When real estate imitates cinema

real estate and cinemaDoes cinema imitate life, or is it the other way around?

I have always said that being a real estate professional is more than just selling homes – it’s about the people, relationships, and the occasional interesting story. So, here’s a few recent stories where real estate imitates film.

Reminiscent of American Beauty… Late last year, a story emerged about a law suit against a real estate agent who allegedly used a home as a rendezvous place for sex.  In their suit, the owners of the New Jersey home alleged that the agent they hired to list their vacant home kept buyers away by over pricing it; and by the way – he allegedly used the home as a clandestine sexual meeting place.  The agents involved were reportedly recorded on hidden video cameras (nj.com).

Although the comedy Neighbors highlights the obnoxious relationship, real life bad neighbors are not as humorous… A recent report of a New Jersey home buyer taking action against the home builder received national attention.  The buyer sued the home builder alleging that the home builder did not disclose that the neighbor is potentially antagonistic; and if it was known, might have affected the buyer’s decision to purchase the home (abcnews.go.com).

This story has a twist like Down and out in Beverly Hills…Thinking outside the box, a Denver real estate agent had the brilliant idea to help a homeless man.  The agent passed this homeless man daily, and decided to help him out – but not with a handout.  The agent hired him.  The homeless man held a sign that used to read, “I’m cold. I’m homeless. I’m hungry. Spare Anything.”  Now the sign reads, “No need for your cash! I’m sponsored by Joe Manzanares.” (kdvr.com).

Mistaken identity is often the plot of a movie, but not like this…This story comes from Fort Worth, where a couple’s home was mistakenly knocked down by the city.  The family was planning to move into the home that the grandmother lived in.  The owners visited the home often for maintenance.  However, on one occasion they realized the home disappeared.  The city mistakenly demolished the home, when the home next door was scheduled for demolition.   The ABC News report explains that this occurs more often than you think; human error is often cited for mistaken demolition (abcnews.go.com).

Who You Gonna Call? – Ghostbusters!  When they listed their Pennsylvania home, the home seller wasn’t sure about disclosing the strange phenomenon that he experienced.  Even though the seller admitted having a scientific mind, some occurrences were hard to explain.  The seller’s stories included hearing people talking when he was with his infant daughter, hearing doors slamming.  When he listed the home, the description read: “Slightly haunted. Nothing serious, though.”  You might think that home buyers might be scared away, but the seller was pleasantly surprised by the publicity that was gained from the report – and the abundance of offers for the home (zillow.com).

A real life War of the Roses … When a Michigan man moved into the home next door to his ex-wife and her husband, no one expected this.  A twelve foot sculpture was erected in the back yard directed to the neighbor – “flipping the bird.”  Oh, and there is a spotlight to help see it at night (deadlinedetroit.com).

by Dan Krell ©
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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. This article was originally published the week of January 13, 2014 (Montgomery County Sentinel). Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws. Copyright © Dan Krell.