House You Love Not For Sale? No Worries, Make an Offer Anyway
When I was searching for a home to buy earlier this year it did cross my mind to take the most direct route I could think of. Namely to identify homes I liked in the neighborhood I coveted and pop a letter in their mailboxes. “I love the look of your home, I am in a position to buy it. If you would consider selling, please get in touch.” Something along those lines.
Turns out the idea has been developed with some panache in the Netherlands.
Via Trendwatching.com’s latest briefing, I learn that ING Bank’s WoonWaarUWilt (“LiveWhereYouWant”) initiative lets clients make an offer on houses that aren’t on the market, but that they’d love to own. After potential buyers fill in a form on woonwaaruwilt.nl, including their dream home’s address and the initial offer they’re willing to make, a subsidiary of the bank called iBlue contacts them to discuss whether the offer is reasonable, and adjusts it if necessary.
A mortgage consultant also determines whether the buyers would be able to finance the purchase. iBlue then sends a preliminary offer to the property’s current owners, explaining the situation and enquiring as to whether they’d consider selling. Read about how it works at Springwise.com
Trendwatching also spotlights another intention-based real estate site, this time from Australia. Love That Place (subtitle: “Always Open For Inspection”) is a social network designed to let users search, discuss, rate and register interest in property, whether it’s for sale or not.
Property owners begin by creating a page and uploading photos of their home—simply to gather feedback and advice, or to test the market and see what other people think. Members of the site can leave comments or send private messages and admirers of a particular property can even send a virtual “door-knock” to see if an owner would consider selling. If the owner is interested, the two parties can negotiate privately or through an agent.
I like the look of the historic 4-bedroom 1841 home in Canterbury (above left), with its 1-meter thick sandstone walls set in acres of parkland 9 kilometers from Sydney. The contemporary waterfront home with its “panoramic views” and “parents’ retreat”on the island of Tasmania (above right) also appeals.
Wonder if the owners will hear my offers.
[Pic credits: LoveThatPlace]
