Stuart Watkins
Having recently sold two homes in SaddleBrooke, I learned a few things along the way.
Even if you have a Revocable Trust or Living Will, there can still be confusion over the assets.
I have been buying furniture and other items at low prices, or receiving donated items, and taking them to the Oracle Farmer’s Market on Wednesday nights to give things away, or charge a small fee to cover my vendor’s fee.
I go there to sell the books I have written and it gives me pleasure to see the smiles of the residents who buy these items at low prices. Things a person might toss away could be direly needed by others.
For example, two Wednesdays ago a vendor was asking $1 each for clothing items to raise money for her family. The next Wednesday I gave her two bundles of quality clothes that had been donated to me. That lady was so happy when I handed her the bundles. She might sell some or her family might use some, but simply, those bundles of clothes brought joy to a struggling family.
How does this relate to real estate?
Land bought years ago that might be given to a son or daughter but has been long forgotten, could bring such joy to another family if the land was put up for sale at a contemporary price with the current times, or a little less, and sold. How much is your land worth if you hold it forever and never sell?
The same is true with homes that have been in the family for years. Your children have married, have children, and have jobs miles away.
Maybe your home needs repairs and upgrading. They would probably rather buy a new home in neighborhoods with younger families. Your children and grandchildren will visit when they can, and you can also visit them now and then.
A couple recently sold their home through me as their listing agent. They hired a moving company but had furniture they didn’t want to ship and became quite frustrated when they could not sell their quality pieces. Just to get the pieces out of their house, the owner asked me what I would offer. I told him I had no room in our home and we really did not need any of his furniture. He said to just give him a price.
What should I do? I offered $100. He looked at me and said to make it $200. (I paid him $200 and turned around and sold it all for a total of $250.)
The people who bought his furniture were happy, I was glad to get the garage empty, and the seller was glad to have the furniture gone. Everyone was glad because everyone’s needs were met.