On "home buyers" and scams

[leno...@yahoo.com]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/miss-manners-dinner-invitation-need-not-come-with-sitter-stipulation/2015/06/23/3cb927bc-1697-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html


DEAR MISS MANNERS: My father received two letters from people he does not know, written on yellow notebook paper. They were variants on "Can I buy your house? Please contact (phone number)."

Our house is not on the market and we have no plans to sell. How should we respond, especially because these letters seem importunate and rude? One does not walk up to someone and say, "I love your coat. Can I buy it from you?" Nor does one write letters to strangers that say, "Can I make love to you? Please call (phone number)."

GENTLE READER: Perhaps there is such a thing as a "Not for Sale" sign?

While Miss Manners agrees that these letters are annoying, your father need only ignore them. However, he might want to do a little background check and make sure that his house is not being listed without his consent.



Some alarming comments:


Mary Robins
7/9/2015 7:14 PM EST
Dear Miss Manners,
RED FLAG on the post from the daughter whose father received 2 letters on yellow note paper ,wanting to buy his house.

These notes are sent out by investors that approach homeowners, once their homes are put on public record, Notice of Foreclosure . The investors want to do short sales.
Please contact that daughter and have her check her fathers records, in case a mistake on the real estate number has been entered in his county public records.
If this is not corrected, he could loose his home to foreclosure due to some clerical error. He would then have a major fight on his hands to prove there was a mistake made by court house employees.
Regards, Former Real Estate Investor.


GladGrace
7/9/2015 7:29 PM EST
That's a good point but are investors sending hand-written notes on yellow paper with only a phone number to call. We get quite a few requests from realtors to buy the house but we get properly printed and signed letters, with logos and addresses, etc.


Mary Robins
7/9/2015 7:42 PM EST
Yes . we are taught to send out a hand written note on yellow paper, as if it were coming from a " Real Buyer", once we have an appointment with the home owner, we disclose that we are a real estate investor company. The sale then goes through or not, depending on the homeowners situation. i.e. 3 weeks away from being sold on courthouse steps.
I hope all regularly check their public records for any mistakes, too many people with same name and similar addresses, employees are prone to mistakes when entering data , when they have 1 to 2 hundred Notice of Foreclosures to enter before they go home for the day. CHECK check and double Check every 3 months.Put it on your calendar.


GladGrace
7/9/2015 7:54 PM EST
Wow. Thanks for sharing that.


cococo
7/10/2015 8:47 AM EST
first time i've heard of this. thank you.


beatrixb
7/9/2015 6:57 AM EST
Apparently MM has been reading about the numerous Craig's List scams where con artists are in fact renting and selling homes that don't actually belong to them. It doesn't hurt to verify especially if one could be considered among the class of vulnerable citizens.


GladGrace
7/9/2015 7:26 PM EST
LW 4) Gee. Everybody knows that you're supposed to walk up to the person and ask "Can I make love to you?" to their face.

Seriously, don't reply at all. I know your dad was probably brought up to respond to all letters and calls but nowadays one does not need to respond to these kinds of things and it may, in fact, be dangerous to do so because they then have the phone number that goes with the house. Also, if he calls they may ask him questions that may seem innocent, like "does the house have a security system," and other things that should not be discussed with strangers. When I get a call offering a security system I always answer that we have the very latest in security and tell them to not call again.


acl nyc
7/10/2015 11:39 AM EST
Excellent point about the questions, security system, GG.

Somebody who is clueless that these letters can be ignored and trashed might be clueless enough to answer the questions.


nagatuki
7/10/2015 10:07 AM EST [Edited]
LW4: I'm surprised at the number of people who just view this as "rude," whereas my first thought was "creepy and shady."

Maybe I've never known anyone to have been asked such a question but, if I received some handwritten note on notebook paper, I would immediately assume some sort of scammer trying to get my financial information.


OliveNM
7/10/2015 6:17 PM EST
Older people are targets for scammers. I would ignore or report to the authorities any unsolicited offers to buy my house.


Dottie Mertsky
7/9/2015 4:48 PM EST
Miss Manners you appear to be really out of touch....those letters that arrived on yellow pad paper are usually from prisoners and are a scam. I would not call the number or have anything to do with them.. Throw them out.


MsCanon
7/9/2015 6:53 PM EST
It is a good point. I would call, but from a land-line elsewhere.


slowstart2
7/9/2015 7:05 PM EST [Edited]
Really? I haven't heard of that-and I am not certain I see the point. I live in a really desirable neighborhood in a part of the country with a great housing shortage. There are a total of two houses in the area that I know are rentals.I know at least three people who got their homes by papering the neighborhood with those letters. Since I have no interest in selling, I just throw the letters out; no reason to respond. I also have one neighbor whose house did get listed without his knowledge. He found out when the agent showed up at his door and said "I have six good solid offers on your house." My neighbor, who has owned his house for about 60 years, invited the realtor in, and looked over the offers. His response? "Heck, at these prices, I'd buy the house myself!". The offers were a good million under value- the realtor thought old means out of touch. Neighbor made a few phone calls and that is one realtor who will never buy or sell a house again.




Lenona.

[Bob F]

I often get more than one letter a week from various realtors and "investment
companies" wanting to buy my house. It is because I have a large, shortplattble
lot, of which there are few left in my city. They want to buy my house, split
the lot, and build another house in my backyard. I never feel any need to
respond.