[Aquamarine]

Be careful. In the first year of my loss several people came at me from different directions to take advantage. They made it look like their motive was out of concern but their main interest was in my property. What I learned was people really covet property. I didn't fall for any of it.

[LittleLinda]

Well that’s exactly the situation I think I’m in. A developer wants the property/house to build a condo of 6-8 units that are selling for $1 million each and he already owns an adjacent property. His offer is at least 25% higher than the norm but he wants an environmental assessment done as a condition of sale because a gas station used to be 100 yards away. He needs to make sure there’s no ground contamination that would have to be removed before he could re-develop it.

But I think he lied to me when he stated that removal of any contaminants is covered by the homeowners policy. I just don’t believe that’s true without a special rider on the policy and can’t believe my mother and stepfather would ever have thought of or agreed to that. I need to find the policy and then learn both the consequences of discovering there’s contamination and my future obligation to disclose it to any seller - commercial or private. It could materially change the value of the property once I know for sure. It might be better to not know and take a lower price (market value). I’m looking for a real estate lawyer who can address my concerns, all while I’m getting heirs yelling at me to “Sell now before the developer reduces his offer!” Yiyiyi.

Your advice to be careful is good. Thank you. Luckily, that’s my nature, to the supreme frustration of my siblings.

[lyby]

What I learned was people really covet property

***********************************

No doubt. I experienced a cold, hard, and very sad reality. My husband, children, and I live 500+ miles away and travel “home” at least 2x each year for 25+ years to spend time with our parents - all now deceased, siblings, and extended family. Following the deaths of my mother (2018) and her sister (2017), long story, short: I had to hire a lawyer to extract myself from being a joint-owner with 7 other relatives who communicated little (property tax due-date) to nothing (maintenance costs, land-lease agreements, rental property, insurances, etc.) with/to me about the property. Finally settled in fall of 2023. My concern was/is for my children and grandchildren as I did not want to leave them bound to an even more tangled web...

((hugs))

~ an “old biddy” 😆

[Melian]

Wise woman!