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Beware New UPS Phone Scam Hitting Sacramento Realtors
You can’t track anonymous calls made through a VoIP to report a UPS phone scam.
My midtown Lyon Real Estate office forwarded a UPS phone scam call to me yesterday from 916-235-1321. It registers as a Folsom VoIP number, which means it could have originated from a computer or a mobile. The caller even acknowledged that he had asked my office to forward the call. He sounded so hokey. Said he was from UPS and had received a field inquiry about a damaged shipping label. Right away red flags went up, because he did not sound like a UPS employee.
Twice I asked his name, but no, he was transferring me to an individual with more information about my damaged shipping label. I also asked how he got my office number because I don’t ever use that number for anything, especially not for UPS. He said he got it from the shipping label, which is even more dubious.
Hmm . . . I quickly reviewed my situation of this UPS phone scam: UPS doesn’t have my office number. I don’t have any shipments from or to the office. A quick review online would provide my cell, not my office phone, in case a person needed to search for my phone. But I was still curious. What were they trying to pull?
I am going to transfer you now, he said, and the next thing on the line was a recording, thanking me for my patience and offering to play a clip from a “well known comedian, Jeff Foxworthy.” Who probably voted for Trump. He seems like that kinda guy, and I really do not like Jeff Foxworthy. Couldn’t this company afford the bucks to pay for better comedy, like maybe Patton Oswalt, instead of some has-been loser? Second thought, why isn’t this recorded music?
Within 3 seconds, just as I was about to hang up, somebody answered the phone. He gave a nondescript first name and told me this was my lucky day. Yes, I thought so. Lucky enough to hang up. After Jeff Foxworthy, I had lost my curiosity.
This is definitely, without question, a long, drawn-out UPS phone scam for something against the law. They obviously don’t want to be traced or reported. They seem to be targeting Sacramento Realtors. If a person calls pretending to be from UPS, get a name, tracking number and call UPS yourself. UPS Customer Service in Atlanta is 800-742-5877.
Negotiation Techniques for Crazy Real Estate Situations
Negotiation techniques in Sacramento real estate might not make every person happy.
Just a quick word this morning about negotiation techniques for crazy real estate situations. Now, for some of us, we might laugh this off and say every single real estate situation in Sacramento today is an unreasonable real estate situation, and that is more fact than fiction. This is not a normal real estate market. Strange things are happening, and sellers have never before been in such a unique situation to negotiate issues in their favor. Reasoning with unreasonable people is an uncomfortable task for some Sacramento Realtors, but it’s second nature to me. Especially if one arrives at that premise believing every person is somewhat unreasonable, if given the chance.
An agent and I were talking about the market yesterday. The agent asked if I had a moment to discuss an unusual escrow. That agent’s buyer wanted a really big credit, but the amount of the credit exceeded her closing costs. This meant they had to also reduce the price to take full advantage of the negotiations. To get that credit, they needed strong bids. In this agent’s situation, which is not a transaction I’m working on, btw, the buyer’s agent had a seller on the other side who was willing to provide the credit, with a stipulation. The seller demanded a particular clause — doesn’t matter what the clause is — be inserted into the contacting bids for the work. The buyer planned to complete the work after closing.
The inherent problem was none of the contractors who had submitted bids would provide that clause in the bid. The agent asked if there was some way to negotiate with the seller to remove the demand for that clause. The seller was unreasonable. It was an odd request. A peculiar demand. Not common or everyday. It would seem to most people the best cause of action would be to get the seller to drop that demand.
However, good negotiation techniques for crazy real estate situations are best snatched from the days of short sales. You remember Sacramento short sales, right? When banks would make the most idiotic demands? And we’d have to work within the confines of those demands. So often people look in the wrong places for the solution.
In this agent’s situation, the solution between all of the parties involved was simple. Make the contractor insert the language the contractor did not want to insert into the bid. That’s the solution. Explain that if the language is not in the contract, the seller won’t pay the buyer and the buyer won’t pay the contractor. The contractor can insert additional language defining the phrase if needed, but bottom line, either it goes into the bid or the contractor doesn’t do the work. Stop putting pressure on the seller and put it where it belongs, even though the demand is unreasonable.
