Since our friends over at Eater have a series called Shit People Steal, we thought we would get in on the game, real estate style. What better corollary to thievery than all the fibs, half-truths, and outright lies that surround a property transaction? Below find our first example of Lies People Tell as told to Curbed DC by a source who saw the deal up front. Know of anymore? Contact us through our always-anonymous tipline to give us the story.
This took place in [a wealthy suburb of DC]. The owners of a house had been renting it out for a few years since their jobs had posted them overseas, but they decided they wanted to sell the property so they set a price and offered it to the tenants who had been living there for several years. But the tenants said they weren't interested. So the owners listed it with an agent who held a few open houses and showings. The tenants always managed to be at the showings and each time they would mention things that were wrong with the house and point out examples of why they were moving out.
No one made an offer. Finally the owners, who are overseas and don't really know what is going on, lowered the price and then the tenants decided that they were interested in buying it after all. (Years later the wife let slip that this had been their plan the whole time). The price was agreed upon and everything passed inspection, but the tenants insisted that the owners replace a radiator that wasn't working properly. The total cost came to about $1,500 but the owners wouldn't pay to have it fixed. (Years later they said that they knew the tenants wouldn't back out of the deal so they weren't going to cough up another $1,500). But the tenants wouldn't agree to buy the house unless the radiator was fixed or they had a credit to get it fixed themselves. Both sides refused to budge and spent plenty of time throwing out insults about how cheap the other side was. After ages of nothing happening, the real estate agent offered to pay to have the radiator fixed and both sides immediately agreed and the house was sold.