By Chad Meier, January 3, 2025
Our main character is an elderly homeowner who moved from his long-time residence (a home he had owned for several decades) to an assisted living facility, only to have three individuals decide shortly thereafter that his property would make a great place to lay low and squat awhile. But wait, the situation and story do get better.
Eventually the authorities manage to clear the zombies out; but not before they’ve done a number on the place. After a decade of neglect and this recent hoarding, the property now resembled a haunted house. A bank appraiser is brought in by his son to estimate the property’s value. The number they settle on is $490k. It’s suggested he could price it even lower, just to get it done. And with that blood in the water, we now cue to the cash wholesalers all coming out of the woodwork to “help out” this distressed homeowner, by offering him pennies on the dollar. Sure (they say) perhaps it’s not what he could get if he fixed it up and exposed it to the open market, but it’ll be quick and hassle-free. It’s worth mentioning that this is the man’s sole valuable asset to help him live out his remaining years in some semblance of comfort.
Feeling deflated, short on resources, and with little immediate family to turn to, the man seeks advice from anyone who will listen. He talks to various agents of various vocations. He is stuck. It’s at this point that his fate and mine intertwine, because he ends up getting referred my way by a knowledgeable commercial broker I once did business with. After getting to know each other a bit, I felt compelled to jump in, provide my own workable plan, and help oversee the project. It felt obvious from the start that I would offer to do all of this at no additional expense over my minimum listing fee. He and his son placed their faith in me. It felt heavy, and from the planning stage to execution, it was both a challenge and an opportunity for personal growth. It also turned out to be a very rewarding endeavor.In the end, we finished the prep and sold it for much more than any other professional told him he could ever hope to get for this home. In fact, he netted an additional $55k over his investment into contractor materials and labor. BTW this was not rocket science. We simply followed a strategically sound gameplan and ended up setting a sales record 
in his immediate neighborhood for our efforts. It was a bittersweet conclusion to a 6-month long process. I felt honored to have received the opportunity to get involved.
in his immediate neighborhood for our efforts. It was a bittersweet conclusion to a 6-month long process. I felt honored to have received the opportunity to get involved.
And for the record, there wasn’t a dry eye at the closing table that day!
Chad Meier
Broker | OR
He/Him
Hello, I’m Chad: Licensed Real Estate Broker, native Oregonian, photography aficionado, lover of old houses, friend to all animals, and powered by analytical data...
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