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Michigan Planner

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I borrowed my father-in-laws power washer to clean off my patio and walkways. Even after reading all the warnings not to point it at any body parts and my FIL reminding me how powerful it is, it took a lot more will power than it should have to resist spraying it directly at my sandal-clad feet.
 

Omega Male

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1623371276366.png
 

Van Veen

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Had a dead tree taken down today. This was the last big liability that came up on the inspection.

We overheard one of the crew saying it was “beyond dead.”

F52DF693-8DDB-4727-A8B9-2936371C46D5.jpeg

I would have loved to leave it for wildlife, but it was close enough to the house that it would do major damage if it fell.
 

double00

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it can still be set aside for wildlife etc
 

Van Veen

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Oh **** I just checked and I can get Google Fiber. Will definitely switch once my AT&T promo rate runs out.
 

double00

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otc

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I think that's kind of a hard sell--as the article mentions, you can just google most buyers/sellers if your sole intent is to not sell to a black person (or similar).

You'd have to make real estate transactions essentially become blind, but that's never going to happen. The Realtor lobby would probably love it though...anything that creates further legal requirements for their services is great for them.

Furthermore, they are often semi-complex transactions--they aren't always going to be "high bid wins" since there are often material differences in contingencies, closing times and overall risk of the deal falling apart. Being able to communicate around these issues can have a meaningful impact on the negotiation.

I suppose it also becomes a first amendment issue on some level--the government can't force sellers agents to censor ALL speech of prospective buyers simply because the content of that speech MIGHT open up lines of discrimination.

edit: and....is it any surprise that the bill's author is a realtor and receives a bunch of campaign contributions from the Oregon Association of Realtors? This isn't about discrimination, this is about making realtors lives easier and making them more necessary (now, will FSBO properties suddenly open themselves up to liability if they don't have someone to filter correspondence? Maybe not for real, but it gives realtors another scare tactic).
 
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double00

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to your edit, no, it isn't a surprise that a realtor is involved with this sort of legislation. or that any industry would be involved in legislative process, i think you'll find it's fairly common. also there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence in this threak suggesting that plenty of realtors engage in the practice , i can't really buy teh realtor cabal bit . i have no idea whether the gov of oregon will sign the bill.

i'm not sure *free speech* really applies to commercial transactions in the way you are suggesting have you gone libertopian otc?

the selling decision is by definition divesting stake in place, community, etc. why should that party vet any fit beyond the transaction itself (they're gone!), and why would personal circumstances (typically the tenor of those letters) govern the viability of the deal? the answer is of course that it doesn't. it's simply a seller's market atm, these letters seem to be an informal emotional narrative version of earnest money (but without providing any actual surety lol)

in a buyers market nobody in their right mind would write a letter. hey if you can swing a property with a letter don't mind me. for me no to the unwritten rules i can negotiate just fine without closing distance on a seller
 
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otc

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i'm not sure *free speech* really applies to commercial transactions in the way you are suggesting have you gone libertopian otc?

This is the government passing a law that blocks speech. A letter from one party to another is speech.

Just because the actual mechanism of the law forces a non-government entity to the actual act of censorship doesn't change the fact that law is an explicit restraint on speech. This is not a business simply deciding they won't pass along letters (in which case sellers would be free to choose agents who *do* pass along letters if they want).

As to why should the party vet any fit--I already answered that in part. These are complicated transactions and there are lots of instances where some explanation could matter as far as the offer. If I tell you I am moving from the other side of town, am used to living in areas with well/septic, and already have a good job, I'm probably a hell of a lot more likely to get approved for my loan AND follow through with the purchase after due diligence than some buyer moving from Phoenix who is planning to find a new job on arrival.

Also, not all sellers are rational or are leaving the area. Maybe they are moving 2 blocks away and just really want a family who appreciates the landscaping and vintage charm of the house and will keep it that way and would be willing to forgo an extra $5k from some couple that's probably going to tear it down and build a glass & steel vacation home that will sit empty for 9 months out of the year or an investor who is going to turn it into a party-house AirBNB. Yeah, we don't want people discriminating on protected reasons, but I don't see any issue with people deciding they like one buyer over another for non-protected reasons.
 

otc

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As to why should the party vet any fit--I already answered that in part. These are complicated transactions and there are lots of instances where some explanation could matter as far as the offer. If I tell you I am moving from the other side of town, am used to living in areas with well/septic, and already have a good job, I'm probably a hell of a lot more likely to get approved for my loan AND follow through with the purchase after due diligence than some buyer moving from Phoenix who is planning to find a new job on arrival.

And anecdotally, even though my realtor doesn't like these letters, she keeps talking about deals that fall apart for reasons that are relevant to this discussion. They are seeing a lot of out-of-state buyers (especially CA remote-worker types) who blow the deals up when they actually come visit in person and decide its not quite the dream they had in mind. There is earnest money (1% of bid), but apparently state rules make that incredibly easy to get back upon inspection. Fly out, bring an inspector, if you don't absolutely love it, they can find what you need to break the contract.

This has lead to a situation where in addition to your typical preference for cash buyers/waived appraisals, sellers are also putting a lot of weight on things like whether or not you've seen the home in person (which likely means you are already living/renting nearby given short deadlines and travel difficulties to the area), are using local lenders, have local ties, etc.

That's where I see a letter helping us even if the seller doesn't care about the heart-strings/community aspects. My wife has a job with a start date. We're moving here and we have a deadline to get it done--we're not SF tech workers feeling out the possibility of various remote-work locales. Unless there's a huge appraisal gap or irreconcilable inspection issues, my loan is 100% getting approved and we are closing with the first seller that picks us.
 

Piobaire

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Why is it the government's business on how two willing parties interact for the sale of residential real estate? What's next? Offers can only be submitted on Tuesdays?
 

otc

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And yeah, I would expect realtors to be involved in any legislation involving realtors.

But when a member of an industry is coming forward and proposing *restrictions* on what people in that industry can do...I tend to think there's an ulterior motive at play. Not always, but rarely do industries voluntarily self-regulate for the good of the populace.
 

brokencycle

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Why is it the government's business on how two willing parties interact for the sale of residential real estate? What's next? Offers can only be submitted on Tuesdays?

Why should government be involved in any contract between two willing parties?


I'll go back to libertopia now.
 

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