]

What a let down ! For several seconds I thought you were available.🤩😞😂

[@AudraLambert]

Laughing...I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks!!

[@markh.6687]

Okay, everybody! Listen up! Audra is NOT "on the market". 😄

[@eddiefniii]

No open houses. Period. Those are for nosy neighbors period.

[@danacaro-herman3530]

@eddiefniii. Amen!!

[@markh.6687]

I didn't even have my agent put up a yard sign. Last thing I needed in my area were random people coming to my door wanting to "see the house.". Also placed the words "proof of funds required for showing" in the MLS listing. Avoided many headaches this way.

[@danacaro-herman3530]

@@markh.6687 No signs absolutely as well!!

[@allisonarthurs2469]

In 2003 we ended up letting a buyer keep all of our curtains and a really nice rug because we were really pressed for the sale. We had already moved into our new house so we were pretty anxious about ending up with 2 house notes.

[@DailyStalkerUpdate]

Curtains usually stay anyway since they're sized to fit the windows.