Remember when you were young and any time that a letter came in the mail it was nothing but awesome?
Weren’t those the days!
That mailbox was a endless source of joy because whenever something arrived in it with your name on it that meant that you were either being invited to a birthday party, getting money from a relative, receiving a monthly magazine you were subscribed to or who knows what else… but regardless as to what it was, all of it was good.
But sadly somewhere in your late teens those trips to the mail started to progressively much less enjoyable.
The birthday party invitations, cards with money etc., turned into credit card bills, license renewal paperwork, junk mail and government documents. The fun things were gone and replaced by things that just don’t deliver the same joy.
But over the last couple years there has been a different animal in your mailbox jungle, one that offered a dose of that old childlike excitement.
A letter from someone who wants to buy your home!
But sadly, (maybe even tragically) its not what you think it is. No, it’s not an outright scam, that letter is mostly likely 100% legit. Someone would love to buy your house, but you’ll still be disappointed by the end of our discussion today because while as mentioned it is not a scam, there is definitely a catch.
The impression the letter gives (by design) is that it is specifically for you. At first glance some of them even seem like they were handwritten.
Someone has seen your home, fallen in love with it and wants it for their own.
It’s almost a validation of you in many ways. Your homes style, design and maintenance has caught someone else’s eye and pushed them to the point they are going to reach out to you and try to buy it!
Wow!
The issue is that they likely sent this letter to everyone on your street (and a dozen other streets).
Sure they’ll happily buy your home, but they will want it at a substantial (or severe) discount to the market price.
But wait! If you actually call the number on the letter the person on the other end (likely a hard selling salesperson) will inform you that while that may seem like a bad thing, the good thing is that they will offer a fast closing with few (if any) conditions.
But here is the thing, if you really are willing to underprice your home you don’t need these folks. Selling a home fast and with minimal conditions is rarely a problem for anyone willing to lowball their own selling price.
Heck if you do price your home aggressively with a realtor you may even get a bidding war and get more for you home.
So unfortunately when it comes to being an adult the mailbox, like so many other things will for the time being remain a disappointment.
