[BrianL99]

There are a ton of people in the business of picking up properties, via Death Notices.

The Villages is the perfect place to do it, as so many folks are approaching the big giant golf course in the sky.

Just people trying to make a living. If you don't want to talk to them, don't. Many folks are happy to field offers on a home they no longer want or need. You may not get the highest & best price, but usually these type of buyers can move fast and don't need a lot of contingencies.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

There are a ton of people in the business of picking up properties, via Death Notices.

The Villages is the perfect place to do it, as so many folks are approaching the big giant golf course in the sky.

Just people trying to make a living. If you don't want to talk to them, don't. Many folks are happy to field offers on a home they no longer want or need. You may not get the highest & best price, but usually these type of buyers can move fast and don't need a lot of contingencies.

I'm sure that's a wonderful idea for those living here that are very old or demented or childless. Maybe the caller should check for those details first. Otherwise, most will arrange for an orderly, profitable sale when they are ready.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I'm sure that's a wonderful idea for those living here that are very old or demented or childless. Maybe the caller should check for those details first. Otherwise, most will arrange for an orderly, profitable sale when they are ready.

The potential Buyer doesn't care about "most", they care about the 1-2- or 3 they may get.

No different than folks calling and trying to sell your Medicare Advantage Plans, every winter.

.... or an Extended Automobile Warranty!

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I based my reply on the fact that someone was probably watching the obituaries. That is creepy.

It isn't disgusting or creepy. Those offers to do business are legitimate and are from Realtors or private investors. It's simply an innovative way to drum up business and there's nothing wrong with it. You probably wouldn't like the offer but they usually pay all closing costs and it's a way to get rid of a property quickly with no inspections or repairs.

It's also a way that some people earn a living!

[Ignatz]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

It isn't disgusting or creepy. Those offers to do business are legitimate and are from Realtors or private investors. It's simply an innovative way to drum up business and there's nothing wrong with it. You probably wouldn't like the offer but they usually pay all closing costs and it's a way to get rid of a property quickly with no inspections or repairs.

It's also a way that some people earn a living!

Yay! A sensible reply to the thread.

While some may feel offended by such a marketing tactic, other’s welcome it as it can help clear an estate asset cleanly and timely.

[thevillages2013]

Originally Posted by Professor

Ever since my spouse passed away 18 months ago, I started to get calls every 2-3 months asking if I would be interested in selling my home for a cash offer. I always declined because I suspect it is some sort of scam. It never happened until after her death, so I suspect someone is reading the obituaries and grabbing info off of it, hoping to catch someone in a weak moment. Has anyone else experienced this?

I refuse to answer phone calls if I don’t know who is on the other end. Also IMO life is too short to be listening to voicemail. I still get the occasional rogue text message but it gets deleted

[tombpot]

Don’t answer the phone problem solved

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by thevillages2013

I refuse to answer phone calls if I don’t know who is on the other end. Also IMO life is too short to be listening to voicemail. I still get the occasional rogue text message but it gets deleted

My phone is always on "do not disturb" with the exception of numbers on my "contacts" list. This has totally eliminated unwanted calls. They can leave a voicemail if it is important.

[RoseyRed]

They are not only watching the obituaries but also keep up with public records that show when deed ownership has changed. I have experienced them calling and texting wanting to purchase properties. I ignore these due to the offer would likely be far less than the value of the property and therefore a waste of my time. Do not think they are calling/texting to do you a favor, it's to make them money!

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I based my reply on the fact that someone was probably watching the obituaries. That is creepy.

there always been rip off artists from around world preying on vulnerable and anyone else they can cheat or steal, Especially now in digital age.

[opinionist]

I would get random offers in the mail to buy my house for cash. When I put my house on the market, some official offers came in far below market value. I suspect they are house flippers looking for a gullible person. On the phone, I only answer calls where I can identify the caller.

[Villagesgal]

It is a scam. They are hoping that in your grief you make a decision in haste
and sell for next to nothing. I got these for 6 months after my husband died. One listed a cash price they would pay me that was about $200,000 less than my house was worth. They are hoping you are desperate for cash. Two actually stopped by my house and made offers. I did not sell and was angry at these people for trying to make a buck off of my misfortune. Don't make any major changes in your life for at least a year after a spouses death. These are dispicable people.

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by thevillages2013

I refuse to answer phone calls if I don’t know who is on the other end. Also IMO life is too short to be listening to voicemail. I still get the occasional rogue text message but it gets deleted

Agreed! Silence unknown callers is a great feature on my iPhone.

[starflyte1]

My friend sold his home in Arizona for a cash offer and it was a great choice. After much thought, he decided to see what they had to offer.

The price agreed on was very fair, considering the ease of the sale. There was no commission paid. No inspections, except one, for structure of house. He could just walk out, leaving anything he did not want to take. No cleaning. No showings.

And again, the selling price was about same as if it had been sold by a real estate agent.

He would try that again and was very happy with the sale.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I agree that a cash offer is not appropriate immediately after someone dies.

Note that, in some real estate markets, especially where younger people have active careers, they are turned off by the 3 to 6 month house selling process. Some large companies are filling a need by making cash offers with an immediate closing. These are not scammers. The process allows the seller to unload the house and move to another job quickly. I doubt that the brokers like the process.

Often, these are small companies given access to a large amount of credit by bigger companies. The small companies specialize in finding and contacting people who might be interested in moving and offering them cash in exchange for skipping the entire sales process and 6% paid to realtors. Some of them make a low-ball offer, but some make a pretty fair offer. These small companies tend to immediately turn the houses over to bigger companies, repaying the loan they received and keeping part of it. These larger companies then bundle house sales from all over the country and sell them to REITs. (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Investors buy into these REITs. The investors don’t own the houses. They just own shares. These are also sold like mutual funds. Some years they are the best investments on Wall Street. Some years they tank.

At some point the homes are reconditioned and perhaps sold for a good profit but more likely rented out. The huge companies doing this use computer algorithms to figure out the absolute maximum the market will bear for each house in its neighborhood and charge it. That is how REITs make their money, mostly from rents. However, when one of these companies starts renting out a house, the top dollar it charges is discovered by other companies in the area that rent out homes and duplicated. The result is that these companies bear the primary responsibility for the huge increase in the cost of rent around the country. As local owners raise rents, that money goes into the pockets of the local companies and out of the pockets of the millions who have to rent homes and apartments. However, the companies that own thousands of homes and hundreds of thousands of homes and raise the rent every year are doing it for investors.