The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 14 No. 7 - December 11, 2013

REAL ESTATE

What's included in a sale?

 

Selling your home is right up there with death and divorce in the emotions department. So when you’re placing your property on the market, be very careful about what you intend to remove and even be more specific about what you intend to leave.

In the spirit of full disclosure the inspiration and some of the facts for this column came from a recent Wall Street Journal piece about unusual contingencies sellers and buyers are putting into contracts of sale. Not only are pieces of art and furniture being included as part of sales contracts, but actual live animals and pets that sellers cannot take with them are being included. Apparently the practice of asking for unusual contingencies in sales contracts is up about 25 percent over the past five years as reported in the journal.

According to a quick review of my real estate books the sale of property includes permanent fixtures that are attached. Typically this includes doors, light fixtures, kitchen cabinets, in ground pools and landscaping. It does not include personal items like furniture, decorative pieces and appliances.

There are, of course, items that are in the gray area and can be considered permanent by the buyer but not by the seller, which is why you need to work with your real estate professional to compile a list of anything that you plan on taking that may not be clear to a buyer. Likewise, buyers should ask specifically if an item that they feel should be included in the sale actually is included before signing a contract.

That being said, it does not mean that something that is typically considered a permanent attachment can’t be removed. An heirloom chandelier can certainly be excluded from the sale as long as it is replaced with some kind of light fixture; likewise a rare shrub can be dug up as long it is replaced.

On Anna Maria, homes and condos are frequently sold with all furniture, appliances, fully outfitted kitchens and beach equipment making the home pretty much turnkey. Again the terms of this kind of sale need to be specifically spelled out in the contract so there is no misunderstanding on closing day.

But what if you as a seller would like to leave something in the house that a potential buyer may not want? I once left a piano in a house since the basement room it was in was built around the piano. Our buyers were fine with us leaving it, but if they wanted it removed we were facing a messy and costly procedure that would have included dismantling walls.

But according to the Wall Street Journal, my piano was easy compared to some things sellers want to leave. How about four chickens or three llamas or a large dog the seller wasn’t able to take to his/her new apartment. And my absolute favorite were specific pieces of furniture that the seller swore were haunted and did not want removed so as not to disturb the ghosts who lived there.

Every time you think you heard it all you realize there’s always more. The bottom line when it comes to deciding what stays and what goes is to be as unambiguous as possible, and don’t forget that everything that has to do with a home sale has a large dose of emotion attached to it.

I may not be as crazy as the chicken sellers, but I did refuse to sell a family room leather chair to buyers of another one of our homes because it was the chair my dogs always sat in. As it turned out, I was right. The chair survived the dogs, and it became an emotional touchstone for me.

Real Estate Transactions
Real estate transfers as of May 2013
Sponsored by Alan Galletto Island Real Estate

Sold Date | List Price | Sold Price | Address | Provision | Property Style

Anna Maria

09/06/2013 499,900 465,000 830 North Shore Dr 1467 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 529,000 490,000 313 Magnolia Ave 1424 73x114 2 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 799,900 750,000 115 Willow Ave 2140 50x110 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 750,000 750,000 300 Shore Dr 1680 4 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/23/2013 875,000 800,000 511 South Dr # A 2742 158x130 5 Br/3 Ba SFR
09/23/2013 430,000 445,000 511 Spring Ave 1093 52x145 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/24/2013 634,900 600,000 113 Pelican Dr 1008 91x100 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/24/2013 720,000 677,500 771 Jacaranda Rd 1586 52x98 3 Br/2 Ba SFR 09/25/2013 594,0 00 540,000 215 Palm Ave 1040 52x110 3 Br/2 Ba SFR 09/06/2013 369,900 360,000 812 Jacaranda Rd 61x108 Vac.
09/20/2013 1,835,000 1,865,000 207 - 215 Magnolia Ave 260x110 Vac.
09/26/2013 500,000 500,000 207 Magnolia 52x110 Vac.
09/26/2013 500,000 500,000 Magnolia 52x110 Vac.

Bradenton Beach

09/20/2013 434,900 405,000 2113 Avenue C 1280 50x100 3 Br/1 Ba SFR
09/05/2013 290,000 265,000 2302 Avenue B 2145 50x100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR, Short Sale
09/06/2013 395,000 380,000 1325 Gulf N Dr # 166 1392 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/06/2013 799,999 799,000 2309 Avenue C # Both 3326 6 Br/4 Ba Villa
09/06/2013 799,999 800,000 2309 Avenue C # Both 3326 102x108 Inc.
09/23/2013 269,900 280,000 102 1st N St 2447 50x106 Inc., Bank Owned

Holmes Beach

09/06/2013 475,000 405,000 415 Bay Palms Dr 1746 80x100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/12/2013 2,174,000 1,900,000 534 70th St 3511 109 x 119 4 Br/4.5 Ba SFR
09/12/2013 625,000 575,000 207 69th St # B 1200 70x110 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/13/2013 450,000 355,000 6818 Palm Dr # A,B 2042 3 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 519,000 495,000 4110 6th Ave 1500 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 1,695,000 1,350,000 204 66th St 3400 29x105 6 Br/5.5 Ba SFR
09/26/2013 2,499,000 2,170,000 103 49th St 2431 113x150 3 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
09/26/2013 649,500 615,000 300 67th St 1450 50 x 100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/30/2013 579,000 552,500 215 66th St 1114 54x105 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/30/2013 449,000 438,000 231 64th St 1206 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/30/2013 719,000 650,000 5605 Carissa St # South 1500 76x117 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/02/2013 249,000 225,000 3601 East Bay Dr # 202 1035 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/18/2013 1,000,000 1,000,000 6006 Gulf Dr # 201 2010 3 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/20/2013 325,000 300,000 6200 Flotilla Dr # 261 1426 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 379,900 379,900 6005 Gulf Dr # 219 1011 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 529,900 500,000 7000 Gulf Dr # 107 1259 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 317,500 307,500 5808 Gulf Dr # 104 1198 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 374,900 360,000 3311 Gulf Dr # 1 1331 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/23/2013 279,000 265,000 3100 Gulf Dr # 5 884 2 Br/2 Ba TH
09/17/2013 299,900 287,500 426 63rd St 1216 2 Br/2 Ba 1/2 Dup., Bank Owned
09/25/2013 475,000 425,000 6504 Marina Dr # A 1791 104x100 Inc.

Source: Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office


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