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Santa Claus Broke our Chimney Damper

Real Estate Questions and Answers. 

Question: Our buyers recently had a home inspection performed on my home. The inspector said the fireplace damper is broken. I haven’t used my fireplace in years. We have had 17 Christmases in our home, so I'm sure the damper was damaged by the fat guy in the red suit coming down our chimney. Why should I be responsible to make that repair?

Answer:  We assume you mean Santa Claus. I think the jolly old man who brings happiness to millions of children & families every year, deserves a bit more respect from you. Since Santa visits millions of homes every year, there are bound to be a few accidents. We once had a few roof shingles break off from what was probably caused by Santa and his reindeer team. Since Santa's visits have been very special to our family, we consider this as normal Holiday maintenance and had no problem making the repairs. 

Mr. Seller, the broken damper is a safety issue. Your new buyers have every right to insist that you fix the chimney damper. Failure to do so could terminate the contract on your home. We suggest you fix the safety issue with your home, move towards a successful closing and be happy knowing that your new buyers will be safe in their new Home.

Here is something else you should know:  Blaming Santa for this broken damper is most definitely going to put you on His “Naughty List.”  You may want to reconsider your accusations.

Food for Thought

A Home is More than Just an Investment

You Want to take your Home off the Market During Christmas Time? Why?

When you look at your holiday calendars you may find the months already overloaded with seasonal obligations -- shopping, entertaining and more.  It is understandable why you would be tempted to take your home off the market during the holidays. Better to just pack it in and start fresh in January, right?                                                                                                                                                                              
NO! We feel taking your home off the market during the Christmas season is a mistake.  The house sure isn't going to sell off the market! So what is the advantage of that? So you're busy. Have your Realtor put on a lockbox. You can leave in the morning, go to work, go shopping, and let the Realtors take care of things for you.

Many people take off work sometime during the season. The husband and wife are both off and want to see houses.  We like the holidays because the buyers have more time, and they can look at homes together.                                                                                                                                                                     
Before you take your home off the market, consider the following points:

Although buyer activity may appear to slow down, the buyers who are actively looking during the holidays are more serious. The home market is no more affected at Christmas than during other "busy" period. If that were so, the market would shut down throughout the year as families concentrate on spring weddings, June graduations, summer vacations, and Fall back-to-school activities.

At Christmastime, our culture focuses on family and home. Preparing for the indoor activities of winter is one of the most enjoyable periods of family life. When is your home ever more beautiful and inviting? You have cleaned and decorated, and your home looks like a picture postcard. If the results are good enough for family and friends, they will surely be good enough to impress your buyers. Get the family team on board to do a five-minute blitz pick-up every morning to keep holiday messes to a minimum.

With reduced inventories and motivated buyers, you will have all the members of the Multiple Listing Service on your team.  If you do get a contract, you can arrange the terms to suit your needs. If moving during the holidays isn't an option, you can put in the closing date of your choice. Most people can close 30 to 60 days after a contract is written, so there is plenty of time.                                                                                              Allowing buyers to view your home during this happy season lets them better picture their own family life in the attractive environment you have created.