House sales market

**lovbyts** · 06-03-2012, 12:22 AM

Ill try to keep this short but there are a few details I need to add.

As some of you know or remember my mom passed away last September. Thank you...
I was assigned the executor sort of the last minute since my older brother who my mom had always though would be the one who would be there for her when she needed someone did just the opposite and became the biggest whiner and only interested in what he was going to get.

Luckily mom saw the light and all but wrote him out of the will. lol

Needless to say it has been a BIG task getting the family home ready for the market. The house was built in 1958? Luckily I have been the main one to upkeep everything the last 17 years since my dad passed. I have done basically everything that has needed done from remodeling bathrooms, bedrooms, replacing worn out faucets, fixing leaks, painting, cleaning gutters and most anything else you can think of.

Well it has taken a few months to get the house in order since I had to clean out EVERYTHING, decide what to throw away, what to donate and what to send to siblings and store. Once the house was near empty the real work began cleaning it up inside and finishing things that have been overlooked for 20+ years.

One thing that makes the place stand out a little is it has a 2 car detached garage with attached work shed/room that is in good condition but it's also 50 years old but more or less clean. There is a 4 car garage/shop out back that we put up about 25+ years ago that is nice. It only had the drywall 1/2 done and not taped, only hung so I had a friend help finish it. Now it looks like a garage you would want to park a Ferrari in. We put up drywall 100%, taped it and painted it 2x.

Bottom line all the work paid off. We put it on the market for $225,000. The realtor thought it was a little high due to comparable and it should be closer to $210,000. I had an offer of $210,000 on day 3 of the listing and day 4 we got an offer for full price.

It's now in it's final stages. Passed inspection with nothing unexpected and now just appraisal which should be no problem. Closing is June 29th.

It will be split 7 ways. There are only 5 siblings but my daughter is also in the will for a full share and my mom put me in for 2 shares since I have been the one maintaining it and helping her for the last 17+ years.

My brother is not to happy about that and thinks it's unfair but he was not willing to come and do any of the work that was needed so it is what it is.

It's just amazing that basically it was sold in 4 days. Easy money for the realtor... No I dont think it was under priced but it was a good fair price.

**FONZY007** · 06-03-2012, 12:40 AM

Nice, sorry bout mom..my grandmother past away over 2 years ago, to me she was like my mom... She got stomach cancer and didn't want to fight!! My uncle was an ass the whole time even cuzzing at her funeral if he wasn't in a wheelchair already I would beat him... Seems like every family has one.

**lovbyts** · 06-03-2012, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by FONZY007

Nice, sorry bout mom..my grandmother past away over 2 years ago, to me she was like my mom... She got stomach cancer and didn't want to fight!! My uncle was an ass the whole time even cuzzing at her funeral if he wasn't in a wheelchair already I would beat him... Seems like every family has one.

I feel for you. My mom had pancreatic cancer so basically the same thing. We were pretty lucky and she was never in any real bad pain; it was managed pretty well and she was still able to do most everything up until the last 4 days. She lasted 9 months after diagnosed and it was already very advanced. She lasted 6 months longer than they though she would.

Yeah some people are just ass. My brother only came to visit her once after we found out she had cancer and most of the time he talked to her about what he wanted/expected. Pissed her off big time. He was always considered the golden child by her until the last year or so. Yup, it seems most every family has one or more.

**capetown** · 06-03-2012, 01:49 AM

Sorry to hear about your mom as well. My mom passes away 6 months ago from bowel cancer. Well it was other things that took her in the end but her primary was. Bowel. She also managed the pain very well until the end. she was diagnosed 2 years ago and never realy complained about anything at all even in her last day. Strongest person I have ever known or will know hands down. As for the whole family/money/ will thing. It does not matter what family you come from, this will happen when money and assets are involved. The very day that my mom passed it started. People accusing others of this and that. My kids were given about 7 grand each in the will. I was so pissed off by everything that I refused it and have not spoken to anyone since De***ber. I would rather just walk away then to have something that reminds me of the way people were acting the very day she passed. And it wasnt even people that you would expect this from. Money and death does strange things to people. Im now at the point were I am over it and want to talk to everyone again but just want to pretend that all that never happened. It's just passed that point where I can call and say, whats up,though.
Man, I just 100 percent took over your thread and have no idea what I was trying to say. Sorry, was the first time that I type anything about this out and was just venting or somethng. Good job on selling the house. Thats not alway an easy task for many different reasons.

**lovbyts** · 06-03-2012, 02:42 AM

LOL, no worries and I followed you 100%. I have seen it happen to far to many families when it comes to death and money. Yeah most of my thread is about the house but I do hint to the family maters a little.
I have dealt with the whole family issues pretty well. I have always played family monitor a lot more than my mom ever realized. I was always looked upon as sort of the black sheep because I was more of a free thinker and not always following other peoples ideas of what I SHOULD be doing.