The outcome was the contractor inserted the language into the bid. Now everybody is happy. Well, maybe the contractor isn’t as pleased as he could be but on the bright side, he got the job. And that’s worth quite a bit in today’s world. Negotiation techniques for crazy real estate situations involve finding the path with the least resistance that can be most easily altered. There you have it in a nutshell.
What’s Up With Free Seller Rent Backs in Sacramento Real Estate?
Free seller rent backs are common in today’s Sacramento housing market.
Given our strong seller’s market in Sacramento, many home buyers today are finding themselves closing escrow but not being able to move into their new homes due to the free seller rent backs. Part of the reason for the free seller rent backs is to induce the seller to accept an offer over another offer without the holdover possession. It’s also because many sellers are not moving up. At least not in my listing inventories.
Sellers are either a) a successor trustee or trustee of a trust; b) moving out of the area; c) selling an investment rental or d) buying a brand new home. They are not coming to me and asking to sell their home so they can buy a bigger, nicer home in a different neighborhood, which would be a normal Sacramento real estate market. But these are not normal times. We need to remind ourselves that much of what is happening today is NOT NORMAL. We can’t get complacent.
Ordinarily, buyers are sometimes a bit timid about offering free seller rent backs. This is a new concept to many home buyers. They don’t understand why they can’t collect rent from the seller, nor do many feel the full impacts of the craziness in limited inventory neighborhoods, but it is a fact of Sacramento real estate today. Sellers expect it and buyers will agree or the seller will sell to somebody else. It’s that simple.
To protect all of the parties, though, we do ask for signatures on a Seller in Possession addendum. This legal document was prepared by C.A.R. lawyers to protect all sides and state who is to continue paying for things such as utilities.
Three of my recent closings involve free seller rent backs. One was for 45 days. Another 3 weeks, and yet another a couple of weeks. In the last transaction, the seller was worried. Now I could understand a buyer’s reluctance, but a seller exhibiting hesitance was unusual. Why, I asked, would you fret over the free rent back when you’ve already closed escrow? Not to mention, you have your big ol’ pile of money, and you get to stay put until you’re ready to go. Doesn’t this exhibit peace of mind for you?
Because what if I broke something, the seller responded. Hmmm . . . you’ve lived in the property for 7 years, have you broken anything yet? No, but I might. OK, good point, let’s discuss.
But for everybody else, it’s a super great deal for sellers, even if buyers have to wait a little.
3 Best Home Inspection Tips for Sellers in Sacramento
These home inspection tips for sellers will help you to prepare.
Some of the reasons I would write about home inspection tips for sellers in Sacramento are to a) help out the real estate reader who visits my website, and to b) supply timely information for other agents, but it’s also to c) provide a link to content that I can send to my own sellers. Triple duty blogs, I call them, that keep on providing information and tips to Sacramento sellers long after they are published. Hey, it’s not like I’m leaking classified information to the Russians like some idiot we wish we did not have to hear about.
Depending on the seller, I generally suggest to buyer’s agents that they set up the appointment times directly with the seller. It seems to work out best that way, especially when contractors unexpectedly run late and / or buyer’s agents suddenly need to add an additional inspection. They can discuss times and dates one-on-one so there is no confusion. There is no reason for a listing agent to be in the middle of the appointment times between a seller and buyer’s agent.
Every so often I work with a seller who does not want to ever talk to another living breathing soul except for me, and you know what? That’s OK. If they decide to wrap themselves in space blankets for protection from radiation due to electromagnetic hypersensitivity, I’ll be right there putting my keys and cellphone in the mailbox, like Jimmy on Better Call Saul.
#1 of 3 Home Inspection Tips
So that’s my first suggestion in home inspection tips for sellers, if you don’t mind making your own appointments, you should probably wait for the buyer’s agent to call, then arrange the appointments that best work with your own schedule. Remember, buyer’s agents cannot dictate when the home inspector will arrive. They need to ask you for an appointment, and you have the right to suggest an alternate date if it’s not convenient.
