Community Forums

Gannet · 08-24-2016, 08:00 AM

No, no, I don't mean walking out on your mortgage.

But here's my thought/question: is it possible, and/or have any of you, sold your house by just "walking away" and giving the keys to the realtor? The realtor arranges the estate sale, clean-out, any fixup and landscaping needed, and then sells the house. All I do is sign things that are overnighted to me. It seems to me that this is what would happen if someone died and there was no family nearby to take care of things. So I assume this is something that the professionals regularly handle. Am I wrong?

See, the thing is, I'm not at all sure I have the strength, stamina, or interest it's going to take to get all this done, and I thought of this as an alternative. Yes, obviously it will "cost money". Put that aside for now. I just want to know if this is possible and if any of you have done this.

Thanks!

TJFogelberg · 08-24-2016, 08:03 AM

Not recommended. Hire helpers to move, sell, give away, fix, paint etc. But don't abandon ship until you get the check!��

SpaceNorman · 08-24-2016, 08:40 AM

I'm sure it can be done ... but dang, it's just gotta come with a high price tag. It may not cost you much out of pocket - but I bet you'd be walking away from a significant amount of money that's already yours.

I'm not looking for cash from everything I own - but I could never see myself just walking away from a house full of stuff and expecting somebody else to deal with it and then send me a check for anywhere close to it's real value.

Gerryl · 08-24-2016, 08:56 AM

Gannet,
I am a Realtor, and yes I have done this for people. In some cases, the seller is better off doing it that way. But you have to get "the right" realtor and they can be hard to find. Don't pick a Realtor just because you knew him or her from some club or church. I occasionally have to find good Realtors for people in other areas. It is not as simple as one might think, and it usually takes me several hours online and on the phone to choose the right one. I know what to ask.

scottandanna · 08-24-2016, 08:59 AM

Just throwing this out, as it might be of some help to you.

In Houston (and many other cities), there is a company called Everything But The House and they will come in and sell everything that is on the property for you.

After that, any realtor can handle the house sale.

vsheetz · 08-24-2016, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottandanna

Just throwing this out, as it might be of some help to you.

In Houston (and many other cities), there is a company called Everything But The House and they will come in and sell everything that is on the property for you.

After that, any realtor can handle the house sale.

Yup. I have handled friends and relatives that have passed away. Find a company such as this that handles estate sales. Take everything out that you want to keep. Have them sell everything else they possibly can. What's left after the sale goes to the curb with a free sign, donated to good will, or the dump.

1bigmess · 08-24-2016, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerryl

Gannet,
I am a Realtor, and yes I have done this for people. In some cases, the seller is better off doing it that way. But you have to get "the right" realtor and they can be hard to find.

My ex-wife and I were also agents once upon a time, and an agent can do this for you, but I agree with Gerryl. It will be difficult to find one person to do all this for you, and get it done right.

Find a trusted friend or relative that can help you. Pay them a smal amount of money, say a percentage of your proceeds from the estate sale? Find an estate sale company that promises the house will be empty when they are done, we did when my mom died. A couch was left over, and we called them, and they picked it up the next day and the house was *empty*! I hope a service like this is available near you. Get everything you want to keep out of the house and let them get to work.

You'll need an agent that is familiar with getting paperwork done other than at their local offices and title companies. This really isn't a big deal, deals are done at t distance all the time. We helped someone that was working for Saudi Aramco buy a home using FedEx and the right people to notarize the signatures "over there".

The more difficult part is this: will your home be marketable? Does it need repairs? If you have the money, you might want to get a home inspection done on your own home before you try to sell it so you know what problems you have, and whether fixing them will help it sell faster and/or for more money. If you home is less than ten years old, this might not be something to even consider.

Good luck. I love the full-time RV lifestyle.