Listing another's home can get you into situations you would really prefer not to be involved in. Like a couple weeks ago the president of our local MLS showed a new listing that a couple of other agents had shown the day before. That same evening we were talking and in the meantime one of the one agents called and informed me they had some fleas on them when they left the day before. It was too late to inform the Pres. so when I saw the bites on her arm I knew we had a situation but she was so gracious and assumed I did not know about it before I could inform her of that fact.
She is such a beautiful person and we are so lucky to have her in such an important position in our local MLS.
Well I informed the owner we needed to get that place taken care of before we had a worse situation on our hands and sure enough, I got a call a couple days later, bombs had been set off and everything was under control.
Today I got a call from another agent who unknowingly took in her clients, who just happen to work for the health department and the white pants she was wearing showed the hundreds of fleas that immediately attacked her so she warned them not to bring the baby in and saved us from a very bad scenario to say the least.
She was not a happy camper when she told me about it and as I apologized profusely thanking her for saving our legal necks she hung up to spray herself again I am sure!
Moral of the story? I just feel it's necessary to warn everyone in writing before something happens, one of my listings has fleas (at least) but some also have ticks, mice, chiggers, spiders, snakes, raccoons, and you name it.
However, thankfully, many of them are probably as pest-free as a home in the Ozarks can be, and if they are not, I will surely tell you if I know otherwise, I promise!
Stephen Mattison, ABR e-Pro
Souvenir Realty, Inc.
Office: (417)357-8326
Cell: (417) 350-9743
Steve,
Great post. I had a home a couple of years ago. Owners moved out. I went in the house about 2 weeks after vacating. Oh my, the fleas we so bad. I never realized they multiple so quickly. I actually bombed the house 3 x's. I wonder, now with all the vacant homes and REO's how some of these homes really are. I was also in a bank owned a few months ago and the urine smell would knock you over. The carpets were still wet with urine everywhere. I thought it was a kitty. Well, I went to the second level and it was raccoons. Myself and the buyer ran. Thank goodness she was my best friend. I wonder what the Bank Owned Properties liability is???
Hi Steve,
An appraiser friend of mine told me a horror story one day...He walked in to a home that was an REO property and found when he walked out, that his lightly colored pants were covered from the knees down in fleas!
Makes my skin crawl just thinking about it!
Michael
Steve: Yes, it pays to be aware of what's going on at all times. I have only had one instance when one of the homes I showed was flea-ridder. What a mess. Both myself and my buyers were just covered with bites. Not fun ! Thanks for sharing...
Hi Steve,
Yikes, was this your listing?
As far as I know I've only had one big issue with fleas, also a vacant property while showing. We were all covered by the time we left. Never seeing fleas back then (a real newbie, early 70's) I was clueless and truthfully that was the last time I saw those buyers.
Homes that have been shut up for a while in the warmer weather! People don't realize how fast a proplem can arise! I think I am going to start caring a can of spray or something in my car, just in case!
Monique you are so right, I have been in a few REO's lately that would make you loose your lunch if you weren't mentally prepared for what might be in there, yeeow how can people leave a place like that?
Karen, them little critters sure can cause some huge welts on us, no kidding, nastly little blood-suckers!
Michael, I know what you mean, those critters give you the heebie jeebies and you still feel them a couple days later just from the mental irritation they cause.
Lynda, that is what we dread, yes it is my listing, am warning people not to go in unless all sprayed up no matter what the owner does to treat it, short of ripping out all the carpeting. Amazingly, the agent's buyers told her they were still interested in the property but not in that condition, maybe that will help get it done right!
Judy, it sure has been nice and warm here lately, sure that didn't help, but I have to keep the killer-deet spray in abundance around here for the multiple-threats faced just living outside the concrete jungle.
Went into one of our new listings the other day and oh my, termites were eating the curtains. Uh Oh, better call someone. We're working on it. You never know. Great post Steve.
Hi Steve,
Knock wood, I haven't had any listings or showings like that yet!!
Also, I have that Toucan as my screen saver on my Toshiba laptop.
Tammy, that is pretty amazing, never heard of that before, always something new and the changes never cease in this business. Guess that is what is so intriguing about being involved in peoples lives, they never fail to show me something new.
Tony, you can knock on wood, unless you are at Tammy's place where they have already finished off the wood and are now eating the drapes, ha ha! Toucan's are one of the most beautiful birds in the world, in my opinion.
I have a listing and the owner is a dog rescuer. When I was there the other day I thought fleas were biting me, but I never saw one. Maybe it was just in my head. She is very good about having the vet thoroughly examine these rescues.
I love the Toucan too!
Ann, the heebie jeebies seem to stay with you a lot longer than the actual pests, know what you mean, if I am in a house with more than a couple of cats I start getting that feeling too:)
Steve - you're making me itch reading this! We've all been there, in your shoes, I think. Never fun is it my friend?
I showed a vacant home to a lady, only to came running out as we realized we were being covered in fleas. As we were standing in the yard, brushing off the best we could, the neighbor across the street left his rocking chair, walked over and said we were the third set of Realtor/Buyers to come running out of the home that day! He thought it was a hoot! I was afraid to get back into my car!
Good luck getting those buggers out!
Thanks, went over there the other day to unlock it for a new agent and got covered again, after he had ripped out the rug that was supposedly the one full of them, but they are still all over that place and he will have to rip all rugs out now before it gets shown again! Dang fleas, just hate em:)