Do try to work with the buyer’s agents appointment times, though, because to delay the inspection could mean a delay in releasing the inspection contingencies, which by contract default are within 17 days.
#2 of 3 Home Inspection Tips
Second suggestion in my home inspection tips for sellers is to clean up the house. We don’t all live like J.R. Ewing with servants wiping our footprint remains left in the entryway. Nope, we need to tidy up and make the home as presentable as possible, just like when you were showing it to prospective buyers, before it went into pending status. Remember, at this point, the buyer is still a prospective buyer. Just because they have a deposit in escrow doesn’t mean they will close escrow.
#3 of 3 Home Inspection Tips
My third suggestion in my home inspection tips for sellers is to leave the house. It will take about 3 hours. Don’t hang around to chit-chat or offer information because that’s where sellers get into deep trouble. You need to disclose what you know about the home in your seller disclosures, but you don’t need to get into lengthy discussions that could possibly raise any new issues that do not exist. I know you just want to help, and you have nothing to hold back, but my advice is do not answer any questions.
Let the buyer’s agent ask your listing agent for that information. Listing agents will try to make sure you stay out of trouble. There is a good reason you are paying a listing agent and part of that reason is to provide a buffer. If a buyer asks you a question, just say: my agent says you need to talk to her about that. Repeat if necessary and it may be necessary. You don’t think you can say anything wrong and you might be right but what if you’re not? Just don’t take that chance.
How long have you lived in this property?
You: My agent says you need to talk to her about that.
How old is the roof?
You: My agent says you need to talk to her about that.
Have you ever made an insurance claim?
You: My agent says you need to talk to her about that.
Better for you, just don’t stick around during the home inspection. Besides, the buyers, their agent, the inspector, they all need to talk about what is or could be possibly wrong with your home. There will be a lot of stuff wrong no matter how well you maintained your home. You don’t want to listen to that downer crap, right? So just don’t be there.
The Grass is Not Greener on the Other Side for Sacramento Real Estate
The grass is not greener on the other side during our spring housing market in Sacramento.
Word on the street is agents need to tell their Sacramento home buyers in escrow to stay there because the grass is not greener on the other side. It’s not going to get any easier to buy a home if they cancel an existing escrow, it will be worse. The main problem is too many buyers and not enough listings. If a buyer is working with an experienced Realtor, that buyer can expect to buy a home the first or second go around if they listen to their agent. If they try to go it alone and don’t follow an expert’s advice, they won’t get a home. Simple as that.
For every buyer out there who is hemming and hawing, questioning whether they should agree to pay over list price or give a seller a couple of days to move, there are 10 other buyers ready to do what it takes. It’s a confusing market for buyers who don’t know what’s going on or don’t believe their agent when they are informed. Some of them still think they have the luxury of time and that they can negotiate without any competition.
Some buyer’s agents are advising their buyers to approach sellers directly and plead their cases with the sellers. It’s THAT crazy out there. Don’t think about trying that approach because a) it’s unethical and b) it doesn’t work. Most sellers will listen to their listing agent, unlike the challenges facing buyer’s agents when their buyers don’t pay heed.
The grass is not greener on the other side in West Sacramento or Roseville, either. You can’t believe Zillow if it tells you we are in a buyer’s market, as I’ve seen some reports from Zillow express that goofy opinion. This is a seller’s market. If buyers want to buy a home in this market, they need to conform to the market. That means often offering over list price, especially if there is more than one offer on the table. It might mean giving the seller a free rent back. I have 3 escrows right now where the seller gets 2 weeks free, another gets 3 weeks, and another 45 days free. It means putting your money where your mouth is and making that deposit at least 3% of the sales price or more.
I’ve been watching buyers offer $10,000, 20,000, 30,000 over list price just to buy a house. The grass is not greener on the other side. If you lose the home you want to buy, there might not be another. Sellers, if you don’t have your home on the market, you are missing this action. If you’re thinking about selling your home, call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.
