It can be found here:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/realestate/columnists.nsf/
dianhymer/story/032F9E312021A6E086257019003ABFB5?OpenDocument

Although I got a few laughs out of it, I hesitate to use the word "funny" to describe the article because I have a few of these stories of my own (unfortunately).

Yes, real estate can be an ugly business, and as I read Dian's article I couldn't help but to wonder if every example she used happened to be her own! Since I've written several blogs talking about the extensive steps sellers need to take to get their home sold, I think it's high time to turn the table on the buyers and their agents.

When the article mentioned the seller who was upset at people walking around her backyard without permission (which I’ve had happen myself), I couldn’t help but to think about one thing. TRESPASSING! Just because there is a for sale sign in the yard doesn’t mean its open game to poke around. That home is still private property, and your appointment is your invitation to walk around (even if it’s a FSBO, new construction, whatever). Without that invitation, those people in the back yard were technically breaking the law.

And before you try to rationalize the behavior, think about the buyer. You know NOTHING about them. There is the distinct possibility that the seller is crazy or at that moment drunk or on drugs. I know that sounds funny, but I’ve met some pretty strange people over the years and you never know when the seller could be a gun nut high on heroin. More important, what if the adults aren’t home; but their young children are? A stranger walking around the backyard unannounced is not only scary, but one call to the police from a frightened child could have you handcuffed in the back of squad car. The same goes for an elderly seller or even a single woman. What might be curiosity to you might be a safety or security issue to someone else.

Also, keep in mind that appointments aren’t required simply so a seller can clean up before you get there. There may be pets that need caged- pets that can bite or attack a stranger walking around in THEIR yard. In the case of new construction or a rehab project, there could be dangers that require you to be supervised to visit (and insurance companies can be quite inflexible on this point).

Unfortunately there is also bad behavior on the part of agents. Recently, I got a phone call at 8:00pm on a Friday night. It was an agent. She had printed out the listings she wanted to show her clients, but didn’t make appointments in advance. So there she was with her clients in her car parked in the driveway of one of my listings. Despite the fact that the listing clearly stated a two hour notice to show (which the client had requested), she was calling to see if she could just walk in (and was quite upset when I refused her entry after making her set in the driveway for 10 minutes while I attempted to call the seller to get permission). Although I harp to my sellers that they need to be flexible to the needs of potential buyers, at 8:00pm on a Friday night I had no way of knowing if my young single male client (whom I couldn’t reach) had his house ready to show.

Most buyers are willing to bend over backwards to get their home sold. But please, don’t make assumptions- because they could be wrong!