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In the Trenches: Sneaky Snake, Full Disclosure, and Please Hold the Copy

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In the Trenches: Sneaky Snake, Full Disclosure, and Please Hold the Copy

July 2005

Don’t Stick Around to Find Out

A listing agent was preparing to show an old farmhouse to my clients and me. She explained, while putting the key into the lock, that the sellers kept two large pet snakes in a box inside the door.

We started to advance into the house for our showing when, while looking into the snake box, she uttered the scariest few words I have ever heard: “Where’s the other one?”

We fled!
—Susan Flanagan, an associate broker with RE/MAX Realty One in York, Maine

Full Disclosure

Several years ago while taking a listing, the seller said that he needed to let me know “one more thing” about him and the house. I asked him to go on. He proceeded to say, “I’ve got crabs. Do you think that will be a problem in selling the house?”

Before I could respond, I heard a clack-clack on the hardwood floor down the hall and witnessed his many “pet” hermit crabs scurry across the floor! I calmly explained that they would need to be kept caged since their roaming would certainly scare some would-be buyers.

He had a difficult time accepting that his pets would soon lose the freedom to which they had grown accustomed.
—Kathy Stankard, a sales associate with Century 21 Westward Homes in Franklin, Mass.

Please Hold the Copy

A buyer was faxing a copy of his earnest money deposit to us at the office. He called to make sure we received it and requested, "Please don't deposit that check yet. I'm not sure it will clear." He was talking about the copy of the check that he faxed us.
—Catherine Tallant, a sales associate with RE/MAX Allegiance in Alexandria, Va.

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