My evidence that this is a truly unusual year in real estate is the fact that I’ve now had two sight unseen offers.
That means people made an offer to buy a house based on pictures online. Houses they’d never been to in person. Exteriors they explored on satellite maps.
The first one was a young family moving to New York from another part of the country. They’d begun to despair of finding a house - his time to look was limited by his work hours, she was halfway across the country.
So when they found a promising looking place online, they decided to make an offer.
I went there, did a video tour so they could get more of an idea of what it was like, and they moved forward.
They’re living there now.
The second one is more recent; a person moving from a few states away who finds herself returning over and over to the same house, a house that just had a price reduction and is getting a lot of showing activity.
She won’t be in town for another few days, so she’s made an offer, sight unseen.
We added a contingency so if the reality doesn’t live up to her expectations, expectations I’ve tried to make realistic from my own viewing of the house, she can move on without penalty.
But it’s a good house in a beautiful spot. I am hoping it doesn’t disappoint.
I am not sure I’d be brave enough to make an offer on a house I’ve never seen.
Would you?