Actually most of the time it was more people/family would tend to think I was doing a lot of things I wasnt or they would suggest/accuse me of doing something wrong. Most of the time I just ignored it but sometimes I would correct them usually embarrassing them along the way with logic. Typically one or more siblings like to take things you/I say and twist them into something else. I have 1 sister who likes to talk bad about EVERYONE behind their back. I have had friends come to me after my sister told them some CRAZY story they knew was not true but just asking how my sister can make these things up, I have not clue???? I'm just the opposite, I typically dont talk bad about people and usually only see the good. This gets me in trouble with her to often because I forget how she is and will say something that get twisted. Example. I like to travel quite a bit. I use to go to Mexico 4+ times a year. My sister had my mom believing I was running drugs. My mom finally asked me why I was going to mexico all the time and if I was running drugs. Me. hahahahaha Yeah you can see how rich I am right? lol No mom, drugs are to risky, I'm trafficking women, it's more profitable. She got mad but also saw the logic in my sarcasm. Where I am from it rains a LOT and can rain ever day during the winter for 3 months straight. I like sunshine and Mexico is only 3 hrs flight. Here I come....

My brother on other hand just always heard the opposite of everything I said and though I was doing something wrong or going to and would try to preach to me what I needed to do and how to do it the right way. He would also warn my mom I may be getting in trouble for this or that although it was far from the truth of what was going on.

Still in the last few years it was nice to see my mom was not so gullible as she had been for a long time and figured things out, who was who and actions spoke louder than words. My brother was Co Executor but there can only be one when it comes down to it. He did not want to relinquish his powers because he felt he would be able to control who gets what or how it's distributed. The attorney explained to him that he had no such power, it was only obligation to get his ass down her and do the work that needed done if he wanted to be executor or let me handle it like I had been for the last 17 years. He finally shut his mouth and has been pretty quite since then just waiting for his check.

Ive made sure to document ever dime that has been spent in the estate account and have taken a lot of pictures of the work I have done alone with weekly email updates with pictures explaining what is being done so no one has any room to bitch.

All in all it's been pretty civil but I have had to play peace keeper several times but managed to smooth things over. So much fun as it sounds like some of you have had the joys of experiencing.

**tcw** · 06-03-2012, 05:23 AM

LB,

Glad you worked everything out through that tough time---and i'm happy to hear that you were able to get top dollar for your home---i'm sure that Mom is proud of you and looking down on all your good work.

I don't believe in organized Religion---but i do believe we are all forms of energy---and energy never dies.

Dr. Brian Weiss wrote a book called "Many Lives Many Masters." Its a book that has helped me deal with death as it rears its ugly head.
http://www.brianweiss.com/

After reading your thread...you reminded me to get my affairs in order. I don't think i want to leave my assets to my one sibling brother....i'm gonna find a charity that i like and start working with them.

~peace

**lovbyts** · 06-03-2012, 06:19 AM

Originally Posted by tcw

LB,

Glad you worked everything out through that tough time---and i'm happy to hear that you were able to get top dollar for your home---i'm sure that Mom is proud of you and looking down on all your good work.

I don't believe in organized Religion---but i do believe we are all forms of energy---and energy never dies.

Dr. Brian Weiss wrote a book called "Many Lives Many Masters." Its a book that has helped me deal with death as it rears its ugly head.
http://www.brianweiss.com/

After reading your thread...you reminded me to get my affairs in order. I don't think i want to leave my assets to my one sibling brother....i'm gonna find a charity that i like and start working with them.

~peace

Ive done a lot of thinking about that also and I'm sure she is but I still wish I was able to do more of it while she was still with us. There are many things I have done that were just physically impossible without emptying out part of the house or at least room by room and for several days at a time but she didnt want me to do that much and some things she just didnt want me to change. Also I didnt exactly have the money to do all that for her on my own dime and she was pretty tight with her money rightfully so. Time was another things trying to maintain 2 households working full time and entertain a new wife takes a lot out of you especially the last 2 years with all the other fun I have been having with 2 eye surgeries and the recent shoulder surgery.

Still, I wish she could see it now but if she was still here there is plenty more I would be doing. If I had not gotten the offer so quickly there was still plenty more I had planned to do. Painting the front and back porch, finishing some trim work inside the house. Touching up some stuff in the kitchen and re painting it as well as a couple other walls. THANK you for the quick sale, saved me a lot more work....

My one sibling/brother who has been the biggest PITA throught all this and all the other siblings have been giving him a hard time and having fun helping egg him on sometimes about teasing of being out of money and he needs to caught up some for repairs and such; he and his wife have no kids and are planning on leaving everything to some charity. I have given him sh*t about this since he is so hell bent on why he gets from moms why would he think it's not fair to leave his stuff to us MUCH younger siblings? I am almost 20 years younger as well as one other sister.

