Don't Let Pettiness Ruin Your Investment Opportunity

Whether  you’re buying that real estate investment property or selling that sentimental house, don’t let silly and trivial issues ruin the transaction and closing. I've seen it time and time again, someone-- a buyer or a seller--expects something to be fixed, in proper working order (as per contract), yet at the walk-through, it isn’t and fight on spite ensues.

This is supposed to be a happy day, one where a buyer's dreams are realized, one where that seller walks out with hopefully a nice check, yet silly and often stupid fights, verbal not physical, occur over whether or not something insubstantial works or not. Often, it leads to us attorneys arguing about it, yup, arguing over a $150 pilot light or a silly issue that we quite honestly have and had absolutely nothing to do with.

Now, most attorneys realize this is a silly thing for us to banter about and really not the basis as to why we went to law school, focused on our studies, so that we can fight, again verbally, over an innocuous issue. Some seemingly don’t mind arguing about it. So be it. But, the overall point is that in all facets of the law, the residential house closing should be the most friendly and happy transaction for all parties, attorneys included. If there's an issue and a repair that needs to be made, let's just remember that there's an expectation of getting what you agreed to pay for, so as a seller, just fix that small issue (of course, small to one is big to another) and go about the sale. As a buyer, choose your battles carefully; if it’s a small thing you can take care of, do it, and if it's really something of substance, I hope that all sides can agree to that pleasant way of resolving it, whether it be a credit to the buyer or the seller who hopefully understands that it's on him or her to make things right.