Hello,
I need your advice. We are searching for a plot of land, basically in only two towns. There are two building plots available, but my partner doesn’t like them. Otherwise, nothing. I recently saw a house with a large plot in an absolutely dream location and simply called the owners to ask if they would consider selling part of the land. Apparently, it already belongs to the daughters, but they said their mother, who still lives in the house (she is in her mid-80s), should decide.
The "problem" is that on the half of the land they want to sell, there is their prefabricated garage. The elderly lady said she isn’t really sure about it; she doesn’t want any hassle. They would need a new garage afterwards... I already told her not to worry about that.
Do you have any ideas on how I can convince her to sell to us? This is truly the last possible plot in the area and it would be so great if it works out.
Because of COVID-19, I thought of writing a letter with a photo of us, where I introduce ourselves. What do you think about that, and do you have any other ideas?
It just has to work.
Thanks and best regards
Knatti
I need your advice. We are searching for a plot of land, basically in only two towns. There are two building plots available, but my partner doesn’t like them. Otherwise, nothing. I recently saw a house with a large plot in an absolutely dream location and simply called the owners to ask if they would consider selling part of the land. Apparently, it already belongs to the daughters, but they said their mother, who still lives in the house (she is in her mid-80s), should decide.
The "problem" is that on the half of the land they want to sell, there is their prefabricated garage. The elderly lady said she isn’t really sure about it; she doesn’t want any hassle. They would need a new garage afterwards... I already told her not to worry about that.
Do you have any ideas on how I can convince her to sell to us? This is truly the last possible plot in the area and it would be so great if it works out.
Because of COVID-19, I thought of writing a letter with a photo of us, where I introduce ourselves. What do you think about that, and do you have any other ideas?
It just has to work.
Thanks and best regards
Knatti
Sure, a site plan is definitely very useful to provide "more" or "detailed" information here. But I wouldn’t make it a strict requirement as a “homework not done” to even be allowed to ask questions in this thread ;-)
I think the original poster has clearly described the situation: Mom lives in the house instead of a care facility, has already transferred the property ownership to her daughters, but still wants to feel like the decision-maker, since the house exists because of her. Mom is over 80, which probably means the daughters are also over 50 and no longer have a personal stake in living there. Not all heirs are vultures; some really love their parents.
Therefore, I believe it’s very likely that, first, Mom’s opinion carries weight and, second, that her vote may be emotionally influenced. Mom’s world should not be shaken in her remaining days—including that her car keeps a familiar spot. I’m a business professional myself, but I can still take emotional matters seriously. Always with the whining from the business degree folks whenever anything beyond purely financial stuff is brought into a discussion *LOL*
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I think the original poster has clearly described the situation: Mom lives in the house instead of a care facility, has already transferred the property ownership to her daughters, but still wants to feel like the decision-maker, since the house exists because of her. Mom is over 80, which probably means the daughters are also over 50 and no longer have a personal stake in living there. Not all heirs are vultures; some really love their parents.
Therefore, I believe it’s very likely that, first, Mom’s opinion carries weight and, second, that her vote may be emotionally influenced. Mom’s world should not be shaken in her remaining days—including that her car keeps a familiar spot. I’m a business professional myself, but I can still take emotional matters seriously. Always with the whining from the business degree folks whenever anything beyond purely financial stuff is brought into a discussion *LOL*
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Wolkensieben9 Jan 2021 19:54Ysop*** schrieb:
maybe not with brief statements, but possibly with emotions In our family, a house is also being sold. If a family with many children makes the highest bid, then that family can buy it. If their offer is SLIGHTLY below the highest bidding investor, who needs to invest the money quickly, the family still gets it. If the offer is $10,000 lower, tough luck. The heirs’ community is not a charity; grandma and grandpa worked their whole lives for this.
Why should it be made easy for outsiders?
But shopping, mowing the lawn, sorry. The woman and her daughters are not stupid; they probably only mentioned the mother’s decision and the garage to have some peace.
And before grandma has to move into a nursing home and the house is lost because of that, a Polish caregiver will come into the house so the property can be maintained.
The daughters may be nice, but if the children have kids who also want something for their savings accounts, then it only comes down to the price.
Wolkensieben9 Jan 2021 20:2511ant schrieb:
Mom lives in the house instead of a care home, and has already transferred the property ownership to the daughters I would be very surprised if Grandma had transferred anything.
If there was a Grandpa, which I assume (unless the stork brought the kids), then after Grandpa’s death, Grandma owns 50%, and the two daughters each own 25%, forming a standard inheritance community.
When Grandma passes away, the two daughters each hold 50%, creating a new inheritance community.
And that’s when things get interesting, especially if partners want quick access to cash.
Inheritance communities are supposedly the worst nightmare for real estate agents.
Ysop*** schrieb:
Therefore, it certainly makes sense to present yourself as good neighbors. That’s what you do, of course! However, I also mentioned that the phrases the original poster quoted here—which, at least in substance but probably with the same wording—actually achieve the opposite. It is like spreading honey on a beard, and it’s not well thought out. This approach tends to create mistrust rather than trust.
Hausbautraum20 schrieb:
But if someone offers me 200k, my feelings will be better than at 100k... Exactly.
There is one point I haven’t addressed yet: especially during COVID times, and in general, it’s wise to introduce yourself in a letter. You need to express genuine interest; otherwise, the other party won’t even consider the possibility of selling. The letter should focus on the appealing aspects of the property, carefully weighing which features to mention. And yes, a realistic asking price should be stated, so the owners have time—weeks, possibly—to think it over.
That said, there is a significant gap between “not for free” and market value, or at least that’s the impression I get.
Hoping that the sisters/daughters of the 80-year-old don’t already have children who might use the property themselves, it’s worth a try. Include a callback number and address. You might also consider a kind deadline, such as “It would be appreciated if you could share your thoughts by the end of the quarter so we can continue our search.”
W
WilderSueden9 Jan 2021 20:39Wolkensieben schrieb:
Inherited property co-ownerships are supposedly the worst nightmare for real estate agents. That only applies to agents who don’t work properly. We had a house on our viewing list, so I contacted the agent on Saturday, and by Sunday morning we received an email stating that "viewings will soon be possible again." Since we were nearby anyway (and the house’s full address was provided), we stopped by. A woman opened the door and explained that one member of the co-owners had independently hired the agent without consulting the others. That explained why the agent only had exterior photos... By the way, we never heard from them again...
ypg schrieb:
One idea might be to set a deadline, like "It would be helpful if you could let us know your thoughts by the end of the quarter so we can continue our search." Definitely not that. That would reduce it to "business paperwork," which older people traditionally leave aside until they can discuss it with their children. But here, the message is more like, "Dear Grandma, these friendly young people are introducing themselves to you, and without changing anything you cherish, you could welcome new neighbors to the place where only your car is currently parked." Grandma’s provisional consent is the key to reaching the daughters. It should be respected, not reinterpreted, that Grandma acts as the "trusted preliminary decision-maker" for the sellers.
@Wolkensieben: look up Berliner Testament. Grandma may well have legally arranged for the property to already belong to the daughters.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/