h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh - OK! Now you know why I was not so pleased with the price the cottage sold at - the original offer was for almost 320!!!! That would have been nice

Blimey the market or the house must have been deteriorating fast!

What was the time gap between that nice offer and the actual sale date? And was that offer made by the person who actually went and bought the place?

The house did not deteriorate - it was an initial offer over the price in May and it sold in December.

The original offer was from a property developer who wanted to make sure he beat off what was some pretty stiff competition at the time so offered over asking price and over what the others could afford. He then dragged his feet over process and in late September as I was driving to sign the contracts he said he had changed his mind and was now only able to offer 220 - as you can imagine I was not impressed and after quite a few preceding words I said NO! We had by then committed to this house but I was not prepared to be treated like that - I think he assumed he would get away with it because he then came back with an offer of 250. I decided that there was no way he was getting his hands on my cottage! I really wish I had gone with the family who bid second highest at that point but hey cant change that

I then had another sale of just over 300 which fell through as the people's sale fell through. The market at this point was getting considerably softer and people were not selling due to the interest rate rises and mass speculation in the press about how house prices were due to crash

We had a lot of indicative offers at just under 300 from people who had not sold their houses. The buyers who took it in the end were a lovely couple who really wanted the place - and for the cottage that was worth something and since the market was softening and I was feeling OK here it seemed the right thing to do rather than having to keep paying the mortgage on somewhere we were not living. A house does afterall need to be lived in

As I am sure you have already worked out it went up a very very tidy sum while it was in my care!

If you like the people who you've sold to, then that is worth something.

It's just a shame that you got done over by a developer in the mean time. Any idea why he dropped his offer by so much? Or what he was planning to do with the place?

I bought 2 houses in Scotland and their system is much better. If you make an offer and it's accepted THAT'S IT! The price is set in stone and if anyone fails to complete, then they end up in court, which is pretty cool. At least everybody knows where the goalposts are!

I'd be tempted to make some sort of contract with a similar intention if/when I sell my place. Why can't people just be totally honest when buying property?



Bassman

The polite explaination of what the developer was doing was trying to put me in a possition where I had to accept his really low offer so he could maximise his profit - what he had not reconed on was me being able to carry on for quite a long time if I needed to! I am glad he did not get away with it but I am sure by now he would have done the same scam on someone and they would have had to accept a much lower offer!

I think the Scottish system does sound a whole lot better.

EEK - the lights have just gone off. I was reading your reply and the lights in the room timed-out. I hate that, maybe I should move around a bit more to make the sensor do it's job and not go to sleep....

Your house was too lovely to be "Developed" anyway!



Bassman

Lights timed out - whats that all about then - were you 'working'?

I loved the cottage and it was lovely as it was but I do think it coud have been even lovelier with a little tender loving development. Still I just hope that the new owners are loving living there

I'm sure they do....

The lights in my office detect when a person walks in and turn themselves on. When they don't detect much movement for a while - like when you're sat at the 'puter typing - they turn off again to save electricity. Pretty cool, but it means I don't ever get to see the view across the airfield at dusk or at night, because when I get to the top of the stairs, the lights switch on and all I can see is my reflection in the windows (yuk).

The ceiling is too high to reach by normal means without resorting to a step ladder, so I can't tape a paper cup over the sensor!!



Bassman

Air-rifle

The company have just spen 13 1/2 million on this buildin, I doubt that I would be very popular if I started going round shooting chunks off it with an air rifle. In fact - that sounds like P45 time!!

On second thoughts, I could try it with a bazooka.... it would have the same outcome (albeit that I might find it a little challenging getting another job except as a mercenary) but be a whole lot more satisfying.



Bassman

If you stand still at the top of the stairs long enough do the lights go out again - allowing you to see the stars?

Yes, but I'm not sure how long that would take - maybe half an hour I would guess. I can't afford to waste that amount of time



Bassman

Luz...same thing just happened to us.

A duplex rental property we own is up for sale. Reasonable price compared to others in the area.
We got a good offer with contract from an individual, who then has the place 'appraised'.
His Appraisal price results in 50k less than his offer.
Individual then says he can't get a mortgage for the amount of his original offer, as the appraisal price is much lower...would we sell it to him for his appraisal price please.
A little research amongst other sellers in the area turns up some common factors (offers from different buyers names but all using same out of town appraisal company)
We then had the place independently appraised, and "his" offer was 50k below that.
"He" was some development company fishing in the area to see who might need to sell lower than market value.

I think we now have a sensible offer from a guy we have actually met with, so beware of developers posing as individuals.

Bassman...nice to see you're still around...do you know if it's a motion sensor or a heat sensor?...You could try moving real slow... or wearing a tin-foil suit to defeat it

alec.

Hi Alec,

If I moved any slower I'd stop!

My tin foil suit isn't back from the cleaner's yet, so I'll have to wait until it is....



Bassman

Developers definitely seem to be bad news if you are selling a house

So where are you going to move to Alec?

* contemplates Bassman in his tin foils suit *

* goes to sit down *

Sorry Didn't mean to make you come over all unnecessary-like....

I look like a Turkey ready for Chrismas dinner in that suit, I was thinking of changing it for figure hugging gold spandex and a purple feather boa, what d'you think?



Bassman

I think the boa is a nice touch - very Glam Rock!

The sad thing is, I actually DO have the pink boa....

I got it as a freebie with a quantity of alcohol consumed in a bar at a gig one time - not by me though, as I always drive. I just think it was me who paid for the round, so I claimed the booty.

I think I might have worn it to a Rocky Horror Show production at some time.



Bassman

Well that is your excuse and you are sticking to it!!!!

I am sure Rocky Horror gets the blame for all sorts of wardrobe misdeminers ...

I cant picture you wearning it all that often ...