WIthout our knowledge, our house is for sale...

While I usually try to write positive blog entries, ones featuring the kids, or other fun things that happen in our lives, we all know that once in awhile something comes along that tests you. I want to share with you the stress Ian and I have been under in the last 2 days.


On Thursday last week, Ian was checking out a real estate website and, unknown to us, came across OUR HOUSE! There was a listing price, a full description of our house, and photos of the inside of our house...with our kids photos in full sight for anyone to see, along with our full address too...a child pedophile's dream, you could say...

WE WERE SOOOOO ANGRY...AND UPSET...AND DISAPPOINTED. AND SHOCKED!

Thing is, we have entered into a one-time agreement with some people who want to buy our house. We found a house we love, and our real estate agent, let's call her Jane, had some people who would love to buy our house. Ian and I himmed and hawed because we really didn't want to go through the whole business of listing our house. We had the attitude of "if it's meant to be, then it'll happen". So we told Jane that we would only be letting these potential buyers into our home but that we were definitely not listing our house. We were very clear about that. With me running a daycare, I did not want to go through listing the house and having people come through it with the uncertainty of whether it would sell or not. It was these buyers or nothing.

As it happened, these buyers, J & K, were very interested in our house and were ready to buy it. We had told Jane a price we wanted and nothing below it. It worked out. We signed the papers to buy the house we want, and J & K signed their papers. Done deal, right?

Thursday Ian came across our house online. With all the photos of our house on it.
I had cleaned up Thanksgiving weekend so that J & K could come into our home to do their home inspection. I hadn't removed any of the photos since I didn't think it necessary. Nor did we clean up a lot of other things, since our house was pretty much sold to J & K. Turns out, Jane took photos of our whole house, made up a detailed description of our home, took measurements of the rooms (THIS she had told us she would do, and we said OK since it's necessary for our lawyer to have this information), and had it posted online. She NEVER told us that our home was going to be online, for sale, with a price attached. Our rooms are online for everyone to see, with our kids in full view, and our address along with it. People have been calling, wanting to view our house!

I was absolutely LIVID. Of the two of us, Ian was definitely the calmer one. My blood was boiling. I had PROMISED my daycare clients that our house would not be listed. My kids were online for any freak to scope out, and we had been lied to.

During our previous moves and sale of our other home, we had had wonderful experiences with another real estate agent and they defied the typical "slimy real estate agent reputation".

Anyway, I called Jane and told her to remove the photos immediately. This was Thursday at 5:00. Today, Saturday, they are still up.

On Thursday, Jane never explained to us why she did this. Nor did she apologize. On Friday Morning we got an email stating her apologies and she went on to other stuff in her email.

All we really wanted was an apology and an explanation. And of course, for the photos to be removed A.S.A.P.. I called her again on Friday to tell her the photos were still up on the site. She apologized and I asked her why she did it. She said it was just a habit for her. I don't believe her. Who goes into a home, takes photos of all the rooms, provides a full description, posts them online, and doesn't tell the owners??? RIDICULOUS!

Looking back, there were little signs all along that she couldn't be trusted, that she was dishonest. I can list at least 3 more incidents (small ones) in which she lied/twisted the truth.

It's all so disappointing that you trust a real estate agent with your home, a huge sum of money, and giving them a large commission on it, only to have this happen.

She was supposed to come to our home inspection tomorrow, Sunday, which she had confirmed with us on Thursday morning, but after all this, she suddenly has "another engagement".

I look forward to dealing with our previous real estate agent now, Karl, who is awesome. While I try hard to forgive and forget, it's easier said than done. Honest mistakes I get. But in my books, this was not an honest mistake. It was a slimy, back-handed, sneaky way to make her look good, and advertise the fact that she has a wonderful house that she is selling.

I hope that everything from here on out goes smoothly now and that we can put this stressful event behind us...moving and selling is stressful enough, never mind adding this stress that Jane put us through.