Broker Bryant wrote on a final walk through that has inspired this post.
I have sold five homes in Dhu Varren over the years. This situation occurred at the closings of one of those homes.
AT THE CLOSING TABLE, the Buyer Agent, "there is a HUGE spot on the carpet and we want new carpet."
"Well, I'm sorry but, my sellers have moved out of country and you should have let me know last night after your walk-through. However, as my clients have moved out of country, I will pay to have it cleaned."
No, they wanted new carpet. It was huge.
So I stopped the closing, and said I am going to the house to look at the spot before I try to reach my clients. I did. The HUGE spot was less than the size of a quarter.
That's IT!
I called the sellers and they said they had forgotten about it, until the moved. They had tried to have it cleaned a long time ago and it would not come out.
I went back to the closing and told them, "the spot is the size of a quarter. It won't come out, they had an end table over it while living there."
"So do you want to buy the house or not?" Sound harsh?
You see, these buyers wanted a home in Dhu Varren and that neighborhood only. Because I had 2 homes under contract in there at the time, their agent called me to see IF I was listing anything in the near future.
I told her I was but not until the next week, that they were finishing up some things to get it ready to put on the market. She cried, begged, pleaded to see it that day, before her buyers left for out of state without a house.
So my sellers agreed to show it to them early.
The buyers loved it and wrote a full price offer, and it was listed in the MLS as sold.
How quickly they forget....
The moral is: if you are representing a client, you need to inspect what they are asking for in concessions and not just assume they are speaking forthrightly.
They bought the house and the way the fireplace and windows were located, I'm sure a piece of furniture covered it for them too.
In a situation like this, my sellers were willing to let the home be sold on the open market.
The average price home in Dhu Varren is 350's. The home closed at $379,900. 
Dhu Varren on the Park is located in N. E. Ann Arbor. Very quiet and peaceful sub with Olsen Park on the edge of the subdivision. Close to Leslie Park and the North Campus area. Many of the homes back to a ravine and have walk-out basements. A really lovely setting.
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
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Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk
I hate when that happens especially at the last minute like that. I bet they thought they had the seller over the barrel. I'm glad they didn't and that they closed on it.
We all have stories just like this...and I say the same thing when I hear one. Ridiculous. To hold the sellers hostage over something like this is absurd.
I wanna know where the name of the neighborhood came from Dhu Varren? Maybe I should google it - sounds like the name of a person and maybe people will laugh that I have no clue who he/she is!
And any of those last minute items are enough to drive you totally crazy..... especially if they didn't handle it at the walk through! errr
I am hearing more stories about buyer trying to renegotiate at the last minute. They do it because they think they can a few years ago it would not have been a problem.
Missy.... lol thanks for the quick laugh. A size of a quarter? I think some people push the envelope a little to far, just to make it look like they have their clients best interest in hand. And some of these people sometimes kill the deal. Again, thanks for the laugh.
Missy - you rock - way to protect your seller - and way to keep your cool -
You walk tall and carry a big stick!
"HUGE" is in the eye of the beholder! I also read Bryant's post and enjoy the fact that both of you can be serious about issue like these but with that sense of humor that is so important to maintain in our business!
WOW! Well...they had an agent who did what they wanted. You DID the RIGHT thing. GBU!
Missy - great job and asking them whether or not they wanted the house . . . and getting it closed at that price!!!
Missy - I know you wouldn't allow her to get one over on you. You knew that the buyers wanted the house so asking the right question caused them to refocus on what was important.
Way to go. An important part of our job is solving problems and helping people see reason. It sounds like you handled this situation very well.
I LOVE it that you stopped the closing and called their bluff on the size of the stain. Way to go!
People are sad, aren't they? Good for you driving over there to view that crater-sized stain. It's sad that people act the way they do. I'm dealing with a few buyers right now, that after negotiations have been done, are still asking me to ask for things. I argue with them that they had their opportunity.
Missy, great suggestion to go and visit the house for all these "so-called problems" that suddenly arise. Some people, I think figure that at the last minute they can get something for free if they simply ask and it looks as though they stretched the truth on this one. Good job, keeping your cool.
This hasn't happened to me yet - knock on wood. However, should something like this happen, you have given me the response and confidence to call them on it. While we want to get a deal closed, first and foremost, we represent the best interests of our client. I wonder if the agent tried to reason with her buyers.
Missy, HUGE is a quarter? Some people never cease to try to pull the wool over our eyes. Good for you for calling their bluff. I think at times so many agents are desperate for a closing and will do anything to get it to close. Way to go for protecting your seller!
Good for you for going over there (I'm sure you had your camera!) to check it out. Your sellers are lucky to have you for their agent.
I can't stand these manipulations and they're always ridiculous and brought up at the last minute too. I second everyone's comments... especially Kelly who said those seller's were lucky to have you!
Missy, You are not too harsh. Sometimes you just have to call it and you did! What a time waster! You did great and it sounds like business there is on a roll. Congrats.
Later in the rain~Deb