Yes get it in order. To many people dont and it's a BIG problem. My mom had everything set up but we had to for her to put a few more things in writing before the end. She kept assuming we knew who got what but we had her write it all down months before she dies. It was a lot bigger process than she though but we got it all done. Anything not written down get sold and the money put into the estate or the executor can make some small adjustments if it's not written down.

I like my attorneys thinking. You dont want to make someone you like the executor; it's NOT a privilege. It's a PITA at the very least. You want someone assigned you know will get the job done but not necessarily someone you like because it's so much work.

**gixxerboy1** · 06-03-2012, 10:18 AM

Glad you had good luck selling it.

My grandmother passed in Nov and my Mom inherited the house. Its a very big 2 family. But its about 100 years old and needs a complete renovation. I honestly though she would sit on it for ever and be luck to get 180 for it. She put it up with a real estate agent and they recommended asking $250k. Everyone in the family laughed. My Mom did $240 figuring she could go always down in price. It sold in 4 days for $230. Im shocked. She is closing in 2 weeks.

**lovbyts** · 06-03-2012, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by gixxerboy1

Glad you had good luck selling it.

My grandmother passed in Nov and my Mom inherited the house. Its a very big 2 family. But its about 100 years old and needs a complete renovation. I honestly though she would sit on it for ever and be luck to get 180 for it. She put it up with a real estate agent and they recommended asking $250k. Everyone in the family laughed. My Mom did $240 figuring she could go always down in price. It sold in 4 days for $230. Im shocked. She is closing in 2 weeks.

Nice, it's nice when things work out. It does make me wonder if I could have gotten the same out of it if I did not put so much work into it but I think not or hope not so the work was not wasted. It's never really wasted but you know what I mean.

Make you wonder if she could have gotten more if she put some money into it but just like mine where do you draw the line? I could have done a lot more to it but you never know what someone else would like or not like so it may be wasted. I'm glad I did the garage though, I have no doubt that added a lot of value to the sale and only cost me $2000.

**Rwy** · 06-04-2012, 07:09 PM

A lot of realtors over price houses and do not have the balls to tell the client they are over reaching. It sounds like you dealt with a good realtor

**lovbyts** · 06-05-2012, 03:43 AM

Yeah I think I did OK as far as realtors go. My sister has known him for a LONG time and it sounded like he is a pretty straight shooter. He did a really nice home walk through video, a little staging and has been QUICK to respond to all emails, txt and calls. He has also done all the paperwork and kept me informed of what was/is needed step by step without fail so I have had to do no or little work myself.

**Rwy** · 06-05-2012, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by lovbyts

Yeah I think I did OK as far as realtors go. My sister has known him for a LONG time and it sounded like he is a pretty straight shooter. He did a really nice home walk through video, a little staging and has been QUICK to respond to all emails, txt and calls. He has also done all the paperwork and kept me informed of what was/is needed step by step without fail so I have had to do no or little work myself.

I figured it was a male lol

**JohnnyVegas** · 06-05-2012, 10:58 AM

Glad to hear the sale went smoothly in this market and you are able to wrap up your mother's affairs in a semi-pleasant way.

Every time I hear a story about someone like your brother it makes me happy to not have family drama. It is good that he doesn't have the courage to press the issue.

My father died last year and the house will be going through probate because he didn't have a will. It has always been understood that it would be split three ways and my step-siblings are insanely cool despite me not knowing them very well.

**lovbyts** · 06-06-2012, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by JohnnyVegas

Glad to hear the sale went smoothly in this market and you are able to wrap up your mother's affairs in a semi-pleasant way.

Every time I hear a story about someone like your brother it makes me happy to not have family drama. It is good that he doesn't have the courage to press the issue.

My father died last year and the house will be going through probate because he didn't have a will. It has always been understood that it would be split three ways and my step-siblings are insanely cool despite me not knowing them very well.

Probate sucks and can take a long time, also expensive especially in attorney fees and paying someone to do all the work. Doesn't everything basically have to be sold the put into the account?

Over the years and especially towards the end I made my mother write down everything she wanted everyone have and had it noterized and sent to all the siblings along with the copy of the will.

Most of my family are also 1/2 brothers/sisters. I only have one sister from the same dad who is 4 years older. The older brother is also only 1/2, different fathers. When he started bitching about things it was brought to his attention that in most cultures since he was not from my father and everything my mother had at this point was from my father, not his he would generally not be entitled to ANYTHING... Also my mom warned him a few times not long before she passed that she was close to removing him from the will all together. LOL

Things are going good at this point but it's not over until it's over. I have kept really good records of everything I have had to spend on the house and ever transaction in the estate account along with receipts of course. Still there seem to be something I have to do in regards to title, septic, electrical, inspections, documentation, forms to fill out or applications to file most ever day. It's a lot more work than most people realize unless they have done it and I still have a 2nd household to maintain.

Soon enough I will be able to concentrate on my own home for a while. The wife has a LONG honey do list already. lol