I rang EA yesterday to book a viewing. It's one they need to go to as it's empty and they told me they're really busy.
They had one spot at 11.30 on Monday which I couldn't do and the next was 3.30 on Tuesday.

Either they've cut back on staffing or they've got so many empty properties they need to go and show that they're busy. Either way I'm going to pick his brains on Tuesday

;-)
I will be reporting back.

Whereabouts are you mate?

Oldham. Where hpi has been massive.
:-(

One of the oldest tricks in the book to make oneself lookk successful is to make out it's difficult to find a space in your diary. However I take the point about a lot of properties for sale

I was in an EAs a few weeks ago and they WERE really busy.... except - after a bit of eavesdropping - it seemed to be all home visits for people putting their house ON the market.

I've had cases whilst I've been looking of being told we couldn't view a house cus all the spots were taken for Saturday.....only to go into the EA's office to be told that there were no bookings at all on that day, or any other day!

And after we settled on one place and put in a offer the EA even accused us of not being serious (it was below asking price) so we told her she'd better get her act together or we'll go elsewhere.

And one EA who showed us around a place that bore no relationship to the photos used to advertise it (fireplaces ripped out, shower ripped off the bathroom wall, skirting boards ripped up and wallpaper hanging off in strips) then told us his 'proper' job was as a property developer and if we bought it he'd do it up for us for around £5,000!! They've since been around again and taken new photos of that one.

Ah yes... some thoughts now

- have laid off staff because not making any money, so short staffed
- all out booking houses for sale in
- playing hard to get
- limited time slots because they only have one person qualified to use keys ;-)


But will see what I can find out on Tuesday.

Add to that list another thought. How about a big increase in the percentage of empty properties that need accompanied viewings - previously let stuff, repo's, relocated and renting whilst old house is sold?

We had to book three weeks in advance, in September last year, for a suitable Sat appointment with one agent. Unless they were renting friends to go round these houses before and after us then the demand was there.

It's quite simple, all the people who have put their house on the market to sell in spring are out looking at houses to buy when they find a buyer....

I've viewed a couple of houses lately that have come back on the market after having "sold" months ago...the reason...the chains had collapsed.

The HPC doesnt happen overnight...

Well I'm really cheesed off.

They've just rung and asked me to put off going until Wednesday 4pm. As the guy who made the appointment has a medical appointment at that time and can't go.

Hmmm

Do I think one of three or four local landlords gets priority over me?

another reason is if agent knows its badly priced/'investor' owner wont sell at a reasonable price they know it is a dead viewing, with no hope of achieving sale, and just dead time. could be a million things.

Maybe me ringing, the landlords ringing etc have made them think its too low priced?

Had that a few years back when the EA (this same one actually) wouldn't let us view the property as they were upping the price.

True. I phoned up to arrange a viewing once and the agent said "Ah, you want to see it in the evening. Hmmn. Its just that there's a bit of problem round there with kids hanging about in the early evening". For some reason I still went to the viewing, and the agent was pretty offish. I thought he was a ****, but I actually viewed a different house with him and he turned out to be really sound. Its just that he knew he was never going to sell this particular house in a million years and any viewing was just wasting everyone's time. He was at least honest with me on the phone by telling about the kids, but I stupidly ignored his sound advice not to bother even looking.

We were talking about our lack of appointment earlier - and then it struck me this was the estate agent that wouldn't let us see a propery last time we were looking.
At first there was some excuse and then a lot of fluff why we couldn't, and the hosue put its price up and up and we never got to view it.

I'm really pee'd off now. But I have got someone keeping an eye on the place at the appt time in case they show it to someone else. I suppose the only thingt to do then is put a complaint in about them.

It's so frustrating. And annoying. Perhaps I'm just being really paranoid thinking that the landlord brigade get preferential treatment over me?

Perhaps, perhaps not. But you do have to keep firmly in mind that the EA is the SELLERS AGENT; his ONLY remit is to get the best deal possible for the vendor. He doesn't owe you a damn thing. So if the vendor wants a quick sale with no messing about with chains, mortgage approvals etc, then a sale to a landlord might well be the best deal for him (even if they pay a bit less).
Now if the the EA is cutting a deal with landlords to ensure they get good properties under true value, then it's a fraud on the seller and the the seller can throw the book at them.

But if I was the vendor I'd be fuming that he hasn't shown you round. I'd want my agent to show as many people round as possible, you can never predict who might put in a really good offer. I looked round a house a few years ago and they were demanding the full asking price of £170k and I told the agent it was too much. A few weeks later I noticed the price had dropped to £160k. Firstly, I was annoyed that the agent hadn't phoned me to tell me this. Anyway, I phoned up because I wanted to buy the house but was told that it had been sold. I asked to be kept informed if things didn't work out because I was a keen cash buyer but was told "Its been bought by a developer who we know really well and there's no way it will fall through, we know him really well". A few weeks later I noticed the house was back on the market. But had anyone bothered to phone me to let me know? As a vendor it annoys me to think that my agent isn't acting in MY best interest, when I'm paying him several thousand pounds.

Sounds like a bit of sharp practice between the agent and the developer there; i.e. I'll give you an additional 50% on top of your sale bonus if you make sure I'm the only person putting in the offer....

OK. We went to see it.

It needs completely ripping out. Needs new carpets, new front door, one window panel replacing, rewiring (seriously soon), alarm, complete decoration, tiling in bathroom as bath's not sealed (which potentially means floors been soaked over years too), there's a bit of a crack in one of the bedroom walls but it's been repointed on outside some considerable time ago.

It's on a very low amount compared to what the others on the road are on at.

But a second viewing immediately after ours was a local developer who's been looking for somewhere for his daughter. (A friend who went with us went to try and rent one of his recently and was told the 'for my daughter' thing about the next one he had lined up)

So we've both put offers in. Very similar offers.

So the EA have come back to us for last and final offer.

I don't know what to do.
I know it's cheaper than surrounding ones but needs some serious work doing on it .... which doesn't all need doing immediately: rewire, tiles and flooring does...

*help*
I just think it'll end up landlord city round here - as there's continually more landlords springing up.

OH and the Ea don't have a HIP or know whether it's freehold or not.

Is it possible the developer was just a prop to make you think you were in a bidding war? The whole delay with appointments etc too could have been to try and string you along to pique your interest.

If the offer is genuine though and there are so many landlords in the area, it could be a bad place to buy before the crash as renters leave and leveraged BTL chains start to cause forced sales. Prices would drop more in a BTL-infested area than in an owner-occupier area. Do you really need to buy? Why not just wait until this Spring bounce mania is over and inventory is high in the Autumn. Seems like the EAs and BTL-ers are playing games to try and hype the market now so no-one sane should bother to play along.

Has it had a survey recently?

What's similar? Do you know what his offer is? Or could the developer's offer be 10% below yours? Have you actually had your original offer turned down?

Absolutely. Just consider the carnage that is Nottingham.

I assume the difference being one of us is cash and one of us is mortgage. I've been asked to give a final offer.

What worries me is he could up his offer by twenty grand knowing full well a survey will give him massive bargaining points to just knock it back down to something sensible.


Point taken about the BTL rich area likely to have plenty of sales when it all falls in, but what if that never happens? What if all these BTL landlords carry on supplementing their property portfolio?
Looking at all the houses on rightmove in this area, this one is massively cheap - so perhaps it is a tactic by the EA - make sure all the developers see it as a bargain and then they'll fight over it.

The road we know he's got houses on they go for 15-20k more than this streets top price - so perhaps he's got more budget to start with if thats the sort of place he's buying before.